Green Ways to Save Money

Save Time and Money: Eat With the Seasons

2008-04-06T17:33:00.010-04:00

Eating well and eco-friendly inexpensively can be a huge task, especially when you're just beginning the journey. The best bet seems to be growing your own food. But if you've never touched a seed and your thumbs are all shades except green, feeding yourself from gardening probably isn't going to be your first step on the path of eating healthy for cheap. You're going to have to find your healthy, sustainable food somewhere else.

Unfortunately, if you're new to budgeting or bargain shopping, the idea of thumbing through store ads, clipping coupons, and store hopping can be overwhelming as well. It takes a bit of organization, time, and patience. A weird, money-saving obsession helps too. But what if you don't have that passion and you're not ready to cultivate it? Do you still have a chance of saving money while buying quality food?

In short, yes. Although it is best to diversify your money saving methods of obtaining healthy food, the first and simplest step is to eat seasonally. Not only will you save money, but you'll be eating better.

Seasonal Food is:

-Better for you. It's generally fresher, tastier and packed with more nutrition than food transported in from far away or grown in less than optimal, natural conditions. For example, studies have shown that spinach harvested in Summer has a much higher vitamin C content than spinach harvested in Winter.

-Better for our Mother Earth. Since seasonal food tends to be local food, it takes less energy and produces less CO2 emissions than its out of season counterparts.

-Better for your budget. Buying food when it's in season almost guarantees the best price without having to worry about sales. In all truth, it's usually the season that determines the sales. For instance, I love blueberries with a passion. But in the Winter, they stay off my grocery list as they cost outrageously high in Winter. However, when July comes around, they are something I can indulge in.

-Romantic and fun. Eating by the seasons is like living in a French movie or a centuries-old book. You can be a Celtic villager celebrating a harvest or a mountain woman relishing the rhubarb she just got to make a pie for her twenty kids. It's just cool, man.

-Easy. Just take a little time to learn a seasonal food chart and plan your meals and grocery list accordingly.

Luckily, thanks to the continue growth of the Local and Slow Food Movements, there are many great resources available for those looking to eat by the seasons. The Food Network offers a general guide to Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables on their website. To find information specific to the region you live in, try a google search or look for the websites of Farmer's Markets in your area.

As far as recipes, RecipeZaar offers over 25,000 marked as seasonal. There is also some great books on the subject which are usually easy to find at most libraries and book stores. Local Flavors by Deborah Madison marks the top of my favorites list, with over 400 pages of local and seasonal food information, recipes, and gorgeous photographs,written by a well-established writer and vegetarian chef.

Earth-Friendly Freebies

2008-04-02T10:31:00.007-04:00

Free Ink Cartridge Refill at Walgreens today. One per person. Visit this page for listings of the cartridges they will refill and to print the coupon you'll need to take with you.
Earth Day freebies to the first 100 customer's in each Macy's store on April 22. The give-outs will include saplings and National Park Service packs for kids. Also, the first 150 shoppers will receive free cotton tote-bags.
On April 19, Walmart stores will be giving out a million resusable shopping bags beginning at 8 am local time. Also, they will be offering free Nickelodeon's The Big Green Help seed cards that apparently are wildflower seeds.
Get a free Earth Bound Farm tote by completely this quiz with 9 correct answers or more out of 10.
Gilden Tree is offering a free sample of Organic Nourishing Foot Creme here.
Join the Mothers of Organic online community and receive a free welcome packet from Organic Valley.

Quote - Grow Strong

2008-03-28T16:50:00.004-04:00

"We are all broken and wounded in this world. Some choose to grow strong at the broken places."

-Harold J. Duarte-Bernhardt

I apologize for not posting much lately, but I'm in the middle of about a million different things, and I'm trying to get myself organized and my mind clear. Until then, this blog is going to be updated sparingly. Hopefully, I'll be more devoted to in it in just a few weeks.

Peace,
Heather

Software for Salon and Spa Owners

2008-03-21T22:27:00.006-04:00

Milano Spa and Salon 2007 is a software package that makes running a spa or salon (or Massage Business!) simple and profitable. Operating such a venture is time consuming and takes a lot of hard work. Most people in such a business do it to serve people and want to focus their energy on that. With the Milano software for salons, you can use your energy and brain power on service oriented work while the salon software helps you keep your business profitable.

