Welcome to The Budget Ecoist, where we help you go green on a budget. Check out our tips for recycling and reusing everyday items, our reviews of eco-friendly products, and share your tips in our green forum.
Category: Do Good
Presidential Hopefuls on the Environment, Part 2: Green Video
July 22, 2008
Following up on Thursday's video post on the Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's stance on the environment, here is Republican Presidential-hopeful John McCain's position on the environment.Clear Clutter for Clean Water: Do Good
July 17, 2008
In this ever-increasing eco-conscious world we live, water is on the tip of everybody’s tongues. America is facing major crises with floods in some regions, hundreds of wild fires in others, and droughts throughout. As horrible as all of that may sound, the majority of us can all still go to our faucet (because we are drinking from our faucets and not sucking at the teet of the plastic bottle!) and access clean drinking water without a whole...
Hulalagirls.com: Gaming for a Green Planet
July 12, 2008
Tired of the same old video and computer games? Wanting to do something with your brain other than numb it? Hulalagirls.com just may be your answer. Hulalagirls.com allows you to play online games - starring princesses of the sea, earth and sky - that raise environmental awareness. Hulalagirls is dedicated to conserving and protecting nature through their Hulala Naturality initiative, where they strive to balance conservation with good...
Messenger Bags for a Cause: Green Fashion
June 25, 2008
Don't you just love scoring something super cute that also makes you feel super great? Enter two blogs that offer environmentally-friendly messenger bags as fundraisers.
Bags for Zaza is a fundraiser conducted by Jennie in British Columbia. Family members of Jennie are in the process of adopting a little girl from Colombia (currently referred to as 'Zaza', thus the blog name). Jennie thought she could combine her sewing know-how, with...
DVR This - Big Ideas for a Small Planet on Sundance: Green Home
April 30, 2008
The Sundance Channel just launched a new season of The Green and if you want some ideas to green up your home, check out Big Ideas for a Small Planet, specifically the “Decorate” and “Gadgets” episodes. “Decorate,” the show that asks the question, “Can we make green design the rule, instead of the exception?” has already aired, but you can tune in to the Sundance website for tales of making furnishings sustainable instead of...
Loans that Change Lives: Do Good
February 10, 2008
What: Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. By choosing a loan on Kiva, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the entrepreneur you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.
The Lowdown: Kiva
...Last Year’s Prom Dress: Recycle This
February 7, 2008
It’s February, spring is just around the corner. And every high school girl knows what spring means: prom season.
Ahh, yes, that first time many of us get dressed to the nines, actually pay someone to do our hair, our nails, maybe even our makeup (if we’re feeling extraordinarily lazy). Prom is often the biggest social event of most high schoolers lives, and yet for others it’s a struggle with self esteem. Many young girls can’t afford
...Energy Star: Do Good
February 5, 2008
So, what exactly is Energy Star? According to their website, “Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.�
The Energy Star logo makes purchasing energy-saving products an easier process. For example, we recently had to purchase a new dishwasher. The first thing we
...New Eyes for the Needy: Do Good
February 2, 2008
New Eyes for the Needy is a non-profit organization founded in 1932; its mission is to improve the vision of the needy, both in the United States and overseas.
Last year alone, New Eyes for the Needy provided new prescription eyeglasses to 5,538 people in the United States.
Recycled glasses are collected in the U.S., sorted by volunteers and repackaged for distributed overseas. These glasses are given free of charge to the poor and
...GreenDimes: Do Good
January 27, 2008
We can safely say that about 75% of the mail we receive each day is unwanted junk mail. We recycle every bit of it, some of it we can even compost. But you know what chaps our hide? The fact that we have to do this at all. Why is it our responsibility to ensure that all of this marketing fluff is disposed of correctly? If these companies never hear from us, you would think that logic would prevail and eventually they would slim down their
Coffee for a Cause: Organic Food
January 27, 2008
Green Mountain Coffee has teamed up with the National Wildlife Federation to produce Fair Trade Organic coffee. Sales of this coffee help provide habitat for songbirds and other wildlife.
