The Budget Ecoist- Eco Living on a Budget

Christie Matheson’s book, Green Chic, Saving the Earth in Style, could be your new bedside read if you’re looking for an easy, fun summer read that gently brings you into the green lifestyle (or teaches you even more than you already know).

Matheson has clearly done her homework. The book starts with a fun description of chic, evoking Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn, while instantly diving into the seriousness of why we all need to care about and be aware of what is happening to our planet. She lays out a green glossary for reference and then spends the rest of the book teaching us how we can look and be fabulous while making a difference in our planet’s health. Her chapter on “Little Green Things” offers easy suggestions for immediate changes including the CO2 savings reaped from your efforts. (Tip: See Matheson's CFL suggestions for wattage per room so that you know what wattage bulb is necessary for the different rooms in your house).

We know what you’re thinking, “who doesn’t know to change a light bulb?” Well, yes, most of us greenies know, but as you get deeper into the book you reap such gems as her tip on filling the fridge. “Make [your fridge] more efficient by keeping it full – a full fridge loses less cold air when the door is opened. I don’t like to have a refrigerator full of processed foods, and if you overdue it on the fresh produce it’ll go bad. My friend Casey came up with a brilliant – and very chic – solution: Fill it with white wine.” Other chic suggestions such as allowing your hair to air dry for a while before you blow dry: less frizz, less energy consumed; and go for quality versus quantity on everything you buy.

Sound good to you? If you leave a comment to this post by end of day Saturday, July 12, you just might win your very own copy. Then you too can be on your way to being a greener, chic-er, more fabulous version of you!

Drawing will occur on Sunday, July 13 and the winner will be contacted the following day.