I’m always sad when April comes to a close because it’s the month we honor and celebrate the Earth. No need to despair, though! Here are 10 ways for you to be green and $ave green all year long in San Antonio, Texas:
1. Pop some tags! Shop at thrift and consignment stores.
Blue jeans at a department store: $50. Blue jeans at a thrift store: $6 (adults) or $3 (kids).
Boysville Auxiliary Thrift Shop
Goodwill Stores and Donation Stations
Half Price Books
Otra Vez Couture Consignments
2. Eat less meat. Join the Meatless Mondays movement.
One pound of beans costs $1.34, one pound of boneless chicken breast costs $3.32, one pound of lean ground beef costs $3.50, and one pound of sirloin steak costs $6.
Green Vegetarian Cuisine
Vegeria
3. Collect rainwater and AC condensate to water your native plants, garden and lawn.
Rainwater and AC condensate: free. One gallon of SAWS water: 16 cents per gallon.
San Antonio Botanical Garden
4. Plant your own veggies and herbs.
Plant tomato seeds ($3.49 per packet) to enjoy tomatoes all summer or spend 78 cents to $1.48 for one pound of tomatoes to enjoy once.
Pearl Farmers Market
5. Drive less. Walk, ride a bike, carpool or take the bus.
The average American drives 1,200 miles per year. If gas costs $3.50 per gallon at 22.5 miles per gallon, that’s more than $1,800 a year spent on gas. Plus, the average yearly operating cost for a car is $8,220.
Brackenridge Park
Crownridge Canyon Natural Area
Government Canyon State Natural Area
Mission Reach Hike and Bike Trail
Phil Hardberger Park (East)
Phil Hardberger Park (West)
Salado Creek Greenway (Loop 410 to Lady Bird Johnson Park)
Salado Creek Greenway (McAllister Park to Lady Bird Johnson Park)
Salado Creek Greenway (Robert L.B. Tobin Park to Oakwell Trailhead)
San Antonio B-cycle: Mission Reach
Síclovía
Sunken Gardens
VIA’s #7 Sightseer Special
6. Don’t idle in parking lots or use drive-thru lanes.
By not idling, you’ll improve our air quality and save up to $70-650 a year, depending on fuel prices and your vehicle type.
7. Stop buying bottled water and soft drinks. Fill reusable bottles or glasses with tap water.
If a 16-ounce bottle of water or soft drink costs $1, that’s equal to $8 per gallon.
8. Set your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer.
Each degree you raise the thermostat on your air conditioner or lower the thermostat on your heater will save 2 percent on your electric bill. Five degrees equals a 10 percent savings!
9. Unplug electric devices when not in use.
Each standby device (cordless phone, TV, DVD player, computer monitor, cell phone charger, etc.) consumes about 5 percent to 10 percent of your monthly bill.
10. Only use rechargeable batteries.
A four-pack alkaline AA batteries cost $10.50. A four-pack of rechargeable batteries that are capable of being used more than 500 times cost $14.99.
Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!