Green Options

Lately, I’ve been craving a lot of comfort foods. Warm soothers like oatmeal, grits, tea, hot chocolate, soup, and mac and cheese have become my go-to snacks and meals. I sense that I’m doing this in response to the fall weather. I live in Madison, WI and, while I’m used to it being chilly in October, it has been unseasonably frigid outside. In addition, I feel that I’m eating so many comfort foods because they offer me short-term relief from my mid-semester avalanche of personal stress.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) signed into law by President Obama in February provides financial opportunities for homeowners, specifically tax credits, rebates, and loans for improving energy efficiency. The Act also provides tax credits for buying a house and for hybrid and alternative fuel car purchases. The problem is that the 400 page legislation can be tough to work your way through to find what’s available to you.