Five Tips for Frugal Shoppers
Today @dbjelica712 tweeted me to ask me if there are safe brands for frugal shoppers. The answer is more challenging than it should be, and takes longer than a tweet. But the good news is, you can save money and buy safe products. It just takes some creative accounting and a willingness to look at the big picture.
I like to think of money as energy, and I want to put my energy into creating the kind of world I want to live in. So I try to buy all my personal care products from companies I trust – these tend to be small, independently owned companies, local if possible, that share my vision of a healthy world (the type of companies you won’t find in the pages of Vogue).
But I have to confess, sometimes I‘m a sucker for a cheap price tag. This was the case when I recently bought a 32-ounce bottle of Whole Foods’ 365 brand shampoo. I like the bigger bottle (three cheers for less plastic) and I knew the product was high quality because it was recently reformulated to meet the store’s Premium Body Care Standards (yay Whole Foods!) — never mind that whole thing about union busting and the CEO who tried to torpedo health care.
Sometimes it gets complicated. But in general, I’m for spending my money in ways that advance my values and offsetting the cost by taking money away from the things that don’t. In this way, I actually spend less money than I used to on products that are better for my health and the planet. Here’s how:
Less is more — Companies love to make us think we need a different lotion for every part of our bodies, a different cleaning product for every room in the house. Better to buy one high-quality, non-toxic product from a company you love. An advantage to getting to know your local manufacturers is that sometimes you can get a great discount! (Thanks Grateful Body!)
Bye Bye Hair Dye (and other expensive toxic stuff) — Hair dye, relaxers, perms: anything that changes the shape and color of hair tends to be quite toxic chemistry, not to mention messy and expensive. Giving up the hair dye saves hundreds of dollars a year, and this is where I saved the most money. Sometimes I miss the highlights but my theory is that most women actually look better with their natural hair color. (Check out my Bye Bye Hair Dye page on Facebook.)
Make your own — Coconut oil and sesame oil make great lotions, and baking soda and vinegar are excellent cleaning agents. Here are some cheap green cleaning recipes and ideas for making your own cosmetics. I also love these ideas from the Zero Waste Family lady.
Just say No – to gratuitous products that add unnecessary expense and chemical exposures to our lives: perfumes, body sprays, vaginal sprays, air fresheners, dryer sheets, bubble bath… It feels great to discover how much we actually don’t need! And after taking a break from all these synthetic fragrances, you start to notice how gross they actually smell.
Get political – We can’t just shop our way out of these problems, we also need to change the laws to require companies to stop using hazardous chemicals. Until then, green products will continue to be a niche market in expensive stores that only some people can afford. That’s why it’s crucial to support laws like the Safe Cosmetics Act that will shift whole industries to safer products.
Extra bonus: turn off the TV to save lots of cash! How much do people spend on cable these days? Most shows I like run for free on the internet without all the brainwashing ads that try to make me think it’s a good idea for the scent of laundry detergent to last for seven days! (persistent chemicals anyone?)
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Thanks for all the great suggestions!
I’ve used olive oil and coconut oil, but prefer organic jojoba oil. It is a perfect eye makeup remover, moisturizer and even hair conditioner. It soaks in quickly and doesn’t leave you feeling greasy.
Liquid Castile soap is another natural, all-purpose product that works to clean just about anything. I mix an unscented castile soap with essential oils for various uses as a face/body soap or as a household cleanser.
February 22nd, 2011 at 8:26 pm
I struggle with finding good, clean products at a decent price. One lifesaver for good deals has been Etsy. In case you’ve never been on Etsy, it’s basically a virtual marketplace that connects small, handmade products and their owners with shoppers. It’s a little addictive and always a bit like being on a treasure hunt – you can even see if there are local companies making the product you are interested in when you search for a specific item! There are lots of small companies making clean products at an affordable price – everything from soap to conditioner to makeup and everything in between. Preparing to make my first makeup purchase from Etsy (I’ve previously bought things like soap and body wash and I have loved them all!) and I can’t wait.
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:45 pm
Laundry tips: 1) Use a teaspoon of baking soda with half the amount of laundry detergent you would normally use for a wash–you won’t notice a difference. 2) Handwash jeans and delicates in the kitchen sink with cold water and castille soap and hang to dry–they’ll endure less wear and tear this way and last longer.
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:41 pm
You can actually buy Organic & 100% TOXIC FREE products and earn 12% of the commission on your own free site. Get your FREE site at http://www.MyOwnShoppingMall.com then shop for Chae Organics under the “Wellness” tab. It’s a great way to start an online business and enjoy the tax advantages of business ownership too.
February 25th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Great post, and many good comments too!
I’ve found that we use fewer different products since we started to share the same products as a family: shampoo, shower gel, even deodorant etc. can all be unisex and therefore used by the whole family! It also helps with anyone trying to live a more minimalistic lifestyle – imagine the neat looking bathroom with just a few products on display
February 25th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
I also use borax in my laundry, which works pretty well.
And I second making your own!! I love making my own stuff. I recently branched out into soap, which was a little intimidating, but worth it.
I use baking soda as shampoo and vinegar as conditioner and I love that. For body wash, you can use a nice soap, or liquid castille plus essential oils.
February 25th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
Great tips–
I agree with Stef that we need LESS laundry detergent than the manufacturer recommends.
Baking Soda works extremely well to clean the floor of your shower in a SAFE manner. You know it isn’t ok when you use a store purchased cleaner and your lung tissue hurts while using it. That is a big warning signal!
On the subject of spending less on cosmetics and spa products, I recommend to purchase from companies that are not paying big bucks to be on the store shelves or cosmetic counters. First of all, they don’t need to add all the nasty chemical preservatives to make their product last 3 years on a store shelf (similar to the shelf life of Ding Dongs!). Also–these smaller companies don’t have to charge you for all that marketing cost of sitting on a store shelf. My favorite recommendation:
http://www.OurLemongrassSpa.com/Jill (Proud Signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics)
February 25th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Less is definitely more. I’ve found the less I actually put on my face, my body… the less irritating it all is. I break out less, I dont’ have weird chapped lips from product overuse. I have a simple beauty routine for every day, and I choose to support those in the natural products world who are walking the walk. It’s filtered down to everyday living as well–you really can get by with less, even when cleaning house. And even food! Buy what’s in season, cook what’s in season, eat local or organic when you can… By no means am I perfect but to me it’s worth it to go the extra mile to protect my health and support the people that are in line with my values and feelings about the world I really want to live in.
April 15th, 2011 at 7:22 am
I love this article! Thank you so much for directing me to it. I have been avoiding air fresheners for years because it was a big “duh” to me that we are breathing it in when we spray it. Also they smell so strong and fake. Thanks for the link, I’m definately looking into it. I want to simplify my beauty routine even more than it is now. Also I love using vinegar and baking soda for cleaning.