From your fellow readers

Hello everyone,

This week, especially due to mid-term exams before spring break, I would love to take this opportunity to turn this post to you guys, the readers!

Jamie, a fellow reader, told me about TerraCab, a new business that has recently launched that provides fleets of emission-free pedicabs. Plus, they are sponsored by other companies so they are absolutely FREE to riders. These cabs will start becoming available on Earth Day, April 22nd, in Seattle, Washington, but they do plan to expand nationally. The vehicle works via petal-power by a trained driver, which contains a rechargable battery to work the headlights and signal lights, and to assist on hills. Plus, the companies that also sponsor these vehicles give free coupons to riders. So a free ride, and an emission-free vehicle to get where you need to be, where do I sign up? For more information, check out their website (http://www.terracab.com) or call 1-877-7FREERIDE. Hopefully they will be expanding nationally very soon!

Naomi, another fellow reader, told me about Beatmyprice.com, a new price comparison website that will search the web to make sure consumers are getting the very best deal. This site works a little differently from most in that the more you search, the more the website will continue to grow! Be sure to keep an eye out for coupons as well to save even more, which can be found at RetailMeNot.com.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to mention Frugal Focus, of which this blog is a feature of. Not only will you see posts from my blog on here, but you can also find posts from blogs very similar to mine, especially with ways to save money. Its a great chance to see more ideas in one spot, explore the other great blogs out there, and as always, hearing what Frugal Green Girl has to say this week!

Just as I posted reader submitted ideas here today, I always want to hear of the new things you have discovered in your frugal/green quests as well. If you have a good idea, feel free to email me at frugalgreengirl@gmail.com.

Also, just as an FYI, I will likely not post until mid-week next week- a very cruel professor decided to make our essay mid-term due in the middle of our spring break week. :(

Energy Saving Search

The power of our computers can be a huge, energy-consuming matter. While I love my computer dearly for all it helps me with in life, its not always a friend to the environment. There are lots of great computers out there that allow for an "energy saving mode", or carry the energy star compliancy sticker. So what if a new computer is not in your future right now or you don't have an energy saving computer? Well, believe it or not there are even more ways to save energy than just buying an energy star compliant computer, or turning on the energy-saving mode on your computer.

The colors used on your display screen can be an energy waster by the brightness of the color used. For example, Google is a prime example of a absolute white screen, that takes more energy to produce than, say, black. While I know not all of us can have the advantage of choosing a black over a white backdrop, its something to think about when putting a picture on your desktop, or keeping some windows down on the scroll bar, rather than keeping them up on your screen if you aren't using them.


Treehugger.com also wrote an article regarding this phenomenon:

"Take a look at Google, for instance, who gets about 200 million queries a day. Let's assume each query is displayed for about 10 seconds; that means Google is running for about 550,000 hours every day on some desktop. Assuming that users run Google in full screen mode, the shift to a black background will save a total of 15 (74-59) watts. Now take into account that about 25 percent of the monitors in the world are CRTs, and at 10 cents a kilowatt-hour, that's about $75,000/year, a goodly amount of energy and dollars for changing a few color codes."

Also, many people have created "black" versions of Google's popular search engine:

• http://black-google.blogspot.com/
• http://www.blackle.com/
• http://www.blackoogle.us/

While I know it seems using these search engines may be only a small drop in the bucket, every little bit helps! If we all adopt this strategy, it will begin to add up. You'll also save slightly on your electric bills for conserving energy, so its a win for our environment and your pocketbook!

Try Before You Buy: Gym Membership

Over the past month I have started training to run a half-marathon in April. I was very excited at the prospect, and I knew training for the event would be my biggest challenge. Staying committed to any type of program that requires discipline can be hard for anyone. Due to the cold weather that occurs during this time of year, I thought it would be too harsh for me to run outdoors having no real experience in running. Normally, I use our student recreation center, which provides free gym membership for all current students. However, on weekday nights, I found this place to be quite on my nerves. There are no fans on to ventilate the place properly, and it was incredibly crowded, which left me sometimes waiting in line to use a treadmill. In addition, I also have a minor phobia about crowded places, which got me to think of turning to a new place to continue training.

