Bankrate has published its “5 worst excuses not to go green“. A lot of people talk about making changes, but most never get around to actually doing it.
It’s too expensive.
I can’t make a difference.
It doesn’t fit my lifestyle.
Green products don’t work.
I don’t know where to start.
#1, #2, and #5: The key here is […]
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I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been busy with a new job and also working on a redesign of this site. I’ll get back to regular posts in the next few days.
I’ve been intrigued for a few years with the concept of running diesel powered cars with used vegetable oil recycled from restaurants. It […]
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In case you’re wondering whether the methods I’m using are making a real difference, starting this month I’ll publish our family’s monthly electricity usage. In addition to tracking my usage, this will keep me accountable to reducing our home energy bills. Below are the details of our March bill (received in April). […]
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I’m sure most of you, like me, have climbed into your attic on a hot day. Here in Arkansas on a hot August day, temperatures in a normal attic can reach 130 degrees. I know — several years ago, we had our HVAC system replaced in August. The workers were understandably miserable […]
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In our electric bill this month, we received a coupon for $6 off a 5 or 6 pack of GE Energy Smart Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs. Retail price for a 6 pack of 13 watt (60 watt equivalents) at the local Wal-Mart is $9.88. This brings my total cost to $3.88 for the […]
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I was looking through the Energy Star website today and came across some great information on sealing your home against air leaks. Sealing air leaks in your home is the cheapest way to make big progress toward reducing your heating and cooling costs. This is the strategy we used when constructing our new home, but […]
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In my research on insulation for our new home, I stumbled upon the concept of “California T’s & Corners”. The concept refers to framing techniques that allow for exterior walls to be better insulated than with common framing methods. Here’s how it works:
Wood is a poor insulator. In your walls, studs are […]
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OK, enough background. Let’s get into the details of the methods we used to construct our energy efficient home. Over the next few weeks, I’ll discuss the methods used and why we chose them over others. I’ll also let you know the mistakes we made and how I would do things differently.
For […]
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Found an excellent post over at Frugal Dad about the decision making process for buying a fuel efficient car. Does it make good financial sense to purchase a new car to save money on gas? I’ve asked my self this question several times. Frugal Dad analyzes the costs, taking into account MPG […]
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Here’s a picture of our home. My wife, 2 young daughters, and I live in Northwest Arkansas in a 3,100 square foot home on .75 acres in a suburban setting. Yes, we don’t live in a tiny home. I know many people who would say that we should live in a much […]
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