A lot of people have the misconception that to be Green is expensive.  You have to buy organic food, clothing made from natural fibers, and expensive hybrid vehicles.  In some ways it can add up!  Organic food is always more expensive than their genetically altered and pesticide sprayed counterparts; organic cotton onesies are 20.00 compared to 5.00 or less for the cheap ones from Walmart.  But what if you buy could buy some of the things you need used?

Buying things used, though they may not be made organically or from organic products, is still a great way to be eco conscious while still saving money.  I will admit that once upon a time I turned my nose up at the idea of buying ANYTHING used.  Now, I am the Queen of getting great deals.

Buying used is eco friendly for so many reasons.  You are preventing the items from possibly being thrown away, and there is no additional fuel for shipping or packaging involved.  The best reason for you to buy used is to save money!

I will give you a few examples.  I desperately wanted an ergo carrier but the price tag was way too steep for me to swallow.  I looked on craigslist and found one for less money.  I got what I wanted, without the new packaging attached which I would have had to break down and recycle what could be, and throw out the rest.  The owner made money and got rid of the product she no longer wanted.

On the flip side, I sell or donate items at least monthly.  I have sold back many of the cloth diapers that my son has outgrown locally.  A mama can get a great deal on diapers and to boot she is saving money by not buying disposables and not harming the earth.

I suggest utilizing these websites to help you get the new and new to you items you want for less money.  Or you can always donate or sell your unwanted items.

www.craigslist.org
www.freecycle.org
www.freepeats.org

And don’t forget your local consignment stores, thrift shops, and yard sales. There are deals to be had everywhere if you are willing to look.

Did you see SNL this past Saturday hosted by Zac Efron? They had a commercial that really hit it home against the Junk Mail purveyors- Direct Marketing Association. It got me thinking, why haven’t I opted out of the junk mail that is still filling my mail box? So I went to my favorite website for these kinds of things- The Consumerist- and looked for a way to stop the junk.

You can go to DMAChoice and opt out.  To opt out of credit card offers you will be directed to a separate site.  There is also a “catalogue” and “other” category.  I am most excited to stop the All State and Geico offers, which on the same day my husband and I both usually receive..  What a waste of paper!

Another option is the Privacy Council where you can sign up to end junk mail and be removed from Telemarketing lists.  There is a charge for this service, 9.00$.

Go one step further!  If you haven’t already, go to your utilities provider, car insurance provider, bank, credit card issuer, mortgage company, and any other company you pay bills to and stop paper bills.  Most companies offer this service in conjunction with paying your bill online.  If you take these steps you could see your incoming mail cut by half or more.  Imagine the trees you can save!

About 100 million trees are ground up each year to produce junk mail (that’s the equivalent of deforesting the entire Rocky Mountain National Park every four months), of which 44% is thrown in the trash before it is even opened. The average person receives about 1.5 personal letters each week and about 10.8 pieces of junk mail. By the end of this year, each person will have received almost 560 pieces of junk mail. Of those 560, 246.5 pieces will be tossed into the trash unread.
This surplus of junk mail is not only killing trees, it is also producing mass waste. Approximately 40% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is paper and paperboard. This number is expected to rise by the year 2010 to about 48%.

Information from Privacy Council.org

And remember to recycle the mail you are getting!