Being green and frugal, takes work!

So last summer we took FPU (financial peace university) by Dave Ramsey. We learned so much and are continually trying to apply what we learned, so that we can be debt free soon, and have financial peace for the first time! Oddly enough since learning and applying what we have learned, even though we can't scream "we're debt free!" quite yet, we are on our way, and there is peace in that. I have discovered that I like to spend money, and I'm not very good at saving money! Ok I didn't need the class to teach me that but, the class has taught me some tools to try to stop that!

Recently I have also been trying to make smarter choices not just financially, but, also in what we're eating, cleaning with, and use around the house. I do not buy into the Global warming climate change hype, but I do take into consideration that we were made by God to be caretakers of the earth and should be doing what we can. I believe that we should be using our natural resources and replenishing them hand in hand.

Being frugal and green don't necessarily come hand in hand! For instance, try to be green at the grocery store, try to stick to organic, or non processed foods. Although it is getting easier to find those things at most grocery stores, the price of such items, as compared to their genetically altered, processed, counterpart is enough to make someone on budget cringe! Although I have found that with some time (one of my hangups...i'm a convenience person!!!) and work you can stay within budget. For example, I have switched all of my families bread consumption to whole grain. This can get spendy. A way you can curb the expense: buy a couple bread pans, your choice ingredients, and voila! Much cheaper, and many times tastier than store bought.

Diapers = $$$$, but they don't have to! My kids have been blessed with extra sensitive skin, which means I can't cut corners and buy the cheaper brands, nope for us it's pampers or bust (and by bust I mean their skin...wide open with rashes!) So for Gustaf I spent around $100 and bought 10 all in one kushies cloth diapers. They were great on the budget (paid for themselves in about 4mos.) and I think they played a big part in his early training. He now only wears them at night, which saves me from buying night time diapers, and since he is otherwise fully trained, I don't have to deal with any #2's from him so it is easy for anyone, even those who hate the thought of washing poo from cloth diapers! With Carson I went back to pampers because I only had one sz diapers for Gus, and figured he would start fitting into them by about 6mos to 1yr. He still doesn't fit into them, because he's so tiny. So with the new baby on the way I went to a diaper party this weekend and bought about 10 more cloth diapers w/ accesories. So now Carson has diapers that fit him, and I have 2 diapers that fit newborn to 35# so I just gotta get a few more of those and I'll be set for Audrey too! When I run out of my current wipes supply I will be switching to cloth wipes as well. It will hopefully have paid for itself by the time Audrey is here, then from that point on i'm saving money!!

I also just bought some curtains for our living room. They are nice thick thermal curtains so they will save on energy costs as well as offering some privacy! I am really excited about this because I got them with free shipping and they are 1/2 the price of the ones I was looking at a week ago! yay for shopping around before buying!

So the lesson here is there is no room for convenience in being frugal and green at the same time! When i'm cleaning out a poopy diaper rather than throwing it in the garbage and filling up a landfill while emptying the kids college fund, I can remember that as Ramsey says "If you live like knowone else, later you can LIVE like knowone else!"

Well I have to be getting back to my duties around the house.

God Bless,
Dee~ta~Dee