Going green doesn’t mean going broke! Some newer, super-efficient appliances or an all-organic grocery run might set you back, but there are many ways to “Go Green” that will actually save you green.
Cleaning Green
Using natural products to clean your home will save you money and keep surfaces safe for the precious little fingers that will keep you cleaning!
- Use vinegar and baking soda. Stop pouring money (and toxic chemicals) down the drain with these two super-cheap alternatives. Your grandma probably already knew this, but vinegar can be used to clean and deodorize just about anything! A natural disinfectant and deodorizer, vinegar can be used on anything from soap scum and carpet stains to microwaves and hardwood floors. Its trusty companion, baking soda is just as safe and just as handy! Use this for tough scrubbing jobs such as the grill or oven and tough odors such as pet areas and dish disposals.
- Make your own, natural laundry detergent for a fraction of the price of store-bought detergent, and get the extra pleasure of knowing that you are not sending harmful ingredients back into the water. While most detergents cost about 20-25 cents a load, making your own costs just a few pennies a load! Most recipes call for some amount of these three products: Borax powder, washing soda, and soap (often Ivory). At first you may miss smelling like Spring Sunshine or the Mountain Mist, but remember, clean doesn’t have a smell!
Eating Green
- Go Meatless! Try adding one meat-free meal a week to the menu. You will save money at the grocery store, and going meatless helps reduce your carbon footprint. To learn more about the health, financial, and environmental benefits of going meatless, check out www.meatlessmonday.com.
- Got room to garden? Get the family involved in the process of growing your own food! Your kids will be more likely to eat the veggies they grew themselves. If gardening doesn’t work out for your family, shop the local farmers’ market. Buying in-season produce locally saves you money and cuts travel costs worldwide. For more info on the benefits of buying locally in Central Illinois, check out www.ilstewards.org.
Shop Green
- Thrift is in. Consider buying used before buying new. Hit the neighborhood garage sales. Buying secondhand can save big bucks, keeps the items you repurpose out of landfills, and cuts back on the need for production of new items. Shop local resale shops or swap with Mommy friends when your kids out-grow their clothes.
- Cut out disposables. Save money by not buying paper plates, napkins or towels. Limit your use of saran wrap and plastic baggies. Save the Earth by keeping them out of landfills!
Baby Green
- Go cloth. Its not your mother’s cloth diaper that today’s green babies are sporting. Today’s cloth diapers offer ease of use as well as style! While the initial investment may seem greater than that of disposables, I don’t’ have any cloth diapering friends who wouldn’t agree that they are saving money in the long run (and the Earth!)
- D-I-Y baby food! Making your own baby food saves you money and helps the environment by eliminating the need for the manufacturing, shipping, storing, and packaging of commercial baby foods. Springfield Mom Breanne Clair reports that to her, one of the added benefits is that she knew exactly what her daughter was getting, and she got used to the way mom cooks from the start.
Submitted by Springfield Moms Advisory Board member Lindsey Lanter. Lindsey and her husband Adam and four children live in Springfield.
