Natural and Sustainable

Plastic bags have been under scrutiny for years now and with that come the making of useful canvas and other bags such as the ones that can be packed in a backpack, your pocket, or even in a purse. These bags make it easier for you to steer clear of the plastic bags that are no almost everywhere you go anymore. There are certain companies and businesses that are allowing you to bring back the plastic bags to be recycled into new bags and this is a great way to help keep them out of landfills and clear up the environment, but just to recycle them puts a strain on the eco-system of earth as well.

Reusable bags are as easy as ever to pack away and almost everyone has at least one by now and to add to that you can now find ones that zip closed and tuck into anywhere so you are never without. Here are some of the best easy-to-carry bags available.

1. Chico Bags: This company is all about reducing the strain on the environment with their options of The Original bag, the Vita, the RePete and the Limited Edition. These bags are easy to carry in and store in the glove box of your car. Bags run about $10.

2. BAGGU Bags: These bags, when used, will replace about 300 to 700 disposable bags. They are bright in color and care really fun to use. The company offers the bag options of the regular Baggu, penguin bag, produce bag, Lincoln bag, baby bag, the big bag and even a grocery kit that comes with plenty of Baggu bags to carry all of your groceries.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Taking showers can use a lot of water and a lot of water gets wasted as well during showers. To help with this try timing yourself with a shower time from Ripple Products. You can even make it a game and try to beat other family members.

You maybe thinking, how can a further make my bathroom more eco-friendly without breaking the bank? There are ways you can save the environment and being forth a better eco-friendly and greener bathroom. Here are some easy ways to green your bathroom and still keep that wallet fat.

1. For shelving: Consider bamboo. It is a sustainable material, along with cork that can bring forth a natural tone into your bathroom. You can either get it unfinished, which is just beautiful, or get a painted shelf option. Make sure if you go painted, that it is painted with nontoxic paint through.

2. For toothbrushes: Go with a recycled plastic toothbrush or even a wood handle toothbrush. There are many options on the market now days that offer recycled material. My first post for Natural and Sustainable that gave options for a recycled toothbrushes. Read it here.

3. For towels: Look for towels that are either 100% organic cotton or even made from bamboo. You can even find ones on the market that are reclaimed from other materials as well. Just make sure they are thick and absorbent and don’t tear up the skin when you dry with them. Or find ones made from hemp such as the ones from Rawganique.

4. For the hamper: The Container Store offers a variety of recycled materials like bamboo, palm leaves and even grass. They also have handles to easily carry to the laundry room. They have a snag resistant interior so it doesn’t snag your most delicate clothing.

5. For a bath mat: Look for bath mats that have been reclaimed from other materials and give the utmost in absorbency. You can find ones that have been reclaimed from materials like flip slop sand other rugs from their past.

Disposable batteries are a great option for any appliance that takes batteries, but when their charge is over, where do they end up? In landfills, and even in our drinking water supplies. They contaminate the ground with the chemicals held inside, so what are the other options?

Eco Trends is a great alternative to the one-time use disposable batteries on the market. Over at Gain Saver there is the option of electrical plug-in chargers or a solar powered option like the one pictured below.

It requires no electricity and recharges the batteries with solar powder and stores the solar energy in the form of the recharge to the batteries. It comes in eco-friendly packaging and comes with four “AA” batteries that can be used again and again. The Eco Trends rechargeable batteries come in the color of green and black.

These batteries work great for digital cameras, remotes, children’s toys and any other type of electronic that takes “AA” batteries. You will get in the habit of replacing them as you use them and it will be come as natural as it is to grab the disposable ones from the carton and replace them. Plus, the added benefit, they are so eco-friendly and better for the environment. So now, no more plastic container of batteries that I know many of you have.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Don’t just assume that low or zero-VOC paints options are completely nontoxic. The regulations currently in use are guidelines that allow exemption of some toxins from being listed on the label of the paint. Of course low VOC paints are a better option over all and they are also lower in price now and are widely available as well.

