We’ve covered the economics of a vegetable garden in the past.  While they are quite favorable, so people do not have the space or green thumb to start a full blown garden. Granted these items do cost money.

Earth Solutions sells a Farm in a Box that lets people easily “grow organic fish and vegetables in natural harmony, with no dirt and weeds!”

Earthbox is a “maintenance-free, award-winning, high-tech growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden- with less fertilizer, less water and virtually no effort.” Amazon even sells this.

‘Cash for Clunkers’ Appliance rebates started in California on April 22, 2010.  Many states ran out of money on the first day, but as of May 13, 2010 only $5.8 million of rebates had been used. $19 million remains as of August 1.

California is offering rebate on fewer appliances than other states.  The energy efficiency standards are  higher and the old appliance needs to be recycled. Additionally, many appliances are on backorder because other states have depleted inventories earlier in the year.

Energy Star website has links for each State’s program as each state is different.

In California, we had $35 million total California Appliance Rebate started on April, 22 2010 covering:

• Refrigerators
• Clothes washers
• Room air conditioners

Three residential appliance categories were selected to be eligible to receive rebates: clothes washers (rebate $100), refrigerators (rebate $75), and room/window air conditioners (rebate $50). FAQ link. These rebates are in addition to existing rebates offered by California’s utilities or appliance manufacturers

The rebate funds are estimated to last six weeks, so start shopping now. Be sure to recycle your old appliances, as it is required in California. You need to send in the mail and claim form as quickly as possible to ensure you get your rebate.

Some states ran out of rebate money in a matter of days.

Here are some free resources to help you save money on your home’s energy bill. Hiring a local firm to do a home energy audit would yield more useful specific items to address, but would cost a couple hundred dollars.

Home Energy Saver has a web based do-it-yourself energy audit tool. It is from the people at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. While some recommendations are pretty general, it is a good starting point.

Energy Star Home Yardstick has helpful resources but focuses more on Energy Star rated items.

Money Magazine has an article stating that some people could invest $1500 in insulation and mainteance and get over twice that in energy savings in the first year.  Most of the tips cover those with poor attic insulation, leaky duct work, no programmable thermostat.

Flex Your Power has lots of energy saving tips.

Pacific Energy Center has many free classes on how to save energy.

photo credit: Torley

Another way to save on Cooling costs. Whole House Fans are great at cooling a home anytime outdoor air temperature is cooler than inside your home. You can save a lot over an air conditioner or use it to supplement your air conditioner.

Fans vary over size and coverage size. They do cost $1000 to $2000 and require installation.  Some require attic space while others install on flat roofs.  You could have multiple fans that run at slower rates to reduce the noise.

Many utility companies have rebates for Whole House Fans.

See Drought Tolerant Plants, Xeriscaping, Saving Water in Garden

Lawns use 50-80% of  a household’s water. That amounts to a lot of money every year!   Here are some tips to save on water. Keeping a green lawn takes a lot of care.

• Ditch the lawn or replace it with artificial turf.
• Flowers use less water than grass.  Pathways use no water.
• Mulch in gardens prevents soil erosion, helps keep moisture in the soil, and keeps weeds away.