Happy St. Patricks Day

Here are some ideas to help us go green and save money too!

1. Recycle gray water, water gardens plants, flush toilets etc.

2. Use scraps for fertilizer (not meat or dairy) Banana peels are great. Just throw them under your bushes.

3. Save scraps of soap to put in a mesh bag, makes a great skin scrubber.

4. Buy a filter for your tap water, bottled water is expensive and so much plastic.  If you need to you can use chlorine to purify water. (8-16 gtts per gallon)

5. Skip paper towels, rags work so much better and you can just rinse them out to use over and over.

6. Reuse cereal inner bags they work great for storage of lunch.

7. Use your toaster or convection oven instead of a big oven.

8. Take a cold shower in hot weather,  its so refreshing. Luke  warm water is so much better for your skin in the winter.

9. Use  good old petroleum jelly to soften and protect skin. Buy it in big containers and it lasts a long time.

10. Pay attention to the packaging you buy things in. Keep it to a minimum.

11. Used recycled tissues, toilet paper and napkins.   Avoid:  Puffs  Kleenex,  Charmin,  Cottenelle,  bounty viva.

12. Try herbal or natural products that contain cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary

    and thyme to keep your pets pest free.

13. Buy one compact florescent light bulb a week till you replace all your old bulbs. This will save you lots of money on electricity.

14. Eat  more fruits, vegetables, and grains  and limit your intake of red meat. This can reduce your risk of coronary disease and colorectal cancer, while reducing your grocery bill and the impact on the environment.

Check out this site for lots more practical information

http://www.simplesteps.org/#tk-switchboard-blog

What you say, no one recycles in Kenya, there is garbage in many streets and especially rural villages.

Well yes that is true there is no unified effort to recycle by government, and plastic bags and bottles are everywhere. Well this made me very discouraged until I saw with different eyes.

Nothing is wasted in Kenya, if it can be used again it is. Today I saw empty detergent bottles used as flotation devices by some kids, wow. Empty containers are also used as water carriers, scoops, baskets, and any number of useful items.

How about old tires, you will not believe what they can make from them

• shoes
• gaskets
• ropes
• swings and toys of all types
• car parts
• carriersRepairs are made on everything, shoes made new, even cheap  flip flops are repaired, They are driving OLD cars that have been fixed so many times it is unbelieveab

Plastic bags and pieces of twine make great soccer (football here) balls.

All kind of junk are used to make jewelry, I especially like the wire scrap use.

I will keep an eye out for more ideas and keep you updated.

Have been  in Kenya for 2 weeks, having fun and working with children. The ocean is beautiful but it is hot, hard to sleep, no electricity and no fan where I am now.  Sometimes there is a nice breeze, the  mosquitos are annoying but it is too hot to use a net. Hope my malaria pills work. I am sending 2 boys from an orphanage to High School andcoulc use some help with funding. Without  a HS  education they have no future. If you can spare $5.00 would appreciate it. Send it to mypaypal account.     vduffy@rochester.rr.com

Thanks and Blessings

I have always been thrifty as I grew up in a poor family.  As a professional I used to be somewhat embarrassed at my thriftiness. NO MORE!  I am now personally cutting back even more in my life, downsizing and trying to not WASTE money. It is nice to know I am not alone.  I am sorry for those who are being forced to downsize  due to the economy, but I sense that some of us are enjoying it also. 

   It now is no shame to look for bargains, shop in the second hand stores and compare bargains with others. You can even say “I want the cheapest one” (or lease expensive if you want to say it with a little more class). I hear people saying this all the time and it makes me proud!  We no longer are shamed into spending more then we want to (or can) by some pushy sales person.

I often play a game with my friends. it is no longer about who bought the most expensive item, but who got it for less.

I feel more green these days ( and yes virtuous), waste very little, shop for bargains, use my leftovers for creative meals, eat more vegetables and fruit, shop farmers markers, compost and recycle like mad. I am even looking for less packaging when I buy things. Did you notice some stores are responding to these new consumer demands by lowering prices? The Wegman’s grocery store in our area did just that and I wouldn’t be suprised if they have increased their profit with more customers.

The NY times and the web are full of advice on how to save money. I love to read them and say smugly to myself, I KNEW THAT a long time ago!

Make being frugal a challenge and it can come close to fun. I am proud to say I am using some of my extra cash in my volunteer work in Africa. One of my biggest thrills is going to garage sales and buying kids books for 10 cents for the orphanages in Kenya. (no hard cover so I can get as many as possible in my suitcases).  Some times when I tell the seller these are going to an orphanage I get an even Better Deal.

When thinking of my values Simplicity is right up there with Authenticity and Generosity.  Think about your values and how you try to live them. It will truly give you a boost.

By the way this post is by no means meant to make light of the people who are struggling to pay the rent and eat.

NOW HERE IS A CHALLANGE FOR YOU!

Lets do something a little different! Send me you best frugal / simplicity tip, BUT pick one that made you feel good and tell us how that happened.  After  one month I will send a free copy of my book “Behavioral First Aid: Managing Emotions During Emergencies” to the one voted best by my readers. Vote in the comment section when you find one you like, you can vote for as many as you want.  Looking forward to hearing from you!