- Freeze your gym membership: for the summer months and get outside. Take your kids biking, hiking, running, kayaking, swimming, and share with them the beauty of the outdoors!
- Close your blinds on hot days: and open them on cooler, sunny days. Reduces the amount of energy you exhaust from air conditioning and heat.
- Walk or bike to school with your kids: (or schedule a carpool with other parents) to save the amount of fuel you burn on a regular basis.
- Get a reusable water bottle: for everyone in your family and use filtered water from home as opposed to burning through bottled waters.
- Go digital (paperless): on everything from books to music to newspapers to magazines to event invites to bills to coupons to gift certificates.
- Use cold water when washing clothes: and use half of the recommended detergent. Your clothes will still get clean and colors won’t fade. Hang dry your clothes if possible and avoid clothing that requires dry cleaning.
- Set your thermostat a few degrees higher this summer: and a few degrees lower in the winter. No indoor sweaters this summer!
- Unplug appliances: when you’re not using them or use a “smart” power strip.
- Quality over quantity: Invest in higher-quality products and toys. The earlier your products and toys stop working, the more waste you create replacing them.
- Share. Connect with family and friends to share books, toys, clothes, and anything your kids will adore. Hand-me-downs save a lot of energy and money!
