What’s better than plugging a money leak? How about fixing a money leak and saving the planet at the same time.
Your lead foot could be costing you at the pump
If you’re like me, you’ve scouted the area looking for the cheapest gas prices or perhaps you’ve used a smart phone app like Gas Buddy to direct you to Low Price Gas Nirvana. But for many of us, these bargain hunting efforts are in vain because our gas guzzling driving habits wipe out any savings.
If you’re one who takes the speed limit as merely a suggestion, you might want to think again. Your gas mileage rapidly deteriorates after 55 mph. The US Department of Energy suggests that every 5 mph you drive over 50 mph is like paying an additional 26 cents per gallon of gas. This makes the few cents you save by finding the cheapest gas station seem like chump change.
Additionally, aggressive city driving with quick stops and jack rabbit accelerations can reduce your car’s fuel efficiency by five percent, effectively costing you another 19 cents per gallon in gas.
Why pay for something that’s free?
American’s have an obsession with bottled water. We spend nearly $4 billion a year on it. But consider this, – bottled water can cost almost three times the price of a gallon of gas!!!!
Part of this spending is fueled by the myth that bottled water is healthier for us. But did you know that popular brands like Aquafina actually originate from public water supplies? And what’s more, the vast majority of this water is regulated by the FDA which has weaker regulations for bottled water than the EPA has for regulating your tap water.
And then there is the issue of the plastic bottles. These containers can leach into your water chemicals like bisphenol A, which had been linked to diseases such as breast cancer and diabetes. Our bottled water addiction creates nearly 30 billion plastic bottles a year, most of which do not get recycled and take nearly 1000 years to decompose.
Ditch the bottled water habit and save your family hundreds of dollars per year. If you have an aversion to tap water, consider one of the many brands of water filters on the market.
Stop burning your money
Traditional incandescent light bulbs are tremendously inefficient. In fact, 90% of the energy from these bulbs is given off as heat instead of light. That’s money right down the drain.
But many people are hesitant to switch to more efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) because of the high initial price. A CFL might cost you $3-$5. Sounds like a heck of a lot of money when you could purchase a regular light bulb for less than a dollar.
But, here’s the key point: CFLs last up to ten times longer than conventional light bulbs. And because they use about 25% of the energy of a regular incandescent bulb they dramatically lower your electricity costs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, over its lifetime a CFL bulb will save you nearly $40 compared to a normal light bulb.
A small investment now can reap huge savings later.
BMWK, what are some of the ways that you save money while saving the planet?
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