Salt - the ultimate cheap-o tool!

No use crying over spilled salt - it's so cheap and it cleans everything! Here are some easy ways to use salt to clean your house, safely and on the cheap:

CLOGS - Mix 1 cup each of salt, vinegar and baking soda. Pour down the drain and let sit for 1 hour, then pour boiling or very hot tap water down the drain.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL ODOR - Mix 1/4 cup each of salt, baking soda and dish-washer detergent into the disposal. Turn on hot water, then run your disposal for a 10 seconds to clean out debris and clear odors.

SILVERWARE - Remove tarnish on silverware by gently rubbing each piece with salt and a soft cloth, then wash them by hand.

COPPER - Copper tarnish can be removed by spraying with white vinegar and sprinkling with salt. Scrub the pieces with a sponge, then rinse to remove all trades of the salt.

RUST - Apply a paste made from lemon juice and salt to rusted object. Rub with a soft, dry cloth (an old sock should do the trick!)

ITCHY SKIN - Soak in a tub full of warm saltwater to relieve itchy skin. Add 1-2 cups of salt to soften skin and relax your whole body.

Be well,
Alex

Healthy homes - the smallest of them all!

I have lived in well over 20 homes/apartments/lofts/flats in my 33 years. They have ranged in size from huge, while shared with others, to tiny and at the end of 5 flights of stairs. The 5th story walk-up in the East Village was cheap and I never needed to hit the stairmaster - my legs and butt were toned! I have been using healthier, non-toxic cleaning products since I was old enough to buy my own, and I try to keep clutter to a minimum.
Dee Williams has me beat by a mile! Watch this short video on a woman who lives in an 84-square-foot home...
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?id=3080

Be well, Alex

Dumpster Diver Christmas Wreaths!

This is a great quick video from a news program - if you can get past the smug, disgusted comments from the "newscasters" it's a great little demonstration of what a bit of creativity, some trash and a glue gun can do for your holiday -

Save dollars with creative dumpster-diver wreaths
http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/v/11047184/cbs_wcco_minn/20081210/av_localcat_dontlaun/_goodmorningyahoo_cbslocal51828

Healthy Hypocrite?

Ok, I have a confession...I wear leather.
But I don't eat meat...or cheese...or yogurt...but I DO occasionally buy a "new" piece of clothing or shoes that are leather or animal based. Why?
Because they're used. Someone already bought it new, decided they didn't want it anymore, and then I buy it for next-to-nothing.
I have leather hiking boots that I bought second hand at REI in Oregon 10 years ago and they're still amazing!
(if you're from the Great North West, you've heard the rumors of the yearly members-only sales - if you're not a member, you're crazy! Get on it! www.rei.com Not only do they sell great used outdoor gear for CHEAP, they have an incredible return policy - where do you think all that stuff at the sale comes from?)

I also have vintage leather belts, cowboy boots and motorcycle gloves (which WILL come out of the closet again some day - decided it was best to sell my hog when I got pregnant) - there are just some things that shouldn't be Pleather!

And then there are so many great used items out there for cheap - I think it's much more eco-friendly to buy a good quality, used leather item than buy a new plastic-based vegan item. So, I don't buy new leather, but used it ok by me.
I know, I could get kicked out of the Vegan/Vegetarian Club for this one!

But that's just me...

You? Comments?

Cool YouTube video for healthy cheap eating!

Check out this 9 minute video on YouTube - not the greatest production quality, but "Natalie" offers great tips on eating healthy for cheap!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpqAjtiwmiQ

Best, Alex

No-Wrap Pact Update!

Looking for new and ingenious ways to wrap up those holiday presents? Try the art of Japanese fabric folding, or FUROSHIKI. This origami-like method for wrapping up objects is the perfect one-two punch: use up random bits of fabric around your house while wrapping gifts for free - while recycling! It's a one-two-three punch!
Check out the following sites for directions:
http://www.craftzine-digital.com/craft/vol09/?pg=78
http://furoshiki.com/home.php

Any takers?
Be thrifty,
Alex

Even the New York Times gets it!

