It took something big before Heather Levin gave personal finance a second thought. It wasn’t until she bought her first home, ripped open the envelope containing her first mortgage payment, and saw just how much of her money was going to pay interest that Heather resolved to buy a home with cash. This full-time commercial copywriter blogs about being green and frugal at TheGreenestDollar.com and tweets about it @GreenestDollar. She and her husband are hoping to sell their Howell, Michigan home and where they’re headed is an inspiring story.

OODC: How did you get started blogging and tweeting?

@GreenestDollar: I started blogging almost one year ago. After I bought my house I realized I really, REALLY hated having a mortgage! So I started researching ways to save up enough money so I could pay my mortgage off. I’d always been a very green-minded person, but I began to realize that making my home energy efficient was just another way to not only save money but help the environment.

After I started making changes in my home and lifestyle I realized that even the smallest steps, when added up together, could really make a big difference. And, I realized that other people would probably want to know some of the information I was learning on how to go green and save money, so I started The Greenest Dollar as a means to share my information with others.

OODC: Your website says you’re trying to sell your home so that you can build a green home debt-free. How is that going?

@GreenestDollar: It’s going great! We’ve still have our current home up for sale (the MI housing market is “challenged”, to put in mildly…). We’ve been saving money like maniacs so that when we decide to build our shipping container home we can do it without having to get a mortgage. I truly believe that when we finally get our house sold and we’re ready to buy land, we’ll be able to do with cash. I’ve resolved to never having a mortgage again.

At this point we’re trying to figure out the best place for us to live off the grid. We want to use wind and hydro as a means to power our shipping container home, so any land we buy is going to be in a windy area with a running stream. We haven’t decided where we’re going to settle down (we’re thinking western Washington state, western Montana, or the western side of Michigan at this point).

Wherever it is, it’s going to be on lots of land.

OODC: What are the best ways you’ve found that being green has saved you money?

@GreenestDollar: Insulation. Seriously, I’m adding even more to my attic this fall. Michigan winters are brutal, and my house was built in 1900. So adding insulation has been crucial to keeping our winter heating bills low and using less energy. It’s so important to have a well-insulated, tight house! The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the avg. American home has enough leaks that, when put together, would equal a 9 ft. square hole. That an enormous amount of energy that’s just being wasted.

We also save money and energy by not using any A/C. Our summer energy bill is usually $5-$10. We use CFL bulbs, and just keep the windows open 24 hrs. a day. It’s wonderful. Our home doesn’t have A/C in it, but even if it did I would never use it.

OODC: You said on your blog that you didn’t become interested in personal finance until you bought your first home. Why do you think you weren’t you interested in saving money earlier?

@GreenestDollar: You can chalk it up to sheer stupidity. Honestly, it just wasn’t something that was on my radar. When I think back on it now I’m just astounded that it took me so long to realize how important personal finance is. I never got into debt with credit cards, so I managed to stay out of that hole, but I never proactively put aside money every month for an emergency fund either.

Saving money was not something I was taught by my parents. So I just didn’t “get it” until I bought my first house.

OODC: What do you hope people get out of your Tweets and blog posts?

@GreenestDollar: I try to share information that helps them live a greener life and save money. I often Tweet articles I find when doing research online, especially about up and coming green technology. It’s amazing how many people are working together to creatively solve our environmental problems. It’s so inspiring! I know it’s easy to get depressed at the grim news we’re facing, but we’re slowly making a difference.

OODC: Who are some of your favorite money tweeters?

@GreenestDollar: I love Beth at @SmartFamilyTips. She has some great articles on her blog! I also really love @WiseBread.

Thanks to Heather for being part of our Twitter Tuesday Profile series. Want to be considered for an upcoming profile? Just tweet me!