6 Simple Ways to Save Money (and be Green too)

Some of the items on this list you’ll remember from 10 Easy Ways to be a GREEN(er) Mom.  These are tried and true ways to save your family money.  And, not surprisingly, many of these choices are healthier and better for the environment too.

1. Make Your Own Household Cleansers (or buy Eco-friendly ones)– It is amazing what you can do with castile soap, vinegar, baking soda, essential oils and water. Some of my favorite green items include Oxo-Brite (bleach alternative), Tea Tree Oil Castile Soap (tea tree oil is an antiseptic, anti-fungal and antibacterial) and  Lemon Essential Oil (also an antiseptic and smells great too).
2. Buy Bulk– Buying bulk items such as beans, rice, oats, nuts and raisins will save you money.  This also reduces waste– the larger quantity you buy the less packaging required.You can store bulk items in glass containers in your cupboard.
3. Join or Create Your Own Co-op– Join together with friends or community members to buy bulk items together or trading babysitting duty.  Instead of spending cash at a restaurant, exchange meals with friends or host regular potlucks.  You’ll eat healthier and better for less than half the price of a meal at a restaurant.
4. Start a Buying Club—  This suggestion actually combines the previous three.  Join with community members and friends to buy bulk,  get green household items and purchase gifts  at wholesale prices.  Click here for more detailed info.
5. Buy Second-Hand— It is amazing the great deals you can find on Craigslist or Ebay.  A couch, a new luxury car seat, a toy carpenter set, a double stroller, a reliable used car– these are just some of the items my family has purchased through Craigslist and Ebay.  The best part (besides saving money) is that you also reduce waste by reusing perfectly good items that might otherwise end up in a dump.
6. Get Rid of Your Cable Bill— Okay, so this might be a hard one– especially if you like to watch Pay-Per-View sporting events.  However, with the advent of TV networks making episodes of many popular shows available just hours after they’ve aired, it is much easier to do without cable.  Plus, it is much less expensive to rent movies and TV series through Netflix.  (I’m catching up on season one of Dexter on Instant Movie Viewer  as we speak.)  Is getting rid of cable green?  I’m not so sure, but I like that I can save the $100 per month that I would have spent on cable to treat myself to a green gift like fair trade chocolate or an organic cotton scarf.