Here are five tips to help cut your costs at home as well as help the environment in the process.

1. Leftovers at home are the number one way to cut your food cost and save you from using unnecessary resources as well. If your leftovers aren’t appealing for a second or even a third night, try adding them to a dish already prepared. Experiment with different left over food and you may make a whole new recipe and dish

2. Another way to save on food cost and help the environment out at the same time is to eat close to home. Why travel 50 miles to a fancy restaurant when there are many restaurants in your own town. Even if they are mom and pop stands, it’s nice to be giving back to your own community as well as eating at a place that you don’t have to drive so far to as well.

3. If you close up drafts around your home with things called draft snakes, you can make a few out of old fabric, you will save on energy cost that is slipping out the cracks. This technique works great for the winter and the summer as well. Install a programmable thermostat as well; program it to come on about 5 minutes before you come home.

4. Order your products online before heading out to shop for them. Yesterday was the infamous “Black Friday” and many of us could have saved a bundle, as well as the man’s life in New Jersey, if more of us had shopped online on Friday. Many of your regular products can be found in many online retailers and it cost less for you to pay online shipping then it is to drive from location to location. Many retailers have free or drastically cut shipping cost if you buy many products at once.

5. When you leave you home consider biking or walking to your location if it’s close. Even if it is a couple of blocks from your home, consider walking or biking there as well. The more you do it the easier it becomes and you will burn calories as well. We are a society of convenience, how convenient is it to head out on your own two feet and leave the same way you came without having to pay for parking or try to find your car in the parking lot of a large store? Pretty darn easy I say.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Large sized dog food bags can be made into a kitchen waste bag instead of wasting a plastic garbage sack. Just fill it the same way you would you regular garbage sack and save yourself that expensive of using yet another plastic bag.

1. Plug your computer, fax machine, copier, scanner, TV, DVD player, and even your Ipod and phone chargers onto a power strip and then simply switch it off when you are not suing them.

2. Replace 10 incandescent bulbs in your home or office with CFLs. Carpool to the office; donate used gear and sporting goods and even well worn older shoes that are good condition as well.

3. Turn down your water heater, air-dry your dishes and even use rechargeable batteries when you can.

4. Replace your clogged car filter; recycle plastics, paper, metals and glass no matter what. Look for recycled products as well and keep them in circulation.

5. Remove your car’s roof rack when you aren’t using it, drink filtered tap water instead of water that has been bottled and BYOB, bring your own bottle to places and refill it. Eat vegetarian twice a week at your home or at the office. Turn off the lights with you leave a room and turn off the ceiling fan when you aren’t in a room as well. Bike to most of your in-town errands and walk to places close like a friend’s house, or the library.

6. Cut down on your car washing, and sweep your driveway off instead of using the hose to spray it. Accelerate your speed gradually in your car to help save gas as well. Use the cruise control on the interstate and open highways. Always drive the speed limit, it’s better to be late then over-use your gas and even get a ticket.

7. Take a Navy shower by turning off the water while you soap up. Shave in the sink and not in the shower to help save water as well. Don’t overfill the bathtub.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Use environmentally friendly insulation on your home. It will help cut your heating and cooling cost as well as helps with your impact on the earth as well.

• Collect rainwater from downspouts and use it to water your won garden and plants.

• Say no to carpeting. Carpet contains more contaminants and pollen and dust than anything else in your home.

• Buy green power when you can and ask your utility company to off it if they don’t already. The typical U.S. household uses about 10,000 KWH a year.

• Repair, and don’t replace appliances. Each fix means your won’t be buying a new one and it will keep your old one out of landfills. IF you feel you must replace, then donate the broken or semi-broken one to a company that refurbishes or repairs then and resells then.

• Buy energy-efficient appliance when you do replace. Energy Star appliance use 10 to up to 50% less energy and water and must meet EPA efficiency guidelines.

