From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

Ladies & Gentlemen, I am not sure if you’re aware of it or not, but today is Monday, December 22.  That means, officially, we only have today, and TWO More days to get all of our holiday shopping done for each and every member of our “Nice List” this year!  Given the state of our economy this year, if you’re at all like me, your Christmas Stash is probably dwindling.  Relax, I found a great way to stretch it!I just found an awesomely helpful little article that had 5 great tips that just so happened to be Green as well, that will help stretch your Holiday cash as far as possible AND ensure that everyone on your gift list will go home happy!  As always, head over and check out the full article, but for now, for your brief viewing pleasure, here are the 5 ways you can greenly save your green while being a good gift giver…talk about 3 birds with 1 stone!

1. Bake Your Way Through The Holiday Gift List - Homemade treats = Genius.  Do it.
2. Skip the Paper Christmas Cards This Year - Email Only.  Save a Tree.
3. Donate To All Your Favorite Eco-Organizations - There is ALWAYS someone that needs more help than we do.  Help them.  Help the earth.
   
4. Cut The Consumption in YOUR Family - Less gifts all around.  Give less, BE more.
5. Don’t Overfeed Your Family and Friends This Holiday Season - Stick to normal sized meals, don’t go overboard all the time.

There you go!  Any one of those should be able to help you cut the costs down, help the planet, and still come out looking like the Jolly Old Elf we all know and love.  Stay Green, even when it’s white outside!

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I live in an old, VERY old, house.  It was built a decade before the turn of the century.  No, not 1990, 1890.  The foundation is made of stone and the insulation is probably going to kill me one day.  That said, my energy bills in the winter are some of the most terrifying pieces of paper that I will ever receive.  What can I do to help keep some of those winter heating costs down?  Simple, find out where the leaks are!

That’s right my friends, air leaks in your home are probably costing you a heck of a lot more money than you’d want to hear about, and the bad news is, it’s just going to get worse.  That is, unless you do something about it, and do something now.  Now, I have some good news, and some not so good news.  I’ll start with the not-so-good news:  Once you discover the leaks, you’re going to have to do something about them yourself.  Whether it’s caulking, more insulating or finally biting the bullet and calling in a contractor or insulating specialist, that’s up to you, but you’ll have to do something.

Now, some good news.  For about $40, you can find ALL the leaks in your house by yourself, saving you a ton of money on a full house inspection, and in the end, helping save you about 20% on your bills each month.  The little Black & Decker Thermal Leak Detector shines a little blue light on any area of your house that’s as low as 1 degree different.  Point it by your windows and BAM, you see exactly where the cold air is coming in, and warm air is rushing itself out.  Plug that leak and viola, save money.

Invest, share, save, love.

When it comes to being green, sometimes saving money (the “other” green) is one of the first things to be sacrificed.  Sometimes saving the environment can come at the expense of your pocket book and that, if we’re honest, is one of the main reasons so many of us have yet to jump on board the “Green” bandwagon.  I just found an article, however, that aims to help you save your Green, while Being green!

As always, head over and check the full article, but here for your viewing pleasure and for brevity’s sake, are 10 Construction Tips on how to save money while saving the Earth at the very same time.  These are great ideas, so keep them in mind the next project you embark on:

“1. Design smart. Early in the design process, keep standard building sizes in mind. Don’t try to shrink the width of the bathroom resulting in the need of a special ordered tub (more carbon miles and expensive too).
2. Site waste. By asking your suppliers to buy back unused materials or delivering them on returnable pallets, you can cut down on the waste generated by your site. The best way to reduce waste is through good planning.
3. Purchase ability. Buy materials that don’t have excessive packaging. When possible, choose items made of recycled materials.
4. Recycle on site. Waste that is generated on site can be recycled. compose certain to tell your crew that recycling is mandatory from
roofing tiles to Coke bottles.
5. Security. Construction site theft is a constant threat. You can set up solar powered cameras to deter that practice.
6. Salvage yards. Know the rules and requirements at local recycling and salvage yards so that you can better sort your waste. You may even get money for some of the items you bring to them.
7. Control run off. Water and liquid wast runoff from job sites can enter public waterways, damaging the ecosystems and polluting drinking water. Pay attention to all government regulations regarding run off and save yourself some hefty fees later on.
8. Green materials. Familiarize yourself with green materials on the market. Substitutions can be made without breaking the bank.
9. Deconstruction. What goes up must come down. Keep the end of the building’s life in mind when designing. manufacture it easy to take apart or add on to. Using bolts instead of glue give more reusable pieces when it is broken down.
10. Keep records. Documenting your efforts may get you an unexpected LEED certification which could get your higher profits and possible some tax write-offs.“

See, you CAN save the Earth and your check book at the same time.  It is entirely possible to “save two birds with one stone” as it were.