Cloth Diaper Service – Is it Worth it?

Disposable diapers (Pampers, Huggies, Luvs, etc.) have been around in various forms since the late 1940’s. Check out this fascinating diaper timeline for more information.  Interestingly, cloth diapers have been around for centuries. If you have some spare time and would like to read up on some diaper history, check out this page. Lots of diaper trivia!

Somewhere between the 1940’s and the present day, cloth diapers became much less common and disposable diapers took over the marketplace. In a continuing effort to find healthy thrifty choices for families, We Can Live Green is giving cloth diaper services a try. Here are a few things we discovered:

1. Cloth diapers are easy. Disposable diapers are popular because they are just so darn easy. The general perception is that cloth diapers are a lot more work – too much work – as perceived by many moms today. From first hand experience, this is wrong – especially when using a cloth diaper service. You just throw them in the trash bag provided, set it out once a week and presto! new clean cloth diapers arrive. It’s really magic when you think about it.

Cloth diapers take about 20 seconds to put on and there are lots of neat ways to fold them. Youtube has tons of great instructional videos on how to fold a cloth diaper.  WCLG found that the amount of time used to put on a cloth diaper was equal to that of putting on a disposable diaper. Try it yourself and tell us what you think!

2. Cloth diapers are more affordable. A months’ supply of cloth diapers for a newborn runs in the $80 range. This includes the service of having the diapers washed and delivered to your home every week. Our estimates for disposable diapers for a newborn run in the $100 plus range. $20 a month saved  – and you’re helping the planet! There is also the cumulative economic impact of investing in a product and service that is reducing pollution and minimizing the use of resources.

3. Cloth diapers are environmentally friendly. We have all seen the complex calculations of how much water it takes to wash a cloth diaper versus throwing a disposable diaper away in a landfill, etc. Forget the complex calculations. Cloth diapers are reusable, recyclable and they reduce waste in our landfills. A disposable diaper takes 200-500 years to biodegrade. Yikes! But cloth diapers can be reused time and time again. This not only cuts waste, but reduces impact on the planet by using less resources.

WCLG has fallen in love with cloth diapers. Not the dirty ones, mind you. Check them out in your area please! Nothing says ‘I love you’ to your little bundle of joy like knowing you are doing everything in your power to create a healthy planet for your baby to flourish and thrive. You can find out tons of information on cloth diapers here. We also found a cloth diaper service directory here. While not a complete directory, it is a step in the right direction.

As a reminder, WCLG is not compensated in any way for this blog or any of the posts contained herein. We review products we are excited about and believe in, and we blog about products and services that WCLG believes will better our planet and our future.

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living,

We Can Live Green

Support Your Local Farmers – You Will Save Money, Be Healthier and Support Your Local Economy…

We have all read about eating local. And we have all read ways to gain access to eating local – growing your own fruits and veggies or taking advantage of farmer’s markets, co-ops, and CSA’s. (Community Supported Agriculture) WCLG feels that the public has heard a lot about their options – except for CSA’s. That is our focus today.

What is a CSA? A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a way in which a consumer can buy produce directly from the farmer. The produce usually comes in the form of a box/crate and the farmer provides a variety of in-season, local produce for the consumer.

The advantages include:

1. You are eating produce at the height of its nutritional value, grown in a way that is sustainable and ethical. Often times, the produce you are eating from a CSA may have been picked a scant few days, or even hours, before your pick-up. In a grocery store, the travel time can be weeks.

2. You are saving money. You are not paying additional costs for shipping (etc) that is factored in to the cost at grocery stores.

3. You are supporting your local economy. You know the name of your farmer. They educate you on the variety of produce they send you. They even offer cooking tips and recipes for more exotic produce.

4. You are supporting a lifestyle that does not over tax the environment by ‘force-growing’ fruits or vegetables repeatedly on land that is over-farmed.

The great thing about a CSA is that it keeps you honest. What do we mean? Well, you can’t have tomatoes or blueberries year-round. You take what nature gives you. If there is a hail storm, your peaches might be a bit unattractive. You might have to do a little extra washing of your potatoes. But it feels good to know that you are eating better, cheaper and in a more sustainable fashion. In fact, it feels great!

Localharvest.org – a long time We Can Live Green favorite- offers more insight into CSA’s. We also suggest looking over their tips and questions for further information.

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living!

We Can Live Green

Earth Day 2012 To Do List

In case you haven’t heard, Earth Day is this Sunday. So, in honor of Earth Day, a couple of things to consider doing this weekend:

1. Take a walk. Outside. Even if you live in the city. Nothing beats a little fresh air (even if it is chilly).

2. Dig around in some dirt, or sand…or even mud! It’s really fun. You will feel like a kid again, and you might just slow down enough to start to think about this marvelous planet!

