My goal for The Greenest Dollar is simple: to give people easy, common-sense ways to save money and go green. I feel strongly that our society is coming to an important tipping point; we’re starting to realize that shopping and spending money doesn’t really make us happy. We’re beginning to see the effects of our consumerism on the environment. And more and more people want to learn how to change their lifestyle to reflect this shift from “shopping” to “saving”. Who Am I? My name is Heather Levin, and I’m a freelance writer living in the Upper Midwest. I have always been interested in going green, but I didn’t become interested in personal finance until I bought my first house. After the initial wave of “first-home bliss” wore off (which took about 2-3 months), I got my first mortgage statement in the mail. That’s when I realized that the majority of what I was paying each month on my mortgage was going to the bank, as pure profit for them in the form of interest payments. Yes, everyone had fully explained this to me before I bought my house. But it didn’t really sink in until I actually saw it on paper. And that’s when I decided that I wanted to pay my house off. To put it simply, I got mad. I got mad that I was paying the bank tons of money each month, and that only a tiny fraction was going towards the principal I’d borrowed. I got mad that because of this, I no longer felt like a “homeowner” and that, theoretically, the bank could take my house back anytime by calling in my loan. Paying off my mortgage became my number one goal, and that’s when I got interested in personal finance. Having fun in Bat Cave, NC A Blog Is Born… As I started researching and learning more about personal finance, I also began researching ways to make my home “green”. Both revolved around saving money, and the more I learned the more interested I became about both topics. As time passed I realized that I was starting to acquire knowledge that could really help other people in the same boat. I’d been regularly reading several other great blogs online, and got the idea that I should start my own. Personal finance and going green were my two passions, so it naturally followed that I should write about one of those topics. But, which one? I was thought about it for weeks, trying to figure out which one I wanted to write about more. Which was I most passionate about? How could I help people the most? Finally, however, it hit me: I could do both. Why? Because saving money and saving the environment are not mutually exclusive. When you save money by curbing spending, you’re saving the environment by consuming fewer resources. When you save the environment by recycling and reducing energy costs, you’re also saving money. It was a EUREKA! moment that I’ll never forget. My Goals Like everyone else in this world, I have goals, and mine tie in closely with the topics covered in this blog. Zerocabin.com My first goal is to get my current mortgage paid off. I have put myself on an extremely aggressive saving plan to accomplish this. Many of the things I learned while researching how to do this in my own life I’ve now written articles about for The Greenest Dollar. My second goal is to live in a shipping crate home. I’m completely fascinated with micro home living, and ultimately plan to sell my current home and live in an off-the-grid shipping crate home of 500 square feet or less. Bliss! And that’s it. I sincerely hope that you find the articles I’ve published in The Greenest Dollar help you save money and go green in your own life. It’s been my mission from the get-go to only publish information that’s truly useful to people. My Disclaimer I am not a financial advisor or investment guru. Yes, I’ve researched the articles on The Greenest Dollar, and made every effort to use good information taken from reliable sources. But none of the information on this site should be looked at as professional advice. Please make your own decisions when it comes to your finances. If you need professional advice, then consult a professional financial planner. My Thanks… Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading this blog.
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