• Dry your dishes on the dishwasher rack and if your dishwasher offers the air dry option, use that as well.

• Buy secondhand clothing or household items as tag sales and save the carbon cost of new production.

• Hang your laundry out to dry on a clothes line and eliminate one dryer cycle per week or more.

• Clean AC filters or replace them when necessary to keep your AC unit running smoothly.

• Run ceiling fans instead of the air conditioner in hot climates; this can save you more than a ton of CO2 waste within your won home.

• Use cold water to wash and rinse your clothes, only use hot water when the laundry is very dirty and always wash your bedding in hot water to kill bed bugs and dust mites.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Go for low flow showerheads, this switch can save you 1800 in eclectic cost and 43o in natural gas depending on how your water is heated. Not to mention the savings in water cost and waste as well. Consider putting in a low-flow toilet as well.

There is coffee and then the is good for the earth coffee. To make sure your coffee meets the standards for environmentally sound coffee be sure and consider these labels for your next cup of joe.

1. Certified Bird Friendly: Coffee must also be certified organic and shade grown without persistent, synthetic chemicals. There is also evidence of alarming rates of the decline of migratory birds, due in part to sun plantations.

2. Fair Trade Certified: Ensures that farmers earn a living wage by marketing their beans in a co-op fashion, which in turn cuts out the middleman. Fair Trade does require environmental stewardship but is not grown organically. But, most are that are sold in the United Sates.

3. Certified Organic: This is process which maintains and replenishes the soil, for the grower and the consumer, as well as the eco system. Synthetic pesticides are not used for well over three years of production. Farmers must have a sustainable crop rotations plant to prevent soil erosion and deplete the nutrient make-up in the soil.

4. Shade Grown: Shade grown coffee promotes biodiversification. Same as with the Certified Bird Friendly, the decline of migratory birds is due in part to the sun plantations. Organic conscious consumers are picky about the people that grow and pick their food as they are about the way the food is farmed.

Be sure and choose certified organic, bird friendly, fair trade and shade grown coffee. And if you regular coffee isn’t all of these or at least one, change your cup of joe to be more planet-friendly.

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Save energy, whenever you leave a room shut the light off. If you must need a light use a night light that is Energy-Star approved.

Americans throw away enough office paper to build a 12-foot-hgh wall from Los Angeles to New York. Recycling one time of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, a 380 gallons of oil. Making new paper from recycled paper used 30 to 50 percent less energy than making paper from trees, and it produces 95 percent less air pollution. Encourage everyone in your office to print and photocopy only when necessary, use both side of the paper when you do print, and try to reuse paper. Fro when you must print, here are a couple of accessories and ideas to help you work more green:

1. Recycled paper with 30 to 35 percent post consumer content, which is available at Office Depot stores.

2. Paper from nonwood fibers, such as Ecopaper made in Costa Rica from agro-waste. Paper made from agricultural residue is pricey, but this does encourage careful paper usage. The price will come down as production increases.

3. Recycled paper with 100 percent post consumer content, processed without chlorine, from The Green Office. Locating a green paper resource near your office will minimize pollution from transportation.

4. Use refillable pens made from recycled plastic.

5. Recycle your printer cartridges-for every ink or laser toner cartridge that is recycle, two quarts of oil are kept out of landfills.

6. Chlorine free and tree-free papers are the most ecofriendly choices to go.
(Source: Organic Gardening 2008)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Always turn the lights out in a room or closet when you are finished. What’s the point of leaving the light on anyway?

VERY GREEN HOUSE: Building a new home or redecorating a room? Visit the Green House at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. It’s a 7,00-suare-foot re-creation of the Glide House, a low maintenance, affordable modernist home. Guests can check out 60 eco-friendly products from countertops to carpets. If you can’t make the trip visit the website for ides to use in your own home.

Bring to your home some of their best eco-friendly kitchen practices.

