We use a lot of Ziploc bags, so it makes sense for me to wash them out after using them. I'm happy to say that we reuse each bag about 10-20 times before it wears out. And even Jenny has started to wash and reuse them!
The kids also drink using straws, so I wash them out every time they use them. Again, I can make a bag of 100 straws last about 2 years, so that saves us money, too.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Top 10: What I've Noticed
During this holiday season, we've visited quite a number of people's homes. Here's what I've noticed:
1) Television - Everyone has 2 or more flat-screen televisions - From what I've read, the newer TVs use quite a bit more electicity than older CRT TVs. My household is the only one I've seen that has only 1 TV. And ours is about 20 years old. The remote control barely functions.
2) Lights - Most people like to keep the lights on throughout the house. We rarely keep more than 2 sets of room lights going at once. That;s one reason why our electric bill averages $20 per month year-round.
3) Heating - We set our thermostat to no more than 65F during the day, and 63F at night. I usually see 68F in most houses.
4) Electronics - Ours is virtually the only house without a video game console. And the only one without a high-end stereo/video system. One family we know doesn't have a video game console (they have girls).
5) Cars - Most families we know have minivans or large SUVs, and more than 2 cars. We don't have a minivan, and could probably drop our 2nd car (see communting strategy below).
6) Toys - Most families we know have a huge amount of toys. Our boys have relatively little.
7) Wal-Mart - Few people we know will admit to shopping at Wal-Mart as we do. Instead, most people seem to prefer Costco. I prefer Wal-Mart because I don't like buying huge amounts of stuff that we don't need. Plus Jenny tends to cook our meals from scratch, rather than heat-and-serve dishes so common at Costco.
8) Computers - Most people we know have more than one up-to-date computer. I usually buy a computer once every 5 years, the cheapest model from either Dell or HP.
9) Home Office - Ours is the only home without a separate home/office room. Our desk sits in the living room, with the laptop in a drawer. We don't have WiFi, or wireless internet.
10) Blog - I'm the only one with a blog. Three of them, in all!
UPDATE - Did I mention that we are the only ones I know without an Ipod in the house?
1) Television - Everyone has 2 or more flat-screen televisions - From what I've read, the newer TVs use quite a bit more electicity than older CRT TVs. My household is the only one I've seen that has only 1 TV. And ours is about 20 years old. The remote control barely functions.
2) Lights - Most people like to keep the lights on throughout the house. We rarely keep more than 2 sets of room lights going at once. That;s one reason why our electric bill averages $20 per month year-round.
3) Heating - We set our thermostat to no more than 65F during the day, and 63F at night. I usually see 68F in most houses.
4) Electronics - Ours is virtually the only house without a video game console. And the only one without a high-end stereo/video system. One family we know doesn't have a video game console (they have girls).
5) Cars - Most families we know have minivans or large SUVs, and more than 2 cars. We don't have a minivan, and could probably drop our 2nd car (see communting strategy below).
6) Toys - Most families we know have a huge amount of toys. Our boys have relatively little.
7) Wal-Mart - Few people we know will admit to shopping at Wal-Mart as we do. Instead, most people seem to prefer Costco. I prefer Wal-Mart because I don't like buying huge amounts of stuff that we don't need. Plus Jenny tends to cook our meals from scratch, rather than heat-and-serve dishes so common at Costco.
8) Computers - Most people we know have more than one up-to-date computer. I usually buy a computer once every 5 years, the cheapest model from either Dell or HP.
9) Home Office - Ours is the only home without a separate home/office room. Our desk sits in the living room, with the laptop in a drawer. We don't have WiFi, or wireless internet.
10) Blog - I'm the only one with a blog. Three of them, in all!
UPDATE - Did I mention that we are the only ones I know without an Ipod in the house?
Take Out Containers
I've finally got Jenny hooked on those GLAD reusable food containers. For the past 3 restaurant visits, I've brought these plastic food containers for our leftovers (along with a plastic bag). I'm all for the upcoming ban on take-out styrofoam containers.
From the Alameda Journal:
From the Alameda Journal:
Soon, restaurant owners in Alameda may not have a choice about what kind of containers they use for their food. The city is considering a ban on polystyrene food containers, and it may happen as early as next month.I do wish they would also consider giving people like me a 10 or 25 cent credit for bringing in my own containers.
A meeting to discuss the proposed ban and get public input will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave. Prohibited items would include take-out food containers, bowls, plates, trays, cartons and cups, according to a press release the city issued last week.