How does this salon and spa software work to help you run such a business? Milano Spa and Salon 2007 has features that give you the insights to make you more organized, productive, and efficient, showing you where and how your money comes and goes. It provides a way to organized your appointments, staff information, sales, services, payroll, and much more.

In addition, this software for salons has modules that offer even more benefits for your salon or spa business. My favorites include the Accounting Bridge module which allows you to transfer all your ales, tax, cash drawer and inventory information from Spa and Salon 2007 to your accounting software. I also love the online booking option which allows you to link your website to your appointment book so clients can book appointments anytime from their own computers.

For more info, visit the Milano Systems
website.

Whole Living Speedlinking - 3.12.08

2008-03-12T18:55:00.014-04:00

World Water Day at Care2. Educate yourself about those who don't have access to safe drinkable water and celebrate water as a resource for World Water Day on March 22.

The 5 Most Dangerous Food Ingredients

A High-Calorie Snack that's OK for your Waist! Recent Research reveals that eating peanuts may not add pounds, despite their calorie content.

Meijer Organics Bedding and Bath Linens are on sale this week. Get more savings by printing out this coupon for 10% off.

Remind Senator John McCain to vote for the Enviornment. Send a quick email sponsored by the Sierra Club.

Okay, this is a little anti-Whole Living, but in honor of my move to Kansas that is happening next week: Woman Pried From Boyfriend's Toilet After Sitting on It for 2 Years. Oh, how I miss my home state!

Transitioning to Cloth Diapers

2008-03-09T11:49:00.011-04:00

I always thought I would use cloth diapers when I had children. Scientifically, I don't think it has been completely proved that using cloth diapers is better for the environment than disposal. But it just makes ecological sense to stop filling landfills with plastic diapers. Plus, it saves a lot of money over time and keeps those synthetic chemicals off baby's skin.

However, when I was pregnant and preparing for Alarik's arrival I was just completely overwhelmed with the whole thing. I have never known anyone who uses cloth diapers and, frankly, I just didn't know where to start. Google searches just made it more overwhelming. There are literally thousands of different kinds out there!

My mom took initiative when I told her my goal to use cloth diapers and bought me a six pack of Kushies Basic Diapers with a diaper wrap. I decided I would try those out when Alarik was born and see how it went before I bought anymore. I also was planning to quit my job a week before my due date so I could experiment with sewing my own.

Unfortunately, illness kept me in the hospital for two and half months and when I was released, I wasn't well enough to mess around with cloth diapers so Alarik has been using disposables since birth. However, this week I decided to pull the Kushies out of storage and give them a try. Luckily they still fit him, although they probably wont' for very long.

I had bought some cheap store brand diapers and they were giving Alarik a diaper rash. One day of wearing the cloth diapers cleared it up without any creams. They do leak a lot more than disposables though. Alarik seems to fill them up with urine every five minutes! Perhaps if I had the Kushies Ultra or some other thicker diaper, it would go better.

With only six diapers and no money to invest in more, we can't use cloth exclusively right now. I have tried the much cheaper Chinese prefolds, but diaper changes are already a battle and adding pins to the equations won't work too well. Plus, I'm sure I'll have the leak problem even worse with those.

So right now, we are switching the cloth diapers in and out with disposables. And I'm really glad I finally took the plunge and started this. It's defiantly not as hard as it sounds and my baby's skin likes it better this way. Plus, I'm slowly reducing the amount of diapers that are being thrown out. Hopefully soon we will be able to purchase some more cloth diapers and use them all the time!
Green companies function in ways that are profitable while still helping to solve environmental and social problems. Green companies accomplish these aims in a variety of ways, including reducing pollution, recycling and limiting waste, using alternative fuels and renewable energy sources, adopting fair trade practices, donating profits to social and environmental causes, and offering workers healthy and just work environments.

Choosing green companies over other choices is a way to change the world. In a capitalist society, a dollar spent on a green company is essentially a vote for a greener society.