1. DRINK LOCALLY: Water filtration systems are a great alternative to constantly buying water in plastic bottles. Local water systems are tested daily and contaminates are caught before they reach your water glass. Water bottles sit on store shelves for months before they are purchased and all the while they are being contaminated with chemicals from the plastic they are bottled in.

2. SALVAGE STILL-GOOD FOOD: Cut way bruises or soft spots in otherwise good produce, and use what’s left. By the same token, a little speck of mold needn’t ruin a whole block of chese-remove moldy bits and eat what’s left. Recyle semistale bread into breadcrumbs or bread pudding ingreients. Be creative and generate less waste.

3. SAVOR SCRAPS: Don’t toss vegetable scrps. Bits of carrot, onion. mushrooms, celery, and any other vegetable trimmings make great ingredients to add to soups or stocks. It’s a great way to eliminates unnescessary waste and cut food costs drastically.

4. CLEAN GREEN: Most cheap, store-bought cleaners with harsh chemicals, bleach, and phosphates in favor of biodegradeable products like Simple Green and those that use natural cleaning ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and citrus oils. These cleaning solutions may cost a bit more but as far as your health and impact on the earth, you shouln’t mid paying a bit more for those cleaning products.

5. BAG THE PLASTIC: Plastic wrap may be a convenient storage tool, but it’s also am environmental nusiance. Spend more money and buy containers for storage to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic wrap. You can use recycled bakers’ parchment paper to wrap up your food. IT’s recycled and biodegradeable, so it doesn’t stick around on the earth forever.

6. LOOK FOR THE ENERGY STAR: Next time you buy a new appliance or other household product (even eindows qualify), be sure it bears the blue-and-white Energy Star label. This label tell you the product has net the quality and energy-efficency guidelines of both the Environemental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. That means they use less energy, save your money all around, and protect the environment.

**Toni over at Watching the CW says she was left “hanging” after the last episode. Read her story behind how she felt about it and see if you don’t agree. While you’re there leave her a comment on how you felt as well.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Shred old paper for packing insteadof using Styrofoam peanuts. Even use shredded newspaper or left over material. If it’s soft, pretty much anything will work for packing material.

Five Steps To A Greener Yard: (Source: Conscious Choice Magazine)

• Go Native: Native vegetation requires less water (if any) and attractsbeneficial bugs, butterflies and birds, and because native plants are adapted to the area, they are more resistant to disease and pesky insects, negating the need for pesticides. The EPA’s web page Green Landscaping with Native Plants and The Washington Native Plant Society’s page are great places to start in looking for great native plants that will work in your garden.

• Eat Your Estate: You have head the stat: grocery store produce travels and average of 1,5000 miles before reaching your plate. But what could be more local than replacing your front with food for your family and your neighbors maybe. Start at these sites to give you the push in the right “gardening path”. How to Turn your Yard Into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community; The Edible Estates initiative, a national project designed to replace ther American lawn with fruit and vegetable garden.

• Keep The Rain: Growing in popularity, rain gardens are depressed areas of a yard that collect runoff instead of letting the water be carried to storm drains, collecting pollution along the way. In turn, the garden feeds native wetland plants, wildflowers and animals. Try Pond Appeal under their Eco-Friendly Rain Gardens to get started.

• Swap Your Shingles: If you live in an urban area and want a patch of green, or if you are looking to utilize the space on top of your house, consider swapping your shingles for a rooftop garden. Roof plants drink in storm water, mitigating runoff. They also absorb less heat, helping control temperaturs (particularly useful in metropolitan areas. Check out Green Roofs to get some ideas on where to begin.

• Give A Hoot: If you must have a lawn, don’t pollute. Reel mowers keep the air clean. Try organic fertilizers (the new generation of products on the market is far more effective). Gather your orange peels and grass clippings from composting. Rain barrelks can help with irrigation, or conserve water by using drip irrigation systems or watering by hand. With a few changes, you’ll be on your way to a more sustainable yard. Check out Safe Lawns and In Harmony to get a good idea of how easy it is to start a change for the positives right away.

