Comments on: Green Purchasing — What is Best?

By: Non-Consumer Mish-Mash

Non-Consumer Mish-Mash — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:33:09 +0000

[...] is my target audience. The January-February online issue is currently running my column titled, “Green Purchasing — What is Best?” I highly recommend this newsletter which always has a number of interesting and thought provoking [...]

By: A Guest Post Over at The Frugal Girl « The Non-Consumer Advocate

A Guest Post Over at The Frugal Girl « The Non-Consumer Advocate — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:23:26 +0000

[...] Guest Post Over at The Frugal Girl Jump to Comments A piece I wrote a few months back, (Green Purchasing — What is Best?) is featured over at The Frugal Girl [...]

By: penelope

penelope — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:37:48 +0000

good topic, never thought about this one! nice

By: karen

karen — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:48:42 +0000

Another item most people wont buy used are shoes. My solution is to buy the good brand/fitting shoes from the thrift shop/garage sale, take out the insole layer & buy a store brand version of Dr Sholls insole liners for a couple bucks. For less than $5, I have a ‘new’ pair of comfortable shoes. It works for me
“your mileage may vary….”

By: BarbG

BarbG — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:27:22 +0000

Actually one of the pans I found is cast iron with an glass/enamel coating made in Holland. I love it! I also got a regular cast iron as well. I do use the stainless steel ones at home still. Is there a reason you got rid of your stainless steel?

By: Kristie-ND

Kristie-ND — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:28:05 +0000

I also homeschool my kids. I have benefited by “hand me down” curric as my children moved up(my daughter is graduating this year..yeah!), so I have tried to reciprocate by donating no longer needed curric to the library for a homeschool exchange. Saves money, and saves something new being produced. When you homeschool it can get extremely expensive while you try and find the right curric for your children. I have spent a ridiculous amount of money over the years, and it makes you stop and think about the amount of money, AND materials and energy that comes through your fingers, only to realize it doesn’t work for your kids. Better to pass it along, vs have something new made kwim?

I am always a bit perplexed when I hear “green” folks that don’t mention buying USED. Mercury filled light bulbs? Yes. Updated appliances? Yes, but I think that is a drop in the bucket compared to the difference buying used OR not buying at all makes, but maybe that is just me.

I love thrift stores, and most of what you buy used is older and more reliable and sturdier than the new, flimsy stuff that is available now

By: BarbM

BarbM — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:06:42 +0000

Cast iron is nice,but glass is a good choice also.Cooks at a lower heat.There is a learning curve.Readily available at thrift stores because of people who can’t handle the learning curve.Got rid of my teflon and metal years ago.Also enamel ware is a good second choice.

By: mari

mari — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:39:14 +0000

I can’t see buying “green” cleaning solutions when baking soda,vinegar,ammonia and dish soap would do. It may take a little more awareness to find second hand clothes that look like you just bought it off the rack. but it is worth it. There are some things I will not buy use, like underwear and tennis shoes. but the things that I do own I maintain and keep for a long time. I also look at things as in how much maintanance value. How much work do I need to put into keep the clothes, car etc. up to keep it looking good. and is it worth it.

By: Julia

Julia — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:50:00 +0000

We’ve been homeschooling for about 9 months. We get books from the library, and if it turns out that my son loves a certain book in the 4 (or 8 or 12!) weeks that we have it, then we put it on our book buying list. For the last several months, I’ve been buying those books used instead of new, usually by buying them from individual sellers or small book shops on Amazon.com, since you can tell what’s available and we wouldn’t have to take a chance driving to our favorite local used bookstore and then not finding the book there. (The local store’s for when we feel like a little book roulette, browsing to see what’s available.) Books have come to us from all over the country, and my son thinks it’s funny that two of them (from Betterworldbooks.com) were former library books. We only had one problem: a paperback that smelled like smoke and perfume when we got it. That grossed us out. But a few days in the fresh air fixed it, and now that book is the one my son reads all the time and takes in the car with us…

By: Rekindled

Rekindled — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:18:28 +0000

Yes! I totally agree with you. The best way to shop green is to shop less! I did the compact for 6 months a couple of years ago but I still avoid buying new whenever I can, by using freecycle and eBay etc as well as looking in charity shops when I can. I can’t understand people who treat shopping as entertainment. For some people it seems to be their main, or even only, hobby!