Home & Garden...

Everyone loves a visit to the good old Home Depot, local hardware store, and so on. What you want to do though is make sure your trips to the hardware store are green; no going in and mindlessly browsing, because you're more likely to end up with less smart choices. Following are some tips that homeowners, or anyone really can use to green those hardware store trips.

Know before you go: Knowing what you need before you go is always smart in regards to hardware stores. These stores are full of items begging to be bought, items that promote massive home improvements, and fun DIY projects. But be careful. If you don't need an item or bunch of items, you're just adding to all that stuff people own. That's not cool, especially if you don't end up using the items - many homeowners think they'll start that project, and never do. Also, if you know before you go, you can research your best green options, instead of simply buying the first thing you see.

Two hardware store bargain: One basic $15-20 water heater prefab blanket is worth much more once you wrap your water heater in it. Another massive hardware store green bargin is a basic door sweep. Seriously, these babies are at most $5 and reduce loads of escaping heat or air. Most people will find that these two simple hardware store buys will pay for themselves in mere months.

Always buy eco-friendly paint: All those paint cans lined up in pretty, colorful rows may look appealing, but all paint is not created equal when it comes to being earth friendly. There are plenty of eco-paint options available so don't be dissuaded by the conventional paints, that still rule in numbers at the hardware store.

Make your big purchases count: If you want to spend money on a bigger ticket green home item, such as a lower flush toilet or water saving washer, research first to make sure it's the best way to use your money. Read Building Green Can Save You Money to learn about returns on green home investments.

[image via stock.xchng]