Looking at gyms for membership can be an overwhelming process, with a lot of information to consider. Now, obviously the most environmentally friendly route for exercise is to be out in mother nature herself, not on energy consuming exercise machines. Always consider that option first. In my case, I decided to take on gyms that would allow a one month membership, instead of committing myself to a year membership. Gym memberships can be so expensive, and they are hidden with loads of fees, even for just enrolling as a member. In addition, these rates can also increase every year. Although paying for membership on a per month basis will likely be more expensive than as an enrolled member, you are not committed to something that you risk not using every month. Hence, I enrolled for a month until the weather gets warm enough to run outside.

If you are thinking about enrolling in a gym membership, consider many options for information:

• Talk to friends, family, or co-workers about where they go. What do they think? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a member at their gym? Sometimes referrals from other members can also get you discounts.
• Check out online resources like insiderpages.com that provide reviews on local businesses in your area.
• By all means, take a tour! Take tours of multiple prospective gyms, especially if you are looking to train in a specific area. Do they have the equipment or the services you are looking for? Do not be afraid to ask questions about their gym, this is a big portion of your money that is going to them.
  
• Many gyms will offer a trial membership, take advantage! Some are for a week, some a day, but either way it will give you an opportunity to feel what things are like in this environment. Often these trial memberships will be posted on the gym's website or a sign on the in or outside.
  
• Beware of clauses in your membership contract. Someone I know enrolled in a gym for a specific group fitness class, which was later canceled after she had enrolled. She was not allowed for a refund or to cancel or transfer her membership.
• BE SURE this is something that can fit into your monthly budget and will be worth the use! Gym membership is not getting any cheaper these days, so be sure it is worth the money up front.
• If you are looking to use a single piece of equipment the entire time during your membership, like in my case, a treadmill, consider the advantages of purchasing this item. Generally the use of this item over its lifespan will be paid off much sooner than your gym membership, and you will still have something tangible after all is said and done.
  

Starting an Emergency Fund

Over the past couple months, I have decided to take up my mother's advice, and start a type of semi-emergency fund. I'm not talking about the emergency funds that the big boys in personal finance talk about, which apparently should be anywhere from 3-6 months of your salary in case the worst happens, I'm talking about a smaller version that we all can live with. The premise for this account is simple - open another account at your bank or credit union (I just call mine "extra") and set the account to take out a small amount, like $10-$20 per paycheck, out of your savings or checking account (where ever you put your paycheck).


Because it is such a small amount of money, you hardly even notice its gone. Over time, this amount will build up, not to a staggering amount by any means, but something to aid you in case your washer breaks, or the car needs repairs. The blow seems less detrimental to your budget when you already have an account set up for that sort of thing. I have had no real need to use this account yet, but now that I have saved up a decent amount, I would feel sort of sad if I had to take from it, which is a new experience in comparison to my normal bad spending habits.

The Advent of Stainless Steel Waterbottles

Due to a time crunch last week, I was unable to post for that week, in turn you will receive two posts from me this week. So be sure to read the following entry after this one to get your fix. :)

Last month I was contacted by the owner of Cynergreen, a company that manufactures and sells various types of stainless steel water bottles in order to promote less waste and earth friendly products (They also do some other great stuff, but I leave it to you to visit the website if you want to know more). I had been noticing over the past couple of months that more and more of the stainless steel type of water bottle appearing around my place of work, and I was wondering if these would feel better and work better than my plastic Rubbermaid water bottle I had been using since the beginning of my going green days. Anyway, they gladly sent me one to give it a trial run. To say up front, these bottles are BPA free, which you may know from a previous entry here on Frugal Green Girl, is something to look out for. I would suspect that since stainless steel is generally treated the same, that most stainless steel water bottles, regardless of manufacturer, are BPA-free as well.

This is the water bottle that I received, which is just the right color for me and this blog. I tested this out for the following week, and came to the following list of pros and cons about using this type of bottle:
Pros:

• The stainless steel does a good job at keeping water cooler than my plastic Rubbermaid bottle, or in my mind it felt cooler at least.
  
• This bottle also had a convenient carabiner for easier carrying.
  
• Despite its wide mouth opening, spilling was rare for me (and that's something you don't want people to see at the office).
• Holds a good amount of fluid (20 oz). However, stainless steel bottles come in all shapes and sizes. My boss has a gigantor bottle that holds 48 oz.
  

