The Budget Ecoist- Eco Living on a Budget

Vinegar, Borax, and Baking Powder can all be used as a non-toxic alternative to cleaning sprays. These are not only inexpensive ways to keep your home clean, but also safe for children and pets.

Vinegar can actually be used a great cleaner. It’ll kill germs and is completely non-toxic making it safer for everyone in the household.

1. A Floor Cleaner.  Use vinegar in a pail of water and start wiping.
2. Window Cleaner.  All it takes is

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Starting another remodeling project? Then you’ve got a great opportunity to reuse your old newspapers. Rather than just throwing them away, use your old newspapers to cover your windows before painting to make sure that you don’t get any paint in any unwanted areas. Also, use the newspaper to cover floors, carpet, and even electrical outlets to make sure that they don’t get marred by your paint job. Painting is a messy job and its hard to be

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A novel way to use old books laying around the house is by making a purse out of it.  One company, Inbound Designs, used this approach to create their own fashion line of book bags appealing mostly toward women.  They want $150 for each one of their custom created book purses, but with a little creativity, we can copy their design and make our own purses and bags from books without having to empty our wallets.

In order to make bags, you will

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Though the US Navy is surrounded by water, they lack water that is fresh. Therefore, they have to do everything they can to save water, and this includes taking a shower. The Navy shower is a great way to save water at home, and it will significantly reduce your water bill and help the environment.

The Steps for a Navy Shower
1. turn on the water
2. immediately wet the body
3. turn off the water
4. soap up and scrub
5.

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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....

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....

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....

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....

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....