Budgetnista Green for the Home, Part II

Yesterday, I listed a ton of suggested ways of how you can green your home on a budget.  I had to break the article up into two posts because the ideas just kept flowing out of my head, making the article way too long.  Today, I am focusing on water conservation in the home and gardening low cost tips.

The Garden:

• Don’t throw your coffee grounds away.  Use them around your plant.  They (and worms) love them.  (Incidently my coffee grounds story is the #1 story on my site. It keeps getting stumbled since everyone loves the concept.)
• Use your left-over water from your potatoes, vegetables, or spagetti to water your plants.
• Use egg shells when you plant your tomatoes and supposedl, they repel slugs.
• Use banana peels for your roses.
• Consider using containers to grow your tomatoes and other veggies if you don’t have space for a garden.  My friend grows tomatoes and many herbs in containers since  growing a garden was out of the question due to the deer.  Not only will your food taste better, you will be lower your foods’ footprint.  Food sometimes travels countless miles to get to your plate.
• Consider growing plants from seed as well as saving the seeds from your plants for next year.  I grow all of my plants from seed and it is  much more affordable than buying the plants.  Plus, I don’t have to dispose of any plastic pots.
• Use newspaper rolls as seedling holders.
• Use your old warped screens to cover plants for some shade in the summer.
• If you don’t grow your own, buy organic.  If organic is too expensive, consider buying only organic for those fruits and vegetables which contain high pesticide residue.See here for more information.
• Use your leaves as mulch. They are free.
• Compost your veggies and fruits.  Less waste, happier plants.  I have a little container by my sink and a black composter in my yard.  Everything goes in the composter except dairy and meat.

Water:

• Consider licking your baking dishes clean rather than washing them.  (For dishes using eggs this may not be the wisest idea.  You can use the following egg replacement recipe from here or buy an egg replacement package from the health food store.)
• Buy a low flow shower head to reduce your water consumption.  See Eartheasy for a discussion between the difference between a nonaerating or aerating ones.
• Buy a faucet aerator to reduce your water consumption.
• Turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth.
• Reuse your cooking water, left over water in your glasses, and left-over water in your botttles for your plants.
• Reuse your shower water for your plants. Put some bucket in your shower to catch the extra water.  Be careful as to the type of shampoos and soaps you use if you are going to reuse your water. Only use environmentally friendly soaps and shampoos. Check the Skin Deep Database before you buy any personal care product to access its safety for you.  Also, see here for more information on the reuse of grey water.  (Personally, I would not use this water on my veggies or fruits unless you collect it before you shower.)
• If you can’t afford to replace your toilets in favor of  dual flushing or low water consumption ones, put a liter bottle full of water in the tank.  See more information about ths practice on  Tiny Choices (the site of my friend, Jenn.)

Don’t forget to Read Part I and then add your tips.  Who says you can’t be green without breaking the bank?

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