Cons:

• Something about metal in my mouth that I don't like...I don't know how other people feel about this, but metal on my teeth sometimes gives me a goosebump-like feeling.
• I really didn't like the twist-off top. I would spend a lot of time trying to either get it off, or trying to put it back on correctly so it fit in the alignment of the lines in the metal to hold it on. This seems to be a common theme among all stainless steel water bottles, so if it doesn't matter to you as much, then there is little here to worry about.
  

Truthfully, I still use my plastic Rubbermaid one over the stainless steel bottle, but I will still use the stainless steel water bottle occasionally. The point is, if you aren't using a form of reusable water bottle by now, you should take its value seriously. Not only are you saving the planet by reusing materials, but you are also saving money by not purchasing bottled water and using water from either the tap or a Brita/Pur pitcher.

Making your own Bread!

If you can't tell by my blogroll, I am a huge fan of The Simple Dollar. If I could do blogging as a full time job, I would like to think this blog would be modeled similar to Trent's. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out! While his blog is mostly about personal finance issues, going green can often be a product of saving money. Anyways, one of his most popular entries is the value of homemade bread and how to make it. While I wasn't sure about this at first, since bread at the store typically costs a little more than a dollar (or 79 cents at Aldi stores), I wasn't sure if this could be a good timesaver. However, Trent talks about the amount of preservatives in bread in order to maximize shelf life, and what effect this has on the actual taste of the bread and your health for that matter. I remember when I was a kid during the 90s and popularity of the bread-baking machine, and tasting not only the goodness of homemade bread, but also the warmth from the oven. Its a really good taste, which is likely why I eat so much of it in nicer restaurants that make their own bread. So anyway, after reading Trent's entry I thought this would be worth a try, especially because I would like to be learning more about how to cook. I have pretty much never done any type of bread making in my life, but followed the instructions and some common sense logic, and turned out a beautiful and delicious loaf of bread. It was actually a fairly easy thing to do on a Sunday as well, which for me is like a chore day and a lounging day around the house, so adding in bread making wasn't all too much of an inconvenience. Plus, you get to punch the dough for a good ten minutes, which can be a great stress reliever! Nothing like hitting two birds with one stone on this one.

This was my end product for my first try at baking homemade bread, and it was quite scrumptious! The ingredients are a simple mixture, no real rocket science here, and getting in the appropriate amount of flour. All you need is a packet of yeast, milk, butter, sugar, salt, and flour. Again, for more detailed instructions (with great pictures) check out Trent's entry at The Simple Dollar. Even through industrial bread only costs a little over a dollar, the cost of the ingredients are likely to be less, especially if you buy them in bulk, and its flat out better for your health without all the preservatives of industrial bread. You could even use organic ingredients and make this even more healthy! Your local co-op is a great source for these ingredients, and many grocery stores are now adapting a "natural foods" section where organic foods are more available and affordable.

Consider giving this one a try, you might even enjoy it (the punching especially)!

The Value of Customer Reviews

For those of you with larger dogs, I find trips to pet stores a challenge in terms of finding effective dog toys that aren't destroyed in seconds. I will spend a great deal of time standing in aisles, contemplating whether this toy will withstand my dog's chewing ability. After numerous attempts at trying to find "good" dog toys for my young lab at my local PetCo store, I decided to take up on Amazon.com's 4-for-3 deal on pet toys. I was on the hunt for the "indestructable" dog toy, hoping to find more than one. While the descriptions are helpful, the one thing I find myself looking to more commonly is the customer reviews. DO NOT underestimate the power of this information. I cannot tell you (nor do I want to think about) the amount of money I have spent on dog toys that have been destroyed in a matter of minutes.

This review is one that I read for the "Busy-Buddy Tug-a-Jug", one of the many toys that involves a puzzle with treats or food. I'm happy to say that after 4 days, it is still in tact and looks like it will be with us for a while. I was happy to find reviews written my dog owners with a similar problem - the power chewer. I plan to continue buying dog toys on-line solely for the customer reviews I can read after finding 4 good quality dog toys. While some are more expensive, I would rather spend the money on something that will last a year or two, rather than something that will be shredded to pieces within a few days. In addition, online retailers like Amazon generally have cheaper prices than pet stores, will have good deals like the buy 3 get one free, and have a greater variety of toys than any store. These reviews are on many retailer websites, like Walmart or Target in addition to Amazon, so be sure to look for them and take advantage of the information they have to offer.

