Talking Cash: Earth and money - Both green, both need saving
It's Earth Week. Fortunately,
environmental conservation and
financial conservation tend to coincide,
so there are many things you
can do to conserve resources,
financially and environmentally.
There are an infinite amount of
small things someone can do. Here
are just a few:
Buy reusable stuff. For example, rather than buying bottled water, you could buy a reusable water bottle and just drink tap water. I know to some people this sounds unthinkable, but filtered tap water isn't going to hurt you, and if you aren't recycling all of those plastic bottles from bottled water, then it's hurting the environment. Plus, why buy something you get for free?
Save on energy. If you pay personal hydro, there are about a million ways you can do this, from turning electronics and appliances off when you're not using them to buying energy-saving lightbulbs. Another example is to avoid running the air conditioner non-stop, which can be hell on your hydro bill. I know conserving your air conditioner output is difficult when we have 25°C days in March, but cutting back a little can make a big difference over time.
Recycle your liquor bottles. Most students drink, but I'm guessing not many get the refunds on their liquor containers. The LCBO and The Beer Store pay 10 cents for small containers and 25 cents for large containers. This can add up over the school year. I've recycled this stuff in the past and gotten quite a few dollars back over a period of time. Just saving all your containers and making one or two trips a year can put some extra cash in your pocket. There is more info on recycling liquor bottles at bagitback.ca.
Eat smart. Tons of money and energy go to waste on food in everything from eating out too much to using disposable paper and plastic bags rather than reusable bags when bringing your lunch to school or work. It's hard to completely change your lifestyle when it comes to dining out — especially for your morning coffee or daily lunch — but there are small things you can do, like using a travel mug when buying coffee or a thermos to bring a drink from home. And this really isn't a green tip, but buy your groceries on student discount day at Real Canadian Superstore. It's every Tuesday and they offer a 10 per cent discount with your student card.
Packing your lunch, using energy- saving light bulbs and recycling your booze bottles are all small things, and really aren't going to make a huge difference by themselves (although the cash from the liquor bottles is actually pretty sweet, especially if you can fill up a couple of huge bags of them); however, all these things add up if you're conscientious. In turn, if a lot of people do these things, a lot of money and a lot of energy are saved. You can then take that money you got from your beer cans, and turn around and buy more beer... and then get money from those empty cans. It's kismet.
Jeremy Wall is studying Professional Financial Services at Fanshawe College. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario.
Buy reusable stuff. For example, rather than buying bottled water, you could buy a reusable water bottle and just drink tap water. I know to some people this sounds unthinkable, but filtered tap water isn't going to hurt you, and if you aren't recycling all of those plastic bottles from bottled water, then it's hurting the environment. Plus, why buy something you get for free?
Save on energy. If you pay personal hydro, there are about a million ways you can do this, from turning electronics and appliances off when you're not using them to buying energy-saving lightbulbs. Another example is to avoid running the air conditioner non-stop, which can be hell on your hydro bill. I know conserving your air conditioner output is difficult when we have 25°C days in March, but cutting back a little can make a big difference over time.
Recycle your liquor bottles. Most students drink, but I'm guessing not many get the refunds on their liquor containers. The LCBO and The Beer Store pay 10 cents for small containers and 25 cents for large containers. This can add up over the school year. I've recycled this stuff in the past and gotten quite a few dollars back over a period of time. Just saving all your containers and making one or two trips a year can put some extra cash in your pocket. There is more info on recycling liquor bottles at bagitback.ca.
Eat smart. Tons of money and energy go to waste on food in everything from eating out too much to using disposable paper and plastic bags rather than reusable bags when bringing your lunch to school or work. It's hard to completely change your lifestyle when it comes to dining out — especially for your morning coffee or daily lunch — but there are small things you can do, like using a travel mug when buying coffee or a thermos to bring a drink from home. And this really isn't a green tip, but buy your groceries on student discount day at Real Canadian Superstore. It's every Tuesday and they offer a 10 per cent discount with your student card.
Packing your lunch, using energy- saving light bulbs and recycling your booze bottles are all small things, and really aren't going to make a huge difference by themselves (although the cash from the liquor bottles is actually pretty sweet, especially if you can fill up a couple of huge bags of them); however, all these things add up if you're conscientious. In turn, if a lot of people do these things, a lot of money and a lot of energy are saved. You can then take that money you got from your beer cans, and turn around and buy more beer... and then get money from those empty cans. It's kismet.
Jeremy Wall is studying Professional Financial Services at Fanshawe College. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario.
