No Impact Man - 3 Tips to Save Money + Contribute To The Eco-Movement

Image by MissMalaprop

We just finished watching the movie No Impact Man. The movie profiles an NYC urban family going full-on eco friendly - through incremental steps. I can't say we're interested in going to the lengths they did (we're NOT going to give up toilet paper!), however, there are a few really interesting ideas that we took away that will help us to reduce our spending and contribute to the eco-movement.

1. Use a Glass Jar as a Water Bottle - We really like this idea. It's better for you, considering you don't have to worry about nasty chemicals leaching out of the plastic, plus the water is colder and cleaner tasting. Check out this Harvard study for more information.

2. Buy Reusable Produce Bags - What a fabulous idea! I can't tell you how many times we've discovered rotten food in our fridge stored in a plastic bag from the supermarket. We're going to pick up some of these bags.

3. Use Natural Cleansers - we're going to mix our own household cleansers. Making your own products will save you money, make your household safer for your family and pets, and contribute to the eco-movement. If you want to do this too, make sure you do a lot of research first. Check out this site for more information.

Obviously we're not saving the world with these small tips but we think getting two benefits out of 1 small action is definitely worth it. Let us know about any documentaries, websites or tips that have inspired you to take action somehow and save money.

Last Minute Vacation Savings

We're just wrapping up some loose ends before we hop on a plane for FLA. Some of the last minute details we needed to secure were:

- Renting a place to stay in our second location
- Securing a car rental
- Purchasing health insurance

In all three cases we were able to score some pretty nice deals and wanted to share our tips.

Renting a Place
As mentioned in our last entry, homeaway.com is a great resource, but make sure you look into cleaning fees and transaction charges that are passed through to the traveller. It was our experience that asking for a price reduction (especially if you aren't staying for a full week) was indeed possible.

Car Rental
If possible, try to book the car on a credit card that offers complimentary rental car insurance.  This could save you hundreds of dollars in insurance. It's also important to note, credit card companies do not offer third-party insurance - this means you won't be covered for any damage to someone else's vehicle.

Health Insurance
Shop around for sure... but we found CAA offered a great policy for a reasonable price.

We feel good about finding a lot of deals to put together this trip.  Now we will have a bit of extra money for some fun stuff on our journey.

Unexpected Expense

Unfortunately, one week after replacing our clothing dryer (which died very unexpectedly) our washer broke down as well!  We just bought the house, and 'inherited' the appliances, so I suppose there was no guarantee that either would last for any period of time.

After a ton of research, we decided to go with a lower costing top-loading washer.  I know this isn't the sexy style most everyone else is after, but everything we read showed the top loader was a better choice financially - in the short and long term.  Here's why:

• It was several hundred dollars less than a comparable front loader.
• It is energy efficient.
• A trusted repair person told us it should last longer, and will cost less to fix if it does break down. 

The washer was just delivered and we are really happy with our choice.  Saving money always feels great, and the older we get, the more practical we seem to become.

We're going to have to consider these types of unexpected expenses as we put together our annual spend budget.  This will definitely go into the Incidentals/ Emergency category.