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A huge part of being thrifty for me is being natural.

I find that when I focus on avoiding products that are toxic to either the environment or myself that I save a great deal of money. For example, if you take a visit to The Fun Times Guide to Living Green, you will find many ways to save money.

Here are some of the natural ways I use to save money…

 

#1 Carry canvas bags to the grocery store.
If I don’t bring my own bags with me, for example when I shop at ALDI’s Grocery stores, then I am tempted to purchase paper bags from them, because I hate bringing foreign cardboard boxes (which can harbor bugs) into my house.

#2 Clean with vinegar, soda, lemon juice, and other natural products.
It takes some discipline to mix your own household cleansers, but this health-saving habit is also a huge cost-saving habit.

#3 Walk instead of drive.
I think everyone should try to walk any place they have to go that is 1 mile or less.  It only takes the average person 20 minutes to walk one mile. Plus, they get lots of exercise, help the environment, and will also be able to fire their personal trainer.

#4 Purchase cotton and other natural fabrics that are machine washable.
Many synthetic fabrics, while cheaper during initial purchase, end up costing you a lot more in the long run.  They typically have to by dry-cleaned, and can withstand less wear and tear than natural cotton-based clothing.

#5 Avoid carbonated and other soft drinks.
It amazes me how much money people spend on diet soft drinks and red dye laden juice for their kids.  Not only are the chemical additives bad for your body, but these drinks eat up a large part of the food budget.  Instead, you can buy a filter and drink water… or at least make your own lemonade and iced tea.

UPDATE: The Today Show on NBC had a segment about this exact thing today! They had David Bach on the show. He’s the author of Go Green, Live Rich. His book is filled to the brim with lots of practical ways to save big bucks simply by living green in your everyday lifestyle.

Some of the big ways that he mentioned you can save money:

• 

  • Save
  Save $2,000 a year simply by taking your lunch to work.
• Consider using an electric lawn mower vs a gas one. The savings are substantial. (It costs about $5 a year to use the electric lawn mower, plus there’s no gas to deal with, no spillage issues, no smell, no toxic emissions.)
• Save $500 in a year by breaking a bottle-a-day water habit.
• You can even request a “green mortgage”, which is an energy-efficient mortgage where Energy Star appliances are utilized and you reap the rewards.

Here’s an excerpt from the book that highlights the bottled water point he was trying to make.

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• The Cost of Eating Green
• Eat Your Veggies Instead of Eating Up Energy
• 4 Web Tools To Help You Eat Local
• Going Out To Eat, But Staying Green