The holidays are here, and that means shopping for gifts, putting up decorations, baking cookies, and spending lots of time with family. However, compared to past years, have you noticed the price of your holiday spending has risen quite a bit? If you are concerned about staying on budget this year, you could make alterations to your lifestyle to help out. Going green during this time of year can help you not only save energy and resources, but also save you money. Working to protect the environment and your well being by joining this movement is worthwhile for your home and family. Here are some eco-friendly choices you can make to save on many aspects of your life:
• Opt for energy efficient choices for your holiday tree. These can include using other types of decorations besides trees, buying an artificial tree, buying a living tree you can plant outside, buying a smaller tree so that you have less to recycle, or disposing of your tree at a chipping facility. • Use energy efficiently by considering using few or no lights in your holiday decorations, decorating with more energy efficient LED strings, and plugging your decorative indoor and outdoor lights into a timer. • Decorate creatively and inexpensively with natural materials from your yard. • Choose durable ornaments made of wood, metal, or cloth rather than plastic or thin glass. • Take your own bags on shopping trips. • Shop online. • Give gifts that are durable, energy-efficient, recyclable, or made of natural products. • Buy from local shops and craft shows. • Make your own gifts: knit, sew, bake, or create art. • Use creative materials for gift wrap, such as scarves, fabric, handkerchiefs, old maps, sheet music, and reusable tins. • Make your own cards. • Research sustainable food choices in your area. • Serve food with washable utensils, plates, and glasses, rather than disposable items. At Hickey-Finn & Co, Inc, we hope you choose a few of these green ideas to have a budget, eco friendly holiday celebration. Not only will you conserve energy and resources, but you may also be able to save on your home insurance, which can also help simplify your life. With our support, you can pay one very affordable premium and get all the coverage you need. This policy protects everything from your home’s main structure to the things inside it such as computers, furniture, and clothing. So don’t hesitate, contact us today and you may get more time to focus on the joys of the season! *