Dear Vicki,

I love the green movement and I want to do my part, but every time I look at buying a natural alternative I see quite the difference in price tags.  I still do what I can to recycle, carpool, walk, ride a bike, and use a reusable water bottle.  However, I feel like there is so much more I can be doing to aid the environmental movement, but so many of the options that seem to carry more of an impact also seem to carry that greater price tag.  What other ways can I go green without blowing my budget?

Sincerely,

Greening on a Budget

Dear Greening on a Budget,

Kudos on your current efforts to help give the environment a break.  Some of the sacrifices we make when taking small steps towards greening our lives can be quite large.  Choosing alternate forms of transportation can be quite the undertaking and quite the sacrifice.  However, these switches aren't just great for the environment, but great for your health as well.

Some natural cleaning products do come with a pretty price tag, but if you are frugal and shop around you can definitely get them for a comparable price.  But if that still isn't enough of a price break for you, you can achieve many of the same results with simple household items we buy on a regular basis.

Rather than purchasing laundry detergent, you can make your own from detergent out of simple items you most likely have on hand.  There are many great recipes for homemade laundry detergent available at the simple click of the button.  One easy recipe uses items that are easy to come by and are used for other uses around the house.  Some of the main ingredients used in homemade detergent are: castile soap, water, salt, baking soda or washing soda, and vinegar.

Some of those same ingredients that make a great homemade laundry detergent also work great for cleaning your dishes as well.  Either on their own or as a combination, there are a number of household items that make your dishes shine without draining your wallet.

These same items we use daily are useful in many areas of our lives.  Not only are they useful for their originally intended uses and as the above listed uses, but can be efficient in removing stains as well.  Lemon juice works as a natural whitener or bleach for your laundry and helps counter act stains.

Have a Green Day,

Victoria Verde

GreenCupboards Advice Columnist

askvictoria@greencupboards.com