Barbara was fed up with paying for and replacing expensive blown out light bulbs. “I was always changing the bulbs—they were always blowing,” she says. Always up for a challenge, she set out to solve her light bulb dilemma. Barbara tried everything, “I even tried the normal 5-year light bulbs,” she explains, but it wasn’t until she found CFL light bulbs that things really began to improve. “They absolutely last longer,” she says. “I haven’t changed a light bulb in months in my entire house and it’s great!” Barbara went on to replace every bulb in her home with new, longer-lasting CFL bulbs. Not only is Barbara no longer wasting her time changing light bulbs, she’s also not wasting money. Her energy bill is lower and she’s not buying replacement bulbs.

After overcoming her initial light bulb dilemma and seeing the money saved, Barbara decided that she was up for an even bigger challenge. She started by looking at the energy use in the rest of her home. “I wondered what else I could try to make things last longer and use less electricity,” she says. Barbara started by doing small things like turning off her computer at night and remembering not to leave anything on when she went out of town. These small actions led to larger changes like installing an energy efficient refrigerator and dish washer in her kitchen. “I’m finding it a challenge to see just how much I can save,” she says, adding that it’s great that the end result is also better for the environment. “I know it’s not a lot to do and I’m not exactly a ‘green’ person,” Barbara says, “but I do believe that if we all do a little bit we can ultimately make a difference for the planet."