How "green" are you?

[JoyNChrist]

DH and I have made the New Year's resolution to be more eco-conscious. Cuz to be perfectly honest, right now we're using up way more than our fair share of ozone. And I really think it's important that we do our part to stop screwing up the planet so much.

So how "green" is everyone here? Do you recycle? Drive a hybrid? Use the energy-saving lightbulbs? Make your own household cleaners?

What are your favorite tips and resources for living more eco-friendly? Any particular problems you've faced?

Since we currently do...um...nothing, I'm interested in the basics of recycling and stuff like that.

[cdlamis]

I try to be as green as possible and I know I have a long way to go still.

I recycle everything I can. But first, I try not to even use throwaway products if I can. I have been noticing all the packaging that we just throw away. For instance, I use reusable washcloths instead of paper towels, real plates instead of paper ones, etc. My next step is to start using cloth napkins for dinner time. Instead of buying throwaway bottles of hand soap, I now buy a ceramic one and refill it. I used to do this just to save $$ but now realize the eco impact as well. My daughter's lunch is almost trash free which means nothing to throw away after it's done- we use the wrap'n'mat instead of sandwich bags, the Sigg bottle instead of throwaway water bottles, etc.

I do make my own cleaners since its better for our own health but also good for the environment. Mostly, I use baking powder for scouring and a vinegar solution for almost everything else.

I have a small Honda Civic which has great gas mileage. We started using energy efficient lightbulbs and try limit by use of always turning on a light and leaving it on.

These are my biggest contributions so far but I am still working on it!
Can't wait to read other's responses. Great thread!

Daniella

[writermama]

Do you recycle?

Check.



Drive a hybrid?

Not yet. I want to, but nobody has made a hybrid minivan yet, darn it! What I really want is a plug-in electric hybrid minivan. Now if only someone would make one!



Use the energy-saving lightbulbs?

Yes, but I don't love the CFs. There are some promising looking LED based lightbulbs coming out, though.



Make your own household cleaners?

Yes, and I actually enjoy cleaning much more now. Clean House, Clean Planet is a good resource.



What are your favorite tips and resources for living more eco-friendly?


A simple one is to Bring Your Own Bag to the grocery store. Some stores will even give you a credit for using your own bags. I posted in bargains a few days ago about taking the Bring Your Own Bag pledge -- you can get a 20% coupon at an online store that sells bags, sandwich wraps, and reuseable water bottles.

[bubbaray]

We're moderately green. Where we live, pretty much everyone, including local government, is green. Lots of former hippies runnin' the place, LOL.

Recycling is mandatory and we're limited in how much garbage the city will pick up. Even businesses must recycle. There are fines if you don't (I didn't know that until this week, saw it on the news).

We use earth-friendly cleaners (with the exception of my Electrosol dishwasher tabs, have tried earth-friendly options and they don't work, so I end up doing each load twice, which isn't exactly earth friendly either). Most are from the Clean House, Clean Planet book, which I HIGHLY recommend. I got my cleaning lady hooked, she says the cleaners are better than most commercial ones. We also use Simple Green, which is supposedly earth-friendly and non-toxic. Every so often, I use Vim with bleach in the bathrooms, not eco-friendly, but I don't use it often. The cleaning lady uses only rags, no paper towels. I use a fair bit of paper towels, but am trying to use less.

We don't drive hybrids. Until 2 years ago, I always had 4-cylinder cars. My Ody has the eco engine which isn't a hybrid, but does switch between 3 and 6 cylinders. DH wants a big-a$$ diesel truck next purchase, which is NOT earth-friendly and that bugs me. He would actually use it for pulling a trailer and such, so it would get used.

We are considering planting vegetables in our garden this year. In the past, I've had an extensive vegetable garden that could feed many families, so I *know* how to do it, but it takes a LOT of time that I don't really have now. We don't compost, but we should. Most of our neighbors do. The city takes away all our yard clippings for a city-compost, which we do, but we don't compost our food waste.

We try to buy organic. If there are 2 options for a purchase and one is earth-friendly, I generally go with that.

