This time of every year I start getting in the mood for Earth Day! Our area has a annual Earth Fest celebration with local grown foods made into yummy dishes, vendors doing "green" or "earth friendly" things, crafters selling their recycled goods. I've participated for the last 3 years and was going to again this year but I decided I've never been able to actually walk around and enjoy it for myself so that's what I plan on doing this year!
Though now I'm thinking I should have any ways. But I do plan on selling my recycled creations at Farmer's Markets this summer.
Being green also helps save the green. I'm really trying to assess where all of the money earned is spent so we can save money to pay down our debt.
We have successfully achieved Dave Ramsey's 1st goal of saving $1,000 in an emergency fund. We are currently trying to pay down the debt using his debt snowball to achieve goal #2. So in making reusable items from recycled sources we are saving money to apply to our debt.
In January we started using cloth diapers on our son Noah. That has already saved us about $72 in diapers. I made reusable cloth flannel wipes to use in conjunction with the cloth diapers so we no longer have to buy wipes either. Tonight I was recycling some of our towels, old receiving blankets, and some fleece I had to make new inserts for his cloth diapers as microfiber inserts stink very quickly.
Though I just purchased a babyville plastic snap plier today at Joann's Fabric's at a very great price to make my own mama pads (menstrual pads), I haven't used plastic in at least 2 years which saves money but also doesn't leech bad chemicals into your blood stream. I'm also in the process of making reusable tree towels, reusable cloth napkins, and reusable hankies vs kleenex. All year long I sneeze at least 4-5x daily as well as daily blow my nose. So we go through quite a bid of kleenex and its expensive!
I've found that vs buying fabric at outrageous prices at the fabric store even if you have sweet coupons that I like purusing Goodwill and other 2nd hand stores for flat bed sheets. They come in tons of awesome patterns and entirely cheap! Usually $2.99 and you can do so much with them. I've also come to find out that I'd much rather prefer to do clothing shopping at 2nd hand stores. Its hard for Noah in smaller cities such as where we live as there doesn't seem to be much in anything his size. Though the facebook groups I belong to have quite a few great deals when you need something.
I'm reading a book called, "America's Cheapest Family," and its written by a husband and wife, Steve & Annette Economides on how to get out of debt and pay cash. A lot I already new but a lot I needed to be reminded upon as well. Like if you make a monthly calendar for breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks, go grocery shopping once a month, stick to your list only, you save a lot of money. Not only in gas going to the grocery store but when you have a menu and you know what you're going to make you know how much to buy and you have it on hand so when you're hungry you don't have to waste electricity with the fridge door open wondering what in the world you are eating tonight. Also helps you to eat the proper proportions if you're trying to lose some weight!
Tomorrow is my sewing day as my mother is going to watch my son for the majority of the day as she misses his company. So I'll post pictures as soon as I'm through!
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