The Problem.
Your twin New Year’s resolutions were to eat healthily and save money.
The Solution.
Simple: When grocery shopping, buy in-season produce. Because they’re more plentiful, seasonal fruits and vegetables are much cheaper than off-season produce shipped from other parts of the globe. For example, we normally buy strawberries for about $2.50 when they’re in season, but they’d set us back $5 if we bought them right now (according to Fresh Direct).
The Action.
Check out this tool from the National Resources Defense Council to find out what produce is in season in your state throughout the year. The site even provides recipes for [...]

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Going green doesn’t have to be expensive, and it can even save you money.
The Problem:
You want to live a greener lifestyle, but all those special “green” products are budget-breakers.
You can’t help but notice all the environmentally friendly products on the shelves today. Everything from cleaning products to clothes to cosmetics can be found in “green” varieties. The problem is, many of these products cost up to two or three times more than their non-green counterparts. You may find yourself thinking, “Wow, I’d like to be greener but I just can’t afford it.”
The Solution:
You don’t have to buy special “green” products [...]

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The Problem.
Going green can be expensive. Some people spend an average of $8 to $20 each month for curbside recycling, on top of your regular trash bills. Some dumps charge around $5 for accepting junk, particularly if you live out of the dumps’ jurisdiction. Sorting your trash, cleaning out old bottles, and learning all the do’s and don’ts of your local recycling programs may be great for the environment, but it’s time consuming, costly, not fun, and provides no immediate return for your time and effort.
Good News.
Any time you have a recyclable, look for a way to monetize it. There [...]

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We have trawled the Web for the most thought-provoking money (mostly!) articles out there…and now we’ve narrowed them down to our favorites. Read below for today’s Web roundup:
1. How Fast Can Our Climate Change – Very Fast Apparently: Fascinating article! The last ice age engulfed Europe in a matter of months. Forget your personal finances, just think about what that would do to the world economy.
2. 12 Tiny Funds Up At Least 25% In 2009: Thinking about investing in a mutual fund? Check these out.
3. The Second Life Of Food: Tips on ways to prevent wasting your almost-bad-but-not-quite-yet foodstuffs.
4. Verizon [...]

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We’ve all heard how little moves like turning off the lights will shrink your energy bill. We know what you’re thinking: A few cents….whatever.
Think again. Try an average of $400 a year (~$30/month). Yeah, that’s worth your time.
Here’s how:
CFL Should Stand For “Cheap, Fun Lighting.” In addition to having far longer lifetimes than incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs also use far less energy to operate—they can last up to seven years! In most of the country, a one-bedroom apartment could easily save $100 per year and $535 over the lifetime of the bulbs. Use this CFL calculator to [...]

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