I telecommute/work at home 2 days a week when I'm working, so that's earth-friendly. Both DH and I have long commutes, though, so I wouldn't say we are all that earth-friendly in that respect. When we lived in the city, we used to bike to work once a week and carpooled together the other days.

The girls daycare is relatively earth-friendly. They do units on recycling and even do crafts with "junk" (like old yogurt containers, and such).

You could check out http://www.davidsuzuki.org/ -- The guy's a scientist that has been promoting earth-friendly practices for over 2 decades.

ETA: We are slowly switching to fluorescent light bulbs (not a huge fan of them, though, in terms of the light they cast) and we use reusable bags for most shopping -- they are talking about banning plastic bags here.

ETA#2: Our gov't here has mandatory emissions testing, IIRC the standard that the vehicle has to pass is the same or stricter than the CA emissions standards.

[NewMom2007]

What a great resolution! You can start in small ways and eventually you'll think green more often than not.

We recycle - standard stuff with our city recycling and bringing non-standard items to specific recycling centers (earth911.org is a great resource). Like, recycling our Christmas tree, broken electronics, etc.

I use a combination of my own cleaners (vinegar and baking soda are core) and use natural cleaners from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Method. No bleach in our house. I have a pretty sensitive nose and find most things that aren't natural smell really toxic.

I drive a hybrid and am going to get my bike tuned up so I can start using that more often (will also help my resolution to exercise more). I suggest checking out idealbite.com - I get their daily newsletter which has great tips on living green.

We cloth diaper (yes, the debate rages on whether the water used is worse than 'sposies in landfills, but since landfills are over-full, I'm comfortable with our choice).

I opt out of junk mail, credit card offers and call any catalogs to stop mailing them whenever I get something in the mailbox.

One of our major downfalls is use of paper towels. My DH is a total germaphobe and uses them all the time. I have cloth towels everywhere, but he uses a paper towel as a napkin, to clean up the table/counters, dry hands. It drives me a bit nuts - maybe I'll discuss with him :)

I would also like to start composting and am looking forward to getting a push lawn mower this summer.

[bubbaray]

I would also like to start composting and am looking forward to getting a push lawn mower this summer.

Yes, many of our neighbors have push mowers. DH still has a gas one and he says it probably pollutes more than both our cars put together. The gov't here has a rebate of some sort for people who turn in their gas mowers for either push or electric.

[erosenst]

We're....ummmm....getting better.

On the plus side:

* Use CF's in all the light fixtures that take them...but we have 65 spot lights in our house and don't have them there. (Although I believe they're coming out with lights for those, too - and we'll use them if they do.)

* Recycle - have to say I'm pleased that we recycle enough that we had to request an extra bin. Obviously, it would be better if we could reduce the amount of stuff that can't be reused, but this is a step. And in full disclosure, we have mixed curbside recycling - so it couldn't possibly be any easier.

* We rarely use paper plates/cups at home.

* I've started taking my own bag to the store. Amazing how easy this is, especially since I have bags that easily fit in my (relatively small) purse. If you're interested, http://www.chicobag.com/.

* Minimize chemical cleaners. I use vinegar and water, baking soda, etc for MOST things. I still use toilet bowl cleaner (not sure why I have a thing there, but whatever). We own bleach, but I use it less than once a year (for moldy things).

* Minimize paper towels - have lots of inexpensive wash cloths to clean Abby's face, use as rags, etc.

* While our new house is far from green, it is VERY well insulated.

* I've made an effort to reduce junk mail, catalogs, etc. Bank statements, bills, etc are delivered on-line where available; bills are paid electronically.

* I've started unplugging things (if they're easy to unplug) as the passive usage is suprisingly high. (Often 75% of the "in-use" usage.) Things like rechargers, the toaster, the coffee pot, etc are only plugged in when used.

On the not-so-good side:

* DH drives and SUV, and I drive a mini-van. I've started eyeing the Highlander hybrid, however. (Still big, but at least more efficient than what I have.)

* I don't make a big effort to buy local/organic/etc.

* We don't compost.

* We have a much bigger house than "needed" - so use more electricity/gas, etc.

* We generate a ridiculous amount of recyclables.

* If I'm doing a "big" grocery run, I still use their bags. Ditto other shopping.

