Greenimalist

A typical American household might spend $100 this month on electricity. Over the course of the year, that bill will total $1200. Not only is our hard-earned money disappearing into thin air, but we are also destroying the environment in the process. That’s because to produce electricity, power plants must burn coal. Not only does this contribute to carbon emissions and smog, but forests are often destroyed in the coal mining process. The great tragedy, ultimately, is that saving electricity — and our money — is actually very simple. It only takes a few minutes to learn how to conserve electricity, but afterwards, you could save around a thousand dollars each year. That’s not a bad reward for helping to preserve the environment. (more…)

A solar cooker is sustainable because it requires no electricity to run. You can build one for about a dollar.

Green living can never catch on if people can’t afford it. Sustainable living, then, isn’t just about taking care of the earth; it must also be sustainable financially. It would be great news, then, if living sustainably could save us money. What better incentive could there be to care for the earth? (more…)

Two years ago, if you had told me that I was fabulously wealthy, I would have laughed. Hsinya and I were mired in student loan debt. As newlyweds, we struggled each month just to pay the rent. At times, we were forced to pay for our tuition and groceries using credit cards. We studied hard, avoided parties, and did our best to live frugally. Still, each year, we kept slinking further into debt. Secretly, I thought of myself as being poor—pity me. (more…)