Recycle Your Cell Phone for Cash

2008-03-07T21:31:00.005-05:00

I recently posted about how I want to recycle everything down to items like cell phones. Today Tori at Paid Opportunities wrote about Simply Sellular, a company that will pay you for your old cell phone. They will even send you a postage-paid envelope, making it super simple and easy to recycle your unwanted phone while making a few bucks.

I don't have a need to get rid of my ghetto cell phone yet, but when I do, I'm gonna give this a try!

Do you know of any good resources for recycling items that can't usually be throw into the recycle bin such as unwearable shoes or old computers? I would love to hear about similar programs.

Quote - The Way to Contemplation

2008-03-07T00:07:00.001-05:00

"The way to contemplation is an obscurity so obscure that it is no longer even dramatic. There is nothing in it that can be grasped and cherished as heroism or even unusual. And so, for a contemplative, there is supreme value in the ordinary everyday routine of work, poverty, hardship and monotony that characterize the lives of all the poor, uninteresting and forgotten people in the world."

-Thomas Merton

10 Easy Ways to Save Money by Reducing Waste in Your Home

2008-03-06T13:19:00.020-05:00

In contemplating ways to save money, I began to think about ways I have reduced some of the waste our household produces. I have to say that I'm pretty lazy, so some of these actions took years before they become consistent habits. But in the long run, all the effort is worth it when I think about all the destruction our modern lifestyles do to the Earth. And all this stuff really is pretty easy and saves me loads of money in the long run.

Here are 10 easy ways to save money, listed by each item I have reduced or eliminated from consuming:

-Plastic baggies. I find that using tupperware or mason jars to store or freeze food in works just as well and is easier to clean. I especially like using mason jars of varying sizes because they're pretty cheap, and I don't have to worry about plastic leaching into foods.

-Paper towels. The only time in my adult life that I have purchased paper towels was the day before I went into the hospital for TTP, and the illness was causing neurological problems. I just don't see a point in them when you can use washable cloth towels.

-New Clothing. My thrift-store only attitude began during my emo/punk rock phases of youth. But after searching relentlessly through Salvation Army and Goodwill stores for attractive clothing that fits well, I have come to prefer Plato's Closet for most of my clothing purchases (except for undergarments and socks). They have name-brand clothes like American Eagle, but they're second hand which makes them affordable and saves me from directly supporting evil corporations.

One day I would like to make all my own clothes from durable, organic materials, but that is probably a long way off.

-Videos and DVDs. We usually rent from the public library or from a kiosk in Kroger for $1. Most movies aren't good enough to watch more than once. And this reduces a lot of potential clutter in our home.

-Commerical Cleaners. I clean everything (except for laundry) with white vinegar, baking soda, or dish soap. When I can, I buy these items in bulk. It's very affordable, cuts lots of waste for packaging, and keeps my baby safe from toxic chemicals.

-Fabric softener. White vinegar works well as a fabric softener, although it does leave a lingering scent. Much of the time I don't use any fabric softener at all. I'm not sure if that is good or bad for clothes, but I'm weary of all those chemicals.

Here are a few other ways I try to prevent waste:

-Reusing plastic grocery bags for small trash cans. I'm torn as to whether this is very positive as I should be using reusable cloth bags at the store anyway, but we do reuse our plastic grocery bags as trash bags so they get a second life. I plan to work on eliminating this all together in the future by not having any trash that isn't recycled and remembering my cloth bags when I go shopping.

-Reusing bath towels. In our home, we use the same bath towel for our self for a week straight. Perhaps that grosses you out, but it saves a lot of laundry washing, folding, and energy...and I like it.

-Having a single family car. With only one car, we force ourselves to rethink certain trips, walk more, and to not rely on an automobile so much. And we save loads by not paying insurance, maintenance, and all the other costs a second car would incur.

-Buying loose leaf tea in bulk instead of tea bags. This doesn't save bunches of waste, but every bit helps. This is also a way to make organic tea affordable.