But I applaud your efforts to change - all of the above started one at a time for us!

HTH -

Emily

[momtoonegirl]

We are trying to be "green" in our house as well, but have a way to go.

Things we do: 1. We have a push lawnmower. 2. We have energy star refrigerator/diswasher, and HE washer/energy star dryer. 3. DH drives Honda Civic manual transmission. 4. We recycle. 5. We reuse plastic grocery bags (either at the grocery store or in the trash cans at home).
6. We use cloth towels/sponges. 7. I used to make my own baby food purees. 8. Try to buy organic produce, etc. 9. Just bought some organic deodorant and facial cleanser for myself. 10. Use regular plates, cups, etc.

Works in progress: 1. We still use standard light bulbs and household cleaners. 2. We still use Pampers (although our diapering days are limited, I hope ;) ) 3. I have a SUV, but only have to fill gas approximately once/month since I am not currently working outside home, and try to organize errands to where I only drive 3 or 4 days/week. 4. Tend to use lots of disposables when travelling.

I am positive that there are many more things that our household can improve on. I am looking forward to other posts for some ideas :)

[kijip]

I dunno. I feel like we have a loooooong way to go, but I think we are probably living a fair bit "greener" than the average family.

-We don't have a hybrid, however my husband bikes to work, I walk when I can (ie when I don't need the car for my job) and we get around without the car whenever possible (foot, hop on a bus). We also only own 1 car, not 2+. Usually when I drive to work, I am also driving him to school so we don't commute separately. We wanted a hybrid, but I appreciate a bigger car for work and we were minding the budget- at the time we bought there were not a lot of hybrids in our cash budget. In the end we cared most about getting a reliable, durable vehicle that we could pay cash for then about getting a hybrid. We ended up with a 4 cylinder 2005 Camry which is pretty darn good on the gas. We also turn the car off at long stops, on draw bridges etc. We bought our house in the city to facilitate very little use of gas/proximity to work, school, stores, activities even though buying in the city meant a noticeably smaller house.

-We don't buy any conventional cleaning products and use vinegar, dishsoap, water and my favorite- elbow grease- to clean. We also use club soda for windows and glass. The commercial products we do buy are laundry detergent and dishwasher soap from the co-op.

-We used cloth diapers (but that is a distant memory- we are 2 years past potty training, whew :) ) and I use cloth menstrual pads. We also use cloth wipes instead of toilet paper but this decision is not so much a green one as a practical one- I have a sensitivity to bleachy paper products which has caused me problems my whole life and also, wiping a toddler bum with paper is ineffective IME.

-We use handkerchiefs, dish rags and dish towels...no paper kleenex or paper towels.

-We use the energy efficient light bulbs and keep the heat low in the house.

-We bought an HE washer and we air dry a lot of our laundry rather than send it through the tumble dryer.

-We get 90% of our produce from a CSA weekly pick-up. We buy nearly all organic foods. We eat meat just 3-4 times a week, rather than every day.

-We are starting to can some our our own foods and planning a square foot garden.

-We try to buy used when we can rather than new. We try to repair things that can be repaired (shoes, electronics, torn clothing) rather than buying new right away.

-I have only reusable lunch bags and the like. We use glass food storage containers rather than plastic. We rarely take a plastic or paper bag from the store.

-We have a push mower and do not water our lawn. I have a rain barrel to help water plants that need it.

-And my most proud thing, the newest thing we have managed to accomplish is that we use the tiniest garbage can possible (our city has a 12 gallon box with a lid essentially). We have curbside compost/yard waste and recycling that make this possible and we cut our water use by not using the garbage disposal unless is is non-compost-able (proteins).

I do want to say that we did not go from 0 to 60 on this...it was and continues to be an ongoing process. Like losing weight too quickly, making changes too quickly can result to backsliding IME...do a few things long enough (4-6 weeks) that they become a habit and then tackle your next few goals.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We are fairly green but there is always room for improvement.

I recycle 95% of the time. But, for example, if something has been in the fridge in a jar and has gotten really nasty I sometimes toss it (she admits sheepishly). I have to drive cardboard and magazines to be recycled so I currently have giant piles of each...and I am considering tossing them out b/c they have been there forever and I never seem to get them out the door (I'm still working out the kinks of this new baby thing). I will make an effort to do it this week though. Wish there were curb recycling for them. I need to start recycling junkmail more.

