There are a lot of buzz words out their when it comes to “going green.” Sustainable. Recycled. Organic. Green. and more! What does all this even mean and why does it even matter?

At the most basic level, “going green” just means doing your part to keep the earth in its best shape. Depending on who you ask you’ll get a ton of different reasons and motivations for going green. My personal opinion is that it is a matter of being a good steward with what we’ve been given.

Making better decisions about the waste we make, the energy we use, and the products we buy doesn’t have to be expensive or hard. Here are ways you can go green on a budget:

1. 1. Save energy buy making sure the lights are all off when you leave the room and when you leave your house.


2. 2. Even though your computer is sleeping, its still using energy! Shut your computer all the way down and turn it off before you go to bed.


3. 3. Consider cooking outdoors or enjoying foods that don’t need cooking (like salad, raw fruits and veggies, etc.) in the warmer months. Grilled food is delicious but it will also keep you from heating your house. Turning on the stove or oven only makes your air conditioning work harder! You’ll save energy AND money!


4. 4. Speaking of food - consider making more of your meals at home. Take out means lots of garbage - take out boxes, bags, paper napkins, silverware. Cooking and eating at home on real plates and silverware will cut down on waste AND save you money too.


5. 5. Take it a step farther - Consider cooking more REAL foods. Real food like fresh fruits and veggies, fresh meats, cheese, and eggs are usually in less packaging than frozen foods, processed, and prepared foods. Cooking more meals from scratch is better for your health, wallet, AND the environment.


6. 6. When you preparing those meals consider putting plant food scraps and egg shells, coffee grinds, etc in a compost bin. You can start your own compost bin or pile to reduce your waste and the compost will be a great start to growing some of your own plants!


7. 7. Got leftovers? Pack up leftover foods in reusable glass containers for heating up later.


8. 8. Need lunch on the go? Pack your lunch at home in reusable containers and include a glass water bottle full of filtered water. You’ll save money staying out of the drive throughs AND you won’t be contributing to making more garbage.


9. 9. Switch your paper towels and napkins for cloth dish towels and napkins. It is a small investment up front but you’ll save a TON of cash in the long run. Use a prepaid card to make the upfront investment or if buying cloth napkins is cost prohibitive for you, consider making your own! Use old baby receiving blankets, old clothing like flannel shirts or T-shirts. Cut them up and hem if you desire. You’ll be reusing something old and keeping it out of the trash too!


10. 10. Hang up and reuse your bath towel more than once. Less laundry to do? Where do I sign up?? You’ll be using less water and laundry soap, and less energy when you reuse your bath towel -especially the more family members you have!


11. 11. When clothes don’t get dirty hang them back up and re-wear them. I’m not suggesting you wear stinky clothes but if you’ve only been at the office, or worn clothes for a short while, instead of tossing them in the clothes hamper consider wearing them again before washing. Jeans are a great place to start!


12. 12. SHARE. This is the best way to save money and to go green. Instead of tossing out things you don’t need consider giving them to someone else who can use them. Things like outgrown clothes, magazines you’ve finished reading. The same thing applies to food. Consider buying in bulk and sharing the cost with a friend. You’ll save money buying bigger and there will be less packaging to toss into the landfill.

These are just a FEW easy ways to go green. There are plenty more ways! Take a look around your house. Where can you do better? Consider making one change a week and then stick with it! Going slow means you’ll be more likely to keep doing it! When we ALL make small changes BIG things happen!

Do you have other tips for "going green" on a budget you can share? Let us know on Facebook!

Denise Sawyer is the founder of WholesomeMommy.com, a blog for busy moms who are trying to feed their family REAL food. Her mission is to show others how to live a fabulous life by spending time, not money, building relationships and memories with your loved ones. She is a wife and mother of two, and has her Masters Degree in Education. She is a teacher at heart, and aims to teach others all she has learned about living a wholesome life.