It is October 2008 and the race is on to save the very fast changing world we live in. We have been at war for over 6 years now and I don’t see a change coming any time soon. With war comes an unbalanced economy and we have seen a direct impact on the national debt and the state of the union. We basically piled debt on top of debt and the poor are getting poorer as you read this. We have also seen huge increases in the price of gas and that causes the price of everything to go up!I have been sitting around thinking how can I make a change for the better and start giving more respect to the world that surrounds us! How can I lower the impact that my life has on mother earth? So last week I decided to start a list of things that I can do to help the world rather than hurt it. I also thought about the beneficial rewards that I would get like lower bills and better quality of life.The first questions I thought about was food! How to eat cheaper and throw less away!So I pretty made a rule for myself!

1. Buy fresh food and stay away from boxed and food shipped from far away!

2. Buy Food in containers that you can reuse for food storage or use them as Plant containers or for other storage.

3. Make fewer trips to the store and try to stock up on longer lasting veggies. I buy potatoes and onions , oranges, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, asparagus, green beans, spinach.

4. I buy fresh to reduce garbage and use the bags for trash bags or for shipping stuff(they make great stuffing and protections for shipped goods)

5. I stopped drinking sodas and drink water and coffee.

6. I reuse coffee grounds as fertilizer for plants!

7. Take short showers and don’t use water just to waste it. Lets keep things cheaper and conserve when there are watches and warnings. This includes carwashes during draughts and over watering lawns. Not only does this produce molds and spreads disease it is a practice. Just watch the weather channel and they will tell you everything that is going on and if it is ok to water or wait!

8. Make sure your toilet isn’t leaking. If you hear it refill after a while it has a leak!9. No dripping faucets!10.Use candles for light and heat11.Try not to run the heat and use more candles, be careful though. You’re playing with fire!12.Use that toilet a few times between flushes if it is just you and no poi.13.Plant your own Herbs and Plants to eat and use the coffee grounds for fertilizer.

14.Walk more and drive less. Carpool when possible?

15.Don’t eat out too much, sure eating out is good for the economy! Take your leftovers home and eat them tomorrow!

16.Check your tires often. The environment is always changing and you can save gas money this way and help lower pollution. You can find this info on a label either on the door, fuse box, or in the manual. I also ask a few different tire guys to make sure you are using the right pressure for the brand you have.

17. Make sure your oil and car fluids are at the right level.

18.Don’t leave on lights throughout the house. Use environmental friendly lighting. According to CNN lighting is a 40-billions dollar a year industry and there are huge fears of changing the format that we use to light! You better bet you grapes that the big dogs in corporate America Power are praying to god that led doesn’t take over and become the new standard! Just think all the money that can be saved using this method of lighting. They are called light omitting diodes and are eco friendly and have no mercury unlike CFLS and last over a decade! IT is by far the best method of lighting and is being used in towns and business all the world for various causes. Over 95% of the energy that is used incandescent bulbs is wasted into heat energy!

19. Don’t buy new things, burn up the thrift stores and find those hidden deals. I got a 50-dollar microwave for 15 and it was in great shape! I got a toaster for 4 and it rocks, rah yeah a coffee maker for 3$, what a deal and I saved a whopping 100! If I had shopped at Wal-Mart it would have been 4 times as much. I bought a desk chair for 10 bucks and saved 20 on the deal! You just have to be patient and keep you eye open for roadside deals.

20.Go to the Thrift store buy and old record player and flip it on EBay! Not only are yousupporting the store you are supporting EBay and you making money and helping someone find that dream lost treasure. I have been flipping Junk store goods for about 5 years now and love the process. I love when you find that perfect EBay hit and you get offered more than you dreamed for the item. Also buy used things from the net, it works in the same process and you help keep the earth a greener place!

21.Make sure you keep good wires and plugs on your car! It saves a great deal of gas money and keeps pollution down.

22 Don’t use anything with Aspartame in it, not only is it bad for your body but it gets put back into to the watershed. I know some of you just got mad and may have decided to stop reading, but wait read this!! I did a little research and this is what I figured out. This is just opinion but this makes me yonder! Aspartame is made from two amino acids, or protein components, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. I looked up Phenylalanine and was upset at what I saw!IF you have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare birth defect in which an enzyme needed to process phenylalanine is missing. If you consume too much you could die very suddenly. Diet sodas and other foods may contain Aspartame, which is roughly 50% phenylalanine. They say 1-15,000 are born with this disorder. Lets take Aspartame out of the picture and out of the water table!

23.Think before you buy and don’t be a buy now guy. Make a list of things you need and keep on the wall!

24.Get an LCd monitor they are cheaper to run and better for earth.

25.Stay in environmental friendly Hotels and use eco companies as much as often.

26.Shop at yard sales! Every Saturday you can great sales all over the south and great state of Alabama! There are even yard sale festivals all over the country.27. US reusable products as often as possible!

28. Donate your old stuff to thrift stores and let someone have a brighter future.

29. Don’t buy new books, go to library if you don’t have the money! Plus they may have wifi and records that you need!

30. Use natural Fertilizer on plants(organic), it is good for the plants and good for you.

31.Don’t pay 8 for shampoo, get the cheap stuff and try to get natural.

32. Don’t shave as much, guys grow a beard!

33. Slow down on the road 40-60 is around the optimum speed to save money and varies from car to car. (source howstuffworks.com) General rule Bigger gets betters mileage the slower you go and the more aerodynamic the vehicle the higher speed(Go here bookmark and check this site out! http://www.globalstewards.org

34. Try to use recycles things always!

35. Use Hemp products and natural products

36. Carry a water bottle and keep it full and stop stopping at the store.

37.I used to smoke cigarettes and wasted much of my money on them and stopped a few years ago. IT makes you feel so much better after you lose the toxins from them. IT is choice and will not get into this. Roll your own it is cheaper and natural!38. Carry snacks from home like fruit with you, healthy and smart too.39. Are you addicted to the Gum? Cut down and watch out for new gums and candies.

40 .Turn off your computer or put it to sleep. Putting it to sleep when you’re not using it. Same thing with your TV also.

41. Today I bought compact fluorescent lightbulbs. 13 watts at 800 lumens verses 60 watts at 850. That is a huge difference in power consumption and you can find compact fluorescent at your local dollar store. I bought two for $5 bucks and they are supposed to last 5 years. I will let you know how long they last. I really do think the light is brighter than other light sources. Led is nice but cost around double the price the compact fluorescent.Thanks for Reading my life saving tips for the environment I hope I made someone think and start practicing the art of conservation. More environmental tips coming soon. Leave a comment and I may add your suggestion!Please Donate and support me and environmental campaign. Donate down below! I plan to make a short film this year and enter it in a few contest next year! I want to share a story of life and use the camera to capture and tell the tail of Earth. Please help me get there thanks for your support!Thanks Chandler