Friday, January 8, 2010, 7:43AM ET - U.S. Markets open in 1 hour and 47 minutes.

Laura Rowley Money & Happiness

A Green Revolution for Your Budget

Email this Page IM this Story Bookmark this Story Add to your Del.icio.us account Digg this Story Print this Story

Very Good (996 Ratings): 3.936736/5

Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007, 12:00AM

In the war against global warming, there are ordinary foot soldiers like me, who have embraced recycling, stopped buying bottled water, and occasionally ride a bike to the grocery store.

Then there are warriors like Colin Beavan.

A Deep-Green Lifestyle

Author of the blog No Impact Man, Beavan, 43, his wife, Michelle Conlin, 39, and their 2-year-old daughter, Isabella, embarked last November on a yearlong quest to live a "carbon neutral" life in New York City.

The family follows an austere set of rules: They use no electricity (including not riding the elevator to their ninth-floor apartment) and no carbon-fueled transportation (planes, trains, cars, cabs, buses, and subways). They buy only locally grown, organic (and vegetarian) food at a greenmarket, and won't purchase anything that comes in a throwaway package. And they don't buy anything new (except socks and underwear).

Beavan's eco-journey has been widely covered by the media -- comedian Stephen Colbert facetiously grouped him with the "reduce, reuse, re-psychos ... who are poisoning our capitalist society." But no one has focused on the financial rewards of going extreme-green.

High-Impact Savings

As it turns out, it's a lot more than chump change.

"We lived from paycheck to paycheck before, and had no savings," Beavan says. "Now we live on one salary, and save the other. One of the things we noticed was how much money was flowing out on things that weren't good for us, and that we didn't care about."

Among the biggest offenders: recreational shopping and restaurants. "We used to wake up, get on the phone and call Bagel Bob's, and they'd come over with breakfast. Then we would go to work and get takeout for lunch," Beavan recalls. "Then we would be in a big rush to come home, turn on the TV, and say, 'What do you want -- Indian, Thai, Italian?' We'd Google it with our ZIP code and find a restaurant. It was an ecological, health, and financial disaster."

Travel expenses, which used to include three or four flights a year, are gone. They ride bikes and scooters to work and recreation. (A recent bike trip to the beach took two and a half hours.) They've zapped utilities -- Beavan's laptop is powered by a solar energy panel -- and only use the oven to bake homemade bread. The family received a $400 rebate from Con Edison when it finally read their meter after several months of estimated bills.

Tradeoffs and Unanticipated Boons

A few items in the no-impact life, though, are pricey: The family spends $30 a week for a pound and a half of artisanal, unpasteurized cheese made from the milk of grass-fed cows. Eggs are $7 a dozen from pasture-raised hens. And it takes a lot more time to accomplish ordinary chores, such as laundry, which they do by hand.

But aside from the mortgage and a few other regular bills, household expenses are down to $120 a week, Beavan estimates. He rarely carries money anymore, unless he's buying food. The family now tithes 10 percent of its income to charities, including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children. Meanwhile, all of that walking, biking, and scootering has been a health boon: Beavan lost 15 pounds, his wife lost 10.

Beavan is no scold, denouncing greenhouse-gas-spewing Hummer drivers and McMansion owners from his no-impact ivory tower. Instead, his blog is by turns philosophical and hilarious, documenting attempts to wash clothing in the bathtub (picture grape-stompers at harvest time); his wife's reaction to the worms he brought home for composting; and the time he accidentally ran over his Treo 650 with his bicycle (which he couldn't replace because of the no-new-purchases rule).

"I might as well have been looking at a dead body in the middle of the road," he writes of the cell phone. "If I had had a brown paper bag with me, I would have hyperventilated in it."

Tips for Treading More Lightly

While Beavan is unlikely to inspire copycats willing to give up their refrigerators, his experiment is inspiration for people looking to save money and tread more lightly on the planet.

Here are a few ideas:

• Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. (You may not have a choice soon anyway.) They save at least $30 in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime, according to the Energy Department.

If every U.S. home replaced just one bulb with an "Energy Star" qualified alternative, it would conserve enough power to light more than 3 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equal to the emissions of 800,000 cars.

• Household appliances account for 15 percent of each American's greenhouse gas emissions, Beavan says. Unplug them when not in use.

Televisions, computer equipment, and anything else plugged into the wall will drain energy even when turned off. One study estimates consumers can save from 6 to 26 percent of their electricity bill by eliminating so-called "standby loss."

