I’ve received quite a few emails asking me for advice on how to get started going green, and where to begin. I decided to put together a list of items that you could consider your “Green and Frugal Starter Kit” to help make things easier.  My first bit of advice when making green changes is DON’T THROW EVERYTHING AWAY! Once you’ve used up what you have then recycle the packaging and start fresh. You can find other uses for your shampoo as well as many other items that you have around the house. Below is a list of items that you will need for your own kit with links to where you can find them in the Savvy Shop and below that are links to DIY “recipes” for making up your own cleaning products quickly and easily. Plus a few extra green/frugal ideas. HTH!

Items items to get started:

1. Borax
2. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
3. Liquid Castille Soap
4. A Bar of Laundry Soap (i.e.- Octagon, Fels Naptha)
5. White Vinegar
6. Hydrogen Peroxide
7. Baking Soda
8. Peppermint Essential Oil
9. Tea Tree Essential Oil
10. Lemon Oil
11. Citric Acid (Or Lemon Packet Kool-Aid)*
12. Microfiber Cloths

I’ve had several requests as to how folks can green up their BBQ without breaking the bank. Well here’s a list of 10 ways you can do that pretty simply…

1.  Use Poly or biodegradable plates, cups and flatware instead of coated paper or Styrofoam plates (The latter are usually coated in petroleum!) Polypropylene plates and cups like these can bee used, and their not as harmnful as regular plastic
2. Gas grill – lower carbon footprint and less electricity;
3. Don’t use lighter fluid – it emits harmful VOCs
4. Use Natural Charcoal- regular charcoal has not been soaked in lighter fluid, and burns less VOCs into the air. Try Cowboy Charcoals if you MUST use coal and check out Whole Foods, they have charcoal made from recycled scrap wood, or sustainable wood.
4. By local/seasonal produce and lean meat - cooks in less time
5. Potluck – if everyone brings something, not all of the costs will be on you.

I love binder clips!  They’re cheap, come in all kinds of sizes. and can be used for EVERYTHING! I was just noticing the other day just how many ways we use them around the house. There are a million and one uses for these things, but here are 12 of my favorite…

1. Holding snack bags closed
2. holding the ends of my twists when I’m styling my hair
3. Keeping a towel on my shoulders when I henna my hair
4. Cord keeper
5. Put at the end of the toothpaste tube so we get out every last drop
6. Holding photos
7. Hold hair accessories together when traveling
8. Clothespin
9. Keeping index cards organized
10. DIY money clip
11. Book mark
12. Keeping my ID/Train pass handy

Lifehacker even showed a video of a guy who made an iPhone dock out of binder clips check it out…

In an effort to lower our water bill, I’ve been researching different tactics. So far we’ve only seen a small reduction in our bill so far, but we’ve only been doing this for a month, and we haven’t done everything on the following list. I hope to lower our bill by 15% over the next few months. If you rent, forward this post or print it out for your landlord. Let them know that you’ll do what you can do help and they might just lower your rent, or at least not raise it!

1. Only use the dishwasher once a week and when it’s completely full. (There’s only two of us, we were just being lazy)
2. Wash dishes in a large bowl or basin in the sink. That way, you don’t have to fill up the whole sink with water.
3. Put a brick or water bottle with sand at the bottom in your toilet tank. (Put it in the tank opposite the flushing mechanism so that it will displace the water, therefore using less)
4. Turn off the water after you brush your teeth.
5. Turn off the shower when you are putting conditioner/detangling your hair. (I do this, and it works!)
6. Use a low-flow showerhead.
7. Use self-watering pots in the garden. (They don’t need to be watered as often)
8. Fix a leaky toilet ASAP!
9. Reuse your plate, cups and silverware at home. (Don’t grab a new cup every time you’re thirsty!)
10. Re-wear some of your clothes for less laundry. (Jeans don’t have to be washed every time you wear them)

I have a deck in my backyard, and I was determined to actually grow food this year. I don’t exactly have a green thumb, but I do have friends and neighbors who are great gardeners, and are always willing to share their horticultural knowledge. I haven’t had much luck growing anything from seeds, so I a few weeks ago, I decided to check out the local farmer’s market and garden shop and pick up some seedlings. I bought lettuce, squash, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, celery and herbs.

The day that I planted everything I also added a couple of tablespoons of  fertilizer to the soil in each pot. I used Miracle Grow Organic Potting Soil in all of my pots, and because of my schedule and occasional lack of attention, I used about 4 “Self-watering” planters so that I only had to water every other day. The regular pots I watered every day. If it was particularly hot out, I would water again after work in the evening. I forgot to take a pic when I first planted everything but here’s how it looks now.

2 tomato plants

This post is dedicated to all of you moms out there making ends meet and keeping your family moving everyday. I’ve collected some comments/emails from moms about changes that they’ve made around the house to keep their families healthier, their budget’s tighter, and the planet greener. We can ALL learn something from them:

MsTiffany TiffanyMs - “I started using vinegar as a household cleaner especially in the bathroom where me and my baby girl bathe. Still learning tho and doing research. Everything I’m learning is so shocking lol I feel like I’ve been living in a bubble all these years. Not much of a story but u inspire me to be conscious about the products I use in my home and on my body.”

