Going Green, The Economy, Consumption

I got an email from a reader I don't know. Kristen, mom of 3 says:

I figured [your blogging] had slowed down because of the bad economy. I thought saving money must be winning out over going green. I want to do green things, but I can't afford it.

Not so, Kristen! If anything, I'm more happy than ever about the changes I've made. My effort to consume less means I buy less. The only thing I spend more on is organic foods. Even there, I only buy organic where I feel it's really necessary (oooh, that will be tomorrow's post :)).

I got a Target coupon book in the mail the other day. I was excited, but flipped through it to find that all the coupons were for things I no longer buy!

Some examples:

Paper goods- I don't use paper towels, kleenex tissues, disposable diapers, wipes, etc.

Cleaning supplies- This used to be my favorite aisle...seriously. The only commercial cleaner I buy today is OxyClean.

Packaged foods- I still buy some, but I've cut WAY back. The majority of my shopping is done around the edges of the grocery store. [I apologize for what the previously said. My husband thinks he's funny, randomly editing my posts if I walk away from the computer.]

See what I mean? If I could just get my garden off the ground this spring, I'll be in even better shape!

Another place we've saved money is eating out. We still love to do it, but we've cut back because it usually means food that's not so good for us.

I've always liked to shop flea markets, and we've kicked this up a notch, looking for used things where we can, like at consignment stores or on craigslist.

Going Green = Consuming Less = Spending less.