Although those are the easiest ways to save money by reducing waste that I have found, here are some other ways on how to save money and greening my life further:

-Recycle and compost every single item I want to throw out. I want to try to include everything even things like old shoes and cell phones by finding places that will take those.

-Have at least 50 percent of all the groceries we buy come with no packaging. I'll do this by purchasing in bulk from natural foods coops (bringing in my own containers) and buying produce from local growers.

-Use clothe diapers exclusively.

-Hang dry at least some of our clothing.

-Get myself organized so I can make only one shopping trip a week, eliminating unnecessary car usage.

-Use those cloth bags when I shop! Every single time.

I do have a long way to go, but the biggest challenge is to just get my life more in order and work all this into my lifestyle. It is a journey, and I take baby steps most of the time, but I enjoy practicing ways to save money and I'll make in to my destination!

Here's a good blog post on the topic of what a sustainable life should look like: Enough Already!

Vandal Resistant Mailboxes and More

2008-03-04T13:45:00.005-05:00

When my husband was a young teenager, one of his hobbies was to drive around the country with friends and smash mailboxes with baseball bats. Every time he tells me one of those stories, I kind of want to knock him out (in the most non-violent ways, of course). I've never been the victim of mailbox vandalism, but I know many people who have and it's not a fun experience.

Today I came across a website that offers mailboxes designed to out stand these ridiculous offenses. SeattleLuxe.com has many differenct designs, but one I especially like is the Strong Box which looks like a normal, wimpy curbside mailbox, but is constructed to break a bat if anyone ever tried to destroy it. And if mailbox vandalism is something popular in your area, it can save you time and money in the long run to own it, not to mention the waste of having to throw out one or more damaged mailboxes into a landfill.

This site also sells a huge variety of mailboxes for other purposes. Some are designed for decoration and novelty to beautify your home. Many have locks for tamper resistance in case you fear someone trying to steal your mail or your identity. There are also commercial boxes and design-your-own options.

Get Kids to Drink More Water

2008-03-01T14:07:00.009-05:00

Personally, I'm pretty hardcore about drinking water, and I want my son to be the same. Drinking water is a crucial element of good health, but it's a habit hard to aquire in our culture.

That's why it's super important to try to make drinking water a part our children's lives so it will become a habit that will stay with them. My son is just an infant, so his primary drink is formula (I am unable to breastfeed due to medical reasons), but I'm trying to get him into the habit of drinking water by providing it in his sippy cup throughout the day. I also have him drink it while I feed him solid foods.

Some people think it's acceptable to give young children, even infants, soda. I'm going to get on my high horse and say that it's absolutely not okay to do so. Soda is full of sugar (and not just any sugar, high fructose corn syrup!), caffiene, and a bunch of other crap that is terrible for young teeth and young bodies.

Beyond that, giving your child any flavored drink on a regular basis is setting him up for thinking that everything he drinks should be flavored. This will mean more work to keep him on a healthy diet when he's older. You'll also be setting yourself up for higher grocery bills to sooth his desire for flavored drinks when he could be consuming mostly water.

If you're already in this situation, I know from experience that you're not doomed. My siblings and I were raised in the same household, drinking and loving soda from a young age. Although I have a small addiction to soda, my drink of choice is water. And my teenage sister is the same way due to my overzealous water preaching. Now as far as my 13 year old brother...he may be doomed!

One thing I have found that works for kids (including my 9-year-old nephew) who hate water is Propel Vitamin Enhanced powder packets. These flavored packets are added to water and make them taste good. They also add some vitamins to the water, and with a suger content of 2 grams per serving, they are aren't a bad substitute for plain ol' water if your kid drinks it happily.

Getting Clear Skin: Simplicity is Best

2008-02-29T21:11:00.014-05:00

I truly believe that I wrecked some terrible havoc on my poor skin in high school when I tried to scrub it squeaky clean everyday with store-bought acne cleansers. I had mild blemishes that started at the beginning of puberty, but I helped to make them worse by obsessively washing my face several times a day with harsh, irritating chemicals.

Frustrated that nothing worked, I finally went to a dermatologist when I was just a few weeks shy of 18. I was prescribed Rentin-A and oral antibiotics. After using both as directed for several months, my acne had not improved but my skin was extra dry and with a constant burning sensation.

