I'm Rich! A Shift in Perspective

So I've been looking at a lot of "green" blogs lately, trying to get tips on how to live a little greener, reduce my carbon footprint, live sustainably, etc. At times I see some of them suggesting things that would be great, but are pretty costly, and I start to feel sorry for myself.

I'd love to buy things like all-organic food for my family and our pets, as well as buy hand-made or all-natural clothing, soaps, and beauty products. (I realize a lot of these things I could make myself, but I'm super lazy, don't have a lot of time and am completely incompetent... ) I'd even like to buy things like a compost tumbler and one of those wind-energy converters. (Heck, I'd also like some new solar panels and a Prius, please.)

Even if the most basic of these things were not too expensive, I don't even have a Trader Joe's within 20 miles of me, let alone a health food store. So I would be spending more gas money running around, or more money for shipping if I ordered online.

Plus, my public library is positively miniscule and has a very small amount of money to buy new books, which they only do a couple times a year. So all these new books I've read about on blogs, like Food Not Lawns, The Omnivore's Dilemma, Animal Vegetable Miracle, and Affluenza would have to be bought instead of borrowed. (Are you getting sick of my whining yet?)

Looking at all these blogs, I was getting pretty depressed, and feeling awfully sorry for myself. Then I came across Green Bean Dream's blog.

One of her entries was about wealthy people who were "going green." I started reading about YAWNs, (Young And Wealthy but Normal) and APLS (Affluent Persons Living Sustainably).

I kept thinking, "Well, I'm certainly not wealthy or affluent." But then, further down in the entry, there was a link to the Global Rich List. It's a site that gives you your monetary position in the world compared to the rest of the entire population.

Type in your family's income and you'll find you're probably in the top fifth of the richest people in the world. I'm currently in the top 5%, and I make an average salary. When I taught (yes, I actually took a pay cut from teaching), I was in the top 1%. And that was nowhere near six figures, let alone millions.

It's crazy how most of us think we are making so little, especially when we are living paycheck to paycheck and just "scraping by." But when you consider that we all have clean water, enough food to keep our families from ever going hungry, shelter, and clothing, let alone television, computers, etc., we're amazingly wealthy.

The 2008 Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines state that a family of four is below the poverty level if their annual household income is less than $21,200. But look how that stacks up against the rest of the world:


A family below the poverty level in the U.S. is still in the top 10% of the richest people in the world!

Thinking about it some more in terms of environmentalism, I realized that the whole point of trying to be more green is to buy less, use what you already have, and waste as little as possible. (I need to take a moment to smack myself on the head.)

I think that's why I enjoy Frugal Fridays so much. I get to read about how so many of you are already living green without doing it because it's the "in" thing to do or because it's in the news and on the movie screens, but simply because that's how you've chosen to lead your lives, and it lines up with your families' values. And most, if not all, of you embrace your circumstances and work with what you have and consider your lives full and rich beyond compare.

So really this is a big "thank you" to all of you who participate each week in Frugal Fridays over at Biblical Womanhood. I love reading about your lives as well as your tips. In a world so full of gloom and doom (especially about the environment), it warms my heart to read about so many families already happily doing their part for the world regardless (and sometimes because of) their circumstances. And it makes me keep a better perspective on my own life and how rich and full it already is.

Blessings to all of you!

Not Buyin' It (or My Beef with Kleen Kanteen™)

[For those of you coming over from Frugal Friday, this is more of a rant than a tip, but it does have to do with spending less and being conscious of how and where you spend your money.]

Most of us are consistently on the lookout for ways to keep ourselves and our families healthy while maintaining at least a fairly-frugal lifestyle. And we try to do so with as low an impact to the environment as we can. So when I started hearing about all the dangers of water-bottle plastics, I was about to jump on the stainless-steel bottle bandwagon.

The new alarm is about BPAs (bisphenol A) in plastics. The ideal bite notes "A 2007 study links BPA to enlarged male breasts, earlier puberty in girls, and cancer." And water bottles and other plastics have recently been found to leach this lovely chemical into the water and foods we consume. In response, there are many new products on the market, such as BPA-free plastic baby bottles as well as glass versions. (Of course, many people agree that breastfeeding is the best option is this case.)

The biggest increase in new product consumption I've noticed, though, is in stainless-steel water bottles for kids and adults. Kleen Kanteen™ and Sigg™ are the big names right now, but I'm sure more will soon follow. It's not that I don't like their products, per se, they seem like they are a good alternative to plastic, and the fact that they are reusable is a great way to cut down our use of plastic, since so much of it isn't recycled anyway. Beth, who writes the blog Fake Plastic Fish, (which I love!) quoted from a report by S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom, saying,

More than one billion plastic water bottles end up in California’s landfills each year, taking 1000 years to biodegrade and leaking toxic additives such as phthalates into the groundwater.

In addition, just the production of plastic has a huge environmental impact. From the same report:

According to the Container Recycling Institute, supplying the plastic water bottles that American consumers purchase in one year requires more than 47 million gallons of oil, the equivalent of one billion pounds of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.