**Find out the about the wonderful world of Apple over at Apple Reporter. Kristian Freeman, walks through the 2007-2008 year, at-a-glance with Apple Inc. Read it here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: When lighting a fire use sustainable matches from a sustainable company or use a refillable variety so it won’t end up in the landfills later after the flame is out.

61. Trade your home: If you trade your home with friends around the country you can enjoy vacations and stay for free.

62. Go camping, or rent a cabin: Don’t over look state parks and national forests, they are often less crowded and less expensive than you think.

63. Tray a local vacation: There are several things in your own town or even own state. Check out your states website and look what’s right in your own backyard.

64. Ask hotels about discounted distressed-traveler rates: If there is inclement weather you may get a discount.

65. There is no law against haggling with a hotel on the room rate: You never know if you don’t ask.

66. Make your vacation pay for you: If you volunteer or do a little helping out while you are on vacation you may get a room or even a cabin for free.

67. Buy food at local supermarkets when traveling: It’s much cheaper than eating at restaurants.

68. Choose a vehicle with fold down seats: If you are traveling and need a quick nap or to snooze for the evening and can’t find lodging, if you have a rental car with fold down seats you have an instant bed.

69. Definately choose used clothes for babies: Unless you receive them as a gift only buy new clothing for special occasions.

70. Trade babysitting time with other couples: This is a great one to use especially on short notices.

71. During the holidays, draw names for gift giving: Use this one for large families or even do a dirty santa or white elephant gift giving way.

72. Invoke a gift giving spending cap: This is a good one to use if you draw names.

73. Give homemade gift certificates: You can even make ones that they can redeem for summer tasks as well, such as mowing the lawn or helping plant a garden.

74. Donate to a good cause: The Heifer International is a great one to give as a gift instead of buying a gift. You can even get that money spent back when you get your taxes done at the end of the year.

75. Swallow you pride and except help when you need it.

**Lessa over at Big Brother Craze has the top ten Big Brother moments for your. And some are quite laughable. Read them here.**

*Natural and Sustianable Living Tip: Buy recycled toilet paper.

46. Campaign for a national health care system: If more and more people demand it, in the future the demand has to be met.

47. For the college bound, take some general classes at a state school ort community college where the tuition is lower: Even if you plan to take most of your classes a a more expensive college it’s a good idea to take the basics at a community college. Just check with the college you plan to go to after the community college to make sure the classes will transfer.

48. Attend an in-state college: Establish residency for a year or two beforehand, if you need to. You will save more money in the long run then just jumping right into a college.

49. Buy you college books online: Don’t give into the cost of the books at the college bookstore, they are there to make money for the college not help you out.

50. Watch for unique scholarship opportunities: Even the ones that help you gain help from other sources than cash. You may even get into opportunities where you get something for making the Dean’s List, or something similar.

51. Audit classes if need be: Especially in classes where you just want the knowledge not the credit.

52. For lessons, try bartering: Such as doing some work in photography in exchange for some dance lessons. Or sewing in exchange for some computer lessons.

53. Discontue your internet service and take advantage of a wireless “hotspot”: You can go in some towns to an internet cafe or even take advantage of someone else’s unsecure wireless. Even the smallest towns are now getting free wireless for residence.

54. Rediscover the radical notion of the library: You can get almost anything at a local library for free with a signed up membership and card. Even DVDs are at the local library.

55. Volunteer to usher: Get into plays, concerts and other events if you ask to volunteer and help out. All you have to do is ask.

56. Find low-cost fun in your local paper: Take full advantage of free concerts, events and even some movies.

57. When at a concert or movie, avoid buying anything to eat or drink while you are there: Some place will even let you bring in your own snacks or drinks.

58. Take turns entertaining with friends or neighbors: Potlucks and parties are a great way to entertain and get others involved.

