My husband and I are generally pretty frugal.  We emotionally and financially calculate whether we really want or need something before taking the plunge to buy it.  It's been a common practice of ours for many years and has worked well for us.

Back in October of 1997, when we purchased our first home, we made a lot of those decisions.  One of our biggest purchases was our washer and dryer.  The Maytag Neptune had recently hit the market and I was in love with it.  It was the first time I had seen a front-load residential washer and since I'm 5'3", the idea of not having to be on my tiptoes to get my laundry out was a big hit.  Supported by the fact that it used less water and was a high-efficiency unit was a bonus.  We weighed the pros and cons and bought the set for $1,550 when other units could have been purchased for a fraction of that cost.  I justified that it would save so much money in water and energy that it would eventually pay for itself. We purchased our high-efficiency washer and dryer long before being green was cool.  Although I didn't make the purchase solely for how green it was, the cost benefits were directly impacted by the amount of water and energy it saved.

We made our purchase when front-load and high efficiency washers were first hitting the market and that had some disadvantages we hadn't factored in.  The technology still had issues and the set I purchased was listed in a class action lawsuit.  My washer has gone through a few rounds of recall work as well as some expensive repairs.  Neither unit is as quiet as it was when I purchased it but it's also 12 years old.  So whenever I see fancy new washers and dryers announced, I can't help but take notice.  

Electrolux washers and dryers put my once top-of-the-line Neptune to shame.  I was touring the virtual laundry room and was amazed to see all the settings and capabilities of the new units.  Aside from the multiple 'normal' cycle options, some are programmable.  Ever have your favorite shirt come out of the dryer a bit smaller than normal?  Both the washer and dryer have 'My Favorites' settings that can be programmed with hubby-friendly terminology like "Kids sports" or "Mom work".  Not implying that I've ever had anything like that happen.

Remember my comment before about how we purchased our unit before being green became cool?  Well, Kelly Ripa exemplifies green and is cool because she's genuine about it.  She's a spokesperson for Electrolux and together they just announced a few promotions for their eco-friendly washer and dryer.  Get this... a limited edition "Kelly Green" eco-friendly laundry set.  Not only is it promoted by Kelly Ripa and is eco-friendly green but it is literally the color Kelly Green. 

From now until 5/31/09, Electrolux is giving away a set to one lucky winner.  You can enter daily at Kelly Confidential.  As a bonus, Electrolux is making a $1 donation to Global Green USA for each virtual flower planted in their virtual garden - up to $25,000!

It gets even better... as part of this blog tour by Mom Central, another set is being given away. Yes, in addition to the set you can win at Kelly Confidential, you can enter to win one at Mom Central.

Finally, if you're in the market for a new washer and dryer, be sure to check out the special offers and rebates at Electrolux.  There's a "Go Green with Electrolux" rebate valid until April 26, 2009 where you save 10% on energy-saving laundry appliances.

While I applaud Electrolux, Kelly Ripa and Mom Central for being eco-friendly as Earth Day approaches, I want to make sure that the economical end of green appliances doesn't get missed.  With our economy in a crunch and so many people watching their budgets, green appliances not only help the environment, but by their nature, also help your wallet.  Less water and energy spent translates to less money on the utility bills.  When you sit down to weigh your options for any new major purchase, keep that in mind.

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