Also, buy an energy-saving power strip designed to ensure no electricity is used ($30 at Ace Hardware), or use a standard power strip and pull the cord when items aren't in use.

• Track your water leaks: An estimated 16 percent of your bill goes down the drain this way. Check out this document to learn how to detect a leak.

• Take a weeklong vacation during the year instead of three weekend getaways. "A lot of us have this habit of the weekend getaway, and flying has a huge impact," Beavan says. "It's the same amount of vacation time, but you could reduce your carbon impact by one-third and probably reduce your cost by one-third."

When you do travel, consider a lower-impact form of transportation, such as the train. For local trips, use a bicycle.

• Eliminate your junk mail. Every year, 100 million trees' worth of direct mail is sent to U.S. homes, and 5.8 million tons of it ends up in municipal dumps, according to environmental advocacy group the Center for a New American Dream.

The production and destruction of direct mail consumes more energy than 3 million cars -- and let's face it, those Pottery Barn sale catalogs can be mighty tempting. Go online to junk your junk mail.

• Buy produce, dairy, and meat that originates within 250 miles of your hometown to reduce air pollution related to transportation. The food is fresher, lasts longer, and tastes better (as I discovered when visiting my local greenmarket this summer).

• Be second-hand savvy. Look to craigslist, eBay, Freecycle, Freegan.info, and flea markets for creative treasures.

"We went to the flea market the other day and got a $1,200 Art Deco kitchen table for $150," says Beavan. "You can get really expensive stuff for normal cost, or normal-cost stuff for really cheap."

Sustainable Rewards

Although Beavan wouldn't necessarily call his experiment in no-impact living enjoyable -- "doing laundry by hand is a pain in the butt," he says -- life is more satisfying. When Isabella gets out of preschool, they hop on Beavan's three-wheeled rickshaw bicycle and tool around town or head over to the river.

"We call it 'seeing what happens' -- riding around and looking for adventures," he says. "We're so much more engaged in our lives. Things move slower. We spend more time talking to each other, reading, eating together, seeing friends, and going to the park. It's fun to go to the farmer's market and joke with people whose names I know -- a lot more fun than going to the grocery store."

Email this Page IM this Story Bookmark this Story Add to your Del.icio.us account Digg this Story Print this Story

Rate This story

Very Good (996 Ratings): 4/5

Sign-in to rate!

