Frugal Living | 5 Minutes For Going Green

Category Archives: Frugal Living

Reinventing The Wheel

Written on January 21, 2009 by SusanC

Local Foods Wheel, courtesy of Maggie Gosselin

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the environmentalist’s charge to “eat local?” Think the term “slow food” means “not McDonalds?” Intimidated by the 100-mile diet, or clueless when it comes to constructing weekly menus that highlight in-season foods from your neck of the woods? (Seriously, who has the time to plan menus?).

Then breathe easy, because you are most certainly not alone.

We are all the products of more than one generation of industrial food conditioning. (Example: As a child, I once asked a grade school friend where the apple she was eating came from, and she said, “the store”).

in Blog, Eat to Live, For The Home, Frugal Living, Green Thoughts, The Green Consumer

- 5 Comments

Coconut vs. Polyester

Written on January 14, 2009 by SusanC

4 Comments

In an article that came out last week on ScienceDaily and many other places around the blogosphere, researchers from Baylor University in Texas used coconut fibers taken from the husks to create molded composite board similar to the polyester version used on door bottoms, in trunks, and on floors of some cars.

Why, though, would you use coconut instead of polyester? We will do a comparison with a few simple questions and equally simple answers:

Where do they come from?

Polyester is an inexpensive, man-made fiber and can be made anywhere. Coconuts are inexpensive seeds that come from trees in the tropics.

in Blog, Conservation, Frugal Living, Green Science, Green Thoughts, The Green Consumer

- 4 Comments

Freecycling Into 2009

Written on January 13, 2009 by Guest Contributor

2 Comments

The holidays are behind us, and we’re moving into the time of year when lots of people are facing the daunting twin tasks of finding places to put all the Christmas presents and getting ready to do some serious Spring cleaning.

If you’re like me, you may even have made a New Year’s resolution that seemed like a good idea at the time, but now seems a bit daunting: “Take care of the clutter problem.”

I suspect de-cluttering is harder for those of us who hate to add things to the waste stream. The thought of putting something into a landfill that someone else might get use out of is bothersome, but how do we find someone who needs or wants our old stuff?

in Blog, Conservation, Eco-Friends, For The Home, For The Office, Frugal Living, Reduce Reuse Recycle, The Green Consumer

- 2 Comments

Around The Greenosphere: Weekly Link Roundup

Written on January 2, 2009 by SusanC

1 Comment

Here are 5 posts from elsewhere that had us thinking this week, to help start your new year off a bit greener. Happy! 2009.

Monday CNN ran an article discussing the business and potential profit (both economically and for the planet) of sustainable farming and green industry. Here’s an excerpt from the article, though the full length version is definitely worth a read:

But a complex mix of push and pull factors are making environmental business practices increasingly attractive to investors and with that, some say, providing fresh hope for a planet in trouble.

Not only are the emerging markets for alternative power booming — and corporate efficiency initiatives looking more attractive — as fossil fuel prices rise, but many companies are also increasingly aware that there are real costs associated with doing nothing.

in Around the Greenosphere, Beauty and Body, Blog, Conservation, Eco-Friends, Frugal Living, Got Energy?, Green Thoughts, The Green Consumer

- 1 Comment

Holiday Card Wreath

Written on December 29, 2008 by Guest Contributor

1 Comment

Undeniably one of my favorite things about the holiday season is the holiday cards.

Despite switching to YouTube to send our video holiday greetings, I still adore the old school holiday card sent via mail. Being the organizer that I am, I started to wonder how to display and then store the cards in a way that was space efficient, chic and functional.

What better than a wreath made of your holiday cards?

Involve the whole family and you’ll have a fun and simple craft that will create a holiday keepsake to enjoy year after year. Create one per season or, like we did, one for the family and one for the kids comprised of cards from their favorite classmates.

in Blog, For The Home, Frugal Living, Green Holidays, Green Parenting, Reduce Reuse Recycle, The Green Consumer

- 1 Comment

Repurpose Old Cards Into Something Great

Written on December 26, 2008 by SusanC

7 Comments

Today’s guest post comes to us from VelociBadgerGirl, a great writer with a passion for green issues and overall awesome human being.

