Newsflash: Being green doesn't have to put you in the red. If you're in the process of cutting down on expenditures during this economic downturn, it doesn't mean that you have to automatically forsake all things organic. Here are ways to go green on the cheap, in every area of your home.
CLOTHES
• Organize a clothing swap via your kids' school or a local parenting group. Prepare for mayhem—and great loot. Don't forget about your wardrobe! Plan a moms-only swap party and make a day (or night!) of it.
• Go online and find places to swap and donate your unneeded clothing, household items, baby gear, and more.
• Shop at secondhand-clothing stores and consignment shops. Find sales listings nationwide at Kids Consignment Guide.
CLEANING
• Instead of buying a product specific to each area of your home, get a concentrated all-in-one product that can be diluted according to the cleaning job.
• Make your own cleaning products with household ingredients like vinegar, water, baking soda, and lemon. Whip up batches of homemade laundry detergent, toilet-bowl cleaner, and more.
FOOD
• Buy a share in a local farm—it's called community-supported agriculture. You won't believe how little you're paying for the amount of organic greens and goodies you will get during an average week during growing season, compared to what it would cost at a store, or even at a farmers' market. Find a CSA near you with this directory.
• Pack everyone's lunches in reusable containers rather than going out or offering your kids cafeteria money. Strapped for time? Try these easy lunch tips.
• Try this supermarket shopping experiment: Don't buy (or buy substantially less) packaged or processed food. Only buy whole foods, like potatoes, not processed potato chips. Look at the receipt and see how much less you've spent.
TOYS AND ENTERTAINMENT
• Frequent the library. It might seem obvious, but there's nothing more eco than borrowing books, DVDs, and CDs.
• In addition to trading toys with friends and family who have younger and older kids, go online to ToySwap.com, and buy, sell, or swap toys with more than 100,000 other users.
HOME
• If you're thinking about renovating, consider the environmental (health) hazard and cost of demolition. Instead, try sprucing up your home in a more cost-effective and safer manner with no-VOC paint, a few plants, or new organic bedding.
• When in the market for new furniture, ask family and friends for hardwood hand-me-downs. Or look for similar items in thrift and/or antique stores. New furniture often contains a whole host of unsavory chemicals that can escape into the air you breathe, so give new life to an old piece instead.
BEAUTY
• Make informed purchases. Avoid costly drive-by shopping, and spend the savings on well-researched organic versions. Research the environmental impact of products online at sites like GoodGuide.
• Know your certifications and look for cosmetics that are organically or naturally certified.
