Tips for Going Green/Saving Money Part II

I was talking to a friend today about the new tax CA is proposing. Have you seen it? A $0.25 fee would be charged for each plastic bag used. I do my best to remember to bring my $0.99 bags from Giant or Target when I go to the store, but there are sometimes I make a quick stop for something and realize my bags are still in the house after being used.

For me, I like the fact that the food stores reward me for using my own bags by giving me a $0.03 - $0.05 credit for each bag I use. I know it's not much, but if I always remembered my bags and I used several on each trip, it pays for the bags and I know I'm doing better for the environment. So what about the people who are on so strict a budget that the $1 or $2 for a bag is out of reach? If you look, you can often find deals for free bags, or bags for less than $1. If you buy one at a time, eventually you will have enough bags to do your weekly shopping. Ikea has an AWESOME bag for $0.69. I have found that this bag is big enough to hold $120 worth of groceries! Wow! The other option? Reuse any bag. It doesn't have to be the fancy one that says Target or Giant across it. You can reuse plastic bags until they fall apart, you can reuse the bag from Target or Walmart, or even the plastic bag from the Gap! You can buy cheap canvas totes at Goodwill or Salvation Army Store. Be creative, there are lots of options.

Most people think going green = spending extra money. Buying organic produce costs more, but is it really better for our planet to buy produce that was shipped from CA to NY? There are so many little things you can change in your life to "go green" and make a difference. I challenge you to make one change this week. Pick one thing you can do that will be better for our planet and see how it effects your world!