Posted by Danielle Downs on Feb.12, 2009

©iStockphoto.com - Patryk Galka

It’s time to deunk the myth that greening your lifestyle is expensive. This idea comes from inflated ideas and propaganda aimed at maintaining the toxic status quo. In truth, green alternatives can be costly if you don’t know where to shop or what to buy. Many designer labels (and price tags!) carry “eco” statements. But there are really great green deals out there. Some green products are cheaper in the long run while some are cheaper up front.
Buying wholesale or at close-out prices.
Get creative when looking for green products. Many of the close-out stores (Big Lots, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc) have organic, sustainable, or low-impact items at half the cost. These stores are great for bamboo kitchen accessories, organic salsas and spices, and even some grocery staples like coffee, juice, and cereals. Discontinued flavors of juice, tea, and granola bars are the organic items I find most often. Sometimes you can even get lucky and find organic cotton linens.

Web stores have amazing deals. Green products can be purchased at whole sale prices through I-tryit.com. You can purchase the latest and greatest green and organic products at about half the cost. They have everything from all-purpose cleaner to zebra-stripped organic cotton onesies. Site members promise to come back and write a review of the things they purchased.

Create your own Co-op
I’ve “co-op-ed” sacks of flour, rice, dry beans, sugar, herbs, and other long lasting staples with my friends or co-workers. It’s really simple. Buy a few 25lb sacks and split them 5 ways. Contact an organic foods distributor (UNFI, Tree of Life, Frontier Organics, Natures Best) or contact the company direct. Small companies are motivated to keep afloat in these uncertain economic times. Ordering direct from the manufacturer by the case could be as low as whole sale.

If you don’t want to do the research yourself, ask at your local health-food market, or even your favorite café manager, if they can order bulk items for you. You can save dollars per pound, even when compared to traditionally grown food. Imagine, whole wheat organic pastry flour at less than 70 cents a pound… yum!

Coupons
Organic food company websites are full of deals. Click around before you go shopping and see what coupons you can print and take with you. Some companies have products or deals only available on the website. If you can wait 3 days for those almonds, go ahead and order on the web, and you could save a bundle.

Manufacturers’ coupons may be available at the check-out in smaller natural products stores. Ask the sales clerk what’s on special. Co-Options Magazine is a fabulous sales flier available at most co-ops. If you’ve never picked one up, ask next time you’re shopping. You might have to switch brands to get the savings, so read the ingredients and make sure the product is right for you.

Bulk Up
Honey, liquid soap, peanut butter, dog biscuits, and more are available in bulk bins at many co-ops and natural markets. Sometimes you even get a discount for bringing your own container. Bulk bins save money and packaging. Good for your pocket and your planet.

Re-Use It
We throw a lot of cash in the trash. Coffee filters, paper towels, razors, picnic ware, and more all get trashed when we’re through. Stop buying the disposables and buy one or two of the nice reusable version. It may not seem like a lot, but in the long run, the savings add up. When I stopped buying paper towels, it didn’t seem like much of a difference. Sure, the first three days I grabbed at the empty holder out of habit. Now, I use a cloth and keep a rag-bag. I’m saving about $20 a month on paper towels alone. I also spill less, wipe dog paws off on the porch more, and have a pretty striped set of cloth napkins.

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Posted under Living, Money Savers.