150 Comments

Showing comments 6-35 of 150<< Previous Next >>

Sort: first to last

BARRY - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 10:58PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
Way to go!!! changing my light bulbs as we speak!!
Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 8:52PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 4/5
Kudos to the Beavans. You are making such a great example for others, and I hope you find fufillment out of this. I only wish I could do the same. Nothing to children, but I have to also agree with newyorkcoffee.. Children are great, I love them more than anyone. But if you don't HAVE to have them, then don't. There are about 6.5 billion people living on earth today... and it is hard to sustain even now. Imagine 50 years from now when that multiplies.. A child is a great thing, yes, but for people like myself who don't care to have children, you have a choice.
Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 6:49PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 2/5
It's a good effort but some items are not thought completely through, such as compact flourescents. Read the little label on the side and you will see they all contain MERCURY, a very bad actor. So now we have traded coal emissions for mercury in land fills, not to mention HAZMAT teams to clean up broken bulbs and disposal of such. A better choice might be LED lights but I'm not positive about that. Another thing is use of wood and paper products derrived from forests. Ask Patrick Moore (the founder of Greenpeace) about logging today and he will tell you that block clear cutting (yes, I said CLEAR CUTTING) is one of the best forestry management tools there is! A clear cut exposes and stirs the top soil that contains millions of seeds and exposes them to the warming effests of the sun so they can germinate. This creates a diverse forest culture (as opposed to a pesticide laden monoculture like a corn field) that will grow rapidly and consume thousands of times more CO2 than an older growth forest. Now let me be clear, he does not say we need to cut all old growth forests, but an unmanaged older forest eventually becomes a liability on the environment and soon, a fire hazzard, if not maintained properly. Wood fiber as a building material consumes far less energy and emits far less pollutants in its production than ANY other building material. As Mr. Moore would, and has said, an order for lumber is an order for more trees to be planted! LEED certified homes and buildings, whether new construction or remodeling projects, are by far the best way to go in limiting our impact on the environment. The best source for information on LEED is the US Green Build Council. Chech them out!
Bemoy - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 5:42PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 4/5
..great! Proves going green has few negatives. Unfortunately, most of us have a selfish mind-set which needs to be changed and changed radically. Penalising wasteful practices by taxing polluters & rewarding low environmental impact practices could turn the selfish gene in man's favor. Good on Beacan & family! We need more on this route...
Thomas - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 4:59PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
The polarization in the comments likely reflects the polarization in American society, so there's no point in arguing about it.. It is surely time for a re-issue of the Pohl and Kornbluth science fiction classic "The Space Merchants". Old copies are still around, and both those who rated this 5 stars and those who gave it one star could learn a lot from this 1950 picture of the future of American society. "Science is *always* a step ahead of the failure of natural resources. When real meat got scarce, we had soyaburgers ready. When oil ran low, technology developed the pedicab."
Cici` - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 4:46PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
It's amazing the hostility that shows in all these negative comments about the article, which is actually excellent as an example of something being DONE about a problem that exists, is real and is happening, whether we think is man made or a natural cyclic event of Earth's life. Take it easy you guys, go for a walk or take a warm bath... then, when you are calmer, think of possibly also doing something good for your kids and their kids too who nilly willy will inherit the product of what you are doing today and now. All my best, Me.
Jim - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 2:40PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
All of the negative comments on here are from a bunch of stingy, selfish, (and most are probably fat) Americans who don't want to give anything up. Look, no one's asking you to. Don't be defensive. The guy is awesome for doing something he believes in. In a world of way too few heros, here's someone truly putting his money where his mouth is. For those of us (including myself, I admit) who aren't comfortable going as far as he does... Recycling prevents buildup of non-biodegradable waste in landfills. There are a lot of websites that allow you to go "carbon-neutral." (Sorry to the dummy who said it's been 'debunked'... You're a joke... check your facts. Carbon-neutral sites are doing wonderful things.) To the repubs who go party line on this issue... Look at your kids, then choose to listen to the auto and oil companies... or to people who have nothing to gain in this debate? It shouldn't be a debate in the first place. Do you debate the science of medicine when you come down with cancer or get some other sickness, or do you go to the doctor? If you go to a doctor, but debate science, you're a hypocrite. NOTHING worse than a hypocrite....
Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 1:56PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 1/5
Either this is global warming OR the earth recovering from the Little Ice Age of the middle ages... The little ice age was the reason for all the starvation in the Middle Ages that allowed the Black Death to kill off a quarter of the population. The climate changed spontaneously after 600 years of stable weather and flourishing crops. We, humans, ARE having an impact... I truly believe that... but the earth is a great big organism that grows and changes, warms and cools, grows and shrinks, dries and floods regardless of what the insects climbing around it's skin say or do. Recycling IS a scamâ¦ The chemicals needed to clean and reuse paper, combined with the costs of sorting, transportation, exc. are 1000x worse then growing a new crop of trees to make paper from scratch. Think about itâ¦ Paper companies grow acres and acres of trees in order to make paperâ¦ They cut down those trees and plant new ones so they can make more paperâ¦ If you stop buying paper what incentive does the paper company have to plant more trees? Paper is A RENEWABLE resourceâ¦ They donât cut down 200 year old red wood trees to make paperâ¦ They plant pulp trees that, when processed, are good for making