This is a great article on exactly what I'm trying to do with this blog - read the NYT's take on the current situation!
Can you save money, time, your health and the environment? Sure!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/garden/20math.html?ei=5070&emc=eta1

Aloe - are you there?

So here is the coolest eco-cheap-o beauty tip I've ever heard - Aloe Gel for your hair!
Why didn't I think of this earlier?
Instead of buying toxic, gooey, petroleum based hair gel, get out that old bottle of aloe gel for your hair sculpting needs.
Try a nickel sized squirt on your palm, rub your hand together and style away like normal.
Enjoy!

Great resources for fresh, cheap, local food

Here I am on this rainy Saturday morning, wishing I had the fortitude to walk down to the farmer's market at Grand Army Plaza - the closest farmer's market to me in Brooklyn.
Why would I risk pneumonia on a day like this for some food? Because it's awesome! The local farmers are dedicated (they stand in this deluge all day!), they have gorgeous produce, and the prices are better because it's local. Everyone wins!

Want to find a farmer's market? Or a CSA? Or a health food store that sells bulk in your area?
One of the best resources is:
http://www.localharvest.org/

Just enter your zip code and you're set!
Enjoy, stay warm,
Alex

The No-Wrap Pact!

Did you know that Americans send 2 billion cards, buy nearly 35 million real trees, and produce 25 million tons of garbage during the holiday season?

The best way I can think of to cut down on the waste, still have fun and save some money is to get creative and pledge not to buy any new wrapping paper this holiday season!

- Use old paper bags from the grocery store
- Tape on several sheets of comic book pages
- Cut up magazines and paste them together in a themed collage
- Use fabric tied with an old bow or butcher string
- Create a scavenger hunt map for the kids - hide their presents in different locations in the house, and draw maps or poems that contain clues to the hiding place. (Ex: "You can find your next gift where Daddy usually stands when drinking his morning coffee" or "Look in the cabinet where the old linens are kept to find the next clue!")

Any more ideas out there, lovely readers?
Pass it on!
Alex

Buying Organics on the Cheap

Here is a great little article I read on Care2.com - a nice checklist of things to consider when trying to buy the healthiest food on a budget: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/organic-on-a-shoestring-budget.html

What tips can my readers share?

I can think of a few to add:

1. Buy in bulk - buying spices in bulk cuts WAY down on their cost (a new bottle or organic Oregano goes for $4+, while buying the same amount in bulk cost me about $1 from an otherwise expensive health food store)

2. Steal! Just kidding...

3. Check out the list of foods at www.ewg.org - they have tested individual fruits and vegetables and offer a handy shopping list to help you prioritize. Organic raisins? ABSOLUTELY. Organic bananas? Not as important.

Happy eating! Alex

Save $$ on your cell phone! Do Not Call Registry

Ok, here we go again.
This might not save too much energy, but it will save your sanity and some money!

REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies tomorrow and you will start to receive sale calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:
888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

A new wardrobe for free? And wine? Sign me up!

Here's my new plan - to swap until I drop!
Not only is my kid wearing new (old) winter clothes that we get free/cheap from other moms in the 'hood who we give our old (new to them) clothes to - but now I want the same sweet deal for myself!

Here's the plan: CLOTHING SWAP!

You're on a budget and you're sick of everything in your wardrobe.
No problem!
Invite 6-12 friends over. Each friend brings a non-messy snack or bottle of white wine AND at least 10 items of clean clothing that are in great shape that they don't wear anymore. All sizes welcome, they'll find a home.
Give everyone a separate area to put their pile, supply a few full-length mirrors (don't buy - borrow!) and decent lighting. The only rules are:
1. that you should cover the windows so peeping neighbors don't get a free show
2. everyone should move around and rummage, trying things on

By the time you're through a couple bottles of wine everyone should have at least a few new items to take home and enjoy!
How's that for being fiscally fashionable?!