I decided to discontinue the use of the drugs and soon after my face turned into a war-zone like I never would have imagined. And oh, how unfair it seemed! All I had wanted to do was get rid of an the occasional small pimple and some nearly-invisible blackheads, and I ended up with cystic acne invading my face during the first months of my freshman year of college. What a way to set myself up for some good college memories!

Desperate to get rid of the monsters, I resorted to internet searches and started a lot of research. I read that certain diets could bring about beautiful, clear skin. Unfortunately, at that time I didn't have the will-power to eat the radical all-organic-raw-funky-food diets that I read about. So I settled for some Kiss My Face Citrus cleanser and a new resolution: stop obsessing about my face and give it a break!

For the next year, I washed my face in the evening with the cleanser and rinsed well. In the mornings I just took a clean, wet wash cloth and gently wiped the oil from my face. I followed with an organic brand of a facial sunscreen moisturizer. That's it. No soaps. No exfoiliating masks. No drugs. It took some time, but the huge zits went away and my face cleared up. I still had the occasional blemish due to my menstrual cycle and wacked-out hormones, but that's it.

Now, post-adolescence, acne has become one of my last concerns. My hormones have learned to behave somehow (finally!). I keep clear skin almost all of the time with only a regimin of water cleansing followed by organic olive oil as a moisturizer and a facial sunscreen when I go out.

Every person is different, and so is everyone's skin. But my long journey in this battle has made me sold on the idea that simple and natural is the best bet. If you haven't gone this route, it's always worth a try.

Savings and Freebees from the Blogosphere

2008-02-28T20:35:00.008-05:00

-Wise Bread has a thorough review of Seventh Generation's Paper Products. Here's a link to some Seventh Generation coupons highlighted in the article.

-Money Saving Mom has had some great links lately, including:

-Freebee Friday at A Healthy Balance reminded me that Orion Magazine offers a free trial issue. I took advantage of this offer about five years ago and was so impressed, I bought a subsciption for my library so I could read it and share it with others at the same time (and I rarely buy magazine subscriptions).f

-Want Not wrote a heads up about a grocery clearance at Amazon.com. This includes some really awesome products including organic milk and herbal teas!

Have any more suggestions? Send me them in a comment and I'll post with a link back to your site.

Quote - Be Kind to Yourself and All Beings

2008-02-28T16:57:00.004-05:00

"Your body is not yours alone. It also belongs to your ancestors, your parents, future generations, and all other living beings. Everything, even the trees and the clouds, has come together to bring about the presence of your body. Keeping your body healthy is the best way to express your gratitude to the whole cosmos, to all ancestors, and also not to betray future generations. You practice this precept for everyone. If you are healthy, everyone can benefit from it. When you are able to get out of the shell of your small self, you will see that you are interrelated to everyone and everything, that your every act is linked with the whole of humankind and the whole cosmos. To keep yourself healthy in body and mind is to be kind to all beings."

-Thich Nhat Hahn

Women Changing the World: The Barefoot Solar Engineers

2008-02-28T10:26:00.007-05:00

My mother-in-law just asked me to explain to our friend how Vent-flow bottles work. My mouth dropped as I thought about it. I had no answer. So I am so technically-challenged I can't even figure out a baby bottle, but luckily there are brighter and more inspiring women out there.

The Barefoot College in Tilonia, Rajasthan, India provides training in applied technology to encourage sustainable development in rural communties accross the globe. Women from undeveloped, rural areas have become a important element to this progress. Many are taking the first steps to bringing green energy to their communities and opening up new opportunties for the inhabitants. These women take a few months to study at the college, learn solar engineering, and then return home to lead development.

"When I return, I shall make my village a well planned place....The inhabitants of my island will be very happy because they will profit from the availability of electricity to carry out activities at night; our children will be able to review their school notes in the evening after classes, women and fishermen can continue to smoke their fish at any time they need to. In that way, we shall live like the whites in Marseille."

-Francoise Douhou of Mbwape village in Cameroon, Africa

For more information, visit http://www.barefootcollege.org/.

