The newest hybrids have been around for more than a decade, and the batteries have held up extremely well, lasting 150,000 to 200,000 miles in some cases.
~
CNN.com
hybrid that is just two years old can cost up to 25 percent less than a new one.
4. Buying American According to Consumer Reports, many shoppers prefer to buy products made in the USA, but with more than 60 percent of all consumer goods now produced oversees, finding American goods is not always easy. The good news is that buying Ameri-
can doesn’t mean only buying American made. We back the U.S. economy and jobs when we purchase used items that have been renewed or repurposed by enterprising citizens. Creative reuse sup- ports new and existing businesses that collect, clean, sort, recondition, refurbish, remanufacture, update, refinish, reuphol-
ster, repair, tailor, distribute and sell used parts, materials and finished goods. Sarah Baird, director of outreach and communications of the Center for a New American Dream, an organiza- tion working to shift consumption away from wasteful trends, loves the history of used items. She says, “An item that has already lived one life has a story to tell, and is infinitely more interesting than anything newly manufactured.” Another reward is the big savings afforded by previously owned durable goods; not even America’s big-box discount retail- ers can beat these genuine bargains. Of course, not everything is
available in the used marketplace, but when it makes sense, we can proudly know that our purchases support American ingenuity and workers.
5. Getting Healthy Going green is healthy in innumerable ways. In addition to driving less, ban- ning toxic products from our house- hold cupboards and dinner plates is another solid place to start on the road to improved well-being for ourselves and the planet. Toxic consumer products pollute the planet, from manufacture through use and disposal. They aren’t doing us any favors. The U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency reports that the average human body now contains an estimated 700 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals due to exposure to toxic consumer products and industrial
chemicals. After researching proper local disposal of such hazards, replace them on future shopping forays with safer choices. It’s an investment in our health that can save untold pain and money and pay off big time in avoiding health problems ranging from cancer, asthma and chronic diseases to im- paired fertility, birth defects and learn- ing disabilities according to the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families Coalition. To reduce exposure to the toxins that are commonly sprayed on conventional crops, select sustainable and organic ver- sions of foods to prepare at home when- ever possible. Such choices help keep both our bodies and the environment healthy and can be surprisingly affordable compared with eating out and consuming prepackaged convenience foods. By substituting whole foods for prepared foods, cooking more meals at home and practicing good eat- ing habits—like eating less meat and downsizing portions—the average person can enjoy high-quality food for $7 to $11 per day. This matches or falls below what the average American daily spends on food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Consider- ing that diet-related diseases can cost afflicted families thousands of dollars a year, better food choices can make us not only healthier, but wealthier, too.
Crissy Trask is the author of Go Green, Spend Less, Live Better. Connect at
CrissyTrask.com.
42 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com
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