Comments on: Save money and help the environment http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/ Daily tips on how to organize your home and office. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:43:54 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Go Greener, Australia » Blog Archive » Some weekend reading http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4572 Go Greener, Australia » Blog Archive » Some weekend reading Sat, 27 Oct 2007 07:40:50 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4572 [...] Unclutterer mentions the Kill-a-Watt device , something I would really like myself - I’m very curious about which appliances or electrics in our house are chewing up the most energy. [...] [...] Unclutterer mentions the Kill-a-Watt device , something I would really like myself – I’m very curious about which appliances or electrics in our house are chewing up the most energy. [...]

]]> By: Miriam http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4169 Miriam Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:39:45 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4169 Get a phone with an actual cord. Cordless phones use more energy than I thought they would, yet their batteries always die. We've gone back to old, solid Western Electric telephones, and the drastic improvement in sound quality over the expensive, fancy, cordless ones we had was very surprising. (Bonus: nicer rings.) (Double bonus: the Cylons can't hack 'em. ;P) Get a phone with an actual cord. Cordless phones use more energy than I thought they would, yet their batteries always die. We’ve gone back to old, solid Western Electric telephones, and the drastic improvement in sound quality over the expensive, fancy, cordless ones we had was very surprising.

(Bonus: nicer rings.)
(Double bonus: the Cylons can’t hack ‘em. ;P)

]]> By: Renee http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4081 Renee Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:09:46 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4081 I bought a similar brush at a Linens and Things that serves multiple purposes: it cleans out the lint trap in the dryer, as well as the refrigerator coils. I've also found it is good at getting stuff out from under the oven, etc. I bought a similar brush at a Linens and Things that serves multiple purposes: it cleans out the lint trap in the dryer, as well as the refrigerator coils. I’ve also found it is good at getting stuff out from under the oven, etc.

]]> By: Who and What They Said on Blog Action Day | Blog Gigs http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4061 Who and What They Said on Blog Action Day | Blog Gigs Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:36:34 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4061 [...] Unclutterer - reduce your home energy consumption and save money at the same time: [...] [...] Unclutterer – reduce your home energy consumption and save money at the same time: [...]

]]> By: olivz http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4060 olivz Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:16:26 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4060 Here's one: line dry your clothes. My neighbor does this, and so does my mom. I plan to do so someday... Here’s one: line dry your clothes. My neighbor does this, and so does my mom. I plan to do so someday…

]]> By: twosandalz http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4059 twosandalz Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:10:16 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4059 This suggestion is an oldie but a goodie, and appropriate to the season... turn down the heat a few degrees and put on a cozy sweater. Here's another one (which is so hard to do in the Winter)... Turn off the water in the shower while you soap up and shampoo your hair. You'll save heating costs and water. But brrrrrr! This suggestion is an oldie but a goodie, and appropriate to the season… turn down the heat a few degrees and put on a cozy sweater.

Here’s another one (which is so hard to do in the Winter)… Turn off the water in the shower while you soap up and shampoo your hair. You’ll save heating costs and water. But brrrrrr!

]]> By: Mags http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4054 Mags Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:49:53 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4054 Hmmm, where to start? The problem is combining it with uncluttered living... 1. Shop local. Get yourself some cotton or hessian shopping bags (plus somewhere neat to store them) and walk/cycle to your local greengrocers or farm shop instead of driving to the supermarket to buy vegetables. As well as saving petrol, you also get a lot less packaging wrapped around your food (and thus less thrown away) and - in the UK at least - a lot of locally bought food carries less food miles. If you live in a urban area, you can also find your local deli, fishmongers, butchers, bakers, weekly farmers' market etc. It takes longer, but you soon build up a routine as well as friendships with your local traders. And you get a workout for free. 2. If you have a garden (yard to you chaps), invest in a rotary drier to dry clothing. Running a tumble drier eats power, wears out your clothes more quickly, builds up massive lint bunnies and takes up loads of space. See, I found an uncluttering benefit to that one! Sunlight also helps keep whites white, so you can turn down the temperature of the white wash cycle. Admittedly, drying clothes naturally is more of a problem in the winter, but invest in a ceiling mounted rack drier to raise the damp clothing out of the way. 3. Unplug your chargers. A typical mobile phone charger takes nearly as much energy whilst plugged in but not in use as it does when charging your phone. Multiply that by your Nintendo DS charger, your iPod charger, your laptop, your battery-operated power tools etc. Instead of plugging all the chargers in then leaving them in a charging station which just tidies away the wires, only plug them in when you are going to actually use them. I keep mine in a plastic box under a side table the remaining 98% of the time. Maybe not as convenient, but saves energy. 4. Switch off the TV, don't put it on standby. That little red light in the night is energy being burnt up. Is it worth it just so you don't have to walk over to the set to switch it on? Hmmm, where to start? The problem is combining it with uncluttered living…

1. Shop local. Get yourself some cotton or hessian shopping bags (plus somewhere neat to store them) and walk/cycle to your local greengrocers or farm shop instead of driving to the supermarket to buy vegetables. As well as saving petrol, you also get a lot less packaging wrapped around your food (and thus less thrown away) and – in the UK at least – a lot of locally bought food carries less food miles. If you live in a urban area, you can also find your local deli, fishmongers, butchers, bakers, weekly farmers’ market etc. It takes longer, but you soon build up a routine as well as friendships with your local traders. And you get a workout for free.