paper!!!! Recycling = Bigger carbon footprint. READ YOUR FACTS!! A land fill 1 mile X 1 mile would be enough to hold the garbage of the whole of the United States for the next 100 years!! It would suck to live by it but stillâ¦ We are NOT running out of land fill space! SIX nuclear power plants (of the new, safer, and more reliable design) could provide power for each and every home and business in the United States. S I X SIX power plants to eliminate the need for all the coal, wood, and other carbon based forms of electricity production!!! Hydrogen and Hybrid cars are only the most recent scam because PURE ELECTRIC VEHICLES have been a viable option since the late 1980âs and solar recharge stations have been a viable option for the last 27 years!!! All the environmental groups have been turned into political groups â pure and simpleâ¦ They have no desire to actually help the environmentâ¦ they just want their people to be in power so that they can make money just like every other lobbyist group to have ever existed. Start reading your documentation before shooting off your mouthâ¦ You will be truly surprised at how they have been using you for money and power.
InMyOpinion - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 12:46PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
Great story, as I child I did not have the things we "need" today but I was happy. Now as an adult, I worry about how I will pay for the things we "need" yet I have no time to be happy. More does NOT build happiness. I want my happiness back.
Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 12:15PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 1/5
NOT FOOLED,Recycling is a scam.Think about what it takes to recycle paper,glass,plastic the steps can apply to all.Take a piece of paper,to recycle it first you have to have different containers for everything.Then a recycle truck( not just A garbage truck think nation wide) comes and gets it then its brought to a recycling plant then its brought back to a store.Long story short you just put probably thousands of recycling trucks on the roads with the bad exhaust also all the gas it takes to run them.Then it go to another plant to recycle it( more gases) in the air then back on a truck (more gases)to a store.NOW HERE IS THE THINK FOR YOURSELF PART.Times all the things that are recycled how much extra waste is that vs.just buying it new and NOT recycling it.Now i'm not turning a blind eye to land fills that is a little bit of a different issue but still applies landfills vs. all the extra gases and wasted energies.The only thing recycling is good for is creating jobs which is great.Just THINK about all the steps it takes to recycle vs.just new.There is a lot of waste in recycling when you really think about it.Most people would really like to do something good for the EARTH but recycling is not the answer.NOT FOOLED don't you.
Jamie M - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 12:13PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
Everyone should try this for at least a week!
Linda C - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 12:11PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
To newyorkcoffee....if a child is so bad for the environment, your parents should've started with YOU. A child is the Lord's proof that the world should continue. I hope someday that you realize how fortunate you are to be here.
Lori - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 12:07PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
How wonderful! I only wish there was an easier way to accomplish what they have. :o)
Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 12:05PM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
Very inspiring. I may even dust off my bicycle. I've already been shopping resale shops and recycling.
EVA - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:52AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
5 stars......I meant to rate this story excellent!
KRISTI - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:51AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
We all should be eco friendly and i think they are doing a great job i wish we all could do a lillte to help out.
First Rule Kindness - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:47AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
Thanks for the article yahoo. The naysayers will always be there, poopooing those working to better lives, but these suggestions are very valid. One more suggestion: reduce or eliminate processed foods from the diet. They consume resources to make and simply are less healthy.
Jerry - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:43AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
Great incentive for reducing the impact on our inviornment and living a simpler life. This concept in my opinion works best when services are within walking or riding and if you are young enough to do these tasks. Where we live it would be more difficult to live this life but we are changing the things that we can change. For example we have converted 80% of our lights to florescent types and the rest will be changed as they wear out. One super plus for florescent lights is exterior security lighting. I have found the floods that come on when motion is detected to be excellent lighting even though the initial light is a bit dim and that is a good thing because the old floods almost blinded us when they initially come on. I think most everyone is "getting it" that we must conserve, recycle, and live less complicated lives. I await the day that solar energy panels are within more reasonable prices and we can reduce our electrical use. I do like clean clothes and doubt that we would do the tub washing thing....We have purchased the best energy rated appliances available and that will be our contribution.
__A_YAHOO_USER__ - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:38AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
I saw this family in the news when they first started, and I have to say that I kind of envy them, I try to cut back where I can, I shoe at thrift stores for my familys clothes, and anything I need in the homes, I use CFL's and don't drive If I don't have too, but we live in an apt. and so we aren't provided cans to recycle, our A/C, heater unit is older than dirt, the apt is old and drafty, so I know we use more power than I'd like, but we'ew kinda stuck. But I know that I would never drive a gas hog like a SUV, or a hummer, I try my best to save, but it is difficult. it scary to this what our kids, and grandkids are going to be left with when we die, our generation has ruined it for the future.
NoneL - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:18AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 1/5
If he REALLY cared about the environment, he wouln't have had children. One extra child equals an astrononmical amount of waste. No matter what he does from here on out, he'll never make up for that mistake. Be childfree. You'll really help the world.
Jeff - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:12AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