Free wrapping paper & a new movement: The NO WRAP PACT!

This morning my kid and I were up in the earliest of early hours - the delirium must have opened my chakras or cleared any creative blocks because I came up with a great way to wrap my niece's birthday present!

Free wrapping paper is so much better than buying a roll of printed-in-china, non-recycled, expensive, trash destined decoration, right? Plus, it's totally recycled!

First I got a few magazines that were headed for the "free box" (I put out magazines on my stoop for passers-by to take with them - and I usually get them free from someone else's stoop in the first place!) and started flipping through. Any page with pink graphics or girly motifs were torn out - my niece is 6 tomorrow, and WAY into pinkness.

With a hefty pile of pink pages in front of me, I culled any corners that contained logos, annoying anti-girl-power imagery or non-cute pictures, and kept the rest. Then I just started taping all the bits and pieces together on the gift box (also recycled from a shipment, of course) and voila!

This got me thinking - why not create a movement for the upcoming holidays? The NO WRAP PACT! Everyone agrees not to buy any new wrapping materials and only wrap presents in hand-made paper crafts like the above, or pretty fabric scraps, old paper bags that your kid has covered with drawings and glitter...get creative! Why not just drape every present under a different holiday throw or old, soft baby blanket! The whole family can sit around and do a knee-slapping drum roll before each present is unveiled - instead of all that wasted, pretty-sad paper being balled up into garbage bags the day after christmas.

It's a movement! I just decided! Pass it on - 

Love Alex, the New Home Eco-Nomics Expert

Good thinking - no more paper towels!

I can't remember where I got this idea, but it probably has something to do with the little piles of quilting fabric and sewing projects that are bundled in the corner of my basement. 

I admit it, I'm a fabric collector. When I see used jeans or piles of free, second-hand clothes on the streets of Brooklyn I think - free quilt material! 

But I realized that I was using too many paper towels - yes, we are all sinners. Sure I use the non-bleached, recycled kind, but still! I need to stop using them for the floor spills and the greasy spills...I use a sponge, and yes I use kitchen towels for drying my hands, dishes and produce. But those little disposable paper towels are irresistible! And lousy for the environment...and expensive! Ok, they're not THAT expensive, but if I can save $2 a week over the course of a year - why not!

So, here's my idea - a cute little collection of rolled up old hand towels, cut up pieces of absorbent fabric and retired, yet sterilized, cloth diapers. Easy to grab, easy to use and if they get stained and gross-er, no biggie! Just wash, dry and re-roll.

Pack it up, pack it in - let me begin!

It happens several times a week - I'm standing in the kitchen trying to wrap up leftovers, lunch for the baby boy's day at the park, or a snack for my subway ride into Manhattan. I'm confused. What is the cheapest, safest, most responsible way to wrap up food?

Self-seal plastic bags are amazing for their ease and versatility - but they aren't sustainable. Even if you rinse them out and use them several times (which some doctors claim is unsafe either because of possible bacteria contamination or the plastic degrades over time and rubs off onto your food) they have to be thrown out eventually. It's initially cheaper to buy a box of Ziplock bags, but it's cheaper over time to buy a few sturdy glass containers of various size that come with plastic lids.

Reusing plastic bread bags is a step in the right direction - at least I'm not creating more garbage like when I bought that box of Ziplock. Right? But the plastic cross-contamination question keeps popping up - am I bathing my food in petroleum when I store hot, liquid or fatty foods in plastic re-used containers?

Foil works for some things, but isn't good for creating an air-tight seal - plus there are questions about the safety of wrapping aluminum around your food. Is there an increased Alzheimer's risk from over-exposure to this metal? Yet, it's recyclable. Argh.

Sometimes I use one of the many glass jars that I have painstakingly cleaned, removed labels from and stacked precariously in a top shelf away from the 2-year-old hands. But glass breaks (sometimes in the same Whole Foods store 3 times in one week, under the glaring eyes of resentful employees) and you can't really stuff a sandwich in an old salsa jar.

