Green living can save anyone money, but for seniors facing retirement, going green can be especially economical. Choosing an eco-friendly lifestyle can save literally hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year through simple steps that won’t crimp your style but definitely improve your life. And all that green living will help leave a healthier legacy for future generations, too. As Diane MacEachern explains, there’s many ways that seniors (and everybody else too) can save money.

1) Energy – Insulate attics and crawl spaces; weather-strip windows and doors; install curtains or blinds over windows on the north (cold) side of the house, and awnings and shades on the south (hot) side. Also, use a programmable thermostat to make it easy to automatically reduce energy consumption when you’re not home.

2) Water – Bottled water, ounce for ounce can cost 10,000 times more than tap water. Instead, invest in a one-time purchase of a water filter and fill your own reusable bottles and pitchers with filtered tap water.

3) Food – Did you know that most consumers throw away at least 30% of the food they buy because they forget about it and it spoils, or it passes its expiration date (U.S. Department of Agriculture data). So, keep track of what’s in your fridge and pantry; find yummy ways to enjoy leftovers; and shop from grocery lists so you don’t buy too much in the first place.

4) Cars, Car/Van Pooling, and Car Sharing – After retirement often people realize that they don’t need their own car as much as they did before. If your household has two cars, it would be more economical to maintain and fuel only one, and to take advantage of the car pools and share, or of public transportation.

5) Bicycling – In retirement, seniors find they have more time and interest in bicycling for recreation or to get chores done. It’s a great oil-free, pollution-free way to get around town without having to spend money on gasoline, and of course, it will keep you in shape.

6) Mass Transit – Here in Mammoth Lakes the town shuttle system is free for all, so why not take advantage of it!? Here all the info about it.

7) Downsize – Downsizing to a smaller home or apartment probably saves the most money on heating, cooling, and maintenance, above all in a mountain town where winters can be particularly cold. The environmental benefits can’t be beat either, since a smaller dwelling has a smaller carbon footprint, and will use less water (fewer bathrooms? less lawn to water?) and require less “stuff” in terms of furnishings, paint, cleaning products and more.

8) Travel – Green living seniors in the U.S. who have a sense of adventure can enjoy many opportunities to volunteer with the National Park Service or the National Wildlife Refuge System. In some parks, you can camp at low or no cost in exchange for volunteer services. If you put in 250 hours over the course of a year, you’ll earn a free annual pass to national parks and other wilderness and wildlife destinations. At the age of 62, for just $10, you can buy a lifetime pass that will gain you free entry to the nation’s national parks, wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management public lands.

9) Library – The Mammoth Lakes Library is one of 7 branches of the Mono County Library System, and it rocks! If you don’t have a computer, use one at the library. Rather than buy a book, borrow it. The same goes for movies and music. Plus, use the library to read your favorite magazines and newspapers.  You’ll save money on the buying side, and do your part to cut back on the amount of paper that needs to be printed, since you’ll be sharing all these materials rather than owning them outright. If you have an e-reader, you can probably download a lot of what you want from the library’s website so you don’t have to make the visit there if you don’t want to. Also, did you know that here in Mammoth you can go to the library also to use a sewing machine? We love it!

10) Extra Care Communities – Although we do not have any here in Mammoth Lakes, some seniors might opt to move into retirement communities which are already designed to save energy and other resources, and make it easy to bicycle or take van pools rather than drive. Of course, if you love our mountains as much as we do and you are not planning on moving, this might not be the right solution for you.

Crunchy raw kale, tangerines or clementines, jalapeño and goat cheese make a vibrant superfood meal! 

This time of the year I often crave for something earthy but refreshing, and the mix of kale and tangerines makes it happen!

I found this recipe on "The pioneer woman cooks DINNERTIME", by Ree Drummond, and I think it's just perfect! Super easy and fast to prepare, you are guaranteed to impress your guests!

SALAD:                                              CREAMY CITRUS DRESSING:

1 bunch kale                                      1/4 cup orange juice                                    pinch of kosher salt

1                                           1 garlic clove                                              pinch of black pepper

3 tangerines or clementines               1 teaspoon sugar                                       1 heaping tablespoon sour cream or Greek yogurt

4 oz goat cheese                                2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  

1- Start by prepping the kale. Rinse it well and dry it, then discard the stalks.

2- Working in bunches, roll up the leaves into a tight roll and use a sharp knife to slice it very thin.

3- Next, cut the ends of the jalapeño and use a sharp knife to cut really thin slices. Use a spoon to clear as many seeds out of the centers as you can, so that you mostly just have green circles.

4- Peel the tangerines or clementines, then slice them and cut them into chunks.

5- Add the chunks of tangerines or clementines, along with the jalapeño and the chunks of goat cheese to the salad.

6- For the dressing: pour the orange juice into a small jar. Grate or press in the garlic, add the olive oil, sugar , salt and pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds.

7- Finally, add the sour cream or the Greek yogurt and shake again.

8- Dress and toss the salad, and you are ready to serve it!