Hate Changed My Life for the Better

2008-02-27T23:18:00.010-05:00

I'm not an old lady yet, but I've been a few places and taken some misturns that have eventually led to a little insight. And one thing I've learned? Having some hate in my heart has made some things better for me. Of course, hate for sentient beings is just setting you up for bad karma, but hate - in general - is a natural human emotion so why not use it for some good?

I confess, I'm so very happy that I hate:

1. TV. I thought television was uncool and bad for me many years before it was something I could happily avoid. But today, even though I'm living in a house with cable and lots of people who watch it, I have no desire to. I can proudly say that I want to kill my television just as much as the average Culture Jammer.

This is my plan to add years to my life. Every second in front of the set is really just dead time...and I'm saving that for after my funeral.

2. Driving. With some love for walking mixed in, of course. For instance, I would much rather park in the very farthest end of a parking lot and walk than even attempt to drive in the over-crowded, pedestrian filled area toward the front.

The world is so beautiful in slow motion, fresh air in your face and feet on the ground. It's good for the body and saves in gas money too.

3. Meat. Yep, PETA got me when I was 15: young and impressionable. I'm no longer a vegetarian, but meat still grosses me out and I'm glad. Although not all of it is as evil as I once thought, the majority of it is inhumane, unsustainable, and bad for me. And when I'm not watching my diet closely, not eating meat is usually the best bet so I'm lucky it's what my subconscious chooses to do.

4. Dead end jobs. If I didn't hate them so much, I wouldn't try to get anything else out of myself. I wouldn't push myself, I wouldn't try to be frugal to avoid working as many hours at them, I wouldn't look into new income-making ventures. And if I didn't do that stuff, life would just be dull. I would be depressed. And my mom would give me more lectures.

5. The GAP (and similar places). Oh my goodness, this hatred has saved me so much money over the years. I can't tell you when it first came about, but I just hate clothing companies that charge you $50 for some cheap garment made in a sweatshop for two dollars. Yes, I still think their stuff is cute, but I refuse to pay any company that much money to exploit people in other countries.

So there are some of my positive hatreds. Now if only I could get some hate going for Diet Pepsi....

A Website to Check Out for Mortgage Refinance

2008-02-23T16:09:00.015-05:00

If you currrently have a mortgage on your home, mortgage refinance might be something you want to look into if you want to save some money. There are several possible advantages to home mortgage refinance including lower rates, shorter term loans, and a new ARM (adjustable rate mortgage).

A website I have come across recently is Refinance.com, which allows you to look into great opportunities if "refinance home mortgage" is on your to-do list. You can get a quick quote in minutes, check out the latest interest rates, and use some awesome tools like their Amortization and Refinance calculators to help you make informed financial decisions.

Beyond refinance, there are other things you can use this website for. If you need to use the value of your home to borrow some cash, you can apply for a home equity loan. Or you could apply to get a loan to pay off you debts with the Refinance.com debt consolidation program.

Got less than perfect credit? No problem. At Refinance.com, they understand that your credit report may be full of blemishes and it is still possible to get a mortgage refinance, a home loan, or even a loan with your home's equity. So if any of that is something you need right now, take a trip over to their website and see for yourself.

Get Some Cheap Soy Milk at Meijer

2008-02-22T13:52:00.005-05:00

Here's a deal I'm taking advantage of today! 8th Continent Soy Milk (1/2 gallon) is on sale until Sunday at Meijer for 2/$5. If you use this $1 off coupon here, you'll pay $1.50 if you buy one carton. And if you're a coupon clipper, you might have a $.50 off coupon from a Smart Source section that was in newspapers on Feburary 10th. That would make two $3.50. That's 61% off the normal price.

Win a Free One Week Bike Tour

2008-02-21T22:30:00.006-05:00

A few years ago I really really wanted to go on the Sustainability in Motion Bike Tour. It is about as dreamy as a bike tour can get. You get to ride through the beautiful lands of Oregon or Hawaii with some hip, treehuggin' peeps. The tour will take you to organic farms, intentional communities and other cool places on the way where you get to study and apply the philosophies of permaculture, green building, small-scale economics, sustainable energy and intentional living.

