One of the easiest ways to save on auto expenses is to save on gasoline. You can save in many ways: drive less, hunt around for the best fuel prices, carpool, use public transportation, use a proven fuel additive, ride share, invest in a hybrid or EV, etc.

Image by Jeff Moser/BikeCarson.com

But one of the most beneficial and fun ways to save on gasoline, even skip gasoline if you so choose, is by pedal power! If you haven’t noticed, bike riding has made a big comeback in the last few years. Business men and women are riding bikes to work, families are spending quality time going for bike rides, people are riding their bikes for exercise, kids are riding their bikes to/from school and more.  There are bike groups, bike clubs, riding competitions, etc. So many great ways to have fun AND save gas.

Plus, take a look at some of the many resources available to help make riding your bike even better:

1 - Map My Ride: This is a great tool to help you plot a bike trip, find bike trails, track your progress, hook you up with a cycling group and more. They also have an iPhone app and a Blackberry app to use while on your ride.

Of course this works too:

Image by Spesh98

2 – Bicycle Safety Tips: Be familiar with these 10 collision types and learn how to avoid them. Even though pedal power has made a comeback, it doesn’t mean that motorists are always aware of cyclists when they are driving. Make them aware of you.

Here are a few more tips from the League of American Bicyclists: follow the rules of the road, stay visible to vehicles and others, be predictable while riding, anticipate potential situations and of course, wear a helmet.

3 – State by State Trails: If you are looking for trails, but don’t know where you go, check out American Trails. They are a good resource for trails in the U.S. and Canada. Not only that, they also provide information on how you can volunteer and be an advocate for keeping these trails alive for future generations.

One of the nice things about this resource is you can check not only for bike trails, but for hiking trails, walking trails, horseback riding trails, snow trails, etc.

Image by KWDesigns

4 – Trails.com: Another wonderful resource for finding trails. You simply put in your city, state and zip code, then it shows you a map of your area. Icons show you whether the trails shown are hiking trails, biking trails, etc.

5 – Social riding: Ridedog.com is a cool resource if you are into social media and you want to share where you are riding through a tweet or maybe send your Facebook friends information on your latest ride. If you must stay connected while tapping into your pedal power, this resource will help you do so.

Personally, I’d rather disconnect from my online life for a bit while enjoying the great outdoors, but that’s my preference.

6 – Commuter tools: This is a great site for existing, or even potential, bike commuters. There are tools including state by state information on bicycle laws and a gas-saving calculator. They even have a blog with informative posts such as this one: “Commuter Profile: 100 Pounds Ago’s Gene Butcher“.

Here are a few more tips for your bike commute:

Even if you don’t need or use any of the above resources, figure out how you can skip gasoline and make some good use of your pedal power. It’s better for you, your health and the environment. What are you waiting for…go ride a bike!

Image by dorena-wm

Sorry I’m little late on my ‘Weekly Greens’ edition for this week. I spent the last few days visiting with out-of-town family. It was very nice to catch up and enjoy some quality time with them.

Since I’m back now, let’s get caught up on everything from eco inventions to car-sharing tips to a ‘Weekend without Oil‘ to turning landfills into filling stations and more:

1. 15 Crafts Using Recycled Materials: These are simple but great projects for the weekend (or any day really). Especially if you have kids, this is a great way to teach them about recycling and that just because something is used once, doesn’t mean it can’t be used again for something “new”.

Image by knitsteel

2. Green Lite for Energy Conservation: This one is a current entry in GE’s Ecomagination Challenge. Did you know the average home can waste up to 3/4 of its power on phantom power loads? This particular invention, Green Lite, is designed to dramatically reduce those loads and thus cut down power use, waste and greenhouse gases.

3. Finding & Using A Car Sharing Service Near You: Car-sharing is a great solution for those people who only need a car every now and again. Why make payments on a car you rarely use? Why have a car of your own if you don’t need or use it that often? Car-sharing solves the needs for periodic car use.

Image by JoeBehrSoCal

4. Turning Landfills into Filling Stations: Back to the Future, here we come! Being able to turn landfill trash into fuel is a creative re-use of something we’ve already relegated to be “unusable”. Ideally, we can move away from our oil dependence, but until then I personally think something like this could be a smart use of quite a bit of landfill waste.

Image via Greenopolis

5. U.S. EPA Targets Cancerous Dyes, Toxic Detergent Chemicals: It’s good to see action being taken to remove harmful chemicals from products we use every day. It’s just a drop in the bucket, but every step makes a difference.

