We have 5 acres and love it! We use Concern brand fertilizer (http://www.saferbrand.com/store/organic-lawn-care/concern). It was a compromise with my wonderful husband. I would prefer to use noting but it was a compromise. I briefly looked into it and it seems pretty safe. "The Concern® Weed Prevention Plus® for Lawn Care 8-2-4harnesses the power of corn gluten meal (82%), nitrogen (8%), phosphate (2%) and potash (4%), which combine to create a powerful weed prevention fertilizer. Up to 90% effective weed control in the first year on dandelions and crabgrass." I will of course keep an eye out to see if anything else comes along that is cheaper and even more natural, but for now this is what we found. In this case organic does equal expensive. We had to order it off amazon and have it shipped but in the scheme of things we are still saving money.
Fact 1-
making stuff at home is cheaper and safer
Fact 2-
shopping at co-op can be cheaper if you shop right
Fact 3- living an
organic lifestyle cuts costs in other areas
For my first fact I would like to share my first adventures in making things at home. Each month (or so) I try something else to make at home. My first adventure in DIY land was
cleaning supplies. I was wasting so much money buying seventh generation cleaning products (don't get my wrong we love that company and what they are doing but it gets pricey). I realized I should be making my own so I saved a couple 7th Generation spray bottles and put White vinegar, lemon essential oil and water in it. Sometimes I add baking soda, but that tends to leave things a bit gritty. Please keep in mind most of these ideas come from other people's blogs and pinterest so I am by no means a professional or done extensive research.
When cleaning tough
greasy messes in the kitchen; baking soda does the trick. Just put it on dry and scrub. I am guilty of using paper towels in the kitchen and bathroom and would love anyone's advice on this. I can't get my self to put a rag with grease or toilet germs in the washing machine yet.
For toilet bowl I let Apple Cider Vinegar sit in there for an hour or so and then scrub. Works great! I let the tub soak sometimes too (we have well water).
I also use vinegar as
hair conditioner and only wash my hair every 3-4 days. I use baking soda to make my hair less greasy. Just rub it in dry on dry hair. I have natural red (strawberry blonde) hair so it doesn't show. My sister has brown hair and is having trouble with it showing. Hopefully someone has an idea for that. Sometimes I need a little rinse and use this brand: http://www.alaffia.com/store/pc/Shampoos-c18.htm. Very minimal ingredients. Check out your products at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ to check out their safety rating.
I make my own
sunscreen thanks to wellness mama ;o) http://wellnessmama.com/2558/homemade-sunscreen/. So far it works great.
I also make my own
bug repellent thanks to http://veriditasbotanicals.com. I use their Bug Off formula. Great stuff. Baby friendly!
My next adventure is
toothpaste: http://wellnessmama.com/2500/remineralizing-toothpaste/.
Hopefully by next week because my son has his first teeth. Wellness Mama has some great tips on things to eat and drink to avoid tooth decay as well. My son is only eating veggies right now, so I think we are in the clear for a little bit.
For my second fact I would like to point out that a lot of times we are paying for the expense of the packaging and labeling, so we decided to again
refill already used bottles and containers. We fill up mason jars for dry products, honey, peanut butter, rice, granola, etc. We refill old laundry detergent bins, soap containers, etc. Not only are you saving money, but you are saving on plastic waste! Win-win in my book! Another way we shop smart at the co-op is minimizing packaged foods.
Shopping the perimeter was always great advice (not sure where I heard that, but good advice none the less). We are making a conscious effort not to buy pre made meals. Of course we get some things (especially for my daycare kids), but every time we go we improve.
For my third and most important fact we have found that
living organic cuts lots of health costs. No more trips to the store for Advil, NyQuil, monistat or any other drug. Not only that but you won't need them because you will feel great! Ever since I started organic foods and trying to avoid GMOs I haven't gotten sick! The only time I got sick this year was after having my son because I was forced to take antibiotics for Group B strep (needless to say I am hoping for an at home birth next time around) and I got a minor cold with no cough. So if you eat organic and avoid toxins as much as you can at home by using natural cleaners and body care products; you won't be taking trips to the doctor.
We use the paper bags, instead of plastic for our
garbage and no bags for
recycling. Recycling goes in tin can under sink and when it is full we just dump it into the recycling bin. Not using plastic bags is an easy way to make a big difference right now. I have to admit I am going to snap at the grocery store one of these days when people take a plastic bag. I really like these
reusable bags for the store: http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/flip-tumble-reusable-shopping-bags. I never forget them because they are always in my purse and it is nice that they are washable. This works great for co-op because we put the mason jars and soap jars on the outside pockets:http://fruitveggietales.blogspot.com/2011/07/in-bag-thirty-one-giveaway.html.
All our
compost goes to our chickens...they love it!
My next goal is to find a way to keep
coffee grounds under sink that doesn't stink or mold so I can bring it down to put in garden once or twice a week. Any ideas?
Another way we
save money and live the organic life is by using
cloth diapers. Yes, it is easier that I run a daycare at home and have time to do diapers, but I know there are daycares out there who support cloth diapers. There is nothing gross about cloth diapers, especially when you have the right tools. Here is what we have:
- 6 covers:http://www.peapods.com/bumgenius-flip-one-size-snap-cloth-diaper-cover.html
- 3 sets of 6 prefolds:http://www.peapods.com/regular-organic-prefold-diapers-pack-of-6.html
- also I have about 20 used, donated old school prefolds from a friend just in case I am too lazy to do laundry.
- Diaper sprayer (essential if you get grossed about by the idea of pooh in your washer as I did at first)http://www.peapods.com/bum-genius-diaper-sprayer.html
- Reusable Diaper bag hanging above toilet for soiled diapers:http://www.peapods.com/planet-wise-hanging-wet-dry-cloth-diaper-bag.html
- Reusable diaper bag for garbage bing
- Washcloths for wiping (go in with diapers to wash)
- Boiled water with tablespoon apple cider vinegar to wipe baby down- kept in klean canteen
- Coconut Oil for diaper rash cream
So far we have found we spend
100$ less every two weeks at the grocery store (including things like soap and detergent). Keep in mind we did this all
one step at a time. I pushed off changing my ways a long time because it seemed overwhelming. Start by trying something new each month and you will be making a difference.
Good Luck and would love to hear what other people are doing or if anyone has any advice on how to make things even more nature friendly.
