Organic Fruits and Veggies on a Budget

This morning I was watching "The Doctors" on ABC, and they were discussing organic fruits and veggies – when to pay the extra for organic.

I try to buy organic when I can, but being on a limited budget, I can't always justify it.

Turns out, some non-organic fruits and veggies have been found to contain more traces of pesticides and others.

According to The Doctors, it's more important to buy the following items (dubbed "The Dirty Dozen") organic because they usually have thinner skin and are harder to wash:

• Celery
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Nectarines
• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Kale
• Cherries
• Potatoes
• Grapes

 And because it's still important to get plenty of fruits and veggies in our diets, if we can't buy everything organic, the following items (named "The Clean Fifteen") are generally less tainted due to a thicker skin:

• Onions
• Avocados
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Mangos
• Sweet Peas
• Asparagus
• Honeydew Melons
• Cabbage
• Eggplants
• Cantaloupes
• Watermelons
• Grapefruits
• Sweet Potatoes
• Kiwis

I thought that this info was pretty interesting. Though unfortunately for me, most of the produce I buy fits into the first category.

Source: The Doctors, ABC 

The New Sack Lunch

It's no secret that taking your lunch to work or school rather than eating out saves you a lot of money.

I have a suggestion that will save you even more money — and reduce waste!

Many of us haven't had a lunchbox since elementary school. Sometime in middle school it became totally uncool to have what was clearly a lunch packed by your mother.

But now that we're adults, it's time to break out the old lunchbox. OK, maybe not the exact same one. There are plenty of fashionable options out there, including lunch totes and monogrammed bags.

Don't stop there! It's also important to pack your sandwich, chips, fruit, etc. in reusable containers. I got a set of two plastic containers at Target – one for my sandwich and another for chips. There also are washable fabric bags available at various places online (try searching "reusable lunch sack" on Etsy.

This takes a small investment at first, but you'll never have to buy paper sacks or sandwich bags again!

What does "natural" mean anyway?

One of the most frustrating things when is comes to buying organic and safer products is not knowing whether the products you're buying are actually what they say they are.

organic.org

The food industry has specific requirements for labeling. However, cosmetics can use the terms "organic, natural and pure" as they see fit. The only way to know a product is really organic is to look for a USDA label.

Here is a guide to USDA labeling.

You can find more information about organic products (and fake organics) here. Scroll down a little to find more about specific brands that comply with organic standards.

And as always, it's a good idea to read ingredients when shopping. Because even if, like me, you can't afford to buy exclusively organic products, you can still support those made with mostly organic ingredients and those without toxins.

I don't know about you, but I seem to collect stacks and stacks of paper. Receipts, junk mail, grocery lists, credit card bills.

Clutter is frustrating, so why not try to go as paperless as possible?

This article offers a few tips. Though mainly aimed at small businesses, some of this advice can be applied to a home office.

If you choose to store important data in digital form, I recommend a secure site online. That way if anything ever happened to your personal computer, the information would not be lost.

It's important to sort through the piles and figure out what you actually need to keep — maybe for tax purposes. That receipt from Wendy's? Not useful in any way. But before tossing it, check to see if there's personal information that needs to be shredded.

If possible, recycle useless paper.

To cut down the amount of paper, most credit cards and utility services offer paperless bill options. I take full advantage of these — it's so much easier to receive the bill via email and go directly online to pay it. No stamps, no envelopes, no checks.

Hassle free and saving trees. Now if only it were less painful to pay those bills...

Bare Necessities

I am over high water bills. I have no idea how this bill has been so high, so I've been trying to devise ways to reduce water use.

I already turn off the water while brushing my teeth. I only do laundry once per week. My main water usage weakness is showering.

Especially during the summer when I feel the need to shave my legs nearly every day.

Don't worry, my plan isn't to quit shaving.

Instead, I've started shaving my legs before showering. How do I do this without running the water and no razor burn? you might ask.

I've found that I can fill a cup with water, and use water from there to splash onto my legs and dip my razor in.

Granted this doesn't greatly reduce shower time, but every little bit helps. And I figure each little bit should add up over the month to save water and reduce my bills.

Celebrate Independence from Pollution

Fireworks are pretty and they're fun to watch -- I get it.

But that doesn't change the fact that every 4th of July, the air becomes a little more polluted all across the country as we celebrate our nation's birthday.

