Save Money and Time with the Ideal Home Insurance Policy

Everything should be carefully planned and considered when choosing a specific home insurance policy. This is not something that you could quickly purchase and ask refund for, just in case it does not work out according to your needs. Shop around to compare and get the best and ideal deals that will suffice your budget and will be appropriate to the total cost of your property. You do not want to overspend nor underspend just to make sure that you are investing your money and time properly.

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Washing Your Hair and the Environment

You might be thinking that I have lost it. What has washing one’s hair got to do with the environment? Am I taking it too far? Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

Rebecca Lacko from The Examiner featured hair washing in her environmentally-friendly column. She mentioned how “in our pursuit of conquering the unruly, straightening the tightly curled, curling the poker straight and tinting the color, our hair is repeatedly abused with countless chemicals, and stripped of its natural oils—and both are washed down the drain by gallon after gallon of water.”

As such, she suggests that hair washing should be washed less frequently. Here are some reasons.

Waste and expense
a. most use way too much shampoo and conditioner, too often
b. gallons of water to rinse it out
c. more bottles of product mean more packaging waste
d. less power used for blow dryers, curling irons and/or flat irons

Now that I think about it, it does make sense. It’s not just the water and the hair products that are involved here – the blow drying and other things associated with washing your hair also puts stress on the environment.

Allowing the scalp’s sebaceous glands to do what nature intended
The function of sebaceous gland is to secrete an oily substance to protect the skin from getting dried and scaly. Otherwise the skin after getting dry would shed off.

Maybe that is why some people have problems with dry itchy scalp?

In any case, if you wash your hair every day, you might want to reconsider that habit.

Feeding Your Pets Natural and Organic Foods

Roppongi dogs

Remember that awful pet food poisoning scare a couple of years ago? Luckily, none of our pets (5 dogs, 7 cats) were victims of the poisoning, but many people I knew lost their beloved pets because of it. One good thing to come of the tragedy though, was that organic and natural pet food sales rose as more people decided to switch.

I am one of those people, and though I often wondered what was in the usual brands like Alpo, Pedigree or Whiskas, I never really bothered to really look. Well, according to Newman’s Own Organics, whose organic pet products I love and use (and their people products too!),it’s pretty disturbing, such as poultry “by products”:

“Ground, rendered, cleaned slaughtered poultry carcass parts such as necks, feet, lymph nodes, undeveloped eggs and intestines (and a small amount of feathers). The quality is very inconsistent between batches. Note: By product meals are often derived from 4-D meat sources – defined as food animals that have been rejected for human consumption because they were presented to the meat packing plant as “Dead, Dying, Disabled or Diseased”.

Ugh. Would you honestly feed this stuff to your cat or dog? If your pets are considered part of the family, as ours are, it makes total sense to put as much thought in their food as you do yours. Yes, it can cost much more to buy organic or holistic pet food, but there is an alternative. Make it yourself. Here’s a great book I found, The Natural Pet Cookbook (pictured above), which will help get you started. Not only will you be happy in the knowledge that you are feeding your pets healthy, natural food, but you’ll also notice the change – healthier, happier pets!

Photo via Dog Idea

Recycle Your Used Coffee Grounds!

Coffee Grounds

My husband is a BIG coffee drinker, so we always have a lot of used coffee grounds at the end of the day, which would normally be chucked in the bin. That was before I found out that used coffee grounds are an excellent recycling product!

I actually first discovered this at my local Starbucks, where I saw they were giving away used grounds in cute bags labeled “Grounds For Your Garden” (okay, I’m a sucker for packaging).

“..Coffee grounds can provide a valuable source of nutrition for your garden. The proper amount to be used depends on the condition of your soil and what you are growing…”

Thank you, Starbucks! So since then, I’ve been using the black stuff in my garden, yielding excellent results, although I admit that I haven’t gone as far as to use them for vermi-posting (worm composting), but I really should, once I get over my squeamishness with the little crawlers.

There are a whole host of other things you can do with used coffee grounds, some of which I wouldn’t really recommend, like putting it on your face as a mask/exfoliant (wouldn’t it stain?) or on your pets as a deodorizer, grooming aid or even for fleas (I read somewhere that it the caffeine could be toxic to animals).

But here are the things worth trying:

1. Touching up scratches on wooden furniture – use a q-tip to scrub it on.

2. Use as an insect repellent - sprinkle on areas to keep ants and other garden pests away.

3. Use as a natural dye (not on your face!) on fabric or paper (I actually used this when making treasure maps and “olde” invitations for my kids’ pirate party)

4. Use as a fridge or closet deodorizer (some suggest filling an old nylon stocking – but I find that a bit strange)

5. Use it in your fireplace as a dust guard when cleaning.

Photo via INeedCoffee

Be a Green Shaver

We see and hear about all sorts of green tips that can help us save the environment in our own little ways, but we don’t really pay attention to some of the little things that we take for granted. Take for example shaving. Have you ever thought that in doing this mundane task, you can also help the environment? Here are some tips to prod you on your way to becoming what I want to call a “green shaver.”

Use an electric razor. There are a lot of electric razors in the market today, and while they cost considerably more than the disposable ones, they do last much longer and save you money in the long run. More importantly, you do not have to throw away electric razors as often as you do disposable ones. Can you just imagine how many disposable razors are thrown away each year?

If you just have to use a disposable razor, then you might as well look for the ones which impact the earth in the least harmful way. There are disposable razors made of recycled plastic – go for them. Also, instead of merely throwing away those disposables with the rest of the trash, gather them and bring them to a recycling center.

