Get real with the resolutions: Resolve to go green on a budget

There are always a top five or 10 things people resolve to do each January: lose weight, eat right, stop smoking, get out of debt…Whether they get accomplished or not is another story.

But, to add a little incentive to keeping the resolutions this year, how about coupling them with a “green” resolution that, in turn, will save money? Doesn’t everyone need to find a few extra dollars this year?

For example, the Coastal Point’s “Going Green” section is now starting its third year. Isn’t it time to get on board? Here are a few ways we thought you could try to weave “going green” into your new year’s resolutions – sort of a two-for-one deal – and since everybody is looking for a bargain these days, the time is now!

(1) Traditional: Lose weight.

This could include resolving to join a gym, or eating differently, or both. Gym memberships aren’t free and sometimes eating on the cheap doesn’t exactly mean eating foods that have any nutritional value, so how about change that to…

Go Green: Walk more.

Simple and free. Saves on gas and car emissions, and helps people stay active. With our little Sussex County becoming more like a little metropolis, with sidewalks in small towns like Dagsboro and in many of the newer developments, there is no excuse not to. And, if sidewalks or a safe trail aren’t close to home, there is always the boardwalk or the beach. Again, it’s free, and a beautiful natural resource that many locals simply forget is there or don’t have the time to appreciate. Use it!

Cost: Free.

(2) Traditional: Eat better

Often, this goes along with losing weight and exercising more, and comes with its own challenges. To make it more interesting…

Go Green: Plant a garden.

Although no one argues that organic foods are cheap, local ones – especially really local ones, such as the ones that come from your back yard – are fairly inexpensive. For roughly two bucks, you could yield 30 pounds of tomatoes. Not a bad deal. And, if you shop local and/or use organic plants, limit fertilizer use or use only your own organic compost and control pests naturally, you can know exactly what is going in your food, and your body.

Cost: Minimal

(3) Traditional: Stop smoking.

Carcinogens, toxins and poison – Oh, my! Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs), benzene, pesticides, formaldehyde, arsenic, cadmium, carbon monoxide, nicotine. All come courtesy of cigarettes, and that’s just to name a few.

Go Green: Um, stop smoking.

Not to mention what it going in your body, all those chemicals, toxins and carcinogens are getting into the air I breathe, as well. Plus, with quitting, you actually save money. Depending on how much you smoke, that’s money that could be spent elsewhere. Like on your tomato plants. The Delaware Division of Public Health offers the Delaware Smoking Quitline toll-free at 1-866-409-1858.

Cost: You actually come out ahead on this one.

(4) Traditional: Get out of debt.

Although maybe tricky in an economic downturn, getting out of debt can be done. And, when looked at closely, there are lots of things to do to curb spending, all while helping the environment.

Go Green: Back to basics.

Getting out of debt can seem like a huge mountain to climb, but it can be done, in small steps that people can take everyday, everywhere.

• Supermarket/misc. purchases: The supermarket bill can be cut by curbing purchases like paper towels (use linens, towels) and paper plates (use regular dishes). Buying your own organic, fair-trade coffee at a local shop can nix stops at the local coffee shop. Purchasing one cheap stainless steel container for water can mean never having to buy bottled water again. Buying food at the grocery store and packing your lunch in a re-usable container can mean less money spent overall.

• At home: Buy a programmable thermostat. For not a lot of money upfront, you can keep the house warm when it needs to be and save energy other times. This, in turn, saves money in the bills. Clean your air filters every three months. For less than $20, you can have peace of mind and a more efficient heating and cooling system, which saves money. Turn lights out in rooms you are not in, and turn off the faucet when brushing. Turn off the TV. Look at the cable bill. Are 476 channels necessary? If you had fewer channels, would you be more inclined to get outside and take a walk or go for a bike ride? Finally, start recycling. That is less money spent on trash fees, less trash going into landfills. Curbside, single-stream recycling costs just a few dollars, or take recyclables to one of the many single-stream recycling drop-off centers, for free.

All of these smart purchases can actually reduce spending in the long run and help someone in debt find a dollar here or a dollar there. Pretty soon, those dollars can be used to pay down debt – all while “going green” and being more environmentally conscious.

Cost: Free to minimal (actually, priceless).

Going Green is not expensive – it’s cheap. It’s using resources you already have and not wasting precious ones… It’s being more efficient, and more aware of how choices affect everything and everyone around us. Sure, there are solar panels and windmills and retrofitting your house with geothermal, but for the everyday person, there are thousands of much smaller steps to take that will make a huge difference. And many of them are things we have heard for years – things that can help conserve both the environment and our pocketbooks!