I also used these reviews when making large purchases, like the recent laser printer I bought a few weeks ago. With 52 customer reviews and an overall star rating of 4.5 out of 5, this gave me confidence this printer would work well. The reviews also give you an opportunity to find out about minor faults or things that you wouldn't know about until you have actually purchased. The common complaint with my printer was the paper would curl easily, however, I considered it minor when deciding to purchase, and I do not have that problem after using it.

This practice is also very similar to Consumer Reports, which is something I subscribed to over the past year to purchase 2 vehicles and new cell phone service provider. Consumer Reports provides information on cars, electronics, appliances, insurance, child and baby items, and more. To date (our cars were purchased in February and April of last year), the cars that we have bought have had no problems, and neither has our new cell phone provider. You can receive all the information over the internet for only $5.95 on a per month basis, and cancel when you don't need it anymore.

Consider the power of customer reviews next time you are making a purchase that involves consideration of the variety of products available, it can save you a good deal of money when you buy right the first time around.

Reducing What You Print

Being a graduate student, I have a lot of crap to print. Professors always want us to read extra outside articles in addition to whatever textbook readings there are. Plus, I want to save a lot of these for my doctoral comprehensive exams in a few years for studying purposes. When I first moved here, I was fascinated by the fact that Kansas seems to lack an environmental awareness, and the amount of printing seems to only add to it. My undergraduate university had double-sided printers everywhere, which saved students A LOT of paper. Imagine the difference of only using 15 pages of paper rather than 30.

I know many of you are probably thinking, "Why don't you just read them on your computer? That is a much more ecofriendly way of reading papers for classes." I know. And I agree with you. However, I care about my vision, I'm not someone who can read 30 pages of pdf files for hours without getting a headache. Plus, I am also someone who likes to take notes on the paper and highlight certain ideas. Its much more generative for my thinking.

Anyway, so yesterday my husband was having issues with one of our older printers. He was trying to print homework for his classes and the printer just kept saying the paper was out when it clearly was not. We ended up printing from my printer (I seem to accumulate free ones when I buy new computers, and I have another in my office). But overall, I cannot express how much I hate inkjet printers. If one drop of water touches the paper, the ink goes everywhere, and I find myself conserving the ink as much as possible because it seems to run out so quickly, thus costing me another $30 to $35 for more ink cartridges. While I am sure there are ways to save in this department (refilling cartridges rather than buying new ones, primarily), I have decided to purchase a laser printer with double sided printing. When you actually look at the money you save buy going with a laser printer, in addition to the double-sided printing, its quite amazing.

With a laser printer cartridge (i.e. toner), I bought a $70 "high-yield" cartridge that prints approximately 7,000 pages. That's 1 cent per page. Comparing to ink jet cartridges, which can differ in price, but if you just say $35, which is what I paid on average for an ink cartridge for my Canon printer, averages about anywhere from 200 to 450 pages at 5% coverage. If you are at a higher capacity, (the 450 page mark) that's about 8 cents a page, and at lower capacity (200 pages) it costs around 18 cents a page. That's a huge difference!

With my husband now returning to school and needing to read outside articles, I could only see benefit in purchasing a laser printer. "But aren't those expensive? They are usually a very big and complex machine." I hear you thinking. True, but its a key to know of where are the right places to look. Amazon.com, for example offers excellent deals on laser printers, rather than paying full or expensive prices at your local Office Max or Best Buy. I purchased the Brother HL-5250DN REFURBISHED printer. For a new one of these printers, it would be $190 on Amazon.com, or $250 at a store. A refurbished printer cost $160. New or refurbished, I don't think this printer is very expensive in comparison to other laser printers, especially ones with all the bells and whistles. But when I buy refurbished, I save $90! You can always save money by purchasing a company refurbished product, which also typically comes with a warranty to ease your mind.

Add this all up with the amount of paper you save by using a double sided printer (which you can always turn off if you have a paper to turn in that cannot be double sided), the savings are colossal. If you have a lot to print, consider looking at what else is out these. Laser printers are more affordable nowadays than you think.

The debate of "Doggy Daycare"

I'm sure you have seen them around your town or a nearby city... doggy daycare businesses. They take care of your dog during the day while you're at work, and will typically board your dog while your out of town as well. When I first saw these places, I thought "boy, people need to know the line that they have crossed when they can't even take care of their own dogs", but now, I have become one of them.

