After doing a little research, however, I discovered that being green does not mean being heinous.  In fact, it means quite the opposite.

Here are my favorite green tips that also make you hotter.  Read on, pretty lady…

Ditch the dryer: Using a hair dryer for only 5 minutes a day for an entire year uses enough energy to power a basic light bulb for 3,259 hours.  And guess what?  You don’t really need it!  Drying your hair frequently can crack the hair’s cuticle and withdraw moisture, leaving you with dry and brittle strands.  Naturally drying your hair even just a few days a week can save your strands and save the environment.  If you just can’t live without your daily drying, opt for an eco-friendly one.  The Go Green dryer is made from recycled materials, is printed with soy ink, and uses 26% less energy than a normal dryer.

Turn down the scalding shower: Not only do long, hot showers waste water, they are also a huge energy expense.  Cut down your shower time and the temperature, and you can save tons of money on your monthly bill.  Plus, cold water is good for your bod!   Hot water can have very drying properties, both to your skin and your hair.  Taking a colder shower leaves your hair silkier and your skin softer, all while increasing circulation and bumping up your immune system.  Now how’s that for a morning routine?

Drink tap water: If it’s really that gross, then invest in a Brita filter.  Water bottles cause tons of unnecessary waste every year, much of which ends up in landfills instead of in the recycling.  Plus, delivering water bottles across the world burns fossil fuels, contributing to global warming.  If that doesn’t convince you, consider the health effects.  Most bottled water does not cross state lines, making them exempt from the Food and Drug Administration’s standards for drinking water.  Tap water, on the other hand, is highly regulated and contains more of the teeth-strengthening mineral, floride, than bottled water.  Plus, simply filling up an aluminum water bottle instead of purchasing a bottle for $1 a pop, allows you to save money while drinking more water, so you can put that money to better use (i.e. on yourself!).  Everybody knows that water does a body good by making your skin clearer, aiding digestion, and hydrating the skin, so drink more of it… from the tap.

Steer away from chem lab cleansers: Look at the ingredients list of any common beauty product and you will see a plethora of science-babble words that not even Bill Nye could understand.  Most of those ingredients are synthetic, requiring energy and emitting toxic waste to produce.  And guess what?  What’s bad for the environment is also bad for your skin.  Harsh facial cleansers, such as toner, astringent, and acne washes can actually make acne even worse.  Drying out the oil on your face causes your skin to go into “panic mode” and produce even more oil than before, leaving you with more acne than you had when you started.  Instead, try to use products with natural ingredients.  A good rule of thumb that I like to use is to not put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t want to put in your body.

Saving money is good; it’s really good. In fact, if you help save the planet enough, you can destroy your body with all of the alcohol you’ll be able to suddenly afford.

• UTILIZE CAR POOLS. Why drive separately? Work out car pooling whenever you can. Gas is way too expensive these days not to.

• CLOTHING/HOME GOOD EXCHANGE PARTIES. Get your girls together and swap the clothes and other things you no longer use.

• DON’T BE AFRAID OF TAP WATER. Even though bottle water is sooo cool, your tap water might not be bad for you — contrary to popular beliefs. If you start drinking your tap water, you’ll save money and reduce your plastic waste.

• HANG DRY YOUR CLOTHING. Sure, it’s sort of a pain in the ass, but you can save all of those dryer quarters for something else. Like arcades. Which are awesome.

• REDUCE YOUR MEAT INTAKE. Cut down on your meat, lose some pounds, help your heart, save some money, better the environment. Sounds good to me.

• GROW A GARDEN. Why not? You save money and eat healthier.

• USE LOW ENERGY LIGHT BULBS. They use 80% less energy and they last for 15 times as long as regular light bulbs. Why not use them?

• TURN YOUR COMPUTERS OFF. I know, I know. You’ve gotta leave your AIM on when you go to work, but realllllly….? Do your buddies all need to really know where you are? How about turning off your computer when you’re not using it?

• USE RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES. Batteries are getting expensive these days! Just use the rechargeable ones, which are cheaper in the end and better for the planet.

• ALWAYS TURN THE LIGHTS OFF. Don’t use them when you don’t need them. It’s simple.

If you’re looking for ways to save money, just try being a little more eco friendly!

Needless to say, I could stand to lose a few pounds. But more than that, I want to feel better about myself and the food choices I make. I can live with an extra pound or two, but I’d rather not have the diabetes or high blood pressure that runs in my family.

The problem is, I’m in college, and my budget is always tight. Running from class to work to home, sometimes all I can do is grab something fast and it has seemed as though there was almost nothing out there quick, cheap, and healthy.

It’s true that eating and cooking at its healthiest is not a cheap feat nor is it necessarily quick, but it’s absolutely doable on a college student budget. Here are some quick tips to stretch your wallet without stretching your stomach.

Stop eating out. At least as much as you can. Not only do even the cheapest meals add up money-wise, they are most often fairly bad for you. When you cook at home, you have more control over portion, and what you use to cook with.

Eat and plan your meals before you go shopping. So you won’t be tempted to buy something on impulse and you can have an idea of how much each item you need is going to cost, thereby fitting it better into your budget. Also, look at mailouts and try to plan your meals around sales. This website has some good recipe ideas

Replace soda and sugary fruit juices with water and skim milk.

And stop buying bottled water. It’s bad for the environment and tap water is actually more regulated that bottled, so its better for you. Sometimes bottled water is just water from a local municipal supply, anyway.

Buy produce from a farmer’s market, if you have access to one

Start making your lunch and bringing it with you to school/work.

Buy in bulk, especially meat that you can freeze.

Stock up on cheap, basic items like pasta and rice that will last for a relatively long time and can be paired with a meat or veggie to make a quick meal.

Here are some websites with more tips:

Eating to Thrive

Eating Healthy on an Unhealthy Budget

The Diet Channel

[Any other healthy / cheap food ideas? Do share!!]