DeLonghi PAC A120E Portable Air Conditioner

Photo courtesy of AndyRobertsPhotos at Flickr. 

The only new piece of furniture I own in my house is my mattress. Everything else is a hand-me-down. Not only have I furnished my entire house for less than $1,000, I'm saving the environment by reclaiming furniture that would have otherwise ended up in the trash. To make everything match and look nice, I have repurposed many of the pieces. I'm no handyman, but there are several ways you can repurpose furniture with little experience and without spending a ton of money. 

1. Paint

A fresh coat of paint gives life to an old piece of wood furniture. You can paint the furniture to match the original wood or in any color you like, (I have a blue desk.) The major hardware chains sell samples of low-VOC paint for about $3.50 and its enough paint to finish most jobs. Read More …

Photo courtesy of Gregory Han at Flickr

Whether you work from home full time or find yourself bringing your work home with you on the weekends, having a dedicated office space with all the gadgets and tools you need makes life easier. Unfortunately, it also adds to your electricity bill and household waste. Follow these four tips to cut down on your energy consumption and waste levels. 


1. Upgrade to CFLs

If you're still using traditional light bulbs in your home office, its time to upgrade to compact fluorescent light bulbs. CLFs cost a bit more than standard light bulbs - about $3.00 to $6.00 a piece - but they'll reduce your electricity usage as well as the heat output from the light. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that a CFL uses 75 percent less energy on average. Read More …

Photo courtesy of Fooferkitten at Flickr

When you think about reducing your energy consumption, your mind automatically goes toward your AC or your lights. And while the big things like heating and cooling matter, the little things add up just as quickly. Case and point - your kitchen. In many homes, the kitchen contains more devices than any room in the house. And if you're an amateur chef like me, you manage to use all of them every time you go in there, which can lead to big utility bills. 

You don't have to give up cooking to save the planet, but you can reduce your usage if you use a few tricks in the kitchen. Read More …