As you may or may not know, I have an active, year-old yellow lab in my house, whose energy is usually bogging down my ability to get my work done at night (Those familiar with my situation may sympathize). On most days, I would come home for lunch to let him out, and then return to work/school, while he is spending around 8 hours a day in a crate. This semester I was not as fortunate to have an hour to come home every day at lunch, and have been forced to bring my dog to one of these places.

While I am frustrated about the cost of these places, I find myself feeling better that my dog is tired at the end of the day, sleeping happily on the couch with me in the evenings, rather than being worried about how to entertain or distract him while I am trying to work on homework. The place that I bring my dog charges about $13 a day when you buy a package deal of 20 days. Additionally, today I had an incident with the daycare place where my dog was bit on the ear after startling another dog. I, knowing my dog's personality, did not think much of it, while the owner of the business apologized many times to me and cleaned his wound numerous times throughout the day. I could tell he felt deeply sorry and guilty about the situation, even though I have no idea how he felt it could have been prevented. Either way, he also offered me 5 free days of dog care due to the hole left in my dog's ear.

While this story does not have much of a point of being green or saving money (besides having my dog bit in the ear that gave me some free days), I was thankful to find my dog under the care of such nice, friendly, and caring people, and an important awareness to have in the world of today's franchises and falling economy is regarding the local businesses in our small towns or big cities that provide a presence in the community like no other. I have no problem giving more money to businesses that give back to the community, are an active member of the community, and provide a level of customer service that you may not get anywhere else. Not too long ago the corporate business did not exist, and all stores were the "mom & pop" type. Consider giving hometown and local businesses a shot at serving you, you may be pleasantly surprised, and helping out your local economy. In a way, its very similar to the idea of "organic" products - only with the business in mind.

Green Landscaping and Care

While I do not have the opportunity to take upon this myself, I'd like to encourage you to think about landscaping your property - "green" style. The best way to go about this is to plant native species in your yard. "Native" refers to a plant or tree indigenous to your particular area. The major plus side of planting native species, the best part is that they take care of themselves! You dont need to plant any special type of soil, or water obsessively (i.e. waste water). Native plants will thrive in the soil you plant them in, as well as the work well with weather conditions for that region of the country. In other words, planting native species in your yard will save you time and save you money with the decreased water expense. Plus, native plants also work with and enhance local ecosystems.

Not only am I talking about plants, but also about the grass that covers your yard. Many people plant the common blue Kentucky grass, which, unless you live in that native region, requires a lot of watering during those hotter months. This amount usually ranges around 3 inches of water (again, depending on your area) to keep your grass looking good. That's a lot of water!

For information on native trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns, and grasses, check out plantnative.org

Also, if you have a nice big backyard, consider creating your own composting bin. This website offers numerous plans for different types of composting bins, but keep in mind that they do not have to be a complex item that requires a construction crew to build. It can be as simple as taking some steel fence wire, looping it around and attaching it to make a circle, and then adding your compost. All that would be needed for tools is a wire cutter. You can build more than one to create a "compost fence" or a cool fort for your kids!

In addition, if you have a canine friend living with you, there are ways to compost your pup's waste to save space in landfills. City Farmer has a lovely website on how to create these bins, step-by-step, and other ways to dispose of your friend's fecal matter in an environmental friendly way.

I'm anxious for the day I will have a yard! :)

Welcome to the New Year!

Hi Everyone,

My apologies in taking much longer than expected to write a new post, I have been busy organizing a preparing for the new semester, ready and refreshed to update you on my recent findings in the world of green and frugal living.

Have you made any new resolutions for 2009? Among my few, is to keep up my blog here with you as well as continue using products, services, and ideas I have advocated for on this blog previously. With that in mind, I'd like to take this time to tell you about what I have chosen to keep up with over the past 6 months since the birth of this blog. Some ideas have worked out really well, while others, seemed like a good idea at first but may have not fit me personally. These ideas go in order of blog entries by date, with the first one being the first blog entry on money saving and green ideas. So if you are looking for more information on one of these topics, go to "older posts" at the bottom.

1. I still type in Coca-Cola rewards points to save up for products, but have only gotten the magazine I told you about in the post, Ready-Made. I haven't considered getting anything else with the points yet, with how much soda we consume I was thinking of getting something big after saving a while.
   
