Apartment Blog

We posted a blog in August of last year, about how to ‘Find the Right Dog for Your Apartment Living‘. In it we provided some tips on what to consider before getting a dog, such as daily schedule, children, environment, etc. We cannot stress enough how important it is to be completely aware of all the information before deciding to care for an animal. So here are a few more tips before you bring Beethoven home.

Tip 1: Are there any size or weight restrictions on dogs within your apartment community? A majority of apartment homes allow dogs between 30-50 lbs. Very few allow those above the 50 lb. marker. So you need to take that into account before you go searching for your animal. I’ve also heard that in many communities prefer heavier dogs live on the first floor. So be sure to read your lease.

Tip 2: How much exercise does the dog need? This goes hand in hand with your daily lifestyle as we mentioned in our previous blog. Are you able to give a high energy dog the necessary attention and physical exercise it requires? Or would you prefer a low energy dog that could make due with exercise inside an apartment? Research various dog breeds to find out which would be most suitable for you.

Tip 3: Is the breed’s temperament a good match for you? The level of energy is an element in the breed’s temperament. A Chihuahua, for example, has a high level of energy and enjoys activities with its owner. However, other breeds are more mellow and would require less on your part to entertain. Again, research would need to be done to determine which breed is best for you.

Tip 4: Are you prepared for the costs of dog ownership? We touched on this in ‘Find the Right Dog for Your Apartment Living‘ but it deserves to be mentioned again because I cannot stress enough how important it is to be informed. Assume the bare minimum for owning a dog is around a $1 a day. So figure about $365 a year worth of expenses with food, vet visits, shots, toys, hygiene care, etc. that you would have to pay.

Tip 5: Have you considered what happens to your dog if you can’t care for him/her? A dog is a responsibility. He or she is going to be around for up to 15 years. Before you take on that responsibility, think about what would happen if you suddenly find you can’t take care of him/her. What would you do? Go to the shelter, find someone to adopt, what? If you know that taking on a dog is a responsibility and not something you can give back, then maybe you’ll be more aware of what’s in store.

The main reason why animals are brought to shelters is because people are not informed of the lifestyle change that comes with caring for an animal. They will require exercise, money, time, patience, etc. So do the research. You will be a lot happier loving a dog you’re ready for than saying good-bye to one you’re not.

We’ve posted a few articles previously about how to ‘go green’. It’s a major focus in today’s society. Everyone is concerned about the environment, me included. So slowly I’ve started making adjustments to my daily living. But recently I read an article called ‘The Cheapest way to Save the Earth’ by M.P. Dunleavey. This article talks about ways to conserve the earth by consuming less! That’s the way you save the earth and that’s the way you save your dough!!

She explains that our society tends to spend money in order to effectively better our efforts, such as ‘going green’. When I was recently shopping for baby clothes, I found myself reaching for the organic onesies feeling relieved that somehow I would be making a difference by purchasing them. While the notion is correct, these efforts-such as purchasing organic foods, clothing and other items-can help, but the point is to conserve our natural resources. Reduce, reuse and recycle.

The way this article put it into perspective for me was that everyone should know what their carbon footprint is. The definition can be found in a description on the National Geographic’s Web site:

“When you eat an egg, you’re not just eating an egg. You’re eating the gas the truck used to deliver that egg, the coal used to generate electricity for its refrigeration and the resources used to boil, poach or fry that yummy egg. And that’s your human footprint-how much of the world you use in your lifetime.”

So simply put, it’s better not to create the carbon in the first place. You can do that by thinking of what factors are involved from the moment something is produced to how you consume it and how much that costs the environment.

Three tips this article gives for reducing the amount of your carbon footprint initially are:

1. Reducing your use of fossil fuels. This can be done by making sure your transportation is as fuel-efficient as possible, such as tires being properly inflated, up to date on tune-ups and oil changes, etc. Another way is to drive the speed limit-so take it easy on that gas pedal! And of course the best way to save is by using public transportation whenever possible.

2. Unplug your electronic devises. This is a step I am constantly on top of at my house. Ever since I saw an episode on Oprah where she recommended this. Everyday, or whenever these items are not in use, unplug them. Such as your lights, kitchen devises, cell phone chargers, computers, etc. Power is constantly generated through the outlets when items are plugged in.

3. Control Temperature. Heating and cooling your home consumes a lot of energy, so why not be smart about it so you’ll save? Instead of going straight to the air conditioner when you’re feeling warm, why not open a window for some breeze. Or use a fan. A nifty little piece of advice Dunleavey wrote about is to use the ceiling fan in combination with your air conditioner. By increasing the air circulation, you can actually cool down your home a few degrees!! Good to know….

So while the effects to your wallet and the earth won’t be immediate, over time you’ll notice the difference. And your bank account and your environment will reap the benefits! I’ll leave you with just one more little tid-bit that Dunleavey wrote about, that I of course found interesting. Did you know if you ‘Green Bag’ your lunch instead of eating out, you could save tons of money and spare the environment millions of non-biodegradable packaging! I always bring my lunch, but that was purely to save on the expense of eating out. Now I know I’m also helping the environment! Another check on my ‘going green’ efforts!! Whoo hoo!!

I found this article online and it has changed the way I drink water. Bottles, Bottles, Everywhere by Ramon Cruz has opened my eyes to what damage can be done by simply drinking from the plastic water bottle on my desk. Like every health conscientious American, I make a effort to consume eight glasses of water a day. In doing this, I tend to drink a lot out of water bottles. But the harm that I’m doing to the environment could be comparable to the harm I would be doing to my own body if I didn’t consume that water. A person needs to drink water throughout the day in order for their body to work properly; your blood has to carry oxygen to your cells and needs water to do this. Water also helps you digest food and get ride of waste in your body. But by drinking water out of plastic bottles, I am overflowing our landfills and contributing to global warming. Sure recycling would help, but “less than 20 percent of the 28 billion single-serving water bottles that Americans buy each year are recycled.”[1] Therefore, most of those water bottles are resting in landfills where it takes thousands of years for the plastic to decompose.

And what for? “More than a quarter of all bottled water is just processed tap water, including Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani.1” Yet bottled water consumption is continually growing each year. So there needs to be a better plan of action to tackle this wide-spread damage! The article suggests several options. One being if you purchase bottled water make sure you recycle the container. I know this option isn’t the easiest for me because the community I live in does not collect recycling (which I plan on discussing with them in the near future). So the second suggestion is what I’m doing now. I drink tap water. I have a water filter at my home and at the office where I consume my water daily. And since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for tap water are more stringent than the Food & Drug Administration’s standards for bottled water, I’m drinking water that is just as safe as, if not safer than, bottled. I also drink out of a reusable container so I won’t be throwing away numerous plastic or Styrofoam cups a week–which also harms the environment. Be sure you don’t reuse single-use water bottles; doing so can expose you to bacterial build-up and carcinogens leached from the plastic.

The ‘Green Living’ bandwagon is continually getting new members and I encourage all of you to hop aboard and do your part in helping our environment!

[1] http://green.yahoo.com/blog/climate411/91/bottles-bottles-everywhere.html