I don’t know if you’re like me, but I sit a lot.  Consequently, my shoulder, neck and back are prone to excruciating pain on a regular basis.  I go for the occasional massage, which does help, but it gets rather expensive.  Even when I sit less and move around more, I seem to feel “tight” a lot.  So, I thought what any reasonable person would… I should own a hot tub.

I know what you’re thinking… not very green.  But I’m going to break down my logic for you and show you what I found by doing a lot of online research.  (Praise be to the Interwebs.)

First, hot tubs aren’t cheap.  So, one of my concerns was price.  I had a budget in mind, and it wasn’t a lot.  Hot tubs, apparently, can cost upwards of $20,000.  Wow!  I am a practical person, and I would never fork over that much for a glorified bath tub.  Plus, I refuse to pay full retail when I can be patient and find a great deal.

On the opposite end, I could buy an inflatable hot tub for about $800.  I’m a stickler for quality, however, so that wasn’t going to cut it either.  After visiting two local hot tub vendors (I always like to shop local first), I did some research online and found Dream Maker spas.  These spas are your basic models, but they still get the job done.  They have the advantage of being small and energy efficient, however.  They run on a regular power outlet (although you will want it to have its own breaker).  They are also made right here in Orlando so the environmental cost of transportation is low.

To give you some idea of how great these spas are, they are approved by the California Energy Commission.  I’m guessing that’s not an easy task.  They use LED lighting and their patent pending heat system that reduces electricity usage. Essentially, they are energy efficient hot tubs.

Another great thing about modern hot tubs is that they need no harmful chemicals.  There is no more chlorine smell with a hot tub.  I was told that I can empty the water from the hot tub directly into my vegetable garden.  What an improvement!

I know what you’re thinking… having a hot tub, even if it only uses $10 worth of energy a month, is still not environmentally friendly.  I know this.  So, in order to counteract the effects of the hot tub, I have vowed never to use my electric clothes dryer again.  Plus, I am turning my cable off this weekend.

Eventually, I will be creating my own electricity with solar panels, but until then, I will enjoy the simple pleasure of my hot tub and then slip into my air-dried, fresh smelling clothes.