3. Watch Planet Earth. WCLG does not support the idea of just sitting in front of the TV, but Planet Earth gives viewers an intimate portrait of our planet and a window into many places that few of us will ever be lucky enough to visit.

For a birds-eye view of Earth from space, take a look a these pictures.

For Earth Day 2012, attending a parade is cool, planting a tree is great, but building a personal relationship with the planet you call home is even better. Let us know what you do. We’re happy to post pics! Look forward to hearing from you!

Dedicated to Thrifty and Healthy Living,

We Can Live Green

Food for Thought – Save Money, Bake Your Own Bread

The economy, rising food prices…the outflow of money seems to increase while the inflow of money for many people decreases. Here at We Can Live Green, we are always looking for thrifty healthy lifestyle options.

Recently, We Can Live Green started baking more bread in our quest to eat better and save money.

The great news about baking your own bread – you can bake a great loaf of organic bread for a little over a dollar. Depending on where you live, you can spend as much as $5 a loaf for organic! As bread is a staple for many families, it is a great place to start to save some money in the weekly grocery budget. And if you have never tried homemade bread, it takes bread to another level compared with store bought options! You will be amazed!

If you want to try a very simple beginner bread recipe, try this one.

In case you need a little convincing on the health benefits of making your own bread, read here for a little back story on store bought bread.

You may not feel like you have time to bake bread. It isn’t as time intensive as you might think. You just have to be patient when letting the dough rise…and WCLG has found from personal experience that being a little more patient in life may not be such a bad lesson to learn after all!

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Dedicated to Thrifty Healthy Living,

We Can Live Green 

Money Monday – More Little Things

Another money saving tip this Monday. Look for our upcoming natural remedy series for the cold and flu season next week!

1. Use a hair applicator bottle for dish detergents when washing dishes by hand. This is a trick by a fabulous woman, I’ll call her L, who has shared this incredible money saving secret with WCLG! We are absolutely crazy about this idea. It works, it works, it works! See here for applicator bottle ideas. Simply pour dish soap into the applicator bottle and use from there. You save an unbelievable amount of soap by washing dishes this way. You will be stunned!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living –

We Can Live Green

Money Monday – Transportation

Our Money Monday segment continues! Enclosed are a few transportation tips from We Can Live Green .

1.     If you’re looking for transportation savings on a smaller scale, consider negotiating an ‘off peak’ schedule with your work. By eliminating the time you spend idling in traffic, you can reduce your gasoline consumption (which means more money in your pocketbook), improve your health (less stress on your commute) and help out the planet (less vehicle emissions for the planet to have to deal with). As commute distances vary, we estimate a conservative savings per year of $350 – but its worth doing your own calculations. This would be great information to share with your employer when negotiating an off peak schedule!

2. Designate one car on your car insurance as ‘for pleasure use only’.   According to the National Safety Council, if you designate one of your vehicles as for pleasure use only, your car insurance can go down by 20%. Just another perk to ridesharing! Depending on your insurance plan, a 20% discount on your insurance costs can add to hundreds of dollars of  savings a year!

When it comes to filling your gasoline tank, consider this advice from experts:

1. Fill up your tank mid-week, not on the weekend when prices tend to be higher.

2.  Consider membership at a wholesale club. They often have special discounts on gasoline pumped in front of their store.

3. If you have the ability to utilize apps on your phone, consider Cheap Gas or GasBuddy, which both rank high for usability and great information on, you guessed it, cheap gas.

Good Luck and Keep Us Posted!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living –

We Can Live Green

Money Monday – Clothes, clothes

With back to school in full gear, we are focusing Money Monday on clothes. If you have kids at home, back to school clothes are always a hit on the pocketbooks. What are a few things you can focus on to save a few extra bucks?

1. You’ve heard it a million times, but frequent resale and thrift stores in your neighborhood. Better yet, frequent stores in neighborhoods that might have the types of clothes you are looking for. Trendy urban pieces can be found in neighborhood thrift stores that cater to college and twenty-somethings. Classy, retro pieces might be found in a store that services those age fifty and over. Going to the thrift store is always an adventure…and always worth the trip!

2. Organize a ‘Swap Til You Drop’ Back to School Party. Find friends with kids younger (and older) than yours and arrange a play date. The ‘admission ticket’ to your home is a bag of clothes that will fit those kids in attendance. Voila! Instant fall school wardrobe.

3. Spend the money to resole your shoes. You will be rewarded by saving money, keeping your favorite pair of shoes in the closet and you are supporting an (almost) lost art form!

Send us your tips too!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living!

We Can Live Green

Money Monday – Food (Again)

To continue our Money Monday, here are a few more ideas on how to save money on food.

