Go Green-Save Green: Turn Your Computer Off and Save $75

By Susan Seliger

OK, turning your computer on may take a minute longer than just tapping the mouse each time you sit down at your desk. (And the cat may have to find another warm place to loll about. ) But ask yourself this: if somebody offered you $75 just to add two mouse clicks to your daily routine (click Start; click Turn Off Computer, done) wouldn’t you take it?

Throw in the fact that you’ll also be reducing carbon emissions and letting your computer catch up on its beauty sleep, and it becomes a no-brainer green move. Save even more if you turn the entire power strip off that feeds the printer, your phone and ipod charger, desk lamp all the other appliances that suck energy just be being plugged in.

Need more incentive? Use that minute of warm-up time to stand up at your desk, and do a few body stretches (reach your hands up to the ceiling) and neck turns (shake your head gently Yes and then No) to keep from getting so stiff once you do sit down. That’ll save you another $75-$125 in chiropractic fees.

And that’s just for one household with one computer — imagine if you’re a small business with 100 computers — that’s $7,500 in savings. I bet you can think of a few things you’d like to do with that chunk of change.

Photo credit: www.lacyloos.com/about/cats.php