Next car will be a hybrid but I am not willing to get a new car just to get a hybrid. We have a Honda Civic with about 110,000 miles on it.

I am doing much better remembering to bring my cloth bags to the stores (grocery and things like Target runs so far).

Many of our bulbs have been changed over.

I am terrible about turning lights off when leaving the room though.

We make our own cleaners or use natural except dishwasher detergent and toilet cleaner.

I use the "light wash" cycle on my dishwasher rather than normal wash and it gets the dishes just as clean, uses less water and uses less electricity.

I have really been trying to cut down on prepackaged foods and supplies.

I have an extreme love for paper towels and an extreme hatred for sponges and rags so I feel pretty bad about that.

Lots more +/- but you get the drift. :)

Beth

[trales]

We would like to do better than we do.

We do:
Recycle everything we can

Switched the light bulbs as they burn out to CF (some are much better than others)

Use cloth napkins, dish towels and diapers

Have a garden

Drive fuel efficient vehicles

Turn off lights, unplug when we can

Keep the house at 65 when we are in it and 56 at night

Bought a HE washer

We want to:

Compost (the dogs eat the pile)

Get new windows

Insulate the basement and add radiant heat

Use more vinegar and other friendly cleaners.

[elliput]

In some ways we are pretty green, others not so much.

Our city has curbside recycling for #1 & #2 plastics, glass, cardboard, white paper, newspaper, magazines, phonebooks, aluminum, tin and household batteries. Our bin is usually full every week. Also, lawn clippings, yard trash, and leaves are picked up separately for composting.

We have scavengers that come through the night before and morning of our garbage day, so things I know can be sold for scrap or reused, but are not worth donating I place out on the curb for them. We try to donate many things that are no longer useful to us, but still in good working condition.

I drive a small car which gets decent gas mileage. DH drives a big SUV (we do use it for hauling a trailer). I have a 15 mile commute, while DH's is less than 3. My next car will be a hybrid (I have to keep telling myself this. LOL!).

We use cloth napkins, cloth cleaning towels, cloth wraps for my morning bagel, and cloth diapers (at home, sposies at daycare). I still use disposable wipes though.

We bought a push mower and an electric string trimmer this summer to replace the gas mower and trimmer. DH loves the push mower. He said it is actually not any more work than the gas mower as it is so much lighter to push and easier to control. No CO pollution and no noise pollution makes for a very pleasant backyard!

We have been changing over to more earth friendly cleaners (another Clean House, Clean Planet fan here) and beauty products.

All of the lights in the house are either fluorescent fixtures or have CFL bulbs except for our bedroom and the piano light, but those will be changed eventually. DH is keeping an eye on the LED technology and this year we purchased LED Christmas lights. Our old lights are part of our annual SA donation this year.

This past year, I made some shopping bags from a length of canvas left over from an old sewing project. We keep the bags in DH's car and try to use them as much as possible.

We try to buy organic if available.

We try to avoid purchasing anything that is "disposable" whenever possible. Which is so different than what we were doing about 10 years ago. Then it seemed like our whole lives revolved around the so-called convenience of the disposable lifestyle. I realized that disposable equaled huge trash bags on garbage day and that was not something I liked.

[pb&j]

Small steps that are easy to take:

If you're buying something small at a store, as soon as you hand it over to the checker, say "I don't want a bag!" Put said item in your purse instead. It gets to be habit after a while and is a really easy way to cut down on all the plastic bags in your life.

Reusable bags at the grocery store!!!!! Even our local, teeny tiny country grocer now has reusable bags for sale for $.99/ea at the registers. I keep mine in my car so they're always there when I need them.

And put some diluted vinegar in a spray bottle for cleaning up small messes. I got some microfiber towels at target so I'm not always using paper towels.

Those are easy things to get started.