1. Forget processed foods. This includes not only fast food and eating out, but a lot of the pre-packaged stuff in the grocery. Each individual and family is different – you may be one who eats out all the time or hardly ever, so it’s tough to say just how much you could save by saying goodbye to processed foods. While may of us are just too busy trying to stay afloat financially to even think about cooking more, at least we can consider ways to bring more whole foods into our diet. If you substitute one whole foods meal per week for one processed meal, you will be saving at least $150 a year (multiply this times four for a family of four). 

2. Try at least one vegetarian meal a week. It is much easier to cook a delicious vegetarian meal than you might imagine, and you will save money on your weekly grocery bill! When you have mastered one veggie meal a week, try to increase to two, and so on. It will add up: If you cook one veggie meal a week, you can save $200 a year; five meals a week saves $1000 a year! 

3. Buy in bulk – organic food only, of course! In larger wholesale clubs there are some great deals to be found on organic grains, cereals, canned goods, meat or chicken, beans and lentils, and much more. Be sure the packaging is minimal – that helps reduce your consumer impact on the planet while you’re saving a few bucks. Depending on your family’s size, you can save $300 and up on properly packaged bulk products.

For more money saving tips, please read We Can All Live Green: Simple Steps to Save Money, Stay Healthy and Support the Planet.

Hope this helps! Please send your tips our way so we can post!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living,

We Can Live Green

Money Monday – Save Major Money on Food

Here we go for our first ‘Money Monday’ segment…Enjoy!

1. Pay attention to the seasons. To save money, buy produce in season. Have you ever seen how much a wintertime basket of berries costs? Ouch. Off-season produce usually requires much more energy and resources to produce and transport, and it often retains less nutritional value too. If you buy in-season produce only, you can skim $250 or more off your yearly grocery bill.  

2. If you can’t afford fresh, try frozen or canned. It is usually cheaper to buy frozen or canned fruits and veggies rather than fresh produce at the chain markets.  This depends on the region you live in, so check first.  When it comes to nutritional value, fresh is best, but frozen is a close second.  Canned is fine too, if price is an issue; just make sure you’re always getting organic, and not a lot of added sugar or sodium. Depending on where you live, if you buy frozen or canned, you can save $200 a year and up on your grocery bill.  

3. Support your local farmer. Take advantage of your local farms, farmers markets, co-ops and CSAs.  They are cheaper for many reasons and the money you spend stays in your community – maybe even to a farming neighbor! Remember, costs to the consumer are much lower when you buy from local farmers – so you will reap financial and health benefits (as well as the benefit of supporting your community). Depending on where you live, you can save $300 a year and up by buying local produce. 

4. Grow your own garden…and your bank account! If you make time and room in your yard for a garden you will reap huge financial benefits. An average garden can supply a family of four with at least half of your fruit and veggie needs – all for the cost of a few seed packets or small plants, a bit of watering and some TLC. Conservative estimates for money saved on growing your own produce range from the $750 range…and up. 

Excerpt in part from  We Can (All) Live Green: Simple Steps to Save Money, Stay Healthy and Support the Planet.

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living –

We Can Live Green

Saving Money (with the Laundry??)

With recent downturns on Wall Street and the economy as a whole, We Can Live Green thought it might be nice to send a couple of money saving tips your way. By the way, we are starting a series on Monday on money saving tips. Call it ‘Money Monday’ if you will!

So, how to save money doing the laundry? A few ideas follow:

1.  First of all, Americans use too much laundry detergent when washing. There was even an article in the Wall Street Journal about it! See here for article by the Wall Street Journal. A great article on the mechanics behind over-sudsing featured in the New York Times is here. Yes, I’m serious.

2. Now that you are informed, what do you do? Start with Mr. Schmidt’s test for oversoaping, as written in the New York Times:

“Here is Mr. Schmidt’s test to determine if you’re oversoaping. Take four to six clean bath towels, put them in your front-loading washing machine (one towel for a top loader). Don’t add any detergent or fabric softener. Switch to the hot water setting and medium wash and run it for about five minutes.

Check for soap suds. If you don’t see any suds right away, turn off the machine and see if there is any soapy residue. If you see suds or residue, it is soap coming out of your clothes from the last wash.”

Basically, if you see suds you are over-sudsing. Over-sudsing means you are wasting money and potentially damaging your washing machine. Mr. Schmidt claims that you can use 1/8 to 1/2 the recommended amount of laundry detergent. That will save you money in two ways – 1. your laundry detergent goes a lot farther than it used to and 2. you will save on wear and tear on your machine!

Let us know how this works for you!

Dedicated to Healthy and Thrifty Living-

We Can Live Green