I admire them for doing what I know I cannot. But, the whole "carbon-neutral" thing was debunked a couple months back when scientist showed reports that trees themselves are actually carbon-neutral over night. But, I am always for conservation. And this family is helping reduce the energy demand. Cheers.
lisa - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:11AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
This is wonderful lesson which all persons should embrace and practice, even if it is only one or two of the things mentioned to help protect the environment; especially for our children and their children etc.
Kat - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:10AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 3/5
Kudos to the Beavan family for trying to do their part in being environmentally friendly. The problem here is that they went from one extreme to the other. How about ALWAYS doing things in moderation, and being MINDFUL of everything we do? The Beavans did it for a year. What are they going to do once the "project" is over? Many who know me call me an "Earth child" because of my concerns and ways for the environment and the planet as a whole. I eat organic, walk whenever I can, don't buy anything I don't need, donate money and things I don't use anymore, and treat yard work as exercise, just to name a few examples. However, I don't deny myself few conveniences like electricity and car. I conserve though, by having compact fluorescent light bulbs in my entire house, only turning things on when I need to use them, opening the windows or using a fan instead of AC when it's hot; and my car has been officially rated as a low-emission vehicle, which I drive only when it's too far to walk (I would've bought a hybrid, but couldn't afford one at the time). When I eat at a restaurant, it's usually at one that serves organic food (Beacon in NYC is a perfect example). If everyone would do even as little as I do for Earth, the planet would've been better off. Going to extremes is not the best way to approach things, because it's difficult to give it ALL up, and to stick with it. For those who feel that the environment is not our concern, think again. WE are part of the environment. What do you think we're all breathing in? Why do you think there are so many lung cancer cases? Plants, trees and grasses help to clean the air of pollutants, so what do you think will happen if we kill them all? We will KILL OURSELVES too. So, be a little selfish and save the planet.
Philip - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:08AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 2/5
This family having more money has very little to do with going green but just the simple fact that they're not CONSUMING!! They adjusted their lifestyle regardless whether they went green, blue, or purple.
Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 11:01AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
This is the kind of article we need more of, but I wish we didn't need at all. Granted, I know I won't be buying second-hand clothes or electronics (I like new clothes and don't trust second-hand electronics), I do intend (again) to start unplugging my appliances when not in use, and didn't even know I could effectively opt out of junk mail listings. How much more our society would appreciate things taken for granted in our usual daily activities if they had to go out in the backyard and gather the day's meal from the garden, instead of thinking it magically appears from somewhere. My favorite part of this article, though, is the last paragraph. People today are so spoiled with "easy ways out" of everything in our artificial world, very few take or have time to "slow down" their lives and enjoy this wonderful natural world. It is quite aggravating to go out and try to enjoy scenery or a nice ride when everyone around is in a rush to go nowhere. So while I may not go "extreme green", I can hardly imagine the impacts (environmental, societal, economical) of almost everyone doing one or several things from this article on a daily basis. Thank you tremendously for "seeing what happens" and sharing it with us.
alesia - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 10:52AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
I think what they have done is great!!! i'm not going to their extremes but i am on my way to be a greener person and i hope more people in the world will do the same!!! :)
Bugsy - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 10:47AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
Thank You. You have humbled me and many others, I am sure. Let's all look in the mirror on this one !
Brian Mc - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 10:37AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
I already use the mini light bulbs, but they pointed out other things, that I didn't even realize used so much power.
Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 10:36AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 2/5
How can you be carbon-nuetral in NYC? How do the groceries get into the city? Even their cheese... where does that come from, 'non-methane producing' cows? Shopping second-hand and making meals at home are good ways to save money, but these ideas are nothing new. Again, how do you MAKE solar panel, scooters, and yes, even bicycle tires that are carbon nuetral? Frugal and economical, yes, carbon nuetral.... not really.
Yahoo! Finance User - Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 10:21AM ET Report Abuse
- Overall: 5/5
I think that the story was awesome and awe inspiring. I cannot see myself or family going to the extremes that this family did. But I am certainly going to try some of the stuff I read about in the article.

Showing comments 6-35 of 150<< Previous Next >>

Meet the Experts

Charles Wheelan, Ph.D.The Naked Economist
Jeremy Siegel, Ph.D.The Future for Investors
Laura RowleyMoney & Happiness

Robert KiyosakiWhy the Rich Get Richer
Ben SteinHow Not to Ruin Your Life
Jack M. GuttentagThe Mortgage Professor

Anya KamenetzGeneration Debt
Mick WeinsteinThe Week's Best Stock Blogs

» View all experts

The columns, articles, message board posts and any other features provided on Yahoo! Finance are provided for personal finance and investment information and are not to be construed as investment advice. Under no circumstances does the information in this content represent a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. The views and opinions expressed in an article or column are the author's own and not necessarily those of Yahoo! and there is no implied endorsement by Yahoo! of any advice or trading strategy.

More From Laura Rowley

Money & Happiness

Discover the secrets to financial happiness. Laura's book offers practical tools and positive strategies to create "the good life" in a meaningful way.

More about Money & Happiness

Learn to identify your values, banish debt, start saving, and investing; plus Laura's favorite online resources.

Order your copy of Money & Happiness today and boost your financial well-being!