Easy Ways to Go Green

This post has been sponsored by Skydrop, all opinions are my own and trust me if you want to save money and help the environment, you NEED this in your life!

1. Replace your incandescent light bulbs. This can save almost 66% of the energy you use for light.

2. Ditch the chemicals. I love to clean my house with vinegar and lemon juice. My house has never been cleaner and I know that I am not exposing anybody in my house to chemicals.

3. Unplug! So many appliances use electricity even when they aren’t in use. Unplug them to save electricity. This applies to your computers and monitors too.

4. Use natural light. Open your blinds and curtains. Let the sun shine in during the day to save on lighting and heating.

5. Always run a full load of dishes and let them air dry at the end of the cycle.

6. Reuse and Recycle. Have fun and re-purpose old furniture or give it away instead of hauling it to the dump. I love freecycle.com if I am not going to re-purpose something. Post your unwanted stuff. People come get your old things. You don’t have to haul it and nothing ends up in the landfill. Wins all around.

7. Install a low flow shower head and toilet to save water in the bathroom and always make sure to turn off the tap when you brush your teeth.

8. Wash your clothes in cold water and use a concentrated detergent, or try soap nuts! Dry your clothes on a clothes line. I do this for about half of our clothes and it cuts down on two dryer loads!

9. Don’t open the oven door to check on your food unless you have to. Much of the heat escapes when you open the door even for just a few seconds.

10. Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.

11. Try out cloth napkins instead of paper ones and use rags instead of paper towels.

12. Look into your city’s recycling program.

13. Lump your errands together so you can take fewer trips.

14. Look into purchasing solar panels for your house. The upfront cost can be pricey, but they will eventually pay themselves off.

15. Use paperless billing for all of your bills to save on paper.

16. Plant an herb garden and bring more potted plants into your house.

17. Switch appliances out for energy efficient models when you are upgrading anyway.

18. Reuse your paper. When I am done with paper, I usually let me little ones use it for coloring paper. They are going to color on paper anyway, might as well save some paper.

19. Maintain your vehicle. Make sure it isn’t leaking oil and use your cruise control when you can.

20. Invest in a Skydrop system for your yard. Skydrop is a smart watering system that is perfect for saving water, time and money.

Typically your landscaping is where a bulk of your water consumption is. Skydrop can reduce that usage by up to 50% while still keeping your yard looking good. Sprinkler timers don’t take into account the weather, and how much water the grass currently needs. Skydrop is connected to your home Wi-Fi where it can get up-to-date, accurate information about what the weather is like in your area and whether or not your grass needs to be watered. If it is raining, why waste extra water? When you don’t use unneeded water, you save money. Saving money and helping the planet makes it an amazing option for everyone. Because Skydrop is hooked to your Wi-Fi you can monitor it from your phone, just like other smart home apps.

Right now, Utah residents can get a $100 rebate for installing a Skydrop and saving water in their community, and if they use the code hweclectic you can save an additional $40 off your purchase, helping your get the equipment you need to save money in the long run.

After living in an HOA community that over-watered our lawns to the point of swamps and then under-watered them until the grass died, I am passionate about finding a way to manage our yards that is eco-friendly AND good for the yard. I have always felt like I needed to sacrifice a beautiful yard for the environment and I am thrilled about Skydrop that lets me do both. You can read more about how Skydrop works here.