by Tonya Sakowicz
Baby Go Green, INC.
One of the most common questions I am asked by people and one of the biggest misconceptions I have to combat when they find out about Baby Go Green is “Isn’t going green EXPENSIVE?”
Let’s be real…..going green can be expensive, really expensive. But so can going clothes, shoe and purse shopping. Anything can be expensive if you are not a careful consumer. Until recently, being a careful, cost-conscious consumer was hard in the green world, but as green and organic products are becoming more and more mainstream, the reality is going green is only expensive if you want it to be. And depending on your personal motivation, it can be downright cheap. We’ll talk about that in a minute.
So how do you “go green” without losing all yours? To a great degree, it is a matter of focus and priorities.
Is your primary motivation and focus on personal health through clean eating and good exercise? Well, then a FREE step in going green is as simple as walking out the door. Take your exercise routine outside! Fresh, outside air is highly beneficial in reducing the number of toxins you are breathing into your body on a daily basis and helps your body to better process those you cannot avoid. In addition, regular, limited sun exposure helps support Vitamin D and serotonin levels in the body which strengthen your immune system.
Another great step that can be very reasonably priced is eating healthier through both organic and locally grown foods. Participate in your local CSA (get more info on what a CSA is and how to find one through www.localharvest.org) or a local Bountiful Baskets (bountifulbaskets.org) to obtain local, often organic produce at amazing prices. Sign up for your local grocery store weekly email ads and watch for sales. When things go on sale, stock up! For example, this last February, Whole Foods had an amazing 1 day sale on organic whole chicken. I bought 20 and put them in the deep freeze. 8 months later, I still have chicken in my freezer. Watching for sales (which are seasonal, by the way, so you are getting a fresher product vs. something out of a warehouse) can make a huge difference in your budget.
Ask around and do some research….you can find safer fabric softeners, for example, but one of the best and least expensive? Simple white vinegar, at less than $4 per gallon at Costco, it is WAY cheaper than conventional fabric softener and much better for both you and the environment.
Sign up for email alerts and “Like” companies that offer green products. They will regularly post specials for only those who are subscribers or Facebook followers. And companies like www.babyhalfoff.com and www.hautelook.com regularly offer green products and clothing at exceptional pricing.
The Big Box stores can be a great resource! Target carries multiple organic personal and baby care lines in store now, in addition to Seventh Generation, Method and other “safer” cleaners. Costco carries organic infant, toddler and child pajamas, organic produce, meats, eggs, and dairy and crib mattresses. Their pricing can rarely be beat!
And if you’re bent on being more environmental, well then going green is often very economical! You can find items at thrift stores, garage sales, eBay and Craigslist, as well as Facebook swapping boards and then recover or refinish with organic products and give new life to an old item, thus helping do your part to minimize environmental damage and impact because no new raw materials are used, no fuel was burned, no exhaust polluted the environment to get a product to a store, and one less item is clogging a landfill. Bonus: older items often are unique, have amazing character and are better made than new ones and can often become family heirlooms. In addition, if you are wide and just a little bit creative, you can often give something new life by using it in a whole new way. An old entertainment center, with a fresh cost of no VOC paint and some shelves stabilized becomes a fantastic changing table with the simple addition of a changing pad. Later on, it makes a great bookcase (take off the doors) or even an armoire!
Consignment shopping and hand-me-downs are also a great way to help the environment! Reusing quality items is an economical (often free) way to do your small part in making a difference.
So you see, while going green *can* be expensive, it certainly does not have to be and often it can be quite reasonable with benefits lasting for years.
Hopefully these things have given you some ideas and some inspiration for ways that you “go green”, no matter what your motives are, without losing all of your ‘green’
*** please note that the mention of any specific product or store was for demonstrative purposes only and does not endorse or imply endorsement of any product, manufacturer or company by myself or Baby Go Green, Inc.
by Tonya Sakowicz