It IS Easy Being Green

As in "eco-friendly," people, come on. Kermit was not referring to the environment, but rather commenting on a deeper issue of self-worth and others' perception. In that case, I'm sure it is quite difficult being green and would recommend you get involved with a therapist or perhaps take up a group activity like quilting or badmitton.

Being green in the eco-friendly way is much easier and, luckily, does not necessarily involve sewing lots of little fabric scraps together (although it CAN and speaking of, quilting is a lovely way to recycle old clothing.) It CAN involve spending a lot of money, which is one reason some people think they can't get into the whole thing. Organic milk might be nice on the environment, the cows, and your belly, but it's a dollar and a half more expensive than the generic HellMart brand. CFL lightbulbs might be great, but they're three times expensive as a regular bulb. The list goes on and on and folks get discouraged.

The Decrapinated truth is that you often will pay more at the BEGINNING of your walk down the green path, but you will save money in the long run. For instance, I've spent (or had spent on me by friends and family) around $250 on a cloth diapering system so far. This system will last me (with some additions, I'm sure) for another three months, at which time I'll probably spend the same amount for replacements. I've probably spent at least that much on disposable diapers and wipes...and put a whole lot of human waste and paper and those weird gel thingies into YOUR environment. Uck. Yesterday, I bought a pack of disposables (Will isn't feeling the cloth yet) for $18.00 and I didn't use a single one. Check me out. I SAVED money and a diaper-sized space at the landfill.

Now, not everything you do to help make the world last a little longer is going to cost a bunch o' money. What follows is a list of what my family is doing to help our planet and what I want to do in the future. I've outlined cost if applicable. What are some things you're doing to hook Mother Earth up?

1. Recycling: We recycle religiously. Our waste management picks up newspaper, aluminum, and plastic (a lot of things are plastic that you don't even think about...medicine bottles and film cannisters, for instance) for free. There is also a recycling center for glass and cardboard right next to Jeffrey's school. Most communities are now offering recycling. If your's doesn't do pickup, they usually try to have the bins centrally located. If not, speak up. Demand that you be allowed to minimize waste.
2. Eliminating paper: I bought 20 white washcloths for $2.50 at HellMart. They're still going strong, despite being used every day for almost a year now. I also realized that old athletic socks are basically terry cloth on the inside, so now I use those when they wear out. I still buy paper towels (see Will, above), but a three-roll pack lasts me for about three months. We also use cloth napkins. And of course, the cloth diapers. Expensive up front, economical in the end. Keep in mind that many of the businesses that sell cloth diapers also offer gift registeries and layaway. (Two of the companies from which I bought my diapers do: http://www.thenaturalmotheringshop.com and http://www.abbyslane.com.) I also use cloth wipes (little squares of flannel left over from other projects or bought cheap that I zigzag stitch along the edges) for River and soon...hang on to your hats...for me. I doubt I can get Will on board with that, and maybe not even Jeffrey, but we'll see.
3. Turning stuff off: This costs nothing. At all. It saves money, in fact. Turn off the TV and the lights when you leave a room. Don't run water when brushing your teeth.
4. Speaking of water, I try to catch the water that's still cool in a jug while I'm waiting for the water to heat at the kitchen sink. I use it to water the plants. I also use the water from Jeffrey's wading pool to do the outside plants. (Although given the drought we're in, Jeffrey might be taking a break from the pool.)
5. Making our cleaning supplies: This CAN be another money drain at the beginning. Vinegar (or lemon juice) and baking soda often clean just as well as those strong smelling (and evil-ingredient-containing) sprays and gels and are MUCH cheaper at any point in time. You can get a vat of vinegar and a carton of baking soda for $4.00. You can get more expensive items to add to your homemade cleaners: I've got a bottle of Dr. Brommer's Castile soap (mix it with baking soda for a soft scrub), a vial of grapefruit seed oil, and several different types of essential oils. I've spent probably about fifty dollars on it all, but I haven't bought a single cleaning agent in three months (besides more vinegar.) I can also use the essential oils in the lotions and soaps I plan on making. I actually just made my first batch of lotion and it was a great success, working just as well as the $8.00 stuff I usually use. I figure it cost about $2.00 to make and if I had to, I could eat it. Can you say the same about your lotion?
6. Planting a garden and/or buying locally: I'm currently growing broccoli, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, peas, lettuce, and eggplant, and a bunch of herbs, including garlic, chives, lavendar, fennel, basil, and rosemary. I'll be planting cucumbers and more maters soon, with the idea that I'll eat fresh or put up as much as I can. I also plan on visiting the local strawberry farm today to pick strawberries for freezing, drying, and making into jelly. I'll do the same later in the year with blueberries and muscadines. Because our garden is small, planting things like corn doesn't make sense, but I'll visit our local tiny farmer's market in the summer for corn, or try to find a pick-your-own (difficult in middle Georgia.) We also "bought" half a pig from the high school this year, meaning we paid for its upkeep and were given half of its meat in return. The plants cost me probably 40 bucks total. The pig was around $150 (spread over time). The strawberries and other crops will be no more expensive than items driven or flown in from other states or countries.
7. Minimizing or grouping trips: I keep insanely organized lists and have a bulletin board designed in many ways to limit the number of trips I have to take: fewer trips equal less money and fewer emissions. Costs nothing.

Future plans:

1. Replace regular lightbulbs with CFLs.
2. Invest in a *boys might want to avert eyes* Diva Cup. This isn't an issue right now as I'm breastfeeding, but I'm looking forward to my period to try this out. I know. I'm clearly insane.
3. Use renewable or sustainable products for home improvement. I'll visit salvage areas or Habitat for Humanity stores and look into bamboo flooring.
4. Buy more clothes at thrift stores.
5. Start making our bread and other baked goods again...got out of the habit once River came along.

See? It CAN be easy to be green. It requires a little more work sometimes, but please believe that I'm lazy enough that if it was too hard, I wouldn't do it. And it can be require more money up front. But again, you'll save in the long run. One of the great things about this new lifestyle is that it appeals to my inner miser.

And then there's the whole saving the Earth thing...