Additionally, water diverted from local aquifers for the bottled water industry can strain surrounding ecosystems.

Furthermore, transporting bottled water by boat, truck and train involves burning massive quantities of fossil fuels.

So buying these stainless-steel bottles is a good thing, right? Well, technically, yes. But the fact is, they are charging close to $20 for an item that still has plastic in it. The tops of both Kleen Kanteen and Sigg have plastic stoppers. And while it's definitely better than having the entire thing out made out of plastic, why not just make the entire damn thing out of stainless steel?

And the thing that really gets me steamed is this: Kleen Kanteen used to have stainless steel tops that came standard with their bottles, but now you have to buy those for an extra six dollars! So now in order to be completely up-to-date with the most-safe option out there, I have to spend $26 for myself and each member of my family so that I don't endanger their health either. That's $130 just for water bottles.

It just goes to show how our consumerist culture and the companies that power it are taking the "green movement" and exploiting it for their own good.

You can't just rely on vinegar and baking soda for cleaning like your grandmother did, you have to buy the new-and-improved "green" (a.k.a. most expensive) version of brand-named products that include vinegar and baking soda in their ingredients.

You can't just buy unbleached coffee filters (or god forbid make your own) you have to buy the soy-based, triple-pressed, 100% organic ones.

You can't even just bring your own canvas bags you've had for years to the store, you have to buy the cute ones that sell for $20. (Even the ones that sell for a dollar at most supermarkets aren't necessary if you already have some at home. Even reusing the plastic bags you got from the last shopping trip are fine, although admittedly not very cool.)

And don't even get me started on all the "natural" beauty products! (Another reason I'm no-poo.)

There are plenty of other examples of this and how our culture is using fear to goad us into consuming more (remember the run on plastic and duct tape after 9/11?), but I'm too frustrated to write more right now.

I'll end with trying to exemplify what No Impact Man is often saying: "The best thing you can use is something you already have." If we really are trying to be greener and actually implementing the three R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recyle) that have been drilled into us, then I am going to hop off the consumer bandwagon (until I get sucked up into something else to be scared of). How? Simple.



In regards to the plastic water bottle issue: I have a glass jar of Postum I just finished the other day. Glass jar. Metal lid. No plastic. Voila! Problem solved.

Plarning!

How to turn a bag full of these:

Into this!

"Plarn" is actually a word I found on this amazing site called myrecycledbags.com. (Cindy is so crafty I am simply in awe of her. Please check out her site; it's been the source of all my inspiration.) Plarn is short for "plastic-bag yarn," yarn that has been made by tying together cut-up pieces of plastic bags. I've turned it into a verb, as in, "I'm going to watch TV and do some plarning." Even Ralph is using it now: "Are you plarning again?" But I digress...

This is the coolest idea I've found on craft sites, and it's free! And for those of you thinking, "But I'm not that good at crocheting," (if you don't crochet at all I still have different free ideas for you below, keep reading!), don't worry, I'm pretty awful myself. The great thing about using plarn is that it's not supposed to look perfect.

So how do you make plarn? I learned the step-by-step process on Cindy's site here. First, take a plastic bag and lay it flat:


Then, fold it in half, and then in half again:




Cut off the handles and the bottom of the bag where it is sealed. You can recycle these or find some other art project to use them in. Helle of gooseflesh used the tops and bottoms of her bags to add some dimension to her crocheted Cunjevoi Garden:

So creative!

Then cut the rest of the bag into strips about an inch or two wide:


When you open the strips, they will be circles of plastic:


Overlap these circles:


And then pull one through the other (like you would do with rubber bands to make one long string), and then pull until it makes a knot:

Don't pull too tightly or it will break (I learned this the hard way of course). Keep chaining these together until you have a good-sized ball. It took about 30 bags for me to make the purse, so I figure that will be my starting point each time. Cindy is kind enough to list all her patterns for purses, etc. for free, so check it out!


And here's another amazing idea I found on etsy.com on amlowi's page:

(She is currently selling this bag if you're interested)

Since we save up our cans to take to a recycling center, we have about 500 cans that are just waiting for me to pull the tabs off them!

Okay, for those of you who are saying, "That's great and all, but I don't crochet," here's are some ideas that I found on yet another amazing craft site called craftzine.com. I found the coolest ideas for plastic bag crafts on their site here. If you sew, you could make something like this:


Or these:




And if you don't sew (and I don't) you can easily use Super Glue like I did, (or you may have a better way of connecting everything, I'm just lazy). I found a tutorial by Amanda at Etsy labs on how to iron plastic bags to make them cloth-like. It was actually very easy! Here's the plastic I used to line my plarn bag:

It's a cereal bag with a clear plastic bag on top and a couple of Stater Bros. grocery bags underneath.

And here it is in the bag:

I just cut the sides and glued it in.

You could quickly make place mats, tablecloths, or any number of things using this idea.

I am amazed at what people can do with recycled materials. And while it can be time-consuming, it's also fun and a great way to make gifts. The recipients will be so pleased that you are helping them "go green!"