Other things we've done: DH traded in his gas-guzzler on a hybrid. We try to do a little "grey water" reuse when possible - I'll put a big bowl under the faucet when I'm rinsing things and use that bowl to water our plants. We recycle, which for us, means hauling our recyclable to the recycling center. But we've got a pretty good system now, and it doesn't really take very long. As our bulbs burn out, we're replacing with CFL's (though even I have my limits on that - I can't stand them in my bedside lamp for reading, or over the bathroom mirror). Oh, and I got LED xmas lights this year, which use a tiny fraction of the electricity of regular xmas lights.

Things we'd like to do:
Compost! We had a great compost bin at our old house, but when we moved, we left it behind. So we'll likely get another this summer. Geothermal heat pump! This is tops on the list of stuff we'd do if we ever had a windfall. Rain barrels. Our lot slopes down toward the back, so we'd have to put them right in the front of the house, and DH is having issues about that. I figure we'd just plant a boxwood or azalea in front of it to hide it.

[JTsMom]

We've gotten a lot better recently, but we still have a looong way to go!

Stuff we do now:
-Breastfeed
-Cut our paper towel usage dramatically-I'd guess by about 90%! I still keep them around for the occasional super gross task.
-Totally stopped using bottled water- and we used a TON of that, so I'm really proud of that one. :) I bought a couple of Kleen Kanteens, and a PUR filter. Eventually, I really want to get a reverse osmosis system though.
-We reuse as much as possible, and try to repair things instead of buying new.
-We're in a severe draught here, so we try to conserve water as much as possible.
-Buy as much local/organic as possible.
-I use mainly natural cleaning products, but I still need to switch over from my current laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. Seems like several of us are dealing with those 2, huh? I also still very occasionally rely on my bleach pen in the bathroom- has anyone had success mildew with anything else?
-I'm trying to switch over from our not-so-natural health and beauty products as well. I even made my own deodorant this week (and it works like a charm!)

I really wish I would have started out cloth diapering, but I didn't. Now we're on the brink of being done with diapers, and it seems silly to change. The next baby though!

[Clarity]

We recycle, and have begun slowly switching to energy-saving lightbulbs but that's about it. Oh, and I do use vinegar-water as much as possible when I clean now...but I still have some light bleach solution that I use too. I'd love to have a hybrid, but dh can't see the cost savings, so he's being a bit difficult about that right now.

I haven't read the other posts from others probably more eco-savy than I, but I've just been trying lately to do the simple things like turn off lights, don't let water run unneccessarily, etc. I'd like to do more though too, so I'm off to read responses.

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

We recycle all paper goods and any product that has the recycling triangle on the bottom of it.

My mom drives a Prius, and I just got a Corolla. I wanted a larger car but a small car is more eco friendly and I drive 80% of the time alone, so this made more sense.

I work/go to school within 10 miles of my house. I used to work about 30-40 minutes away, which was 18 miles but I have found a closer job for many reasons.

We have a timer for the light in our dining room so that it is not on during the day when no one is home. We also have a sensor light in our hallway and back porch area.

I try to buy organic fruits/veggies when possible from the market, and I want to start going to Farmer's Market so that I can buy local food. I also keep reusable bags in my car and try to bring them with me when I go shopping. If I do not have them I only get my groceries in paper bags, which we then use around the house for recycling and to wrap up packages.

I want to start using less toxic cleansers and more eco-friendly cleaning supplies. I am going to start searching a bit for a good beginning book for making your own household cleansers.

[C99]

I could be better, but I think I practice some fairly green ways:

- recycle 1 & 2 plastics, paper, cardboard, glass and cans (my center won't take plastics 3-7)
- take a plastic bag from a store only under duress, bring my own bags back to any store (grocery, K-Mart/Target, etc.) every time.
- use washable cotton cloths and cloth napkins instead of paper towels and paper napkins. I go through an 8-pack of paper towels in a year now, instead of one every month or so.
- use glass and porcelain plates, and metal silverware all of the time, even for parties and on outings. If I have to use plastic ware for some reason, I use the compostable stuff made from corn and stuff made from recycled plastics.
- use dry cleaner bags and newspaper delivery bags as garbage bags
- use reusable containers to pack my children's lunches. If I need a bag for something, I use a waxed paper bag. I use lunch boxes over paper bags, and reusable containers for
- buy in bulk rather than in single-serve portions to avoid excess packaging
- my kids drink out of glasses if we are home, not out of plastic sippy cups, and out of SIGG bottles if we are out.
- do not buy or accept bottled water. If I am out, I use a refillable SIGG bottle or ask for a glass or cup of water from the machine.
- have a self-mulching push lawn mower
- buy local/green/organic food
- use vinegar, baking soda and occasionally, bleach, exclusively as my cleaning products. I will *occasionally* use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for really stubborn/tough things.
- if it doesn't rain, I don't water my lawn.
- use CFL energy-saver bulbs exclusively in our house/garage
- replaced all of the windows in our house so that it is more energy-efficient
- only own 1 car for all 5 of us and rely on public transportation to get to work and other places. We also use a car-sharing service as a second car on the rare, rare occasions that we NEED a second car (in 8 years, it has happened once).
- buy used things when I can. My new year's resolution for 2008 is actually to buy almost every consumer good used or pre-owned with a few exceptions.
- unplug electronics not in use.
- use rechargeable batteries and recycle standard ones

What I want to do this spring/summer:
- get a compost bin and start composting
- rain barrel

[elliput]

As our bulbs burn out, we're replacing with CFL's (though even I have my limits on that - I can't stand them in my bedside lamp for reading, or over the bathroom mirror).

Look into an OTT-LITE for a reading lamp. Much better than CFL's for task lighting and more energy efficient than incandescents. They can be kind of pricy, but are worth it. :)

[lisams]

We've been really trying...baby steps! Here's what I can think of off the top of my head -

-use cloth napkins (got a bunch of cotton white ones at Kohls for really cheap on clearance)
-use microfiber towels for cleaning instead of paper towels
-for 80% of cleaning products we use non toxic. I still use Clorox wipes for the bathrooms and kitchen counters, just can't get over the germ factor!
-use chlorine free diapers, cloth would be better but I'm a cloth drop out :(
-I breastfeed (this one is always overlooked - no polution created in the production and distribution and no waste going to the land fill)
-electric law mower
-desert landscaping out front - no need for sprinklers or watering
-use reusuable shopping bags
-try to buy things that are not individually wrapped (for example, instead of applesauce in prepackaged plastic cups we buy a big jar of it and use bowls w/lids for on the go)
-try and buy organic as much as possible
-use environmentally friendly chemicals/company for bug control in the Spring
-only do full loads for laundry and dishes
-try to avoid big plasticy toys, or buy second hand (DD's play kitchen for example)

[JoyNChrist]

Thanks ladies - lots of good ideas here! Keep 'em coming!

[maestramommy]

I'm sure we have a ways to go, but this is what we do:

we use green cleaning products whenever possible. It works well for all of the household cleaning.

CF bulbs for overhead lighting

Dh bike commutes. This was a deliberate choice. It was by intention that we live close enough to his office for him to ride.

No hybrid, but we have a 4 cylinder stick Accord, which was the best choice we could live with. We also have a Pathfinder, but it sits in the garage 29 days out of the month.

we do recycle as much as possible although it is a total PITA (our apt building doesn't do recycling:32:)

And we have a nice collection of resuable shopping bags we got from TJs. LOVE THEM.

Mostly we reuse, buy secondhand off CL or freecycle whenever possible, and avoid the temptation to acquire stuff we really don't need. Hence we still don't have a flatscreen, our cell phones are always years old, and we never upgrade anything unless it breaks beyond practical repair.

[TahliasMom]

i wish we could do more but we're limited because we rent but after 7 years of commuting 40-60 miles a day, my commute is less than 2 miles and dd's preschool is less than 4 miles from home

recycle everything - dd is very into it and asks if something is recycle or garbage ;)
low flow toilets in our townhome - we petitioned the leasing office for these
changed most of our lightbulbs
have standing heaters in each room vs using the wall heaters. turn only in the morning when we get ready. they're portable so i take the one from my bedroom and use it in the living room in the eves.
use eco friendly cleansers (method from Target, still working on eco friendly detergent)
trying to reduce papertowel use
i shop at TJ's and mostly use bring my bags. i ocassionally take 1-2 pape bags which i use to put recycables in.

