I have been wanting to make this blog post for awhile and finally decided to go ahead after reading sarah's post here...
http://talesofahummingbird.blogspot.com/2010/04/making-change.html (Sorry, I don't know how to do clickable links)
I have made so many changes to use less paper products and harmful cleaning chemicals. While I am happy that these are good for the environment, I have to admit my main concerns are my children's health and saving money (blush, blush).
Here are some things I have changed over the last few years...
We got rid of paper towels for the most part. We bought a big package of microfiber towels at Costco and use them for everything but wiping faces (microfiber cannot be used against skin). They contain spills 100 times better than a paper towel, wash an entire bathroom down to the floor, wash the car, wash the windows, wipe the counters, dry dust, clean ceiling fans, etc. I could go on and on. They have saved us a ton of money and kept our trash can less full. They just get thrown in with my whites and washed. Thea likes to fold them and it's cute to see her helping!
We quit using commercial cleaners. I know there are great "safe" cleaners out there, but they are not cheap! I bought some spray bottles for $1 and I fill them with 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar. I use this solution (along with my microfiber towels) to wipe counters, clean the bathrooms, clean the windows, clean scuffs off the wall, freshen the couches or carpets, clean spots on the carpet, etc.
For my tubs we sprinkle baking soda and scrub. After rinsing we use the vinegar solution and have a clean shining tub. We also use baking soda in the toilet to clean it.
Cloth diapering. We cloth diaper for a year. This saves an amazing amount of money as you can imagine. This year I even saved more by making my own diapers for around $3 each. With my high efficiency washer we didn't notice a big increase in water costs at all. The reason I quit at a year, is that is when I introduce solids and their poo gets gross. I don't have kids with nice neat poo either...so I switch to the cheap ol Walmart or Target dipes. We fully plan to CD for the first year with this baby, too! oh...we also use cloth wipes that I made for close to nothing out of flannel.
I bought a big package of washcloths to wipe the kids faces with after meals. No more paper towels for wiping faces. I found I was running out of washcloths so I cut up an old towel to make a bunch more. It was free, I recycled a towel and it saves us money!
Cloth toilet paper. Don't be grossed out! Only the girls use it and only for "number 1". We buy way less toilet paper now! TP was a big budget blower at Costco so it's nice to buy it less.
The Goodwill! I heart our thrift store and goodwill. I also love our kids consignment stores. I love saving money and getting great kids clothes for next to nothing. We also love that we're not buying new. Less waste...less energy used. Not to mention those stores give people jobs who need it. My kids have Columbia winter coats. There's no way on earth we ever could have bought them those coats new. We were able to find them for under $8 each and in wonderful condition. Yes, it takes a little extra work to go thrifting, but nothing worth doing is easy! I think I bought one thing new in the last 6 months...thea's Easter dress. It was last minute and I could not find one at the consignment store. It about killed me to pay $15 for a dress! Maybe I should be embarassed, but all my clothes (that my mom didn't buy for me) come from the thrift store, too. Right now i'm wearing a $2 hoodie and a $5 pair of jeans. Can't beat that!
Vegetable gardening. A big family eats a lot of produce!
Buying into a cow. We bought about 230 pounds of beef for $1.36 a pound from one of our friends cows! Great meat, great taste and great price. It lasted our family 8 months! I think for most families it would last over a year. We also got some great cuts of steak which we normally would not have been able to afford.
Cooking from scratch. It takes a little longer, but is so much cheaper and healthier! Making a menu and a grocery list helps with our food prices.
Selling to pay. We sold a bunch of books at 1/2 price books and used the money to pay for the boys' soccer.
Free entertainment. We hike and visit the free botantical gardens. It's great family time, good exercise and lots of fun.
Some things I want to do in the near future...
make my own laundry detergent
make my own dishwasher detergent (i tried this once and it didn't work...i'm going to try again)
cook snack foods from scratch.
making my own face cleaner
making shampoo (or going shampoo-less as in Sarah's post)
making deodorant. (i've done this before, but quit...need to do it again)
What about you?? If you blog...please write a similar post and let me know so I can get some more ideas!
