Nice Weather and the End of Summer

This has, by far, been the most pleasant weather in August I can remember. Usually in Maryland, August is hot and sticky...really humid. This August has been different...sunny and pleasant, warm but not too hot. A great by-product of this is that we have hardly had the air conditioner on this month.

At the beginning of the summer we decided to try to keep the a/c off as much as possible. We stuck with that and pretty much only turned the air on once the temperature hit 90 degrees. And that hasn't happened too much lately. We've had a lot of 80-85 degree days, windows open and a nice breeze. For once, I can't wait to get the BGE bill!

Our summer ends tonight and tomorrow we head back to school in my household. I'm sad to see this summer end, but the new school year is always exciting. So I will be back to work but will still be doing the blog :)

5 Ways We Do Frugal AND Earth-friendly

Think it costs a lot to be Earth-friendly? Here are 5 ways my family helps the earth and saves money.

1) Shampoo: My husband uses a lot of shampoo...he could easily use a bottle in a week. Not only does that cost a lot, but think of all the shampoo bottles we'd use! So we put a pump on the shampoo bottle. Two pumps of shampoo is more than enough! Shampoo lasts a lot longer, which saves money and produces less waste (shampoo bottles to be recycled). It's been working great!

2) Unplug your large electronics when not in use. What a difference this made in our electric bill! We attached surge protectors to our computer and to our tv/dvd/cable box and when not in use, flip the switch off. More energy saving tips from BGE.

3) Close off seldomly used rooms. We have a guest room that is only used once a month or less. We close the heating vents and then close the door. Another surprising money saver.

4) Make your own food. It's surprising how much preprocessed, prepackaged food Americans buy. It's convenience. I make homemade hot pockets. Sure it takes a little time, but it's healthier (I use whole wheat flour, egg beaters and morningstar farm sausage). I make a batch, freeze and heat one in the morning before I leave for work. Way cheaper than hot pockets, and pretty tasty if I say so myself.

5) Low flow shower head. These are WAY better than they used to be, and they make a significant decrease in our water bill. I ordered the Chrome Handheld 1.5 GPM Massage Showerhead from Let's Go Green.

How do you do cheap and green?