Need some helpful ways to be "green" and eco-friendly on a budget!

start with the cleaning products don't buy anymore invest in some baking soda white vinegar and lemons u can just about clean anything with them. i will give u the homemade washing powder recipie i use 1 cup pure soap flakes, 1/2 cup of borax 1/2 cup of washing soda crystals mix alltogether and use 1 tablespoon for each wash dilluted in hot water to dissolve. instead of using fabric softner use white vinegar in the rinse dispenser softens the clothes and is great and getting rid of lint off clothing all purpose house cleaner 1tsp borax, 2Tbsp white Vinegar 2 cups of hot water and 10-20 drops of essential oil (rosemary,lavender,tea tree) mix alltogether and put in a spray pump and go cleaning (no chemicals so the kids can do the cleaning)

Your thought is very good. I like the idea because we have to save this planet for our kids and future generation. I know we are it's a big thing, but if everybody starts giving importance to this, then i think we can make an impact to a great extent. I am also worried about this global warning. Hope something be done about it. All the best for your good work.

Well for one thing, forget about being eco-friendly and saving the planet. It will not happen. The planet is not your god, or at least it should not be. So you have to think by a different wave length, how you can be more frugal and conserve more for yourself and so that your daughter can go to college or university and you can retire comfortably, not "We are the World" bit. That leads to worship of nature. Do you have any canvas or cloth shopping bags? Use them, that will save you having all those plastic grocery bags in your kitchen. If you use those large peanut butter or mayonnaise jars, after you wash them, you can fill them with dried beans, peas, macaroni or pasta. Use the insides of your cereal boxes instead of buying wax paper. Make your own food instead of buying prepackaged stuff. Until you can buy some glass containers which are better heating in the microwave, use empty margarine tubs. If you use the large margarine family sized rectangles, they are good for storing cookies, and bars. Shop at a bulk store. It is cheaper. Vinegar and baking soda can clean a drain, and orange peel down the food disposal will make it smell nice. That's my suggestions. But do not do stupid things like leaving the toilet unflushed for several visits to save the environment. Your nose is just as important as the earth.

We've been trying to become a little bit more earth friendly at our house, too. There are several things that you can do that save money and are better for the environment. We only use fluorescent light bulbs at our house. They do cost more to start with, but they save money in the long run. I don't think we have any other light bulbs in our house anywhere now. Another thing we do is use cloth towels and napkins most of the time. We do keep paper towels and napkins in our house still, but we've seriously cut back on how often we use them. Recycling and using recycled items is another big money saver that is also good for the environment. Some recycled items are actually cheaper than the regular kind.

Speaking of saving money and being eco-friendly i read this article yesterday that said you could take a role of paper towels cut them in half and get a plastic container that they will fit in with a top put two cups of distilled water , some aloe and some baby shampoo in it and take out the middle of the paper towels and there you go bio friendly cheap diaper wipes ... did i say cheap...oh yes .

Don't buy commercial cleaners, use vinegar, baking soda and salt instead

Hi! I use recycled aluminum foil, and biodegradable trash bags. They are actually cheaper than the regular kind. Have you ever been to www.idealbite.com? It is so helpful for people who want to find out how to be more earth friendly. But not only does it give you tips on that, but it also gives you tips that will save money. If you haven't been to the site, I highly recommend it. : )