The National Wildlife Blend is comprised of Fair Trade and Organic Central and South American coffees from family-owned farms that raise shade-grown coffees. These shaded farms provide habitat for countless species of migratory songbirds – in
...Dress for Success: Do Good
January 26, 2008
“Dress for Success solves the “Catch-22� that confronts disadvantaged women trying to enter the workforce: without a job, how can you afford a suit? But without a suit, how can you get a job? “
Dress for Success is not only an amazing non-profit agency focused on helping increase women’s self-sufficiency, they also provide a valuable resource to ensure good clothing that is no longer needed by its current owner,
...Eat Local: Do Good
January 20, 2008
Have you ever tasted a piece of fruit straight off the tree? We hope you have. If so, you probably know that food picked fresh from the tree is far tastier than most super market varietals. Taste is one of the reasons to eat local. Tomatoes aren’t in season, well, anywhere in the United States right now. (Although we will concede that there are people with greenhouses who are able to grow their tomatoes year round, but we’re
Take Advantage of Reusable Containers: Do Good
January 19, 2008
What happens to the unnecessary plastic wrap that your food comes in, after you’ve eaten the food? Think margarine and yogurt containers… the best thing you can do is prevent buying unnecessary packaging in the first place (we’ve noticed that if you buy butter in uncut blocks, it comes in the most minimal of packaging versus margarine which often comes in plastic tubs). Other foods such as yogurt, can be purchased in large
Woodland Trust and Recycle Now Turn Cards to Trees: Do Good
January 12, 2008
Woodland Trust and Recycle Now are partners in a program to collect 100 million Christmas cards, and say that the effort will “ will enable 24,000 trees to be planted and save 2,600 tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases – equivalent to taking 800 cars off the road.” In Britain, special bins will be setup for collection of old Christmas cards which include Tk Maxx, Tesco, and also M&S stores.
Woodland Trust and Recycle Now will
...Donate Your Old Toys, Artists Helping Children: Do Good
January 5, 2008
Now that we’ve all received a whole load of new gifts and toys, why not find time to donate those old toys to a family in need?
Artists Helping Children is a nonprofit organization that provides donated toys to underprivileged children in daycare, preschools and community agencies. These children are suffering and surrounded by suffering, and donated toys can really cheer them up and brighten up their lives. And it’s easy, because you can
...Eco Friendly Holiday Gifts Under $20, Part 2: Do Good
December 5, 2007
More great eco gifts on a budget!
For baby: organic travel basics, organic double knot hat (so cute!)
For your friend whose always carrying around her bottle of water: Klean Kanteen water bottle
For movie lovers: Who Killed the Electric Car
For the reader in your life: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, E: The Environmental Magazine, Good magazine, National Geographic
For the recycler and composter: stainless steel
...Eco Friendly Holiday Gifts Under $20, Part I: Do Good
December 3, 2007
We know you’re all getting your holiday shopping done early this year, so let us impart some budget-friendly eco wisdom on you so you can wrap up that list and get to celebrating! Get it, “wrap� up that list? I know. We’re budget-conscious, eco-friendly AND witty. Does it get any better?
Over the next several days we will post our best picks for the eco-friendly gifts under $20. Drum roll, please!
For audiophiles
...Canvas Shopping Bags—The New Black: Do Good
December 2, 2007
Canvas bags are popping up everywhere! People are finally getting into the groove of bringing their bags to the grocery store (if you’re having trouble remembering to bring your bags with you, check out these great tips from the Life Less Plastic blog.
Stores are beginning to give incentives. At my local Trader Joe’s, customers who bring their own bags receive a ticket for a drawing for a $25 gift card to spend at TJ’s. At Whole Foods, you
...Greening Your Thanksgiving on a Budget, Part 3: Everything Else: Do Good
November 20, 2007
In parts 1 and 2 of Greening your Thanksgiving, we covered how to green your meal and your table. Today we’re going to cover the all-inclusive “everything else�!
Travel: Thanksgiving is a holiday that families tend to gather for, which is a great thing. While we love for people to be budget and eco-friendly, we’re not advocating keeping families apart! Instead, try to carpool or take public transit. Both will
...Become Green
