Going green frugally

[MommyBliss]

One of our goals this year was to go green as a family. With the market the way it is we are looking at how to do that frugally. Here are some of the things we're doing.

Gave up paper towels, I bought a pack of white dish cloths from Wal Mart for $5 and we use those instead. I don't even miss paper towels now.

Bought these dryer balls a friend told me about in place of using dryer sheets in the dryer. Haven't gotten to use them yet, using up the rest of my dryer sheets.

We starting to use totes at the grocery store instead of plastic and paper bags. I don't know if it's really frugal, but it's good for the environment.

I am starting to use a dryer rack next week.

Anyone have some tips they could share?

[mom2matty]

We do pretty much the same as you....
-no paper towels/napkins.....I use cloth
-use cloth bags when shopping
-hang laundry on the line outside.....only use dryer when I absolutely have to!
-make my own cleaners (baking soda/white vinegar) instead of using chemicals

[MommyBliss]

That's gotta be my next step, use my own cleaners. Do you have any good recipes?

[FrugalWitch]

You can clean almost anything with white vinegar or baking soda (or both)

[Momto2Boyz]

We have always tried to live "green", so it is kind of hard for me to think about what we do that is different from everyone else. My Dad worked for the Federal EPA for 30+ years...so I literally grew up in an extremely environmentally friendly home.

The biggest thing you can do that is green & frugal is not drive when you don't have too. Need to run out and grab something? Try biking or walking, saves gas and air pollution!

Here are some of the others things we do:

We don't purchase magazines. They can be borrowed from the library.

I don't use dryer sheets at all and rarely have a problem with static.

Line dry clothes whenever possible.

Compost. (Not frugal, but not having to purchase compost for my garden and flower beds is frugal)

Invest in several sizes of plastic-ware. (You can find them at second hand stores & garage sales for .10 or .25) and stop using ziplocs and paper lunch bags altogether.

Skip the paper towels and napkins. Just as easy to use cloth napkins and towels.

Stick to basics when cooking. The less convenience food you buy, the less you pay and the less overpackaging there is. And never buy single serve anything!

Use a rain barrel to catch rain and water plants.

Shower instead of a bath, and remember that there is no need to shower every day, unless you are really gross.

Check your water meter twice a year to catch any leaks. When you go to bed, record the meter number. Then the first person who gets up, checks it again. If the numbers don't match...you have a leak, that is costing you water and money.

Recycle. (frugal only if you pay for garbage pick up by the can), but still a great way to help the earth. Our friends think we are amazing, becuase each week I set out 1/2 a kitchen bag of garbage and 7 recycling bins (for a family of 4). They always ask me how we do it. I simply pay attention to what I am throwing away...most of what my neighbors trash can be recycled, they just don't pay enough attention. Plus, we compost, so that helps.

Just about every electronic device in your house emits some sort of pollution (even your alarm clock). Unplugging your appliances when not in use, not only saves you tons on your electric bill, but it is also environmentally friendly because when they are not using electricity, they aren't polluting.

Shop locally. Purchase produce, dairy and meat from local farmers via farm market or supermarket who purchases locally (go to your county website and they can help you find websites that list stores that buy locally). Purchasing locally saves on cross country transportation, therefor reducing the need for farmer's to ship foods across the country and wasting gas and polluting the air.


Ok, for now, that is about all I can think of! I was just popping on before I went to bed!

[SaucyCranberry]

One of my favorite purchases to get away from sandwich baggies is a one-piece, square, hard sandwich keeper. (Mine's by Tupperware but I'm sure they have versions from Rubbermaid, and/or at yard sales or thrift stores). Not only does it save us from using baggies, but the sandwiches don't get mashed. (Because you know at six-years-old, the sandwich can't possibly taste the same if it is mashed.) ;-)

[momof42003]

Thank you Mommybliss..... I have been thinking and trying to figure out green living too... Here is what I do now:

Compost
use less paper goods
recycling

TEACHING/HELPING OTHERS....I think this one thing can help and do so much for so many...

Still need to:
recycle even more
canvas bags at the store
use less chemicals (this one will be hard-I love bleach and anti bacterial stuff...)...
walk more-drive less
tell my kids how to do stuff better(use both sides of paper for scratch paper, throw the right stuff on the compost, why recycling is so important...)

