Can you ECO-live and still be cheap (frugal)

Eco-living at it's finest. I guess they forgot to hide the plastic lawn chair before they took the picture.

So the big buzz word of late is Eco-living.  Everybody and anybody who is in the now, is practicing ECO-living. Do you feel left out because of your financial circumstances? When you are on a play date with all the moms and they start talking sustainability, do you want to lake your kid and lunchables and leave?  Do you think, being poor is not being green?  Just STOP IT RIGHT THERE!!!   Eco-living "lived" to it's highest standard is only for the wealthy.  Lets face it, the poor, the homeless, the under-employed can't afford it.  So you have my permission to let yourself off the hook!

I honestly don't know of a single person I have ever come across that did not care for our planet, and our resources. It's just that some people are totally unable to participate fully.

Don't feel bad - I'm here to show you, you can do what you can do and don't feel guilty about the rest. That is what the wealthy who have all that disposable income are for - to pay into those carbon credits because the rest of us can't.

I came across a article that lists TIPS for Eco-Friendly Living.

• Read labels and avoid purchasing over-packaged, non-recyclable single-serving products.

This is a no-brainer!  I always read the labels and tried to not purchase over packaged, non recyclable and single serving products. Why? Single serve products are expensive. 

I bring my own bags to the store, because I just like doing it. To me it just makes sense. I am a frugal person and do not like waste so for me it's just doing what I already have been doing for years.  I am not quite sure what "over-packaged" means.

• Purchase natural, biodegradable, non-phosphate, non-toxic, non-aerosol, non-plastic products.

 I'm old school. I like to use vinegar on my windows and use many of the same products my mom used.  I will admit that I have on many occasions, used cleaning products that would be considered toxic. I do not follow this particular religious tenet as others think I should.

• Avoid items produced by companies that are known exploits of the environment.

Yikes - really?

• Avoid temptation to purchase marine life – dead or alive. Coral Reefs around the world are being decimated by mass harvesting for the “curio” ()i.e. souvenirs/dust collectors, jewelry and aquariums).

So does this qualify me as a Eco-Living kinda gal?  I thought it was just being a caring, human being.

• Conserve energy by sharing rides, buying fuel efficient cars, riding bikes, and walking when possible.

Once again, you do what you can do. People have been sharing rides for years. This is NOT some new idea.  I was car-pooling into San Francisco 30+ years ago - to save money for gas. To save up money to purchase my own car. To save money on parking. To sleep an extra hour in the morning.

Buying fuel efficient cars is a wonderful idea if you can afford it. But I can't see making others feel bad, if they can afford to drive around in a gas guzzler - Last I checked, this was still a free country.  For many, they are stuck with a old-gas guzzling vehicle. Our 2nd vehicle is "the BEAST". 

Riding bikes and walking - once again, has been done for years and years. It's goof for our health. I have a son who rides his bike and walks 7-10 miles one way a day. He doesn't own a car - he's very Eco-friendly (and cheap)

• Call the municipal power company to conduct a free energy survey of your home or office, and then act on it.

Once again, this is nothing new. It's a good idea for everyone to do this and costs you nothing. Did you see that it was FREE!  We like free! 

To be continued tomorrow -


Be cheap my friends!




photo credit: toucanmacaw via photopin cc