59. Occasionally, go ahead and spend money: Spend money on things you know you will benefit from in the long run.

60. Volunteer: Organizations such as Willing Workers on Organic Farms

**JM over at Fiction Scribe has her “Thirteen Goals for Next Year”. Read her goals and while you’re there leave her a message and tell her your goals for 2008.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: If your shelves are overstuffed with books you’ve already read, check out BookMooch, a free service that help you trade books with others around the globe. You rack up points for each book you give away. Make a wish list and redee3m your points when a book you want becomes available. And here’s the cool thing: BookMooch has a list of charities it works with, so you can donate your points and shre in the literacy wealth with someone in need.

31. Do as Many Errands as Possible with Each Car Trip: Especially if they are around town. You will save a lot on gas.

32. Book any Airplane Trips Well in Advance: You will get the lowest possible fare.

33. Don’t go Into Stores Unless You Need Something: Always write up a shopping list. Most stores are designed to get you to buy things you don’t really need. The best thing I enjoy doing is window shopping. I can see what the stores carry without going in and I can also get birthday and Christmas present ideas that way as well.

34. Hit The End-Of-The Season Sales: When colder seasons hit, summer items will be on sale at the time and when hotter seasons hit, winter items will be on sale.

35. Before You Ship, Try Borrowing: Share large items with a family, friend or even a neighbor. Set up a borrowing co-op with your tools and large farm equipment, such as lawn mowers or Bushhog® tractors.

36. Try to Find it Used: If you shop yard sales, estate sales and thrift stores you may be able to find what you need and it probably will be ten times cheaper. Even though it’s used, it will be new to you.

37. When Buying New, Choose High-Quality, Durable Items: Think long term not quick and easy and cheaply mad. Even if the item cost more, if it last twice as long as it’s cheaper counter part then it will be worth the extra cost.

38. Instead of Shopping Scavenge: Watch the curbs are the end of a semister in a college town. If you live near a school, talk to the janitor the last day of school when the lockers are being cleaned out.

39. Buy Clothing Used Whenever Possible: You may have good luck finding clohtes at garage sales even too. Consignment shops are a great place to find well-made, and even some name-brand clothing.

40. Have a Clothing Exchange Party: It will be fun to trade clothes with friends and family and tell stories behind the clothing you are trading.

41. Try Sewing: Look for cheap material in thrift stores. Or if you get or are really good at sewing turn your outfits into something new.

42. Watch the Clearance Racks: Some stores may mark down even more off the price just to get it out of the store.

43. Ask a doctor or dentist if they have sliding scale fees: Some may even give you a break if you just ask.

44. Look for free or low-cost clinics: Maybe even a medical school. But be careful sometimes you get what you pay for.

45. Do preventive maintenance on your body: Exercise and eat well, try yoga for stress management and quit smoking or using tobacco chew products.

**Over at WWE Daily you can watch a tribute video to John Cena. Scooter has the whole scoop here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Green Buy: Ship your next package in a recycled box from Used Cardboard Boxes. The online store rescues trash-bound boxes and packing materials and sells them at a discount, so you will save money and trees.

16. Barter for Service with Carpenters: Try Time Banks.org.

17. Buy Into a Piece of Land with another Family or Your Neighborhood: Be sure to check local zoning ordinances to be sure you can legally sudivide a property before you buy it.

18. Build with Natural Materials Found On-Site: If you have wood, the equipment to mill it yourself is relatively inexpensive compared to buying lumber. If you want to really go all-natural build with stone or straw and use clay as plaster.

19. Close Off Unused Rooms: Especially in the summer when you run an air conditioner. It will save on cooling your home in the heat.

20. Be efficient with Your Appliances: Have a big baking night when you are going to use the oven. Let your woodstove also be your dryer and water heater.

21. Take Advantage of Natural Weather Patterns to Heat and Cool your Home: In the summer, open the windows at night and close them again by noon.

