3 Habits that Can Help Make You More Eco-Friendly

Being eco-friendly and 'going green' has become a trend and as expected, there are always people looking to cash in on the latest trends. Unfortunately, this has lead to increased and inflated prices that are unrealistic, leading many people to return to their previous (and probably wasteful) ways. However, did you know that there are still areas of your life that can be adjusted, making you eco-friendly and still save you money? Here are three simple ways to become more eco-friendly simply by adjusting your daily habits.

Go To The Library

You've probably heard your parents tell you about the wealth of knowledge that can be found at your local library, but they may not have told you about how going to the library is eco-friendly. Well, here's how: many people purchase a book, read it once and there it sits on their shelf for years to come. However, by going to the library, you can still read those same books and then return them for others to enjoy, all while cutting down the products and energy needed to make those books.

Change Your Computer Settings

Did you know that your computer has settings that can help it (and you) use less energy and in return, save money? Well, it's true. Change your settings so that your computer goes into 'hibernate' or 'sleep' mode, if you've walked away for more than a few minutes. It may not seem like a lot at first, but every little bit helps.

Also, make sure that if you know you're going to be gone for a few hours or at night when you're going to bed, to shut your computer off. It may be tempting to leave your computer just on the sleep mode, but you're still drawing power that is wasted while you're away or asleep.

Idle Vehicles

This can be a difficult habit to break, but idling your car wastes gas. If you're going to be sitting somewhere in your car and waiting for more than a minute, you should shut your car off rather than let it idle. Idling is hard on the engine and it also wastes gas. In fact, it wastes more gas by idling your car for a few seconds than it would if you were to just shut it off and start it back up when you needed to leave.

While we're on the subject of vehicles, make sure to keep your tires properly inflated. Properly inflated tires can save you up to 3 percent (or more, depending on your local gas prices) on your monthly gas needs. That may not sound like a lot, but that's approximately 20 dollars in your pocket and not in your car's gas tank.

Additional Information:

The Daily Green: The Easiest Way to Save $20 A Month on Gas