[KBecks]

We're not very green overall. I'd say we're about average.

--We recycle some but not all things
--I don't drive a ton, but DH has a 10-15 mile commute and we visit relatives 30 minutes away and drive to a church 30 minutes a way once a week. I prefer to do things close to home for convenience, any greeness is a bonus.
--We don't own a hybrid
-- I have a housecleaning service and they use regular cleaners as do we.
-- We use a mix of energy savings and regular light bulbs. Our compact flourescents have been dying premature deaths and it's frustrating b/c they are expensive.
-- Our home is moderately sized. We really need new windows and it's on the to-do list. We put plastic on our windows now.

Most things that we would do that are "green" we do more out of motivation for frugality than greenness. My biggest thing I do is be mindful of purchases and not buy a lot of excess stuff.

[lwcain]

What a great thread!

We do the following:

- Have a small family: DH, Myself, DD, Dusty (our rabbit), and DS (due in April). The "factory" will close after our son arrives. We may adopt later though, we'll see...
- Live in a small house with low E windows and desert landscaping.
- Buy used cars: DH drives a 1997 Honda Accord with manual trans. I drive a 2000 Honda CRV. Both have over 100K miles, are in great shape, and were paid in full with cash.
- Recycle.
- Resell, donate, or pass along items that we no longer use or need.
- Breastfeed and make baby food.
- Co-sleep.
- Eat vegan.
- Buy organic.
- Put food and water-to-go in reusable containers.
- Buy recycled paper products.
- Bank and pay bills online.
- Buy all-natural toiletries and household products.
- Practice a minimalist lifestyle. We have the basics, and aren't collectors or hoarders.
- I shaved my hair off several years ago, thus eliminating the need for chemical processes, heat styling, excess products, etc.

Some things that I'm planning to do:

- Homebirth my son.
- Get a hybrid as my next car.
- Buy more used items, especially clothing and furniture.
- Switch my bulbs when they burn out. I'm waiting...
- Use more rechargeable batteries.
- Cut down paper product usage.
- Get reusable grocery bags.
- Create an eco-friendly bedroom and bathroom for DD.
- Encourage guests to remove their shoes at the door of our home. We always did this in S.F.
- Hire eco-friendly cleaning services.
- Green our next house from the inside out, whenever and wherever that may be.

[kijip]

We have just now started making arrangements to buy our beef right from a farm. We are going in on a 1/2 cow. The green side: local, grass fed, organic beef. The frugal side: $3-4 a pound for such meat (vs. the $5-10+ I pay right now). The non-green side: Has to live in my freezer for a year or even a little more. Could live without beef, but choose not to.

[JoyNChrist]

Katie, we've been doing the beef thing for a couple years now. You really do save so much money. One year we even raised and butchered a hog (cuz we're country like that), and I loved having bacon and ham and pork loin available whenever I wanted it. Not an option now since we live in town.

[mezzona]

We are slowly going green. It helps to netflix those documentaries occasionally just to get the guilt going.

- all our bulbs are those energy efficient ones (CFs?)
- we never use our central air, heater, or fireplace
- turned off backyard sprinkler (somehow everything is still alive)
- lowered water heater temp
- new appliances/electronics are energy star
- plant based detergents
- recycle everything the city can pick up
- recycle printer ink & old electronics
- donate clothes/kitchen stuff/shoes
- organic food when there's a choice at the store
- bring own bags to the store
- cancelled all catalogs, stopped junk mail like CC solicitations
- no paper statements, all online, pay everything online

i have that book Better Basics for the Home, but i never have all the ingredients to make those homemade cleaners..

actually, now that i think about it, a lot of our greener choices have been to save money. also, i think one of the biggest changes we've made is in being more conscious of what we buy - where it came from, what the cost to the environment is, etc.

[kijip]

Katie, we've been doing the beef thing for a couple years now. You really do save so much money. One year we even raised and butchered a hog (cuz we're country like that), and I loved having bacon and ham and pork loin available whenever I wanted it. Not an option now since we live in town.

I wish we could do that! I wonder if I could find a local farm to get pork from- I love pork :). We do not have the backyard for chickens but a local friend does, and we are going in on that with them for eggs. :)