As always happens: we wait for Summer to come for what it seems so long... then, we don't have time to realize that indeed Summer has started, and we find the calendar to be in mid-July! Already!

This feeling is usually worst the more we are running around juggling between work and all the fun projects and goals we picked for the season! So....what's better than some yoga to rest the soul and the mind? 

As found on one of our favorites in town, Mountain Sol Yoga:

SUMMER TIME IN THE SIERRA

SUMMER HAS, FINALLY, COME TO OUR MOUNTAIN HOME. AS THE SNOW MELTS AND THE WOODS COME ALIVE A FLURRY OF ENERGY OVERTAKES OUR COMMUNITY. EVERYONE IS IN MOTION FROM THE BLACK BEARS TO THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL HIKERS. THE WARM SUN AND LONG DAYLIGHT HOURS PROVIDE PLENTY OF ENERGY FOR GROWTH OF THE MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL SEEDS WE PLANT.  

PLANTING ANY GARDEN IS A THOUGHTFUL EXERCISE. IF WE PLANT TOO MUCH OR TOO MANY DIFFERENT SEEDS, WE LOSE THE ABILITY TO TEND AND NOURISH THEM ALL. OR, IF AMONG ALL THE FUN AND EXCITEMENT A SNEAKING SENSE OF REMORSE CREEPS IN LIKE WEEDS, IT CAN SMOTHER OUR JOY WITH LONGINGS FOR ALL THE THINGS WE CAN’T DO OR ACCOMPLISH IN THE LIMITED TIME WE HAVE. THE RESULT IS THE SAME: A PLOT THAT IS TEEMING WITH LIFE, BUT THAT DOES NOT BEAR A GREAT HARVEST.  

IF WE REALLY SEEK TO GROW AND INVEST IN OURSELVES, WE MUST TEND OUR GARDENS. IN OUR HOME WE HAVE A WOODCUT ON THE WALL OF A BLACKBIRD BUILDING A NEST THAT BEARS THE SIMPLE INSCRIPTION -- INVEST. IT SERVES AS A GENTLE REMINDER THAT REAL AND MEANINGFUL CHANGE COMES SLOWLY AND WITH GREAT PATIENCE, AND THAT WE MUST ‘BUILD OUR NEST’ TO RECEIVE IT.  

INVESTING THE TIME TO PLANT THE RIGHT THOUGHTS AND WEED OUT THE UNNECESSARY ONES IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE REAL AND MEANINGFUL PRACTICE OF YOGA. EXPENDING ENERGY THROUGH POSES FEELS GREAT, BUT THE REAL HARVEST COMES THROUGH THOUGHTFUL APPLICATION OF OUR DISCIPLINE.  

AND SO WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN THE STUDIO AND ON THE MAT.

AT MOUNTAIN SOL WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF NEW LIFE AND NEW GROWTH TO SHARE THIS SEASON. FROM A NEWBORN BABY TO A HOST OF NEW TEACHERS THERE IS A LOT TO CELEBRATE. SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR OUR SUMMERTIME SPECIALS!

We love it! Check it out here:

http://www.mountainsolyoga.com/

Buying a new home can be overwhelming, above all in a market as competitive as in the Mammoth Lakes Area.

We have four golden rules that will help you not feeling stuck in the buying process while making your decision!

1-      Establish your budget:  if you are thinking to buy a home, your first step must be to establish your budget. A buyer should get an Advance Approval or at least a pre-approval (see our previous post for more on this). After having determined how much money you are qualified to borrow, you should consider all additional costs of ownership such as taxes, utilities, and insurance. All this makes up to determine the final budget you can comfortably afford.

2-      Make a list of your Home Needs versus Home Wants. In order not to feel overwhelmed, it is important to have a clear list in your mind about what it is that you are looking for. This will help you keep your priority high, and to know when you can compromise.

3-      Do not get fixed on cosmetics detail. Often if the paint color is not of our taste, or the bathroom is ugly, it’s easy to overlook a house that would otherwise have a lot of potential! Always keep in mind that you can easily change the details of your new home. What is going to be harder is to change your neighbors or neighborhood. So, keep in mind your priority. Make a list of what you don’t like in a potential house and analyze it: are the point conflicting with your priorities’ list? Then move on. Are the points smaller details, easily and cheaply adjusted to your taste? Then it’s worth a second thought!

4-      Seek professional help. Find yourself a good realtor: that’s the easiest way to have somebody in the business that will be able to calm you down and have you look at the properties you are visiting in an objective way. It’s hard otherwise to leave emotions out of the equation. And if it’s true that we should trust our hearts…if we are falling in love with a home because of the wall paints or a corner of the garden brings us back to our childhood, we might be overlooking potential problems, like leaky pipes or moldy walls. A realtor is the objective point of view that’s going to help you to look at the whole picture! A trusted realtor can also help you through the financial aspects of the process, directing you to the right people for Advance-Approval or pre-approval, in the bidding process and much more.

If you are considering buying, give us a call! We can discuss what you are looking for, your needs and wants, budgets...and move from there! We will be thrilled to help you through this exciting process!