Save Money, Go Green!

Think before you buy
Find gently used secondhand products online at Craigslist or Freesharing before spending full price for anything.
Check out garage sales or thrift stores for clothing and everyday items. You may even consider trading items or clothes with a girlfriend. It may be old to them but it's new to you. Remember, one persons trash is another ones treasure!

Eat smart
Organic meat and eggs can costs a lot in stores. The best way to go is to purchase organic, humane meat and eggs locally. Most cities have a local farmers market that contain locally fresh fruits, veggies, and meats. Take advantage of that whenever possible that way you know what you're getting and you're keeping money in the local economy. Make local habit.

Skip bottled water
Buy a water purifier for your faucet rather than purchasing water in a bottle. Not only is the plastic bad for the environment, most plastic bottles contain BPA and it contains large amounts of container waste. Purchase a reusable water bottle and refill that daily if you need water for the car trip.

Make your own cleaning supplies
You can make very effective, non toxic cleaning supplies right at home. All you need are ingredients like lemon, vinegar, soda, and soap. Not only are you cutting costs, you are keeping the air in your home clean for you and your family.

Save gas, use the limbs that god gave you
I know this is hard to do if you live far away from work or have kids that you need to haul around with you but any chance you get, ride a bike (pull your child behind you), walk (put your baby in a sling, baby bjorn, or make them walk with you), jog (put your child in a jogger stroller), or commute to your destinations. Gas is horrible for the environment and very costly. Try to plan out your day and run all of you're errands at one time rather than taking 4 different trips.

Clip coupons
Yes, we all know that clipping coupons is time consuming but aren't you willing to sacrifice a little time and effort to save money for you and your family? Get your local newspaper ads, make a list, and clip those coupons! If you do this on a weekly basis and keep a folder of coupons, you end up saving so much money, not to mention free items from combining manufactured coupons, doubler coupons, and the coupons from the grocery store. Need help getting started? Frugal Chic Living is the way to start saving!

Save power
Want a lower electric bill? Unplug electronics even if you aren't using them. Replace old light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible, and during the summer, hang the clothes outside to dry, join Gift of Green's Clothesline Challenge today! Do your laundry at night, it's proven that you save on your bill by washing clothes in the evening. On hot summer days, make sure you close all of your windows and keep those blinds or curtains shut to keep the heat out so you use your air conditioner as least as possible. Never have your oven placed right next to your fridge! The heat from the oven causes the fridge to turn on and work harder at keeping your items cold. Trust me, I learned the hard way when I was renting a home and our electric bill wasn't very pleasant.

Lets make a difference by taking the time to live by these ways to go green! I know I would rather live a clean, organic life by taking the extra time to make sure my environment will be a clean one for the children of our future. Plus, wouldn't you rather spend your hard earned money on vacations, your children, and their future rather than gas, electricity, and unnecessary items?