I hope to learn more about going as green as frugally possible.

Thanks again..

[tkn4lif]

Going Green is also one on my goals for this year as well. I have been using the reusable bags for a few months now and I love them! Mine are pretty big (Walmart) and are sturdy. I also bought a drying rack this week, but havent used it. I am going to install a clothes line in the yard so I can line dry most of my clothes and then soften them in the dryer for a few minutes. That will save quite a few bucks in electicity!

What are the dryer balls you are talking about?? I havent seen them before.

It is hard to go green when going green is exspensive. Definately a challenge!

[tkn4lif]

That's gotta be my next step, use my own cleaners. Do you have any good recipes?

I use vinager and water to clean stains out of carpet. Its works better then store bought cleaners.

[TheRootedNomad]

Lots of cool stuff already mentioned.

We've put a couple of 1 liter soda bottles I grabbed from people at work filled with water in the toliet tank to save water on flushes.

I saw posted here somewhere that you can use saltwater as weed killer. I tried it. It works. The warning is whereever you use it nothing will grow.

We throw no food out. If for some reason it doesn't get used up the dogs get it.

I'm playing with the idea of sewing up some reusable trash bags. I don't know if this is a good idea or not but my next step is to get rid of the plastic garbage bags in some way.

We're also saving for one of those hand push mowers. The round wheel ones like back in the day.

[Lady_V]

We still live in a condo complex, so we are still limited to what we can do...

but... we dry some of the clothes on the wooden rack, I recycled bottles to make the upside-down planters, I don't use chemicals in the 'garden' and limited the cleaning chemicals to dish washing soap. I make my own laundry soap too

[peanut]

Reading this thread made me realize just how green we already are! For us the goal wasn't to go green, but to be frugal. So going green frugally can definitely be done!

One of the things we've done is de-clutter the house by regifting or selling our excess stuff on-line. Anything we acquire is secondhand or on sale, and we try to buy natural materials instead of manmade. So wood wins out over plastic and antiques (beat up or otherwise) wins out over new. I don't mind refinishing...with friendly chemicals (they're out there!).

I acquire hobby supplies from FullCircles.com. If I have to buy equipment for my hobbies, I buy the most environmentally friendly (wood) or something that has a proven long term track record. I do not participate in the disposable society if I can possibly help it. This often means spending a lot of money up front. But if it is going to last the rest of my lifetime, I don't mind. I'm thinking of a deluxe rug hooking frame I just bought, and decent OTT lights to see my work by.

I buy what I need, not what the salesperson wants me to have. That may sound obvious, but some of these salesmen are very subtle. I bought a sewing machine recently. I could have gone for a fantastic over-the-top one the salesperson was pushing...and still had to buy a special quilting machine later. But I stuck to my guns and bought the one that would do what I needed, with the awareness if I ever want to go into business quilting big quilts, I'll buy the dedicated quilting machine. This is not on my horizon. I'd rather hook rugs.

Thanks for reminding me I need to sew some new tote bags. I've been using mine for years and they're finally wearing out.

I've been doing the other things OP have listed for years. They're second nature to me and I don't think of them as being 'green', just frugal. We just skipped the dryer sheets/balls totally, and haven't had a problem. Course we hang dry 90% of our laundry too.

Jean

[Momto2Boyz]

I saw posted here somewhere that you can use saltwater as weed killer. I tried it. It works. The warning is whereever you use it nothing will grow.

You can also use vinegar and water as a weed killer too. It works just as well, but it doesn't take as long to replenish the soil, so you can still plant there a few weeks after you spray!

I do plan on trying the salt water on my patio to keep the weeds at bay for a full summer! Thanks for the tip!

[cheriede]

Here are some things that I do..

~wash clothes in cold water and hang to dry
~clean w/vinegar, baking soda and usually essential oils
~cloth rags for cleaning
~cloth napkins
~walk instead of taking the car
~buy used instead of new on most stuff
~leave lights off as much as possible
~leave ac off whenever possible
~compost
~recycle
~have a garden this year

[MTS04]

I love some of these ideas everyone else has mentioned.

-I use other peoples plastic shopping bags for my trash bags
-also brown wax paper (natural) bags instead of plastic or white wax paper and bags for storing/wrapping
-Fill the freezer with blocks of ice (usually refilled milk cartons) as it is emptied to keep it running less.