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Home > Blog > 30 Eco Friendly and Frugal Basics You Can Make
SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2011

30 Eco Friendly and Frugal Basics You Can Make

Is it possible we’ve discovered too many ways to “Go Green?” It’s become so trendy, sometimes it seems only wealthy people can save the planet. I’m glad forward-thinking billionaires have promoted it, but now every business from corner store to mega-corporation is selling the concept.

Despite all appearances, however, you don’t need to spend a lot of green to be green. In fact, good old-fashioned frugality was always eco-friendly. Take a look at these 30 basic things you can make yourself. These are simple “recipes” and formulas, and all of them will save both the environment and your bank account.

1. Dishwasher Soap
Mix together 1 cup washing soda, 1 cup Borax, ½ cup salt and ½ cup citric acid. Store tightly covered in a jar. Use one tablespoon per load. Add a splash of vinegar to the rinse dispenser for best results.

2. Pancake Syrup
I love maple syrup but it’s too expensive to let the kids use it every other day. Besides, I want something without the high fructose corn syrup. Combine 1 cup hot water, 2 cups sugar and ½ teaspoon maple flavoring. Bring to a boil and heat until thickened.

3. Lawn Spray
Mix 1 cup baby shampoo, 1 cup ammonia, 1 can of beer and ½ cup corn syrup in a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer. Top off with warm water and soak your grass with this lawn spray once a month. It’ll be green and healthy.

4. Compost

This one may seem obvious, and it is, but I think there are still many people out there who don’t know that making compost is easy. Really, it’s easy! To get started, check out CompostGuide.com or Plow & Hearth magazine.

5. Compost Bin
When I first tried composting, I was really put off by all the expensive composters I found online. The point of this exercise is to save money! Here’s a great solution that won’t break the bank.

6. Plant Fertilizer
If you’re still completely put off by composting, it’s okay. Rotting things can be scary. Have some leftover coffee grounds? Just throw them directly onto the dirt around your favorite plants. Grind egg shells and do the same. Pour leftover green tea on them. Kids have fish? Dump the old fish tank water. Every once in a while, take a pronged garden tool out there and scrape around to mix things up. Your plants will love you.

7. Weed Killer
Vinegar is a great weed killer. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray it on anything you can’t get out by the roots. It's one of the few things that will work against such noxious weeds as Canadian Thistle. All vinegars are diluted, so try and buy the highest concentration you can find at the supermarket.

8. Laundry Soap
A basic recipe that costs $0.03 per load and uses washing soda, Borax and grated bar soap can be found at Crafting A Green World. There are variations on the basic formula for protecting sensitive skin and for stain removal.

9. Make Dinner
Cooking anything at home saves you gas and is cheaper and healthier. Cooking magazines and websites can help or hurt. Don’t think you’ve got to serve the gourmet meal every night. Make things you like and look for recipes with few ingredients. If you have kids, get them involved. They’ll eat better and complain less.

10. Glass Cleaner
This is a classic eco-friendly and frugal recipe. Mix 2½ cups of water, ½ cup rubbing alcohol and 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a spray bottle. Use newspaper to wipe the windows. I know it seems counter-intuitive, but newsprint has no lint, which is why it works so well.

11. Furniture Polish

Combine the juice from 5 lemons with 1 cup of olive oil and pour into a spray bottle. Shake well before each use. Spray the polish on a clean cloth and wipe down your wood furniture to give it a shine.

12. Wrapping Paper
If you have a newspaper printing press near you, go down there and ask for a “remainder” roll of newsprint. There’s usually a lot of paper still on it, since the machines can’t operate properly once the roll gets below a certain diameter. Wrap gifts with this paper and get the kids to decorate with drawings. Or stamp it and add matching ribbon.

13. Fabric Gift Wrap
Another beautiful gift-wrapping idea is to use old fabric scraps for “furoshiki” gift wrap. This video shows lots of ways to do it. One of the cutest versions is for wrapping books – one of my favorite gifts in can buy for less at Goodwill.

14. Art Paints
In a glass mixing bowl combine ¾ cup flour, 1 tablespoon corn starch, ¼ cup salt and a package of Kool-Aid (your choice of color). Stir until evenly mixed. Bring 1½ cups of water to a boil and remove from heat. Pour 1½ cups boiling water and then 2 tablespoons vinegar directly into dry mixture, and stir carefully until combined. Cover loosely and let mixture cool until it comes to room temperature. Use as finger paints, with paintbrushes, or with other creative materials that can be used to apply paint to paper.

Get all tips at:  http://www.freeshipping.org/blog/30-eco-friendly-and-frugal-basics-you-can-make/

Posted 2:04 PM

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