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: Eco-Friendly Tips
Reducing Vacation Waste: Recycle This
July 21, 2008
Recently the Budget Ecoist took a beach vacation and marveled at the amount of disposable products needed on said vacation and the lack of recycling bins in convenient (read: on the beach, at the motel) places. Short of taking your green and blue bins with you, (which would certainly take up precious trunk or overhead space) we thought there had to be an answer to this summertime dilemma for the socially conscious.
We went to the source and...
Olive Complexion: Go Green
July 16, 2008
Your grandma probably washed her face with soap, slathered on some Pond’s cold cream and called it a day. Facial beauty routines have since become considerably more complex – and involve considerably more cash outlay and plastic packaging. We often fall for clever copywriting and pretty boxes, the results of which come flying out every time the over-stuffed bathroom cabinet is opened. But you might not need all those moisturizers and serums and...
Healthy Tips on Household Cleaners from Shaklee: Green Video
July 15, 2008
While it's great to think green when building your home, it's also important to be green aware about the everyday products you bring into it. BGTV's Kevin Contreras visits with Sloan Barnett of Shaklee, a global leader in natural food products and household cleaners, to learn how to make better choices and find healthier alternatives to common household goods. Shaklee offers a whole range of personal health and wellness products, steeped in...All Sewn Up: Go Green
July 14, 2008
Did you hear? Sewing isn’t just for 4-Hers anymore. This back to the roots activity is taking hold in the biggest and smallest cities around the U.S. of A. Even if you’re not a reality show contender, you too can turn a bolt of material (purchased, or found on your mom’s dining room table) into a unique addition to your wardrobe, wall or anywhere fabric makes things fabulous. What? You don’t have a workshop in your home? Never fear as many...
Natural Solutions to Rid Yourself of Cockroaches: Go Green
July 11, 2008
Bring in a Hired Gun
Natural roach control is more often than not a case of thinking outside the box. And when it comes to members of the natural world, why not fight fire with fire? Purchase a gecko or two and give them free reign of your home while your infestation persists. They are natural predators of cockroaches of all varieties and will tirelessly hunt down and eventually eradicate your problem. At first you won't even know they are...
Recycling Batteries: Green Video
July 10, 2008
This quick EnviroTip teaches you about the importance of recycling batteries. We like it because it's short, sweet and actionable. (and because we always forget what we're supposed to do with dead batteries!)Eco Friendly Ways to Enjoy a Summer Gathering: Go Green
July 10, 2008
Here are some tips for enjoying those summer gatherings (or intimate get-togethers?) without breaking your budget or bleeding the environment:1. If you have a large party and not enough tables and chairs to go around, consider doing something unexpected: throw a picnic in your backyard! Let's face it, it's easier to come up with extra tableclothes to throw on the grass than it is to bother your friends for all their spare card tables. And...
Landscaping and the Environment: Green Video
July 8, 2008
This video abstract from Building Green (airing nationally on PBS) introduces environmentally-friendly landscaping techniques, permaculture concepts and gives some nasty stats related to lawns.Repel Mosquitoes Naturally: Go Green
July 2, 2008
While it is generally accepted that natural methods of repelling mosquitoes are not as effective as DEET for example, they do minimize the problem. And given the downside of DEET, we’re OK with a few bites. If you’re getting ready to camp for the holiday weekend, get your natural artillery ready! 1. Fill a spray bottle with six ounces of water and fifteen drops of either citronella, cedarwood or eucalyptus essential oil. Spray exposed skin...
Go Green for the Red, White and Blue
June 29, 2008
Holidays don’t have to be a reason to spend all of your hard-earned extra cash. Here are our tips for having a budget-friendly, eco good time this Fourth of July. 1. Stay close to home: It seems that as of late, our country is being barraged with floods and fires. The last thing we need is everyone converging onto the highways and flight paths all at once. Lucky for us gas is so expensive we can’t afford to leave anyway! This is a good...
Environmentally Friendly Painting: Green Video
June 26, 2008
In this video clip from Season One of PBS television show "Building Green," host Kevin Contreras explores the basics of environmentally-friendly paints and notable (especially green) brands. See our post on environmentally-friendly painting!Installing a Low-Flow Showerhead: Green Video
Natural Home Remedies for Sunburn: Go Green
June 21, 2008
It was a bright and sunny day…Saturday…a lovely day for the beach, the park, a bike ride – getting out into the sun, absorbing some Vitamin D, relaxing. You know the lovely drill. Then BAM! You start to sting. Your skin is starting to look pink, but it’s over and you know it. The burn is just starting to surface but the damage has already been done. Sunburn. Drats.
Never fear…you likely have what you need at home to treat that burn. Try...
Container Gardening: Green Video
June 19, 2008
Container gardening is a great way to grow plants, vegetables and herbs without needing a lot of space. Herbs do especially well and can be grown right outside your kitchen door. In this video from About Eating, you'll learn how to use an old farmer's market basket to make a great container garden. Fill it with your favorite herbs and your cooking will be full of flavor all summer long.Faucet Water Filters: Go Green
June 19, 2008
Do you remember the last time you drank tap water? You just might...tap water use is on the rise and those oh-so-yesterday plastic water bottles are on their way out. According to Tappening, an organization focused on promoting the virtues of tap water, "the lousy economy may be accomplishing what environmentalists have been trying to do for years: wean people off the disposable plastic bottles of water that were sold as stylish, portable,...
Envirotips on Shopping Green: Green Video
June 17, 2008
This quick envirotip shows you how to use your consumer influence by shopping green: bring reusable bags for your shopping experience, purchase natural cleaners, buy organic food and clothing, buy dried goods and bulk, avoid buying pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, select items that come in recyclable packaging, and look for paper goods that include recycled content. Quick, painless, effective.Simple Energy Saving Tips: Green Video
June 12, 2008
With the cost of energy skyrocketing, many people are turning to things like solar to shave their power bills. But you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to make a difference. Money Talks News reporter Stacy Johnson explains how little things can make a big difference.Easy, Organic Summer Drink: Go Green
June 12, 2008
Here's a recipe, a budget-friendly tip and a plug for local food all wrapped up in one delicious summer drink: strawberry lemonade. Ever get a craving for strawberries when they're no longer in season? Sure you do...we all do! There's no need to buy frozen (with all that excess packaging and what not) and there's certainly no need to buy them off-season when you know they've been flown all over the world after being picked in some exotic...
Discovery Channel’s Planet Green Launches: Green Video
June 10, 2008
Planet Green, the first all-green television network, launched on June 4. 24-hour programming on everything green: DIY projects, reality shows, food and more. Get a quick idea about the great shows that are going to be featured on this new, progressive channel!We're looking forward to the Ludacris and Tommy Lee reality show, Battleground Earth, starting in August!
5 Great Organic Wines for Summer: Go Green
June 9, 2008
There's nothing better than a crisp glass of wine with that barbecue on a hot summer's eve. Here's a list of some of our favorite wines with an eco-bent. All wines are under twenty dollars a bottle. Enjoy a glass for us! 2006 Parducci Chardonnay - This chardonnay has bright flavors of pear and ripe apple and would be perfect with a light meal on a hot summer evening. Parducci is the first U.S. carbon neutral winery. The vineyard is...
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