Among the many concerns in the country, the economy and the housing market are arguably chief among them.
Thanks to the various efforts of environmentalists and Al Gore, so is the environment as many homeowners have become a lot more cognizant about its future.
December is generally not an environmentally friendly month.
Elaborate light displays consume energy, landfills get clogged with mountains of unrecyclable wrapping paper and fake Christmas trees, the list goes on and on.
If one were to look at this situation with a positive spin and evaluate how to save money while being environmentally conscious then December really isn't that bad after all since homeowners can be "green friendly" and they can cut back on costs while doing so.
Those brilliant light displays for example don't have to lead to a hefty electricity bill if newer lights are purchased which are designed to dramatically cut back on energy use.
And as for that wrapping paper, it might look nice but why not consider using newspapers or perhaps reusable fabric bags? The paper stays out of landfills and there is no need to spend money buying rolls.
On another note, be smart when it comes to electronics gift giving.
A computer for example should not just be thrown in the trash and the same goes for items like cellular phones.
There are usually places that will accept these devices and dispose of them properly or they can be donated and given to someone else.
December is already known for its abundance of red and green.
Why not make it a little greener just by employing a few environmentally friendly practices? It's like giving the earth itself a gift during the holidays.