The reason I never took up such a great opportunity before Motherhood became my vocation? The price. It seems pretty reasonable now, at about $500 per week, but in my memory it was several thousands and the tour lasted about a month or more.

Anyway, who cares about the price because you can win a free week! You can enter at the Common Circle Expeditions Website. Good luck!

Natural and Organic Deals, Good Until Feb 23

2008-02-19T12:48:00.005-05:00

Sorry folks, I've been gone for a while. I had a surgery followed by lots of pain and then laziness in regards to blogging. But I guess I'm recovered enough I can at least write a crappy blog entry. So here are the deals at Meijer this week. Excitement, excitement. Have a beautiful remainder of the week!

Meijer

7.4 oz Cascadian Farms Organic Granola Bars - 2/$7 (4.69/each)

7-9.5 oz Nature Valley Granola Bars - 3/$6 (3.32/each)

8 oz Meijer Organics Whole or Mini Bella Mushrooms - 4/$5 (2.29)

1 lb Organic Baby Carrots - 4/$5 (1.99)

Organic Celery Hearts - 3/$5 (2.29/each)

Organic Broccoli Head - 3/$5 (2.29/each)

Merton

2008-02-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

"In order to find myself,

I must go out of myself,

and in order to live I have to die..."

-Thomas Merton

Wordless Wednesday: My Brother's a Treehugger

2008-02-13T08:52:00.001-05:00

Kroger Jumps on the Cheap Prescription Bandwagon

2008-02-06T19:59:00.002-05:00

I've posted before about how you purchase low-cost prescription medications from Meijer and Wal-mart. Now many Kroger Pharmacies are offering over 300 generic prescription drugs for only $4. You can read more about it at http://www.kroger.com/generic. Hopefully many more pharmacies will be following suite soon.

Green Your Life With Your Tax Refund - Part Two

2008-02-06T16:58:00.001-05:00

Last week I introduced three things you can purchase with your tax refund check to get you on your way to a more sustainable lifestyle. If none of those suggestions struck a chord, I'll be adding more each week to give you more ideas.

This week: How about growing a small kitchen garden?

With some extra money, now all you need is a little time and work and you'll soon be having fresh organic food right from your backyard or porch. The easiest method I know of is square foot gardening. Here's what you'll need:

-boards of untreated lumber
-scraps of wood or small rocks for a grid
-organic potting soil and compost
-deck screws
-seeds of the plants you want to grow and eat (Seed Savers Exchange has some super cool heirloom seeds)
-some gardening gloves are good too

1) Pick an area that gets about 6-8 hours of sunshine daily, away from trees and shrubs and close to your home for convenience. Make sure it is an area that doesn't puddle after rain.

2) Use the boards to build a 4' x 4' box. Alternate corners and used the deck screws to keep it together.

3) Fill the box with a mixture of potting soil and compost.

4) Use the extra wood or rocks to make a grid of 16 square foot boxes on the top of the soil. This helps keep everything organized and easy to take care of.

5) Plant the seeds in the soil according the package directions. Check out CompanionPlanting.net to see which plants go best next to each other.

6) Take care of your garden. Water and weed as necessary.

7) Harvest, enjoy, and replant!

"But the greatest change we need to make is from consumption to production, even if on a small scale, in our own gardens. If only 10% of us do this, there is enough for everyone. Hence the futility of revolutionaries who have no gardens, who depend on the very system they attack, and who produce words and bullets, not food and shelter. It sometimes seems that we are caught, all of us on earth, in a conscious or unconscious conspiracy to keep ourselves helpless. And yet it is people who produce all the needs of other people, and together we can survive. We ourselves can cure all the famine, all the injustice, and all the stupidity of the world. We can do it by understanding the way natural systems work, by careful forestry and gardening, by contemplation and by taking care of the earth."

-Bill Mollison

Natural and Organic Special Offer from Amazon.com

2008-02-05T23:04:00.001-05:00

Mir, the author of a blog called Want Not, recently posted about how to save money on Natural and Organic items from Amazon Grocery. You can read about it here.