Everybody knows that the second half of the gas tank goes quicker than the first half. That is my main reason for keeping the gas tank full. But… am I over-feeding the oil companies by doing that? Would I save any money if I bought less gas and did not keep the tank full? Can I afford to do that? I think it all boils down to your geographical location, the distance one has to drive to get “anywhere”, and what type of vehicle you are driving.

Using me as an example, I drive a Mazda 626, an 07 model. It is pretty fuel-efficient by getting about 29-32 mpg in town. But in-town for me is not exactly as ‘in town’ as it is for most. I live in the country and getting anywhere at all takes a minimum of 1/2 hour to an hour. Sure, we have a little town just about 3 miles from us but you really do not want to buy anything there. Small town, huge prices. It works in a emergency but you certainly would not want to make a habit of it. Around here, one absolutely has to shop around and make the most of a trip to town or ‘the city’.

It makes good sense to keep my gas tank full if possible. You however, may be and probably are in a different situation. You may live in town and find it easier to buy less gas. I would suggest buy $5 to $10 less at the pump and not keep your tank on full. This way, you are not making so many stops at the gas pump and the oil tycoons are not getting as much of your money. It is really six to one and a half a dozen of another. I suppose it all works out the same but you could consider getting your gas on a Thursday evening or Friday morning. Most places that sell fuel increase their prices on a Friday evening. But they also decrease them if warranted.  You could save a bit that way. I do recommend not letting the tank get below the half-way mark. It will cost more to fill the second half and more is what we are trying to avoid.

I suppose that after much thought, keeping the tank full is more economical for me. I am probably spending just as much but it isn’t happening all at one time as it would for an empty tank. I don’t know about you but $20 looks better to me than $75! Plus, you are not having to stress out about the idea of running out.

Gas saving tip: In stop and go traffic, do not put your foot into the gas pedal. Ease into it. This will save more than you could imagine. You will get there just a soon and save some wear and tear on your car. The guy behind you may get annoyed but quite frankly, who cares?

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I catch my rainwater in 5 gallon buckets like those used for paint or the like. I set them under my drain pipe that comes off my guttering. I would say that you probably should have clean gutters to get the most benefit from this method.

There are contraptions made for that too. Large containers and hoses that hook to the gutters that collect your rainwater. But they are not really inexpensive and you can do well enough with something you’ve made.

Just collect it and water your plants inside and out. You will save on your water bill. Trust me.

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Many farmers use a lethal combination of pesticides to control disease and insect attack. They do this when they are rushing to produce a larger crop in order to satisfy an ever growing demand for produce.  Washed fruit and vegetables can have more than 30 types of toxins still present.

A great reason to go organic is that produce contain 50% more nutrients, minerals, and vitamins than those with pesticides used.

Consider the fact that most meat producers use hormones and antibiotics on their cattle and such. Not good for us! Try to find a market that offers organic beef, poultry, pork, etc..

Once you try organic, you’ll love it! The taste is different. Pure and intense. The cost is more, but well worth it when you consider the health hazards associated with ingested pesticides. What are they?

Certain birth defect, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and obesity. It just makes good sense to try to watch what you are eating. Consider a small organic garden of your own if you live in an area that makes that possible. It is not that difficult. I grow my own tomato’s, peppers, potatoes, fruits, and so on. I love it and would not have it any other way.

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There really is so much more to a newspaper than just ink and paper. Who knows how many ways one could actually recycle it to benefit us in our everyday quest to living a greener life. I have incorporated a few uses in our home and I want to share those with you. If you have your own ideas, I would love to hear from you in the comment section. Do not sit there thinking your idea is silly. Most likely, it could be quite useful to us all.

Shredding! I love the criss-cross shredders. Not only do they ensure your important documents are beyond putting back together for anyone attempting to do you harm, it makes it easier to use for other ‘greener’ things. Just bag it up and store it. You never know when you may have a good reason to use it. It compacts well and does not take up much room.

Below is the list of uses that I have come up with. Enjoy and don’t forget to leave us your tidbits.

1. I love to use my newspaper shreds for packaging. I use to use the foam peanuts but have found that if you use enough and pack well, the shreds do a bang up job at protecting you valuable shipments. If you must, you can use a small amount of bubble wrap just around the object to protect it further.

2. I breed and sell Pomeranians. Instead of using just a flat piece of newspaper in the carrier the pups are shipped in, I use shreds. The reasoning behind this is the fact it absorbs much more liquid and any waste gets sort-of wrapped in the shreds. The benefit is how much cleaner the pup is once it arrives to it’s new owners. Awesome!

3. Be sure to read my previous post and visit the blog indicated to learn about making your on eco-friendly cat litter from newspaper shreds.

4. You can stuff a pillow case with newspaper shreds and sew the end up for a comfortable sit. The paper does eventually deteriorate and you would have to replace it or you can throw it away. Biodegradable you know! Obviously, the comfort would not last long as the paper compresses, plus it does not fluff well. But, it’s a thought. lol

5. Shredded newspaper goes great in hamster/gerbil cages too. Not only is it absorbent, the rodents love to make nest bedding from it.

6. The handy dandy shreds make a neat background for your eBay photos too. Seriously!

There are more ideas swimming in my head and I’ll update this post as I go along or think of them.

Here is the shredder that I am using. This is a link to Walmart where you probably will find the best price.

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This lady, Allie has come up with a more earth friendly way of providing herself and her cat kitty litter. She makes it herself! A very crafty recipe. To mention just the basics and let you go on to her blog and read about the recipe, I’ll tell you that she uses shredded paper and baking soda. Any paper will do. But that isn’t the only thing you have to do. There is a process and you’ll need to visit her blog to find out the rest. I think I will be including her blog link in my “Green Links”.

Visit her on her blog now: Allie’s Answers

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