Going green and eating organic and healthy on a budget!

Hi! Thank you all for being so patient! Although this blog is way over due, I would like to think that it was well worth the wait! This blog will be all about saving money and also "going green". I don't go overboard with these tips, because it is not cheap to go green! But these are some small steps. We are all on a budget these days or are trying to cut back in some way. We don't have to spend an arm and a leg to be "green". I have done alot of research on this topic and have found that there is tons of tips and tools, but there all scattered in a million different places! My goal is to give you everything you need in one place!
We are first going to talk about "going green". That, in my opinion, should be our first step in this "change". Going green, can help to save money in the long run, so making these changes now, will save you in the future. That being said, I know that all these tips are not going to fit into every ones lifestyles and that's OK. But a few should, so just give them a try!
1. Depending on where you live, take the train, bus, subway, ride your bike or car pool to work. Really, what is the point in taking your car to the store when you are with in walking distance and it's a nice day?? My personal options are limited to the bus, a bus in our area is $1.25 plus an extra $0.10 if you want a round trip. If I were to take the bus to work everyday, I would be spending $27 a week on the bus, which is great because we usually use about $40 in gas for our car a week.
I can easily take a bike or walk to the pharmacy or gas station, they are both relatively close. I try to carpool to the gym if you have a friend that visits the same gym as you. I like to also carpool to the grocery store if you can find someone willing to swap out weeks with you. (one week their car, one week yours) It may be fun to have a "girls day" of shopping together, even if it is just for groceries.
2. When we go to work each day and bring our lunch, we usually use paper plates and plastic utensils and carry it in a plastic grocery bag. Instead of this, you can start bringing your own place setting. It's cheap to buy just one place setting at Walmart or from a thrift store, if you don't have extras around the house.
3. Use a hand towel in the kitchen instead of napkin, after napkin, after napkin! I will agree that I use paper towels, but I have definitely cut back!
4. If possible use natural light. We open the blinds and let light in before we will turn on a light. If light is available, why waste your lamps energy? When you do use your lamps and lights in your house, invest in energy efficient light bulbs. They are a bit more expensive (about $9 for 6) but they are proven to last longer and help with your energy bill. I have been using them for a few months and I can definitely tell the difference. (maybe about $10/month)
5. Next time when you go to the store, buy rechargeable batteries. They last 500 charges, I believe, and are great for all the remotes, toys & camera's in your house! Think about how expensive batteries can be! **They have a set in Walmart for $18, that comes with 4 batteries and the charger that also charges AAA battery's. The brand is Kodak**
6. Set your computer to sleep mode when you are away temporarily.
7. Recycle! You can earn extra money by collecting cans, not to mention, it's just better overall to do it! All you need is 4 buckets, one for plastic, one for metal, one for paper & one for glass.

Now the next thing we are going to address is eating healthier and "green".
1. Buy organic, when possible, I have found that it is a bit more expensive, but not by much. We buy organic eggs, which are about $1 more than the regular. We also get the store brand of the organic 1/2 gallon milk, which is about $0.48 more than the regular whole milk. They also make organic chips, wines, beers, etc.
2. Another way to save more on eating organic is to buy local! This would include shopping at your local farmers market or flea market in your area that serves organic produce, usually at a cheaper price.

I hope that you all have enjoyed this blog. I hope I can get on track and bring you more blogs like this in the future!
If you would like to know more about this topic or have an idea for a new blog, please email me!

Thanks!
Diana