In addition, restaurants, food vendors and city facilities will be required to use containers that can break down in nature, unless an affordable alternative is not available. The city has suggested that restaurants and food vendors could charge a "take-out fee" to customers to cover the cost difference for purchasing the alternative product.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
New Commuting Strategy
I've started to take the bus to work in San Francisco. This approach has several advantages:
1) No Driving - Since the bus stops a block away from our house, I no longer have to drive to the train station. In addition to wear-and-tear on the car, I also save on parking fees and gasoline.
2) Drop Off Point - The bus terminal is also one block from my office. As a result, my overall commuting time is reduced slightly.
3) Comfort - I can always get a seat on the bus. This is not usually the case on the train.
This will bring down my monthly driving to around 50 miles a month, down from about 100. No Toyota Prius here, just good old-fashioned frugality.
1) No Driving - Since the bus stops a block away from our house, I no longer have to drive to the train station. In addition to wear-and-tear on the car, I also save on parking fees and gasoline.
2) Drop Off Point - The bus terminal is also one block from my office. As a result, my overall commuting time is reduced slightly.
3) Comfort - I can always get a seat on the bus. This is not usually the case on the train.
This will bring down my monthly driving to around 50 miles a month, down from about 100. No Toyota Prius here, just good old-fashioned frugality.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Monthly Recycling Report
This month I switched over to recycling only aluminum cans because my local recycling center always runs out of room in their plastics container when I show up on the weekends. While the switch means I will get less money per month, it also saves me a lot of time and effort in my recycling duties each month. That's because plastic bottles take up a lot more space than aluminum cans, and they take more time to crush. I even created a sword-like stick to puncture plastic bottles in order to make my life easier.
Still, I would spend 75% of my time on sorting and crushing plastic bottles, but getting less than 30% of my recycling money from plastics. I calculate that focusing on aluminum will save me some 10 hours per month, yet I will still net around $80 per month based on about 3 -4 hours of can collecting and crushing per month. Not a bad tradeoff!
This month, I recycled about 1500 cans and a few hundred plastic bottles that netted me $80 at the recycling center.
Still, I would spend 75% of my time on sorting and crushing plastic bottles, but getting less than 30% of my recycling money from plastics. I calculate that focusing on aluminum will save me some 10 hours per month, yet I will still net around $80 per month based on about 3 -4 hours of can collecting and crushing per month. Not a bad tradeoff!
This month, I recycled about 1500 cans and a few hundred plastic bottles that netted me $80 at the recycling center.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Light Bulbs: Compact Fluorescent vs. Incandescent
I just bought some incandescent light bulbs at Wal-Mart this weekend. Four bulbs (40, 60 and 100 watt) cost $1.09. They are made in the USA. The CF bulbs for sale next to them cost $4.69 each and they are made in China. Did I mention that each CF bulb contains 4-5 milligrams of mercury?
My electric bill averages only $15 per month, of which 2/3 powers the fridge and the water pump that keeps my basement dry. So our monthly bill for lighting is only around $5 per month. Based on these figures, it makes little sense for me to buy these newfangled light bulbs that cost nearly 20 times what they are replacing.
On the other hand, if you are an energy hog, and like to keep the lights burning in many rooms throughout your home, then these light bulbs might be right for you. You'll feel better about yourself as you waste energy, and drive up the nation's trade deficit in the process.
My electric bill averages only $15 per month, of which 2/3 powers the fridge and the water pump that keeps my basement dry. So our monthly bill for lighting is only around $5 per month. Based on these figures, it makes little sense for me to buy these newfangled light bulbs that cost nearly 20 times what they are replacing.
On the other hand, if you are an energy hog, and like to keep the lights burning in many rooms throughout your home, then these light bulbs might be right for you. You'll feel better about yourself as you waste energy, and drive up the nation's trade deficit in the process.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Bag Lady in Chinatown
We went food shopping yesterday in Chinatown with the kids and Jenny's mom. As usual, I carried a supply of bags with me as we went from store-to-store. We ended up reusing about 5 or 6 bags as a result. Afterwards, Jenny's mom said (as translated by Jenny) several storekeepers commented that it was nice to see someone recycling bags.
I once counted the number of times I can recycle a bag, and I came up with about 10 times for plastic bags and 15 times for paper bags. This means over a 90% reduction in the number of bags that my family uses.
One of the good things about shopping at Safeway and Nob Hill Foods is that I get 5 cents for every bag that I recycle. Over the period of a year, I end up saving about $25 as a result of reusing my shopping bags.
I once counted the number of times I can recycle a bag, and I came up with about 10 times for plastic bags and 15 times for paper bags. This means over a 90% reduction in the number of bags that my family uses.
One of the good things about shopping at Safeway and Nob Hill Foods is that I get 5 cents for every bag that I recycle. Over the period of a year, I end up saving about $25 as a result of reusing my shopping bags.
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