Comments on: Green Living: Shop Smart

By: Angie

Angie — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:24:34 +0000

I try to use my recyclable bags at the grocery store, but unfortunately I forget to bring them in half the time. And I confess, with two kids running around the store and a cart half full, I don’t bother to go back out to the car to grab them. We get .05 off our grocery bill for each reusable bag that we bring in though. It’s a nice incentive to do something good for the enviro.

By: Carnivals and Weekly Roundup | LivingAlmostLarge

Carnivals and Weekly Roundup | LivingAlmostLarge — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:02:34 +0000

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By: Valerie

Valerie — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:32:03 +0000

I mostly use reuseable bags…they are mostly only a dollar, so I can’t see how it wouldn’t be worth it because they will last for so long. I just picked one up at each store until I had enough (for me, that’s 4-5). On occasion, I’ll realize none of them are in my car or that I’m not in my car and I feel pretty bad about not having them.
I try to by the majority of my vegetables and fruit from the farmers market so they are local and I joined a fruit CSA and pick up a box of fruit every 2 weeks.
I use vinegar for some cleaning and in place liquid fabric softener. I”ll probably convert to mostly natural products once i use up my large stash of cleaning supplies that I got nearly free. I’ll probably use more natural brands (7th gen) for products that I don’t want to make myself.
We also replaced all (I think) of our bulbs with CFL’s.
Oh–and the one I’m most proud of is that I just cancelled my parking ($80/month, which is one of the cheapest) for work and now either walk the 2 miles or take the bus. The bus even drops me off closer than my parking lot, so I’ll appreciate that in the winter.

By: Livingalmostlarge

Livingalmostlarge — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:41:30 +0000

I wanna win again! And yes I have a ton of reusable bags and I gave a bunch away to my family.

By: Bruce "the tax guy"

Bruce "the tax guy" — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:11:06 +0000

okay i have been thinking about the reusable bags but never reall thought about it much, Thanks for the insite.

I may have to buy the book before i can win it

By: Free Books - 6 August 2008 < Rat’s Reading

Free Books - 6 August 2008 < Rat’s Reading — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:11:04 +0000

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By: Kymberly

Kymberly — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:22:02 +0000

Bags - as a commuter who shops sporadically, I don’t use cloth bags as often as I would like. However, I have a nylon (tiny but durable) bag that I carry with me everywhere. I should make sure there are always cloth bags in the car - my partner never remembers to bring them when shopping.

Napkins - I hate paper napkins, and have never used them. I use cloth napkins, placemats and dishwashing cloths (easier to use than sponges), and they get thrown in the washing machine when dirty. We have paper towels, but they are also reserved for emergency spills and cat problems.

Cleaning products - vinegar… so cheap and easy! Used as a rinse aid in dishwasher, washing machine, and an all purpose cleaner. Methylated spirits for window cleaning (and I use a squeegee inside and out - it’s faster). I’m still slowly going through a stash of soap, so have no incentive to make my own yet!

By: InDebtToo

InDebtToo — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:45:42 +0000

Bags: I’ve been using cloth bags for shopping since the 1990’s, including when I moved from Texas to England about 8 years ago. For a long time I got funny looks from the checkout person. but I’m glad to say that now it’s not seen as unusual at all here. More and more shops, as well, will ask if I need a bag; even if I don’t have a bag with me I try to avoid getting a plastic bag if it’s feasible.

Cleaning products: For more than a year I’ve been using a cleaner for my kitchen that’s vinegar, water, and a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid. It smells like vinegar for about 5 minutes then the smell goes away. I wouldn’t change back to a harsher cleaner for day-to-day kitchen cleaning.

Cloth napkins: I’ve been using these for years, as well — not for the environment, though, but because they’re just so much nicer. It does save on the paper towels, though (I try to save the paper towels for the really messy things, like oiling a dish or cleaning up cat barf!)

It’s nice that so many of these things that are good for the budget are good for the environment, too.