I know that for a long time, I wanted to live a more eco-friendly life but I was held back by the expense of it. It wasn't until about three months into my pledge to live more frugally that I started to realize how much greener we were being.
I started by making my own detergent. I'm still using some of the original supplies I bought when I made my first batch. Our clothes haven't suffered, except we did have to get used to not having the (chemically created) fresh from the dryer smell that so many laundry companies convince you that you can't live without. Instead of using fabric softener, I put white vinegar into my softener ball. It softens the clothes in a chemical free manner.
In an effort to save money from extensive drying time, I put one dry towel and four tennis balls in with every load that goes into the dryer. I would love to line dry but our landlord won't allow a line outside. I never even thought about how much less energy we were using, I was simply focused on the money savings.
I have stopped buying shampoo. I have been a no-poo pusher since late spring. This started because we were flat broke, I was out of shampoo and my hair was greasy. The wonderful thing about not shampooing is that my hair isn't being damaged by the sulfates. I used to think I had super frizzy hair but now, I have outrageous curls. And once you stop using the sulfates and re-train your body, you will cut back on how many times per week you wash. I now wash my hair once a week and the rest of the days I simply rinse the products out. Once I'm out of my current products, I will also be switching those to all natural, homemade versions as well. I can't even think of how many bottles I haven't used!
As much as I love various skin care products, I really can't afford them. So, I started finding recipes online and making my own. I now treat myself to an olive oil/castor oil mixture to clean my face and a brown sugar body scrub to exfoliate on a regular basis. I also have different masks I can apply for a spa night at home. All of these are homemade without any chemicals and I put them in the same glass jars every time I make them.
These are just a few of the ways I have gone green and frugal at the same time.
