With the recent decline in oil prices and the break in rising pump prices, will consumers go back to their old ways? Personally, I think it is too little too late. Even if we see a decline in pump prices (we’re still at $4 per gallon!), my belief is that consumers have already changed their habits, and they are now more accustomed to conserving and reducing their gasoline usage. We now take public transportation more often, we carpool more often, we drive less, we combine trips, and we’re ditching our monstrous SUVs and trucks for smaller, more fuel efficient cars.
Unless we see a huge decrease in gas prices (I’m talking about a nearly impossible sustained decrease of 50 percent or more), I don’t see consumers changing their new habits any time soon. Unfortunately for the oil industry and fortunately for the environment, consumers have picked up some good habits they’re likely unwilling to change.
See this receipt? For the first time, I broke the $70 mark a few days ago which kind of surprised me, but didn’t… On the one hand, $70 is a lot of money and do I really want this money to go towards gas? But on the other hand, it’s not like I’ve been living under a rock - news of rising oil prices is pretty hard to avoid if you read/watch the news.
Anyway, with the recent July 4th holiday, I’ve started hearing a lot more about people who are taking “staycations.” In case you haven’t already heard about this, a staycation is a vacation that is spent close to home.
Instead of taking a road trip, for example, a growing number of people are opting to spend their vacation time at home, enjoying their local surroundings.
Personally, I think this is a fabulous idea. You can relax in the comfort of your own home, check out the local attractions (how many of you have visited the museums in your city on the “free” day?), save money on transportation and food costs, etc.
I wonder, how many of you are doing the same this year? I have to admit, the thought of a staycation has crossed my mind. But, I guess it’s not worth worrying about as I have very few vacation days left that I can take at work!
Happy Fourth of July… almost!
To me, the fourth of July is synonymous with barbeques, picnics and fireworks… oh yeah, and all that patriotism stuff too.
Here are a few green tips to consider as you enjoy your extended weekend:
- Use dishware and silverware - no paper plates & cups and plastic utensils if you can avoid it.
- Eat locally grown fruits & veggies.
- Avoid red meat - try a veggie burger. It’s not that bad, I promise!
- Compost your garbage.
- Cook with charcoal, not propane. I just learned that it’s a better alternative since it comes from wood, rather than fossil fuels.
- Friends having a party? Carpool with others and help spare the air…and your wallet!
I’m sure our readers have dozens of other tips to share - don’t be shy in sharing!
From all of us at TTMYGG, we wish you all a safe and wonderful fourth of July!
Hello readers - today I dedicate this post to our fellow blogger GreenHL. Since he blogged about green weddings yesterday, I’m going to continue with the wedding theme and focus on the most important part of the wedding - the honeymoon! Why is it the most important? Because it’s the most fun part (in my opinion) - especially for those who love to travel, like moi.
I might have mentioned to you all awhile back that I, too, am getting married. Being the girl, I have gotten stuck taking care of all the details (bo-ring! I hate this stuff) around the “big day.” I’d much rather plan the honeymoon! We’ve been talking about going to Europe, but I’m feeling bad about going so far away because of the environmental impact of flying and such.
A NY Times article was published recently that talked about the growing trend of green honeymoons. The article features a few websites which help couples plan their green honeymoons, such as Elevated Destinations.
Some of the trips sound pretty cool - how does staying in a handmade yurt in Spain (and in a camp that runs on solar power, no less) sound? Or going on a luxury safari trip to the Masaai Mara, and having a portion of your trip be donated to nonprofits which help to preserve the local resources?
I was totally drooling when reading about all of these amazing trips. Oh to have more time and money to travel the world… but until then, I’ll live vicariously through our readers. Are any of you planning an green honeymoon of your own? Or an eco-friendly trip? If so, tell us about it!