2. Selling on half.com has been at a halt for me, since it seems all of my good stuff is bought and I am left with stuff people aren't really interested in, however, its still up there waiting to be sold.
3. Unfortunately, at this point I do not bring food with me to ball games anymore, as when I tried I forgot the essence and addiction of hot dogs at baseball games. Without them, it feels strange, plus you are surrounded by them with other fans. I think this would be a better option to consider with children.
4. I have stopped making jewelry at this point, and have had little time to crochet (But look forward to getting back to it in the summer hopefully). Recently, a new door in cake-decorating has opened for me and has given me the chance to make money there. My crafty side always finds a way!
5. I have not taken advantage of PetCo's pet food program, but it looks like due to my recent vet visit I will be soon due to my dog's change in diet. He will be changing to an all-natural (organic) food diet, which is only available at places like PetCo or your Veterinarian. Remember, its buy 10 bags, get the 11th free!
6. I have not tried out Couch Surfing yet, but I know it will come up soon in the future :)
7. I still use my reusable grocery bags religiously. When I do forget them, I am immediately filled with ecological guilt.
   
8. All of my water bottles are BPA-free, and I will be reviewing a stainless steel BPA-free bottle soon :)
9. I do not have a wish list at this point, which might be something to add to my Resolution to-do list.
10. I have a holiday account, which is programmed to do reoccurring withdrawals every week in small amounts. That way, you hardly notice when its gone!
11. I do shop certain used stores, particularly Half-Price Books and Hastings. I have yet to go to consignments shops.
12. I watch Planet Green occasionally, but to be frank, I don't have much time to watch TV at this point, which I regard as a good thing.
13. I do subscribe to emails to some of my favorite stores, however, the constant emails from stores like Kohl's are starting to get obnoxious. Better emails have been from Michael's (craft store) and Best Buy.
14. I have gone paperless for my cell phone bills, and appreciate the option very much, since I can save or access my bills at any point (I'm with AT&T).
15. As for the whole issue with coupons, I have pretty much given up at this point. To me, you are either a coupon person or not, and at this point, coupons just don't work well with my lifestyle. I can see these being more useful with a larger family that buying 2 or more of a particular item makes sense.
16. I do go to my local Co-op, but not for major groceries, usually just for small things I cannot find anywhere else. Co-ops are difficult for me since they can be particularly expensive. Many items in a Co-op you can find in regular groceries stores due to the growing need and awareness of organic and natural options, and they bring cheaper prices with them.
17. I just recently purchased a AAA membership before my long 600 mile car ride home for Christmas, just in case something were to happen on the way. The security and peace of mind go a long way.
    
18. I still shop religiously at ALDI, and have brought friends there who may be looking for ways to save money.
    
19. Me and cooking is still a very foreign idea here, but I have been making attempts recently. I have been going through Cooking for Two magazine to find suitable recipes, however I am cursed with a picky eater. I wish there were just basic cooking classes around, it would help me a lot.
20. I have not taken AMTRAK or use megabus.com, but next Christmas might be a possibility.
21. I have tried drying clothes outside in the summer, but I have been having trouble with clothes getting very stiff and rough feeling. Does anyone have a good solution? I am guessing a clothes line would work better than a clothes rack at this point.
22. I have not created any cleaning products from natural ingredients, but I hope to do so soon. I think the problem is I don't really run out of cleaning supplies quickly and then will forget to do it when the time comes.
    
23. I do not keep a price journal...I know I should, but I think this will fall under the "should, but never will category".
24. For a couple of months, I did keep a journal keeping track of every cent that went in and out of the bank account, and I found this was useful to keep track of for a few months to see where everything is going, and to evaluate where you can cutback. I ended up purchasing Quicken, a home accounting software program, but no longer use either method after seeing where cuts in spending needed to be made. Plus, I know my husband felt like he was being watched after every time he spent money, and no one should have to feel like that all the time.
    
25. I am currently on the freecycle email digest, but have not contributed or taken anything in a very long time.
    
26. I have decreased the amount of hair products I use, and use the generic brands as well.
    
27. I still use the Diva Cup, and I have changed my birth control method to every 3 months, which has not changed anything about my periods besides the time in between each.
    
28. I have a pile of pants to bring to a tailor to get them fit better, most are slightly to big for me, and one pair I would like the zipper changed to a button fly. One thing I still want to do soon is to go through my dresser and throw out clothes I know I wont be wearing anymore.
    