So what do I do? A combination of everything, trying to be as mindful as possible with each individual portion, trying to save pennies and the earth simultaneously.

Rather than have fatty foods (like tofu, cheese, etc) rest next to plastic bags (which some science says absorbs the nasty chemicals from plastic better) you can wrap them in parchment paper first and then rest it inside plastic which can be washed and re-used later.

Parchment paper is made of trees, granted, but you can get unbleached, dioxin-free paper at health food stores.

Or store everything in little glass mustard jars and be super organized in your fridge, remembering where everything is located, using the oldest foods first and NEVER dropping the fragile little suckers at the playground or on the F train.



What do you do? Any tips to share?

Wood vs. Plastic - AGAIN!

Sometimes it's hard to weigh an economic choice with an earth friendly choice. I was reading an article on "eco xmas gifts" this week, which recommended buying someone a nice, new wooden spoon for the kitchen to replace an old plastic spatula.
Now, this is the type of "green" advise that makes my head spin - how to balance budget concerns with earth-friendly choices?
Now, we all have old plastic spatulas hanging out in our kitchens. Scratched, dented, ragged plastic spatulas. Are they so old they're chipping off bits of harmful plastic into the food? Are they a "safer" plastic (like #5)? Are they even recyclable?
So maybe I want to replace an old spatula, but they're great budget tools! How else can I get 2 more servings of almond butter out of the jar without a nice plastic spatula? I'm sure I've saved loads of food over the years with these handy, bendy sticks.

Nice new wooden spoons are great - but they're made out of newly cut trees, right? Who would want a wooden spoon made out of recycled wood?

Which is better?

Day 2 Q: What do YOU do?

Ok, dear readers, here is one of the fundamental reasons why I started writing this blog - to find out what other folks are doing in their own lives to save money and the planet.

My parents were creative, adventurous and ...not destitute, but not rich either. Dad was a teacher and mom was an artist/Jill-of-all-trades. While we didn't have much extra money, there were always rich experiences to be had - camping in the woods over spring break, weeding the vegetables, feeding our bunny, picking raspberries, reading and playing games through the long, rainy Oregon weather...life was full! We recycled scraps of fabric from mom's sewing projects into bookmarks which my brother sold at school, my parents traded fresh herbs with the local Italian restaurant for discounts, my dad helped a friend with some work on their property in exchange for a huge jar of honey from their hive. I feel really grateful looking back on my childhood because I learned so much from my parents. Not only how to make the most of what you have, but the importance of working with others to make everyones lives a little better.

So now it's my turn - how can we help each other out here in cyberspace? I can't come over and bake you a pie in exchange for some accounting work (or can I?) - but I want to start trading information to get us all inspired to live well, take care of each other, ourselves and this beautiful ball we all live on.

So, What do YOU do?

Welcome - let's get started!

My life has been preparing me for this moment - my first home eco-nomics blog!

First - who am I, anyway?
My name is Alex Jamieson and I work with food. I help people feel better, eat better and fix their health problems through diet and other holistic methods. (check out my website at www.healthychefalex.com)

Second - Home Eco-Nomics? What is that?
Well, many clients and readers of my e-newsletter are worried about their waistline and the bottom line. This blog is the beginning of a new movement - how to live a healthy, non-toxic, fun life without breaking the bank!

Third - What is this blog all about?
I want to share information so that my readers can have access to great ideas on health, food, self-care and creating a healthy home and work environment. I also want a place where my readers can share their great ideas - how do you re-use that cardboard toilet paper roll? How do you save when buying organic produce? Do I really need to spend $20 on a Halloween outfit for my kid - what did you create, you thrifty maven, you?

Any and all topics are welcome! I want this to be a one-stop, all you can eat blog for those of us who want to live lightly on this earth while easing up on the credit card.

Here we go!
Alex