Green Options › How To's

Here you'll find a wide variety of how to's all about sustainable living.  Jump in to learn more, contribute your knowledge, or create a how to of your own!

7 how to submissions by the Green Options community.

Frugal Beginners Guide To Green

  • by stins Moderator

Go Green And Save Green: Beginner's Guide   In this guide, you’ll find out how to spend less than $1,200 to save over $8,000 over the course of 5 years.  Here are suggestions of free and low cost things you can do to help you go green and save green.   Do this… Conserves this… Costs… Saves... Saves in 5 years… ROI over 5 years   Love your car, love the planet Keep up with car... read more

Frugal Intermediates Guide To Green

  • by stins Moderator

Go Green And Save Green: Intermediate's Guide   In this guide, you’ll find out how to spend about $1,200 to save over $7,000 in 5 years.  Here are suggestions of medium-cost things you can do to help you go green and save green.               Do this… Conserves this… Costs… Saves... Saves in 5 years… ROI over 5 years   It's not fat, it's insulation Check for air gaps and fix leaky... read more

Frugal Experts Guide To Green

  • by stins Moderator

Go Green And Save Green: Expert's Guide   These days there's a lot of talk about "going green."  Some things are easy to do and don't cost anything.  Other things are easy to do....if you're filthy rich.   In this guide, you’ll find out how to spend an arm and a leg...err.....about $55,000 on sustainable improvements which will save you about $18,000 over 5 years (and should recoup the full cost over the lifespan of each improvement).      Now if only we were all rolling in money!     Do this… Conserves... read more

How To Green Your Work Area

  • by stins Moderator

10+ Ways to Be Greener and Happier at Work Enjoying an eco-lifestyle means living greener in all areas of your life. You may be taking environmentally friendly steps at home, but are you also doing it at work? People spend almost 90% of their lives indoors, and for those people who work inside that equates to about 40 or more hours at your desk, office or cubicle.   Whether you're a student interning at a major corporation, a marketing associate making phone calls all day or an office assistant handling paperwork, you're going to spend a majority of your... read more

How To Save Water Around The House

  • by stins Moderator

Don’t leave the tap running while you brush your teeth (or shave, wash your face, etc). Turning off the water during teeth-brushing can save up to two gallons of water every time you brush.   Fix leaks – this can save up to 10 gallons of water a day from one faucet. Fixing a leaky toilet can save about 200 gallons of water daily.   Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. This can save both hot and cold water (aerators can save up to 40%).   Take showers instead of baths. A bath typically requires 70 gallons of water, while a five-minute... read more

How To Reduce Junk Mail

  • by stins Moderator

Junk Your Junk Mail! (and help save some of the 100 million trees chopped down annually to produce junk mail in the US)   Register your name with the Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service. After you do this, DMA will add you to the "Do Not Mail" database.   If you do business with a company via mail services, they will put you on their contact list. The first time you make a transaction with such a company (such as placing an order), ask to be put you on their "in-house suppress" or "do not promote" lists. Tell them not to "rent" or... read more

How To Make A Rain Barrel

  • by stins Moderator

How to Make a Rain Barrel Get a barrel and clean it. A good size barrel is a 55-gallon one. Look for one that is food-grade (that way you will ensure that it is not made with harsh chemicals). Clean the barrel with a mixture of 5 gallons of water and 1/8 cup of bleach. Install a hose spigot. To install a 3/4" hose spigot, drill a 15/16" hole for the spigot threading a few inches from the bottom of the barrel. The hose spigot will allow you to connect a garden hose to your rain barrel and water your garden easily. Move your barrel to its new home.... read more

Green Options › How To's