Do $ Dictate How Green U R ?



Do dollars dictate how "green" a person or family is? To start off this blog, I am saying NO right off the bat. I do know that it takes alot of money for a family to get and install solar panels or a windmill. It also takes alot of money to get an electric car or hybrid car.

But being a person that was hit hard by the recession with loosing a job and being unemployed for almost 2 1/2 years, we as as a family, always tried our hardest to be green.

We planted our own garden and grew alot of the vegetables we purchased at the grocery store. Not to mention, all of our garden was organic with no pesticides that the stores use or sell.

We have cut out the dryer. Which is a big electric waster. Using a line to dry our clothes saves the energy but also lets our clothes last longer without the wear and tear from the dryer.

We no longer use our dishwasher. We bought a bamboo dish dryer that is utilized almost 24/7. Along with that, we cut the use of paper plates and use our regular dishes. And also cut out using paper towels and/or napkins at the dinner table. We now use cloth napkins which has saved us alot more money than the average person would think. Have you ever sat down and really thought about how many paper towels a family uses in 1 month? We have cut this expense out.

At WalMart, we bought a blue trash can that we keep in the kitchen and recycle almost all plastic, paper, cardboard, glass and most styrofoam. As we recycle, we use the "Triangle System" for the plastics and styrofoam.

To keep our old truck out of the landfill, we sold it to a junkyard to recycle all the metal and usable parts.

Clothes was a big thing to us so we frequented all the Goodwill's and thrift stores. I have always been told that "one man's junk is another man's treasure". This is so true when you buy from thrift stores. Why pay $30 - $40 dollars for a pair of Docker's at the superstore when you can get almost new ones for less than $5 at Goodwill.

And you can make your own house cleaners for almost nothing. You save the environment from all those harsh chemical and save on your wallet. It is a win - win situation.

All I am saying, is that money does not DICTATE how green me or my family can be. I am a "Moniless Greenie" and proud of it.

Posted in Environmental