Let's jump right into this week's challenge! We're going to do one more paper-reducing challenge and then, we'll move onto something else next week (I can hear you cheering ... lol). Here you are:
Receiving and paying paper bills is a lot of paper and a lot of waste ... not to mention resources getting the bill to and from one's home. So, this week sign up to receive at least one paperless bill and pay it online. If you're not sure how to do this, contact the biller for instructions.
Or ...
If this is something you already do, please write a post about all the benefits of paying bills online.
Are you willing to give it a go?
Last week we didn't buy reading materials and, instead, swapped with friends and family or read online publications. How did you do with that challenge? Here's what our Honor Society had to say:
Maurie Kirschner accepted the challenge but then, the current issue of Vegetarian Times came out ... and well ... she caved! However, she did a few other Eco-friendly activities that day which you can read about HERE. Maurie says she failed and succeeded, all in less than an hour. I think the successes won!
EcoGrrl joined us. Once she realized that it took her 10 minutes to get through a $5.00 magazine, she decided to stop buying them. She's also tired of receiving those unwanted news supplements so she's calling the Oregonian and asking them to stop delivering them.
Ange found a blog that swaps magazines. She received two vintage Martha Stewart's in exchange for a couple of French magazines ... and she is offering to swap French magazines with anyone who is interested. How cool is that! She also suggested putting up a sign in a local café to start a book swap club ... members swap books and hold occasional meetings to discuss what is being read. Great idea ... and sounds like fun!
Le-Chat sells books online that were found in the trash ... and what can't be sold is given away. You can read about one of her recycled "finds" HERE. I'm constantly amazed at the usable items that Le-Chat finds and recycles. Brilliant!
Mrs. Green loves the library, shares a newspaper with a neighbor and limits purchased magazine subscriptions to only one a year (which only comes out every other month). She found a shocking statistic about the amount of waste generated in the publishing industry. Read about that HERE.
Argentum Vulgaris took the challenge. He has reduced paper use in his house by a considerable amount. Way to go, AV! You can read about what he's doing HERE (wow ... a 4-pack of toilet paper lasts two plus months!).
Ann shared a brilliant idea with us ... in her area, residents put "No circulars" or "Addressed mail only" stickers on their mail boxes. Any complaints received about these requests being ignored could cost the delivery person their job. She also wrote a wonderful post on Planting trees and native plants. Thank you, Ann!
From an October challenge, Energy Saving shared THIS SITE with us. It includes a lot of good information!
Thanks to everyone who participated! By the way ... if you have an idea for a challenge ... perhaps something that you're struggling with ... please send it in. We'll tackle it together!
I've Stumbled and Tweeted your articles!
Are you ready? All together now ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!
We already pay our bills online. What I love is not having to stress about getting my payment to the mailbox in time. I can either schedule my payment ahead of time or make the payment nearly the day before it's due. When you're scatterbrained like me, that's very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI have been away from the computer for a couple of weeks and missed a couple of challenges. I love the idea of canceling catalogs. I am absolutely going to do it. As for reading materials, we've had a longstanding and unofficial family swap of books over the years. They usually come to me last and then I trade them on PaperbackSwap.com. I love that site! It's been a great way to get "free" books for my kids.
Thanks for these challenges. I love, love, love them.
Another thought provoking and effective challenge. Good job! We pay about 80% of our bills online. The others we can't because we don't have that option...imagine that.
ReplyDeleteIt makes budgeting so much easier because you can track the payments and usually the transaction is complete the next day. I even get my phone bill delivered to my e-mail so we don't even get a paper bill for that one.
I had no idea you could keep from getting mailers! Thanks, Anne, I'm going to look into that. Wednesday's are the usual day around here to get a pile of local store adds in your mailbox. None of those store adds are the least bit useful for someone who only shops at the local natural food stores. They annoy me and I now i hope to be rid of them once and for all!
ReplyDeleteWe also pay our bills online or over the phone as well as get our bank statements and some bills through e-mail, which helps save paper as well and keeps me from having even more piles of stuff to around the house!
I've got to get back and do some Change The World Wed. Today I went to an art exhibit here in Lancaster and was all about "cut paper" will be in an upcoming post. I'm so glad we have met online. Have a great day
ReplyDeletegreat idea about the 'no circulars' sign on the mailbox - i'm SO doing that next as i get so many folks looking to landscape my yard (is that a hint?) and leaving flyers at my door...
ReplyDeletei have been doing online billing for a long time and love it - my student loans even give a small % discount for doing auto-pay ...portland water bureau finally offers online billpay, however they still send paper bills (no choice!). argh. worse though? i work for the federal government and they still give us pay stubs every 2 weeks - the only employer i've been at for eons who doesn't offer an electronic option.
okay wait i'm not contributing anything useful. remember y'all to recycle your mail - even the plastic wrapping on magazines can be recycled with your plastic bags - nothing should get garbage'd! :)
Another brilliant challenge. I've written up and will post tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thank you for using last weeks challenge!!! I was anxioulsy waiting for all the incredible responses that you usually receive. There will be a post tomorrow on Earth Promise highlighting the reduction of purchaing publiscations.
ReplyDeleteAs for paying bills online:we pay for the maojority online, althoguh there still are a few archaic places where we still need to write an old fashioned check! We even turned my reluctant mother onto paying online and she, too loves the ease, savign of money and of course the saving of trees!
We most of our bills online. In fact I connect with friends and family via email. With family and friends we have different loops. This is a fast way of communication, and by having multiple addresses, we need only write one message.
ReplyDeleteFor my post this week, I am doing an Explore and eat different parts of pumpkin plant.
This one has NOT been easy as while I receive my bills by email ... I still receive some of the same ones by mail as well. France is still catching up with the rest of the world in terms of banking and administration. YOu still can't get a direct phone transfer of money here ...it still takes at least one day! But - alot of our bills are paid by direct debit so we have already eliminated one part of the process... No takers for the French mags but that's ok - It's a longstanding offer ;-)
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