In order for them to shoot into the air and explode into beautiful colors, fireworks use pyrotechnic chemicals and gunpowder.

When the show finishes you can always see that lingering cloud of smoke -- that is pollution. We have enough smog here in Atlanta that we don't need to add to it.

So celebrate with friends and family. Go to the pool, lake or beach. But think twice before putting on a fireworks show.

There's no better way to show love for your country than by not contributing to further pollution.

A Bow On Top

My boyfriend and I both had birthdays in May. Along with our gifts, we also received gift bags and tissue paper.

Rather than toss them into the trash, I've started a gifting collection. There's nothing wrong with reusing bags (just check for hangtags and make sure there aren't any names already on the bag).

You can reuse unsoiled tissue paper, for that matter. I smoothed out the wrinkled paper, and neatly folded it into a box.

Now we're ready to go for upcoming celebrations!

Good To The Last Drop

Are you a roller? Do you squeeze from the top or the bottom?

No matter how you extract your toothpaste, it is in your best interest to get as much out of it as possible. Same goes for other products. I know it can be difficult to get that last little bit out of those containers. But you’ll save yourself money over time as well as reduce waste.

I’ve been “out” of toothpaste for two weeks, yet I’m still able to get enough out to brush my teeth twice per day. Just because something is almost gone doesn’t mean it needs to be replaced right away. Though it never hurts to have your next one ready to avoid running out when your current product finally bites the dust!

When To Buy Organic

As someone committed to living more environmentally-friendly, organic foods are a natural step. I didn’t think I’d be one of those people unless I suddenly had lots of extra disposable income.

Well, I don’t have spare funds lying around, but I am making an effort to buy more organic.

Here are my determining factors when deciding between regular vs. organic:

1)      Not a huge cost difference. I don’t mind to pay a little extra (say less than $1), but I cannot afford to pay too much more than usual.
2)      Organic produce seems more authentic. These are crops you know are directly from the earth, so the less tampered with, the better.
3)      It could just be my imagination, but organic fruits (at least the bananas and strawberries I’ve tried) seem to have MUCH more flavor.
4)      Trader Joe’s and most farmers markets offer many organic products at nearly the same price as non-organic alternatives. Plus, at a farmers market, you’re supporting local farmers.

I may not be able to make sweeping changes, but I can do my part to support quality produce.

Grab A Cold One

On Saturday, we had some friends over to kick off the first day of USA's involvement in the World Cup. Rather than buying a bunch of six-packs and producing lots of glass and aluminum waste, we opted for a keg — Sunray Wheat Beer from Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, Ga.

Not only did we eliminate packaging waste, our guests used actual glasses rather than Solo cups (we aren't in college anymore, after all). Sure this means a few more dishes, but far less trash went out the door.

Next time you're having a significant-sized gather, consider a keg, preferably from a local brewery.

BYOC — Bring Your Own Cup

It's summer, which means I nearly always prefer iced coffee to the regular brew. Problem is, making iced coffee myself is complicated and requires planning ahead. So it's usually something I pick up from a coffee shop — meaning disposable cups.

Not anymore!

Starbucks now sells reusable iced coffee cups (they also work for frappuccinos), and they look just like the original! Plus Starbucks offers 10¢ discounts when you bring your own cup (this includes travel mugs for warm beverages).

Let's just say I bought my cup ($12) a week ago and have used it four times since. My bank account may not be too happy, but I'm sure Starbucks is. And at least I'm not using a new cup each time!

"Everyone needs an Alice"

This is my parents' cat Alice. This post isn't actually about her, but isn't she cute? She loves the camera, if you couldn't tell.

As I mentioned in my previous post, while searching for the final ingredient for the laundry detergent recipe, I stumbled upon the site, Alice.com, and have since become addicted.

I used to hate shopping for basics at the store: toilet paper, toothpaste, deoderant -- ugh.

Alice.com gives me the opportunity to shop for all of these things and more from my personal computer -- with free shipping -- and green options! Can you sense my obsession?

The only downsides I've noticed:

1. After your first order (which they use to hook you), your shopping cart must have a minimum of six items before you can place an order. 
2. Obviously with shopping online, you don't receive your purchases instantaneously, so you have to plan ahead a little. So far, though, my orders have arrived in 2-3 business days.