For more great and frugal ideas, go on over to Biblical Womanhood!

Frugal Friday ~ Free 'n easy gardening (well okay, the water will cost you)

In the past, I've gone the way of trying every type of pretty and expensive plant I could to beautify my home (I didn't have a garden at the time). I've tried (and killed) orchids, sacred hearts, lilies, and every kind of houseplant imaginable (except those amazing pothos!). Now that I have a garden to play in, my success hasn't been much better. Until I put myself on a budget and simply couldn't buy those pretty, delicate plants anymore. At first I bemoaned not being able to make the garden as pretty as I'd like. But then I realized that there are plenty of robust plants in our yard that are actually quite pretty after a good pruning/sprucing up. These are the plants that actually do better when neglected, which means they are perfect for someone like me to take care of them. They also yield so much foliage that I can fill in the holes in my garden with their offspring. Two plants that are especially happy in our dry desert climate are the succulents (jade?) plants lining our back door:

These started out only a few inches high!

The other is the "elephant ear" plant (I believe that's the scientific name) by our front door:

This also started out as one plant about a foot high

As I was cutting back the jade plant the other day (to keep it from overtaking the doorway) I realized that I should put all the cuttings to good use. We had a ugly blank space by our fence that I'd been wanting to fill with flowers but had just left blank. So I took the cuttings, along with some extra ears of elephant, and voila!




Not only do they fill up the blank spot by the fence, I also know that I don't have to do anything special to them, as they will naturally take over that area on their own.

I've also been known to cut cherry-blossom branches off the trees lining our neighborhoods' streets (is that illegal?) for bouquets, as well as ask neighbors for their extra cuttings for our yard. They are always happy to give away their "trash." And I've learned to work with what I've got instead of trying to "force" a beauty I've conceived in my mind onto my poor, unsuspecting garden. Our garden may not be the most varied or most beautiful, but it's full of green growth, inexpensive, and easy to take care of.

For more amazing frugal tips, stop over at Biblical Womanhood.

Frugal Friday ~ Cheap beauty regimens

This is my first Frugal Friday post - hope I do this right! For other fantastically-frugal ideas, pop over to biblical womanhood to see the amazing cache over there.

So I've had to tighten my belt a lot recently. The mortgage went up (a lot!), unexpected funeral costs came our way, and gas prices are killing me since I drive 120 miles a day to work and back. Needless to say, I've been looking anywhere and everywhere I can to get ideas on where I can curb costs. Things I tend to spend a lot of money on are "beauty aides" such as make-up, lotions, shampoos and conditioners, cleansers, toners, moisturizers... the list goes on. Of course, none of these things work like magic, so I just keep spending money on the newest beauty breakthrough. So when I came across some natural (and cheap) ways to scale down my regimen and get off the consumerism treadmill, I was a happy camper.


The first thing I found was the No 'Poo method.

No, not that kind.

This is actually about reducing the use (and eventually getting rid of) your SHAMpoo. I heard about the idea a couple of weeks ago, and then Stephanie at Keeper of the Home reminded me of it on her post for Works for Me Wednesday over at Rocks in My Dryer. Basically, you phase out your shampoo and conditioner and use only baking soda and vinegar to cleanse your hair (both a whole lot cheaper than any other beauty products!). Some people don't even need those, they just use water, and some use only conditioner. I guess it's a matter of personal choice. There are tons of people who've had great success with this, as you can read on the site above. There's also great info on this site. The sites also have lots of good advice and helpful people. I've only been doing this for a couple of days, but so far so good. (Be aware, though, that your hair may go through an oily adjustment period.) I still have some shampoo and conditioner left, so I'll probably decrease the amount of use instead of going cold turkey, but I'm really excited at the prospect of not buying those costly products anymore!



The second radical natural cleansing routine I'd like to try (after I finish using up the rest of my old product), is the Oil Cleansing Method, or OCM for those in the know. This is the idea that you only use oil to cleanse your face. Yes, oil. Or a combination of castor oil and olive oil to be more precise.



I've heard about this before, too, but not in a whole lot of detail until I found this site (above). Basically, castor oil has a lot of cleansing properties, while olive oil moisturizes. I know it sounds counterintuitive, especially if you have oily skin (like I do), but castor oil can actually dry out your skin if you use too much, and that's why the olive oil balances it out. You can also substitute other oils as well; there's a list on the site. These aren't the cheapest oils on the market, but they are definitely less than a lot of the facial cleansers out there! And it eliminates the need for a moisturizer, so you save even more! Oh, and they also mention using witch hazel as a toner instead of brand-name toners, which saves even more money.

I like that these ideas are not only about using natural ingredients, but also reducing your use and using what you have already. So many sites/stores try to sell you on "all-natural ingredients" while charging you an arm and a leg for them. All of the things mentioned above can be bought in a grocery store or pharmacy, at a really reasonable price!

You can Google both "no 'poo" and "oil cleansing method" and find tons of info.

If anyone has tried either or both of these methods, I'd love to hear about your success, or lack thereof.