22. Place your Refrigerator in the Coldest Part of the House: It will require less energy to keep the temperature low.

23. Wash your Clothes in Cold Water: It’s the friction of the clothes rubbing against each other that does most of the cleaning, not the heat. For serious stains, use hot water only on those clothes.

24. Switch off Your Water Heater: When you are not going to use it for an extended period of time, like going on vacation.

25. Buy Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs: The savings on your electric bill adds up fast when you use these over time.

26. Unplug any Unused Electric Items with Lights, Clocks or Timers: They use some much power just sitting there.

27. Carpool with Friends or a Co-Worker: Some cities maintain online listings to help people connect with other carpoolers.

28. Ask if Your City Has a Carshare Program: Or start one with some people you trust.

29. Covert a Diesel Car to Run on Used Vegetable Oil: You will pay once for the conversion kit, but after that all your fuel will be free. All you have to do is find a restaurant that wants to dispose of their used oil and will let you cart it away.

30. Keep Track of Your Gas Milage: Look for ways to improve it. Keep your tires properly inflated and don’t speed. (Source: NH 2007)

**Ever wonder what else you can use an avacado with besides just for dip? Over at Earthly Eating, there are several recipes given to help you with that. Read them here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Pass on the paper towels and paper napkins, opt for cloth ones and just wash them. At your favorite restaurant, ask them to switch to cloth napkins instead of the paper ones.

1. Buy Raw Ingredients: Instead of prepackaged foods, save on food bills, and your body will thank you for it in the long run.

2. Buy In Bulk: From a local health food store, or place bulk orders directly with mail0order companies.

3. Avoid The Middleman: Buy directly from the farmer. Look for farm stand, cummunity supported agriculture programs and farmers markets.

4. Eat Fruits and Vegetables In Season: They will be less expensive. If you buy them when they cheap, buy a lot and freeze or can whatever you can’t eat before they go out of season.

5. Keep Up With What’s in Your Refrigerator: Make sure nothing spoils. Once a week, make soup or casseroles to use up vegetables and other leftovers.

6. Calculate the Price of Food Per Pound: When you visit the supermarket do your math. Doing the math will help you spot the good deals.

7. Don’t Overeat: When you do, you are flushing money down the drain. When you are full, you’re full. Trust your own body.

8. Find a Live-In Elder Care Position: It not only helps someone stay out of a nursing home. Even if it is to help out around the yard, get involved in that.

9. Help Renovate a House: In exchange for lodging. It maybe the way you aquire your next home.

10. Become a Housesitter or Pet Sitter, For Short-Time boarding: Watching someone’s pet while they are out of the country is a great way to have room and board for a short-time.

11. For Longer-Term Stays, Become A Long-Term Caretaker of Property: Try Care Taker.org

12. Look Beyond Realtors’ Listings: Thumb through penny or nickle ads. A lot of great things are listed in those tiny papers.

13. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask: If you find a piece of land you really like talk to the owner and find out is they are willing to sell. Just by asking the price may be cheaper than you think.

14. Salvage Materials for Your New Home: Look for a house that’s being renovated and might let you take materials from the site. Look in the yellow pages for used building materials, or look for online groups such as Freecycle, or one I started entitled The Repurpose Foundation. Join The Repurpose Foundation’s Group here. Where people trade all kinds of unwanted items and find new purpose for them.

15. Never Skimp on Insulation or Good Windows: Build your home tight enough, and it will cost much less to heat. Even a wood stove will help on heating, but be sure to burn clean with what wood you use. (Source: NH 2007)

**Looking for the best deals on televisions? Over at Home Theaters blog here at 451 Press, Marc Klink has some ideas for you. Read which ones are the best deals here.**

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Use organic beauty products. If you have makeup in your cabinet that is not organic, use up what you have so there will be no waste, then as you run out of a product, replace it with an organic choice. An organic choice, most not only have better ingredients but put their products in recycled containers.