Bags, bags...They're everywhere!

So I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of plastic bags.

I am not a small man. I probably eat more than my fair share, which requires grocery shopping, which brings me back to the plastic bags.

I have a drawer in my kitchen dedicated to storing the 10+ bags I bring home weekly from the grocery store.

So last week, I decided I needed to do something about this bag issue. As much for my sanity as the environment. So I bought a couple of those reusable bags on my last trip to Safeway.

I must say, those things are pretty tough and hold a lot more than I expected…in short, they are a more than viable alternative to the hoards of bags I used to bring home on a weekly basis.

Now I am not calling myself the second coming of Al Gore, but I just shared that story to illustrate how simple it is to do something that benefits the environment. Even if it’s just a little bit.

So my idea with this post is to see if you folks want to share any ideas/tips to make the world just a little greener.

I am a lazy man, so many of the changes I’ve made are simple and easy to integrate into my routine. Hopefully your suggestions will fit that mold.

Here are a couple more things I’ve done:
- Convert all lamps that take regular bulbs to Compact Florescent. Costco had a jumbo pack of CFL bulbs on sale for <$10 last time I was there. They also last much longer than regular bulbs, so less changing of bulbs to boot…a perk for a movement-averse fella like myself.
- Do all fidgeting in your car BEFORE starting the engine. This includes putting on the stereo face, making sure your Bluetooth head set is working, etc. This may seem small, but if you get in and out of your car as often as I do (and most folks do) that is a lot of time where you could be saving gas instead of wasting it.
- Close the door of rooms in your house that do not need to be temperature controlled. I don’t need my bathroom to be air conditioned or toasty warm. Closing the door means I have 15% less space to be temperature controlled.
- Use six-strip outlets that can be turned-off. Many of the gadgets that we have come to know and love, continue to sip the juice even when we think they are “off.” Flipping-off the power strip keeps that from happening.

I am far from the Poster Boy for a Greener Planet, but I think that’s why this is so cool. If someone like ME can make these changes then just about anyone can.

I am not talking about drastic life changes, just some little things that may even save you some money in the long run:
- CFL bulbs use 75% less energy then regular bulbs, that’s savings you will see every month in your electric bill.
- And being more efficient with gas is always smart, since it is money you actually burn.

Please post some of your ideas in the comment section and hopefully you can pick a few ideas up as well.