It all adds up

Over the past year, I've really been trying to be more "green", and to also save money. I'm not one to scrimp (unless it's really necessary), but I knew there were areas where I could cut back without feeling too much of a pinch.

For instance, Lulu and I would easily go through a case of Dasani water per week. That was costing us a minimum of $24/month, $288/year - and a minimum of 1152 plastic bottles. Granted, we recycled the bottles, but that's still a lot of plastic. So I bought a Brita water pitcher (on sale & using a coupon, I paid $3), enough filters for a year (on sale & using coupons, I paid $21), and 3 reusable water bottles (paid a total of $20). I spent a total of $44 - saving a minimum of $244 the first year! And our recycling volume went down by 1/2 to 1/3 - just by eliminating the bottles.

The other thing I knew could be trimmed down was my Starbucks expenditures. I admit it - I'm addicted to their sweetened black ice tea. I was spending a minimum of $30/week - which translates into $1560/year! On tea!! It didn't seem like much per day, but when you look at the whole picture, it adds up quickly. (Not to mention that I was always tempted to get a pastry while I was there!) I decided to make my own Starbucks tea! Gus bought their iced tea shaker and a large pump bottle of classic syrup for me, and I bought a box of their large iced tea bags and another bottle of syrup. After I used all of their syrup, I saved the bottles/pumps and made my own simple syrup from sugar and water. I even saved about a dozen of the cups, lids, & straws from Starbucks to reuse for my drinks. So factoring in shipping charges, making my own tea for a year only costs $154 - which is a savings of $1406 per year! Now that's impressive! And that doesn't include the savings on gas and wear & tear on my car - and the pastry calories I'm not consuming. I've perfected my tea-making to the point where I actually like my Starbucks tea better than theirs! LOL!

I've never been one to clip coupons much - or even really look at the grocery ads to see what is on sale. I find it frustrating because most of the time, it seems that the stuff that is on sale is unhealthy or something we would never eat/use. Same with coupons - so many of them are for things/brands that we just wouldn't use. To me, it's not a savings if you're buying stuff that's cheap, but you'll never eat/use it. But I've been giving it a shot lately. I don't stock up on a bunch of stuff, but I do look for sales - and I use a few coupons - but I only buy things that I would have bought anyway. In January, I saved $300 (a chunk of that was due to free cat/dog food from frequent buyers' cards) - and in February, I saved $140. Once again, it will add up over time - even if it's not impressive on a weekly basis.

It doesn't have to be painful - and it doesn't have to be a long, involved process. It's possible to cut back in small ways that will add up over time. And you can definitely be "green" in the process, too.

• carry your reusable shopping bags with you (I always have at least 2 in my purse)
• keep a small recycling container on each level of your home so that it's convenient to recycle (I use large reusable shopping bags that are waterproof)
• buy a water pitcher/filter and use reusable water bottles
• get a decorative rain barrel (or just use colorful plastic tubs) to catch rainwater & then use it to water plants when there is a dry spell
• if you have a dog, save your bread bags or other plastic bags to scoop the poop in your yard and/or on walks (no need to buy special bags!)

How have you saved money? How are you helping the environment? Share your ideas!