Don’t you just love the sound, feel, and convenience that running water brings? Well it is a waste, and you know it. Instead of leaving the faucet running the whole time you shave, get a small basin and dip your razor. It may not be as fun, but it does the job and saves water as well.

Photo courtesy of Nivea For Men

Get Rewards With Your Monthly Electricity

Have you been bothered about squandering too much money for your electric bill with all the most up-to-date technologies set up at home? Some may think of resorting to renewable energy sources, which may not be accessible everywhere as we speak. People may buy their own solar panel kits while others may search for other companies that provide cheaper electricity. Energy Plus Holdings has something in store for the budget conscious.

How fun is it to receive rewards while paying for your electric bill? Quite a unique idea don’t you think? You do not have to entertain your imagination any longer since Energy Plus Holdings offers the same kind of electrical service, with the choice of obtaining rewards such as miles points for air travel, educational rewards for children, hotel and rail rewards for travelers, retail benefits for shoppers and cash back for more budgeting advantages. How is this all possible if the service being used is just as the same as others?

This is because of deregulation that gives an option to consumers where they can decide for themselves on what companies they would like to have for the supply of gas, electricity, water, and other home resources. Aside from rewards, financial savings can also be achieved since there are suppliers these days that no longer obligate their members for fixed-rate monthly fees. It can be deceptive since the rate of electricity varies from day to day. Energy Plus Holdings adheres to such standards making electricity use more of a convenience, an investment, and not a necessary evil.

Eco Balls: Save The Earth and Money While Doing Laundry?

One of the most interesting home products I’ve found on the market today are Eco Balls (also called Washballs or Aquaballs). If you have a large family like mine, the amount of laundry soap and energy used by the washing machine is pretty huge, and obviously not good for the environment, as well as our health, especially if you still haven’t switched to (more expensive) non-toxic, earth-friendly brands. As most of the energy used by our washing machine comes from heating, what I’ve done is keep the wash at lower temperatures, but obviously the amount of detergent has always been an issue.
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Stay Green While On The Road

Summer may be over for some, but this does not mean that you do not have travel plans in the near future. In all probability, you already have a trip in the works. Have you ever thought of staying green while on vacation?

One way by which you can do this is by staying at environment-friendly hotels. Yes, there is such a thing as a green hotel. With practically every sector jumping into the green bandwagon, it is but expected to see the hospitality industry practice green habits as well.

To make it easy for travelers to find hotels and other types of accommodations that are environment-friendly, iStayGreen has come up with a web site which lists the best green accommodations on earth. So what makes a hotel a green hotel? According to iStayGreen, green properties are those which make a conscious effort to lay in place earth-friendly practices. This can include power saving devices, less use of chemical materials, and serving healthy food produced in a sustainable manner.

The web site aims to empower the public and help them make informed decisions as to the impact of their travel and lodging decisions. In the web site, you will find a comprehensive listing of hotels, bed and breakfasts, resorts, and hostels – all of which are green to a certain degree. You can also read user reviews and, if you become a member, you can provide your own reviews.

Fret not if you are looking for lodging in an international destination – iStayGreen.org even has international listings so you can find eco-friendly accommodation whether you’re booking a Japan hotel or an Italy hotel. Indeed, resources like iStayGreen can help the average person like you and me to contribute to the conservation of our planet.

Photo courtesy of iStayGreen

Greenify Your Office

This week has been hell at work. I work for a multinational company, and for some reason, almost all of the bosses from the headquarters decided to pay us a visit. It’s not over yet and we’re expecting the biggest of the bigwigs to arrive on Monday. I guess it’s the best time to bring up some issues that are close to our hearts, and believe it or not, I am thinking of bringing up a suggestion about launching a greenifying project. Some of my ideas below…

Buy green cleaning products. Much like many other offices, we have supplies to keep the premises clean: carpet cleaners, glass cleaners, detergents for the rest rooms, hand soaps, etc. We normally have the commercial stuff that you can easily get at the supermarket. Perhaps we can make a change and buy products that are easier on the environment.

Go digital. We actually have been trying to do this in our department. We love print outs, I have to admit. However, there are many things that we do not really have to print. Perhaps an official memo on avoiding print outs if possible will help cut down on paper (and ink!) consumption.

Supply re-usable kitchen utensils. We always have plastic and paper cups in the pantries (we have two). We also have paper plates and plastic forks, knives, and spoons. Naturally, people would use them indiscriminately. If only re-usable utensils were supplied, we could cut back on the use of plastic materials.

What do you think? Will these ideas fly?

Be Electric Smart!

Saving electricity is one big way by which you can save on expenses and make your contribution in environmental terms. It’s not a new argument, really, but sometimes, we tend to overlook some details that might just help us make some savings. Here are some tips for you to consider.

Better to wire for more: that is, if you’re building a new house or remodeling your current one, you should make contingency measures in terms of wiring. You’ll end up saving more (in all aspects) if you make plans for the future.

Look for entire systems: a perfect example would be a system that integrates lighting and heating control. This spells convenience, obviously, but it also is good for the environment. Most systems of this sort are more efficient and leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Ask for help: we have to admit it – we’re not all experts in this field. We may want to make some initial savings by not hiring the pros but this increases the risk of problems later on, which may end up costing us more. In addition to this, if you really want to go green in terms of your energy consumption, professionals might be able to find the most efficient solutions for your home. At the very least, if you are not willing to hire external help, do some research and don’t get hooked on the latest trend that may not be the best solution anyway. Gather information from credible sources before you make any decisions.