6. First Zero Energy School About To Be In Session: If you missed my Monday post, you should definitely check it out here. Richardsville Elementary in Kentucky is soon to be the Nation’s first net-zero energy school!

Image courtesy of SCBArchitects.com

Since there is only about a month left in Summer, I figured I’d end this week’s ‘Weekly Greens’ with a look at a few of California’s Hidden National Park Gems. If you haven’t had a chance to get away for a vacation, a weekend get-away or even a nice day trip, now is the time. Get outside and enjoy nature!

On that note, since you are already into your weekend, don’t forget to spend some time outdoors. Get some fresh air, get some sun, lay on the green grass and watch the clouds for a bit, go for a nice walk/hike, etc. Whatever you do, just get outdoors. You’ve earned it!  (But, if you can, please try to do it without oil because this weekend is a “Weekend Without Oil“. Learn 11 simple ways you can help reduce our dependence on oil.)

Image by joejiang.sq

No matter who you are or where you live, you have probably experienced stress at some point in your life. Whether it was a result of health problems, monetary obligations, family concerns, work issues or any other form of stress doesn’t matter. What does matter is how you chose to deal with those stresses. If you don’t deal with them sensibly you will probably stress yourself out even more. So here are 10 green ways to help lower your stress level:

1 – Exercise: Studies have shown that exercise can help lower the impact of stress on cell aging. Besides that, getting regular exercise will help keep you in shape, help you stay alert and you will feel better overall.

2 – Get outdoors: Taking a moment to get some fresh air and look at the world around you can help you get your mind off your worries. Go outside, breathe in some fresh air, look at the trees, birds and flowers. Maybe see some wildlife.

Image by Tim Brauhn

If you had to, you could probably even breathe in a jar of fresh air…although that might not have the same result.

3 – Make a decision: Take a look at the problem or situation that seems to be stressing you out and decide to resolve it. Decide that you are going to sit down and come up with a resolution. Decide that you are going to deal with the problem instead of just stressing over it and/or avoiding it.

Once you decide to deal with it…you’re half way there.

4 – Choose health over pills: When it comes to choosing health or pills to help make you feel better and lower your stress levels, try health. You may find that simple things such as eating better or maybe doing some yoga will help lower your stress levels naturally.

5 - Take a deep breath: When you find something getting a little more stressful than you’d like, sometimes it helps to just sit down and relax. Take a few deep, relaxing breaths and clear your mind.

6 –  Schedule some “me time”: Like most dedicated individuals if you find yourself feeling a little overworked or you are getting stressed out about all the things you need to get done, don’t forget to include a little “me time” into your schedule. You may think there’s no time for that, but there is…there is always time for “me time”. It will give you a chance to relax and concentrate on you so when you get back to work, you will be able to give it your all again.

7 - Write it all down: Sometimes you can get stressed because too many things are running through your head. Try clearing your mind by writing everything down. Anything you are worrying about, thinking about, have your attention on, etc. just write it down. That will also help you address each point, one by one rather than all at once.

Image by tobiastoft

That action, along with a few other time management skills, can be a major factor in dramatically lowering stress levels.

8 – Know your limits: If you are anything like me, you enjoy helping friends out whenever you can and you’re more than likely to try and tackle too many jobs than too few.

But that doesn’t always help your stress levels, nor does it help in getting the job done. This doesn’t mean you need to turn everyone down, but it does mean you should know your limits. Figure out what you can get done and what will just be too much. Push yourself, of course, as that is what will help drive you…but know your limits.

9 – Do some gardening: Gardens and gardening tend to have a kind of healing affect on people. It’s nice to be able to step away from your work and get dirty in the garden now and again.

Image by DigiSmile STL

You can put your attention on planting things and helping them grow. Did you know there is a whole field, Horticulture Therapy, dedicated to using plants to help people heal? And you’ve probably been doing it all along just because it made you feel better.

10 – Laugh every day: Yes, laugh. Did you know that laughter reduces stress, too? Sometimes when you find yourself too entrenched in a problem or situation, it helps to find something to make you laugh.

I don’t mean just a little chuckle, I mean some good strong belly-shaking laughs! Let yourself laugh everyday. I know I feel better when I laugh. Don’t you?!

Is there something you rely on to help you make it through a stressful situation? Do you have a green tip or suggestion that could help someone combat stress in their life?