Your Wallet - Fall 2007 - (Page 3)

cents and sensibility Give The Earth A Gift This Holiday Season Global warming. Pollution. Toxic, overflowing landfills. Pick up any newspaper and you’ll find grim new stories about how we’re abusing Mother Earth. This holiday season, give her a gift she really needs by shopping green! Here are some tips for reducing your carbon footprint as you prepare for the season’s round of gift-giving. Give green gifts, such as eco-friendly products made of recycled materials. On Websites such as www.greatgreengoods.com, you’ll find quilts made of old t-shirts, art pieces created from glass cups and chairs made of old seat belts and milk jugs — all recycled. Stay home and use your credit card to make purchases online. You’ll save time, fuel and the hassle of tussling with other holiday shoppers. Just make sure your online purchases are made at trusted, secure retail websites. BYOB (bring your own bag). When you do go out to shop, take your own reusable shopping bag to reduce the need for plastic bags. San Francisco city leaders approved a ban on plastic shopping bags last May, becoming the first city in the United States to do so. (Only bags made of special biodegradable plastic, paper or reusable shopping bags will be allowed.) Numerous other cities are in Green Shop the process of taking the same step to protect the environment. Some countries are also following suit, or have already done so. Even if you don’t live in a no-plastic-bag zone, BYOB pays: many stores offer a rebate of 5 cents to 25 cents for bringing your own bag. Trader Joe’s will even enter your name into a drawing for free groceries. Give gifts by contributing to charitable organizations. A card made with recyclable cilantro seed paper announcing you’ve made a donation to plant a tree in the recipient’s name is a meaningful gift that keeps on giving by making the world greener. A certificate announcing that you have sponsored a Nepali student’s first year of school on behalf of the gift recipient is far more meaningful and friendly to the environment than giving a typical resourcewasting present. Instead of buying expensive gifts for your spouse and children or close friends, use that money to go somewhere to participate in a worthy volunteer program. Rather than consuming more material items that drain resources and choke landfills, you’ll create wonderful memories that will last forever while helping those who really need it. Give homemade gifts. They are usually more deeply appreciated than store-bought items and do not consume resources with shipping. Buy reusable and long-lasting items. For example, give rechargeable batteries with the electronic gifts on your list. Using rechargeable batteries rather than disposable ones for a CD player that is used two hours a day will save an estimated $200 per year in batteries — not to mention the environmental benefits. Don’t buy wrapping paper. Reuse old wrapping paper or give gifts in reusable bags or boxes. Remember, saving the environment is a onestep-at-a-time process. Every little bit helps. Take these gift-giving steps this holiday season and you’ll do more than a little bit for the earth and future generations. FALL 07 3 http://www.greatgreengoods.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Your Wallet - Fall 2007

Your Wallet - Fall 2007 Contents Shop Green What’s Your E-Footprint? Live a Greener Life! Motley Fool: Hybrid Cars Jean Chatzky: Reduce, Reuse and Simplify Get Tough on Fitness! Saving Energy, Saving Money My Community

Your Wallet - Fall 2007

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