by Grace Fox

Created on: January 20, 2009

In today's economy, every penny counts. While keeping costs low, it can be difficult to live green and give the best to your family-or maybe you just think it's difficult, when really it can be quite easy. Here are a few simple ideas to save money while living green.

Shopping Bags: Most stores today have reusable tote bags for sale. Most bags cost between $1-$5, depending on the size and the store. These bags hold more groceries than plastic shopping bags, and since they are reusable, they waste less. But they can also save you money! Did you know that many stores will give you a "bag credit" for bringing your own bag? Bringing your own bag cuts costs for the stores and many will offer a credit for saving them a few extra bucks. Most bag credits aren't much-maybe $0.30 give or take, but it will add up the more you use the reusables. The money you save on bag credits will more than pay for the bags themselves within a few months. In my family while growing up, we reused the plastic bags as trash bags for the bathroom, office or bedrooms. If you want to reuse plastic or paper bags for other uses, you can still opt for plastic or paper as needed. Average savings, at $0.30 credit per week with four reusable bags: $2 the first year (when you purchase the bags) and $14 each year following. It may not sound like much, but if you can save even a little while being less wasteful, it's worth it.

Shopping Organic Without Paying More: If you want the best for your family-and the environment-shopping organic is a good choice. But many times Organic fruits and veggies cost up to 10% more than "regular" fruits and veggies. Shopping at farmer's markets is much less expensive than the large chains, and you can find Organic groceries for much less. But there is an added bonus-you are stimulating your local economy! Local growers are suffering now more than ever in this deteriorating economy, and they need all the help they can get to stay afloat. Shopping at farmers' markets is a great way to save money, eat Organic, and support your local growers. The amount you save will vary (depending on what's available at your local market), but you could save up to $150 per month for a family of four. Yearly saving will average around $1800.

Cloth Diapering: We recently switched to cloth diapers for financial and ecological reasons. We saw how much waste was produced from 8-10 diapers per day, and how much money we were losing every week. On average, parents can spend anywhere from $30-$60

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