 I have experienced many more positive points:

1. Product reviews and descriptions so you can compare and see what you're buying
2. Prices lower or comparable to discount retailers such as Walmart and Target (especially when it comes to environmentally-friendly products)
3. Alice keeps track of what you've purchased and you can set reminders to reorder
4. A wide range of products and brands to choose from
5. Ability to sort by "green" products
6. Some items are marked with instant coupons, which are automatically deducted when you place an order
7. FREE SHIPPING

Here is a breakdown of my most recent order:

• Green Laundry Dryer Balls (2 in the package): $7.99
• Ultra Green Facial Tissue (1 box): $1.99
• Earth Friendly Bathroom Tissue (2 packages of 4 rolls): $2.79 each = $5.58
• Naturally Fresh Deoderant (1 stick -- I'm a little skeptical of this, to be honest. We'll see.): $3.99 - $0.25 coupon = $3.74
• EconoGreen Kitchen Garbage Bags (box of 30): $4.99

 From all my bragging, it's obvious I've been very pleased since finding this website. I fully recommend giving it a try and seeing if this service can save you the hassle and gas from making so many trips to the store.

Suds for your Duds

For the first few weeks of living in the new apartment, we didn't have a washer and dryer. However, after running out of clean clothes and doing some laundry at the parents' house, we gave into convenience and rented a set.

Because I spent eight months living with my parents, I never once needed to buy detergent or dryer sheets. But I happened to have just enough laundry detergent left for two loads from my previous apartment.

During this transition time, I remembered I had bookmarked a post from Dometic Cents about homemade laundry detergent.

The recipe she found here is very simple:

• 1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
• 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
• 1 bar grated Ivory soap

Obviously the ivory soap was easy to find (about $2 for 3 bars*). I was surprised to find 20 Mule Team Borax so easily -- it was on the aisle with other laundry detergent (about $4 for a 76 oz box*). Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda was a little more difficult. I ended up doing a search and finding a 55 oz box for $2.99* from the fantastic online store Alice.

About a week ago, I attempted to make half a batch so I could do laundry right away. Turns out I didn't have a cheese grater. So one serrated knife and a several hand cuts later, I had enough detergent to do some laundry. 

It worked! My laundry came out smelling fresh and clean.

I have since acquired a grater and made a full batch with plenty of ingredients to spare for the future. And thanks to Domestic Cents, I also have a recipe for dishwasher detergent (which uses some of the same ingredients) once my current supply runs out.

Side Note: All the packaging for my ingredients is paper-based. No plastics. And each will last much longer than buying new detergent all the time. Less waste! I simply store my supply of homemade detergent in a reusable container. And, of course, stick with cool water to avoid using that extra energy when washing clothes.

*Revision: Added approximate prices of ingredients

Tip: BYOB

Grabbing lunch out? If you're planning to get cup of water to go with it, why not bring your own?

Rather than using a paper or styrofoam cup, a plastic lid and a straw, bring along the reusable water bottle you should already be drinking from to keep hydrated throughout the day. Plus, it's free.


Happy lunching!

Tip: Gimme 5

Because so many places do not accept No. 5 plastics for recycling, Whole Foods and Preserve implemented a program called Gimme 5. Many of the stores around the country now have drop-off bins where you can take these difficult items.

Once your used packaging is gone, Preserve turns them into household products, such as toothbrushes and razors, sold at a stores near you! How cool is that?

It's great to have a place working for a program like this. And it benefits Whole Foods too by getting us in the stores. I know anytime I've been to Whole Foods, Earth Fare and Trader Joe's, I always get distracted and end up buying more than I intend. I love that these stores promote organic foods and eco-friendly products, but as someone on a limited budget, I hate the higher prices that come with them.

If you can resist making extra purchases (or even if you can't), it's great to be able to find a local drop-off point.

Tip: Earth911

Not too long ago, I discovered the website Earth911. Since not all of us have the luxury of curbside collection services, it's a great resource for finding local recycling centers and drop-off points for a variety of materials.

Whether you're looking to get started recycling, have recently moved to a new place or are traveling, you can find a convenient place to dispose of your recyclables.

A couple months ago, I was on vacation with some friends in Florida. I convinced them to set aside their beer bottles and cans, and on the last day I looked up the nearest bin. My boyfriend and I dropped off a bunch of bags — without even leaving the island — that otherwise would have ended up in the trash.