2. If you have a garden (yard to you chaps), invest in a rotary drier to dry clothing. Running a tumble drier eats power, wears out your clothes more quickly, builds up massive lint bunnies and takes up loads of space. See, I found an uncluttering benefit to that one! Sunlight also helps keep whites white, so you can turn down the temperature of the white wash cycle. Admittedly, drying clothes naturally is more of a problem in the winter, but invest in a ceiling mounted rack drier to raise the damp clothing out of the way.

3. Unplug your chargers. A typical mobile phone charger takes nearly as much energy whilst plugged in but not in use as it does when charging your phone. Multiply that by your Nintendo DS charger, your iPod charger, your laptop, your battery-operated power tools etc. Instead of plugging all the chargers in then leaving them in a charging station which just tidies away the wires, only plug them in when you are going to actually use them. I keep mine in a plastic box under a side table the remaining 98% of the time. Maybe not as convenient, but saves energy.

4. Switch off the TV, don’t put it on standby. That little red light in the night is energy being burnt up. Is it worth it just so you don’t have to walk over to the set to switch it on?

]]> By: Kristina Richardson http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4052 Kristina Richardson Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:31:37 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4052 Everyone can make a difference! If you are passionate about stopping global warming and the environment you should check out this website http://www.nvisioncfl.com . Change to CFLs a great way for individual people to really make a difference! You should also check out this site http://www.youtube.com/user/helpourworld for more ideas on how to help our world! Everyone can make a difference! If you are passionate about stopping global warming and the environment you should check out this website http://www.nvisioncfl.com . Change to CFLs a great way for individual people to really make a difference! You should also check out this site http://www.youtube.com/user/helpourworld for more ideas on how to help our world!

]]> By: Anne http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4048 Anne Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:08:23 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4048 What surprised me when I got my Kill-a-watt was: 1.) Halogen lamps use a TON of power! 2.) So does the FRIDGE! I've been thinking about the quote that says most fridges end up as storage for the two C's -- Compost and Condiments -- and wondering if it's time to downsize my fridge. What surprised me when I got my Kill-a-watt was: 1.) Halogen lamps use a TON of power! 2.) So does the FRIDGE! I’ve been thinking about the quote that says most fridges end up as storage for the two C’s — Compost and Condiments — and wondering if it’s time to downsize my fridge.

]]> By: The Closet Entrepreneur http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4046 The Closet Entrepreneur Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:00:24 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4046 A nice alternative to the Kill-A-Watt is The Energy Detective (TED - theenergydetective.com) or The Power Cost Monitor (powercostmonitor.com). They provide an instant way to monitor the power consumption of your entire home. The nice thing is that you can actually see the power consumption of your AC unit and other high current devices which the Kill-A-Watt is unable to do - of course, they're a bit more expensive but definitely worth looking into. A nice alternative to the Kill-A-Watt is The Energy Detective (TED – theenergydetective.com) or The Power Cost Monitor (powercostmonitor.com). They provide an instant way to monitor the power consumption of your entire home. The nice thing is that you can actually see the power consumption of your AC unit and other high current devices which the Kill-A-Watt is unable to do – of course, they’re a bit more expensive but definitely worth looking into.

]]> By: Trevor http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4045 Trevor Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:52:46 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4045 There's nothing else, that one would normally have around the house, that could be used for this task? Wouldn't a specialized brush be the very definition of a "unitasker"? There’s nothing else, that one would normally have around the house, that could be used for this task?

Wouldn’t a specialized brush be the very definition of a “unitasker”?

]]> By: Jenny http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/comment-page-1/#comment-4036 Jenny Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:45:12 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/2007/10/15/save-money-and-help-the-environment/#comment-4036 I finally bought a coil brush a year and half ago and cleaned my apt fridge with it. I couldn't believe all the nasty crap I pulled out -- I had to wonder if I was the first person to have ever cleaned it. So, one thing people might want to do, depending on how long it's been since the coils were last cleaned, is buy an allergy mask. Better safe, and all that. I finally bought a coil brush a year and half ago and cleaned my apt fridge with it. I couldn’t believe all the nasty crap I pulled out — I had to wonder if I was the first person to have ever cleaned it. So, one thing people might want to do, depending on how long it’s been since the coils were last cleaned, is buy an allergy mask. Better safe, and all that.

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