Clarissa - “I threw out all the MICROWAVE POPCORN!* I found out there are DANGEROUS CHEMICALS that LINE the bags of microwave popcorn (the grease lining). I also, found out the same applies to SODA POP CANS as well. Also, as Ms Tiffany. We use Apple Cider Vinegar for many uses! We drink a tsp a day (add it to water w/ a tsp of honey). Also, we use vinegar as … See Morea glass cleaner. Instead of pouring HARSH CLEANERS down the sink to clean I use Lemons they clean and REFRESH the drain. We use baking soda to clean out sinks (great for removing rust stains).* Just naming a few changes we have made!*”

Karen - “I put 1/2 cup popping corn in a plain brown lunch bag. Fold the toip over very tightly 3 or 4 times and put in microwave for 3-5 mins (depending on your microwave)… It makes FABULOUS “air popped” corn… then add what ever toppings you like… I prefer Old Bay seasoning instead of salt or cinnamon for a sweet version.”

Dddiva – “We love to make popcorn with coconut oil- no butter needed, so much healthier.”

Angela - “For the last 2 months, I have stopped using dryer sheets or anything else for that matter. All I use is a ball of aluminum foil. I have used the same one the whole time. I do about 15-20 loads/week.”

This is the first of a series of posts about cotton, how it’s cultivated, how it’s harmful to the environment and to us, and some options on what we can do about it in our everyday lives.

How cotton is harvested..

50 years ago cotton-growing involved sustainable techniques, was not harmful to the environment and the surrounding wildlife, and did not deplete resources or create a health hazard.  There’s a big difference between the way cotton used to be cultivated, and the way it is harvested now. Cotton is now considered one of the dirtiest crops to produce. It uses large amounts of insecticides and synthetic pesticides. Some of which were developed as toxic nerve agents during WWII! An example of this is the insecticide Parathion which is 60 times more toxic than DDT. (Check the links below for more info on those two chemicals).

Crop Duster

Conventionally-grown cotton occupies only 3% of the world’s farmland, but uses 25% of the world’s chemical pesticides. These pesticides are routinely sprayed from the air from “crop-dusters”. These highly toxic chemicals can then drift into surrounding neighborhoods, poison farm workers, contaminate air, ground and surface water and cause major eco-system imbalances. The crazy part is, insects always grow resistant to insecticides, so the formulations have to get stronger every year.

During processing, cotton is doused in large amounts of chlorine bleach to make it white. (Oh yeah, cotton is NOT naturally bright white it’s more light beige in color). One of the reasons white cotton starts to get “dull” looking is because the bleach is coming out. (Then we turn right around and add MORE bleach to it!) Even colored cotton fabrics use heavy metal dyes and formaldehyde resins (that’s the “special” ingredient in most “easy care” cotton fabric). It’s no wonder we have such high rates of excema, allergies and respiratory problems!

I watched my brothers do this once at my mom’s house, and was fascinated. (We’re all geeks so it doesn’t take much). As an example, I’m using a piece of sterling silver flatware from my grandmother’s collection. This works for Jewelry as well as silverware however.

Materials:
1 aluminum pie plate, pan or aluminum foil (this is important!)
1-2 tbsps of baking soda
1-2 tbsps of salt.
2 cups of hot water (not quite boiling)

I mentioned Coupon Sherpa in another post this week 15 Healthy and Green Ways to Save Money on Your Grocery Bill Now. It’s a coupon aggregate site, which means it gathers online coupons from many different sources and many different stores. Not all of the grocery coupons are healthy, BUT I did find coupons for Newman’s Own and Morningstar Farms and a few other healthy foods. The Sherpa is also good for printable discounts at clothing and retail stores like the Gap, Target, Sports Authority and Kohls. They even have online coupons and discounts for various retail websites. My favorite find, however is the Coupon Sherpa App for the iPhone. (Y’all don’t know but I’m a geek from WAY back), which actually allows you to download a coupon while your shopping, and then creates an onscreen barcode that can be scanned at checkout! (Modern technology, gotta love it!)

Last week, Coupon Sherpa added something new to it’s site, it added The Eco Frugal Life Guide. Which is actually,  a pretty good read. It talks about real-life tips and tricks to saving money. Everything from food storage and energy efficient appliances to natural beauty and electricity-free exercise! There’s even a section on travel and green savings for kids.

1. Shop your fridge and cupboards – Sexy will never let me forget about how when he moved in, I had about 5 bottles of mustard, and 4 boxes of foil because I kept buying them forgetting I had them already! After you make your grocery list, be sure to look through your fridge, freezer and cupboards and be sure that you don’t already have what’s on your list. Then move the food to the front of the fridge and cupboards so that you’ll see it.

2. Buy non-food items at the dollar store – Foil, ziploc bags, wax paper, mixing bowls, and other items are, well, a dollar at the dollar store. Don’t buy them at the grocery store. (You should eventually aim for cutting back on foil as well!)

3. Don’t buy everything organic – strawberries, peppers, pears and a few more items should definitely be purchased as organic, but others, like onions, eggplants, and corn don’t have to be purchased organic. As always though, wash everything when you get it home, with a DIY Vegetable Wash. For more information on what to what to eat organic and what you can skip, check out the links below.

• Organic Food Must-Haves
• Non-Organic Foods That You Can Get Away With