Fru-Gal Friends

Very Valuable Member Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 389

Thank you!! wow! what service!! amazing!!! Very Happy

"Ask & you shall receive"

As I mentioned in my request post, being frugal IS truly part of being green...I am finding a few hard choices thouigh...for instance, is "cheap" neccessarily better? I'm tending not to think so when it comes to cheaply made items. Two examples are: regular health & beauty items made from chemicals & cheap ingredients such as soaps that dry out & irritate the skin and the chemicals they are made from go down the drain,seep into the soil,and are bad for the environment. I personally, have been using castile soap in liquid form for my hand soap dispensers and in bars, I'm in NO WAY any kind of expert, but I know it's better for the environment. Same goes for lotions, hand soaps that contain an antibacterial formula are bad for you, too,toothpastes,etc. I hear that salt & baking soda an ideal tooth cleaner...however, I am not at that point of trying it yet. I have tried just baking soda but became lazy about it, and just wanted to grab the tube of paste & sqeeze (very lazy, huh?). I am currently using Tom's of Maine toothpaste, and it's great. I used it years ago, but their formula has changed (since the 80's Laughing

)and now it's more like conventional toothpaste. I will probably try baking soda (& add salt) again though.
Also, my other example is that for years I would spend $1 every 3 months on a plastic shower liner at the dollar store and get very excited at finding the color i wanted Laughing

...frugal right? well,after washing the plastic liner a couple of times in the washer, it just wouldn't stand up to the pulling & tugging my kids would do everytime they got in & out of the shower so they would rip & tear & need to be replaced...with another plastic liner...or not??...well, that's what i had done for years, and all those liners are probably STILL sitting in the landfill. I finally decided today that I would "invest" (they ain't cheap)in an organic cotton shower curtain liner. I haven't received it yet, but I will update you as to how I like it. I plan of keeping it around for years(no matter how many times I need to wash it!!); I'm sure it will be sturdier than my old plastic ones & won't rip...so better for the environment....YES. Oh, also, those plastic liners emit gases that are not-so-good for you,too (hence the way they smell when you first take 'em out of the package, I guess)....frugal? Hhhhmmmmm....well,yes form a health standpoint and maybe from a standpoint that I won't be purchasing them every three months anymore.
In any case, everyone has to make their own decision on far they are willing to go to be green...or green-er. I chose the organic cotton shower curtain, others may call me crazy, and NOT frugal...but everyone has to do it in their own way. Even Amy Dacyczyn always says that what was RIGHT for her, isn't neccessarily RIGHT for everyone else, everyone has to find what they are comfortable with.
Also, take baby steps.Research. Accumulate information about what you can do, and what you willing to do.
My opinion is that being eco-conscious ties into a frugal lifestyle and we all can do something to be easier on the planet.
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Subject: Re: woo-hoo!! Thank you!! Thu 03 Jan 2008, 5:08 pm

thats great Cheapy I have a cotton shower curtain it was a gift a couple years ago I need to get some more ..
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Very Valuable Member Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 389

Well, that was a nice gift, Gayla!! No one I know would've EVER given me one!! So I had to take matters into my own hands~ Laughing

Now, regarding the cotton liner...I'm not talking about the one (the pretty one) that hangs outside of the tub...I mean the one that keeps the water from escaping from the tub while showering. It's supposedly made from tightly-woven cotton fiber that is naturally water repellant (to a degree, I'm thinking)...I've seen hemp ones, too...just as pricey as the organic cotton, but hemp is a naturally antmicrobial textile(I hope I am getting all this info correct! the wordage, I mean!)
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Subject: Re: woo-hoo!! Thank you!! Thu 03 Jan 2008, 5:41 pm

I agree that it's less wasteful (material-wise) to spend a bit more on something that will last longer than cheap equivalents that need to be replaced more frequently. This applies to many household items, clothing and even cleaners where a few drops of something more expensive is better than using half a bottle of cheap stuff!
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~ By sowing frugality we reap liberty, a golden harvest. --Agesilaus ~

Subject: Re: woo-hoo!! Thank you!! Thu 03 Jan 2008, 6:39 pm

I have had my shower curtain for 7 years. We purchased it in South Carolina and we don't need a liner with it as it is both in one if that makes sense. We love it.
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Vicki

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Subject: Re: woo-hoo!! Thank you!! Thu 03 Jan 2008, 9:02 pm

Great shower curtain idea....have a sliding door, walk in style shower here and my daughter uses a tub only but would certainly consider getting one in a different house....
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Love is a fruit, in season at all times and within the reach of every hand. Anyone may gather it and no limit is set. ~ Mother Teresa

Subject: Re: woo-hoo!! Thank you!! Thu 03 Jan 2008, 10:04 pm

Mine was from my Aunt Pat its the liner it cotten sorry tag is gone I have a really good liner that I got several years ago at a linen store .. its been a great it was pricey I think about 30 dollars but it was discounted to half ..
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Very Valuable Member Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 389

I hope this works...but it's a link to an article about the plastic shower liners I was talking about (and have thankfully given up!!) + other things like toys, etc. made from PVC plastic:

http://eartheasy.com/article_PVC_plastics.htm
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