Who knew that being Green could mean being frugal as well? One of my friends wasn’t aware of this, that’s for sure. Before I started blogging here at Families.com I was visiting her and listening to how proud she felt that she was becoming “Earth Friendly.” Actually, it was a big step since my nickname for her was Styrofoam Sue. That woman would go through more foam plates, bowls and cups than ten people could in twice the time.
Okay, the only reason she joined the Green movement was because her latest boyfriend that she met online is into environmental causes, but that’s fine with me. The earth will be saved from at least 20 tons of non-biodegradable garbage now that Sue is on the save-the-planet bandwagon.
While she flitted about her home showing me all of her earth-friendly products, my jaw dropped. If Sue was independently wealthy it would be no problem, but each month she could barely make ends meet. All of her earth-safe products probably set her back $100 or more. She bought something for everything. She showed me carpet cleaner, window cleaner, floor cleaner, not to mention her new and very expensive dish set. (No, Sue never used real dishes before this day. The woman had a single frying pan that she’d use for everything from Ramen noodles to mashed potatoes.)
I asked her if she had used any of the products yet and she sheepishly replied that she hadn’t. I told her to gather them all up, along with her receipt, and we’d take them back to the store. She seemed reluctant at first, but I asked her to trust me.
While we were out I purchased a low-flow shower head, some empty spray bottles, and a few other cheap supplies such as bleach, white vinegar, baking soda, and lemons.
When we got back to her place I showed her how to make an all-purpose bleach cleaner, vinegar cleaner (yes, the smell does take a bit getting used to), and printed out my frugal cleaning recipes so she’d have them available for other cleaning projects. I couldn’t get her to take back the dishware set and shop at a second hand store though. (I’m proud to say that I have a very eclectic dish set and could care less if something gets broken since Goodwill is my version of Pier One.)
I told her how to use each of the cleaning products and also pulled the receipt out of my purse to show her how little it cost to create all of these wonderful, frugal, Green cleaning products. Yes, she was with me, but got sidetracked by the shoe aisle at Walmart, so she didn’t see how much I had spent.
Sue stood back and let me have at her kitchen and windows. When I finished she grinned and said her kitchen looked and smelled better than ever. In fact, her patio windows were so clean her Beagle walked straight into them. She thanked me for showing her how to help save the environment while also saving money. I left feeling proud at converting yet another person into my penny-pinching circle.
Come to think of it, she also got free maid service for the day.