29. ThethingsIwant.com was an unbelievable lifesaver this Christmas. I left home with awesome stuff that I actually wanted and could use, and no repeats and dissatisfied family members. I plan to continue using this website for years to come.
30. I have finally kept on a regular daily vitamin supplement and calcium supplement, which I am happy I have been able to keep up with and motivated to continue taking.
31. I have joined upromise.com to save for my endless college loans, and have been using them frequently at my grocery store trips.

Whew...so there you have it, what I have been keeping up with, what I have left to try, and what has most likely left me for at least a while. Have you tried any of these ideas? I would love to hear your thoughts on what has been working for you or if you have discovered a new idea. Here's to a new year!

After crunch time...

Hi Everyone,

My apologies for not posting in a while, I hope you will sympathize with my weekends now being drowned by papers and assignments to fulfill in the upcoming weeks. As soon as I am done for the semester, which should be mid-week next week, expect a post from me on what I have been keeping up on in my quest for frugal, green life.

Take care until then!
-Frugal Green Girl

Giving Thanks

Hi Everyone,
My apologies for not posting in a while, being a graduate student leaves hectic times in the middle to end of a school semester, so I hope you will be forgiving ;) Over the course of the next month my posts may be a little less frequent due to the crunch time of finals.

Anyways, I'd like to take this time, with it being so close to Thanksgiving, to think about gratitude. "Gratitude?" I hear you say, "What the heck does that have to deal with saving money or going green?" Well, more than you would think.

In counseling, therapists will many times implement the use of something called a gratitude journal, where each day (usually right before you go to bed), you write down 3 things you are thankful for that day. This many times will decrease depressive symptoms, according to research, as well as my own personal experience. Now, I know likely most of you reading do not suffer from depressive symptoms, however, this can also be a protective factor in addition to increasing happiness.

"I still don't get it, what does it have to deal with money or green-ness?" In especially American society, our culture defines happiness by how many things one attains, whether its material possessions or the titles we earn, etc. A gratitude journal reinforces the idea to be grateful for what we have, and that things could be much, much worse. Many times we think we would be happier if we had x amount more money, or had that pair of designer pants, or that new flat screen TV. But research shows that isn't the case, and in some cases, it could be the opposite. Lottery winners after a year are no happier than where they were before they won, and sometimes they may even lose their friends over this "wonderful" happening. Especially when the holidays come around, I'm happy just to have a loving family that I yearn to see at Christmas, rather than worrying and thinking about all the gifts I will receive. Because I live so far away from my family, I am thankful when I do get to see them, and it puts unneccessary ideas and thoughts out of my mind, leaving whats most important, the people in our lives. Just as they say "absence makes the heart grow fonder", when we are deprived of luxury we will then appreciate it when we can experience it.

Another idea is called a "Thanksgiving Jar" where families, or it could just be yourself, will write down on a slip of paper when they are thankful about something good that happened recently, and you place it in the jar. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, there should be a decent amount of things to be thankful for, and they are read by members of the family.

Either way, when Thanksgiving comes around, be thankful for those things that are most important to you, and even consider trying one of the ideas listed here. You will be amazed at the positive feelings they give you, and what you may give to other people as well.

Free Learning!

I recently have been taking on a great free treat, podcasts. I am a mac user, but those of you with windows can also use iTunes to get a vast directory with every topic under the sun in podcast topics. Take an astronomy class from UC-Berkley, learn daily Spanish, or subscribe to podcasts on learning how to be more "green". If you are into talk radio, this is another great outlet as well, since topics can be specific to your own interests. Also, I know in the case of my husband, he has a particularily long commute to work every day, so there is always room to take advantage during the daily drive to play podcasts on American civil war history (yuck!). There are also video podcasts available too, if you like to watch your speaker. I like to load up on a podcast before a long trip on an airplane or by car on our journey back home, it makes things much more enjoyable and time go a little faster.

You don't need an actual iPod to use "podcasts" either, any mp3 player can work just fine! Depending on the length of the podcast, you may also be able to burn them on to CDs, if you do not have a type of mp3 player transmitter to your car radio. Grow your interests with podcasts, its knowledge at your disposable, with entertainment on the side. The list of podcasts on iTunes is growing every week too, so check back every once in a while!

Great Article on Saving Money for Families

Check out this great article from parenting.com on 101 money-saving tips for families