If you’re anything like me, every year at the end of the holiday season, you’re left with a pile of greeting cards from family and friends, and no idea what to do with them.

Some people throw them out or toss them in the recycling bin, but I always feel too guilty.

It’s a problem, I know, but in the meantime, I really don’t want to collect boxes upon boxes of used X-mas cards. Luckily, there are a few solutions for those of us too sentimental to throw our cards out, but too practical to store them in the attic.

in Blog, Conservation, Eco-Friends, For The Home, Frugal Living, Green Holidays, Reduce Reuse Recycle

- 7 Comments

Holiday Recycling Resources, Wrapped Up With A (Recycled) Bow

Written on December 24, 2008 by SusanC

1 Comment

Recycle, recycle, recycle. It’s a mantra of sorts for so many of us here at 5 Minutes for Going Green, and as festive celebrating with family and friends has most likely already begun, you are about to become busier than ever.

But don’t worry, we’ve got all your post-holiday recycling needs covered, so you can spend less time worrying how to recycle and more time circled around that last cheese log. (Don’t worry about that cheese log, either; remember, resolutions start next year.)

Step One: No recyclable left behind.

In other words, figure out what, exactly, you have to recycle and if it can be recycled.

in Blog, Conservation, For The Home, Frugal Living, Got Energy?, Green Holidays, Reduce Reuse Recycle

- 1 Comment

Reflecting On The Best Of 2008

Written on December 22, 2008 by Guest Contributor

2 Comments

As the end of the year draws near, we all get inundated with the “Best of 2008” programs, lists and commentaries.

Well, as I am a junkie for montages that reflect on what happened over the past year, and how it impacted one’s daily life, I thought I would share my own!

The Best Eco Friendly Changes I Made In 2008:

1. Used Miracle Mulch (eco-friendly coconut)
2. Added weather stripping to conserve energy.
3. Used motion sensors for outdoor lights to save energy. Turned off the porch light whenever we could.
4. Installed ceiling fans throughout the house. Never turned on the AC in 2008!

in Activism, Conservation, For The Home, Frugal Living, Got Energy?, Green Holidays, Green Outreach, Green Parenting, Green Thoughts, Reduce Reuse Recycle, The Green Consumer

- 2 Comments

Around The Greenosphere: Weekly Link Roundup

Written on December 19, 2008 by SusanC

0 Comments

For all of our Southern California readers: to celebrate Stremick’s Heritage Foods “#1 Tasting Organic Milk in America” Award by American Masters of Taste, Heritage Foods is offering a coupon of $1.00 off a gallon of Heritage Foods Organic Milk. Visit this link to print out the coupon. Heritage Organic Milk is “certified organic,” which means that a third-party agency inspects the milk and guarantees the cows are fed only naturally grown corn and grain, and graze on pastures that are free from synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. The Real California Seal certifies that Heritage Organic Milk is 100% from California dairy farms and meets standards that offer improved taste and nutritional benefits.

in Around the Greenosphere, Eco-Friends, Frugal Living, The Green Consumer

- 0 Comments

Holiday How-To, Green Edition

Written on December 11, 2008 by SusanC

4 Comments

The Holidays can be a tricky time of year to navigate while staying green and not going over-budget. Here at 5 Minutes for Going Green we’re here to help you think outside the box this gift-giving season. We want to help keep you and your family green this holiday season, while also keeping more green in your pocketbooks, too. Keep reading for our customized How-To Holiday Guide.

(Keep in mind, too, that nearly all of these How-To tips are not holiday-centric and can themselves be recycled for birthdays, anniversaries, group social events, and just day-to-day green living.)

How To…

Wrap Recycled:

My new favorite recycled wrapping trend that I’ve seen suggested and modeled everywhere from Etsy to Martha Stewart Living is wrapping with maps and pages from atlases and other travel-related paperie.

in For The Home, For The Office, Frugal Living, Got Energy?, Green Holidays, Green Outreach, Green Thoughts, Reduce Reuse Recycle, The Green Consumer

- 4 Comments