The Green Parent

One of the most frequent comments I hear from parents is that they want to make eco-savvy choices, but can’t afford the high cost of going green. In today’s economic climate, no one (myself included) wants to place any additional burdens on already strapped budgets.

The great news is that the essence of going green is to buy less stuff. That doesn’t mean that you have to give up stuff entirely and live like a monk. But it does mean that it can pay big (for your wallet and the planet) to be more discriminating about what you buy.

Take, for example, clothing. I have written several blog posts about the eco-benefits of organic clothing. Yet, I cannot afford to fill my closet with all of the latet eco-fashions. My compromise? I only buy a few new things each season, and what I do buy has to be organic and sweat-shop free. I usually set a budget and stretch my eco-dollars to the max by looking for great green bargains. I look for end of season deals, overstocked merchandise, and most of all, COUPONS! (Try Couponers.com for some great green deals!)

My favorite great green bargain? My organic cotton cords that I got from Patagonia for $15. What’s yours?

Blog post for Parent Bloggers Network.