I have read so many stories of green living: Family eats wheat grass and organic fruit, weaves their own clothing from home grown hemp, and considers the carbon footprint before making a move.

The truth is, it is difficult for many of us to even stretch the food bill at (insert the name of the cheapest place to buy anything), much less buy organic.

Green living seem to be for the wealthy, just like the best private schools, hybrid cars and solar panels.

Going green does NOT mean going broke. Green living can be doable at any income level. It is a matter of letting go of the things that advertisers say you must have and learning to see what you actually need. My clothing priority is clean, not too frumpy, sturdy clothing that I can do chores in, wash well and are comfortable enough to wear for too many hours a day.

Here are 10 ways go green on the cheap:

* Go green by going home to the kitchen. Make some simple things that your family will eat, that you can pronounce, and that are healthier for everyone. Look at your grocery list(you do make a grocery list, don’t you?) do you have the staples on it? Flour, sugar, salt, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, fruits and vegetables, simple meats and grains? Make the time to cook at home.

* Go green by staying in with the family. Take a Staycation. Plan for time off of work to simply be with your family, in your home.

* Go green by trading and buying used – Most people have a bag of clothes laying around that their kids can’t wear anymore. They might be miss-matched items but for a few dollars you can replace missing pieces.

* Go green by going out into your community. There are many fun events in our communities that are inexpensive and bring families and neighborhoods together. There is Scouts for boys and girls, multiple 4H groups, soccer, bowling leagues for any age, and that is just off the top of my head. Once you tap into these free or nearly free resources, you will have a hard time choosing from them all.

* Go green by planting a seed – Remember organic? There is no reason you can’t plant a few seeds and grow your own organic food. Plant a few seedlings in containers on your deck. I usually plant a few squash plants in my flower bed in my front yard. They fill the space and produce yummy food and great jack-o-lanterns.

* Go green by doing some good – Find something useful and helpful to do in your community. Become a contributing member of your little slice of life. Teach your kids to volunteer. Each spring the kids in our neighborhood go plant flowers at the park. Our city provides the flowers – we just do the work.

* Go green by doing it yourself – Instead of buying something new, fix something you already have. Fix up something you find at a yard sale or thrift store.

* Go green by going online – There are many things we can find online! Have you ever watched TVor movies online? If money is tight in your home you can cancel the cable or satellite and watch TV on the computer. You may be able to hook your computer up to your TV and watch some of your favorite shows with little commercial interruption.

* Go green by researching what you need to know – shop around! Make decisions for yourself. Don’t take the salesman’s word for everything.

* Go green by doing less – take time to meditate –

A final note: You can save money by checking out the deals posted on Pinching Your Pennies everyday!

There are some expensive things out there that we want and might even need. Examples might include a home or a sensible car. Traditional wisdom suggests that you can either save your pennies and dimes to eventually buy what you need, or you can go into debt and pay smaller amounts on a regular basis until, eventually, the item is paid off in full.

Food storage, like your home, is something worth investing in. It provides you with security in uncertain times. However, many people are leery of going into debt for their food storage, and understandably so. In this economic climate, who wants to spend more money than necessary? For this reason, it can be incredibly easy to put off this important part of preparedness.

Are you caught up in trying to decide between spending a huge chunk of money on a food storage package or going without altogether? If so, then stop right where you are. Lucky for you, Shelf Reliance has completely eliminated the need for this dilemma.

The THRIVE Q was created about a year ago, and the number of customers who enjoy the benefits of this program has been growing steadily. The THRIVE Q allows you to pay for your food storage a little at a time, much as you would in a layaway program. The difference here is that you’re able to receive your food storage products as you pay for them.

What does this mean? In short, the THRIVE Q helps you build a food storage supply at a speed and price that is perfectly tailored to you. Debt and overspending never enter the equation! As a THRIVE Q customer, you can choose to spend anywhere from a lot or a little each month on food storage. You can choose the amount that works for you and your family.

The THRIVE Q works very simply. Start by creating a list of the food your family needs; you can make a list from scratch or get some suggestions from Shelf Reliance, using the THRIVE Planner, our food storage calculator. (If you ever change your mind, you can add items to or take items away from that list as you wish.) The next step is to choose the Monthly Shipments payment option. All of the food from your list will be divided up into monthly shipments, and when you’re ready to start, you’ll be asked to select a monthly budget and the day of the month on which you’d like your card to be charged and your food to be shipped. Once you finalize all of these selections, your plan will be ready to go. A new package of food will arrive every month without any further attention, as convenient as your daily newspaper.

Here are some other fantastic benefits of using the THRIVE Q for your food storage:

You can alter your budget and individual shipments any time you want.

For example, while $150.00 may be a great budget amount for you most of the time, if you ever want to increase it to $175.00 or decrease it to $50.00, you can. You can also change the date of your upcoming shipments, moving them to an earlier or later day in the month. Each month, the THRIVE Q system will automatically select some of the items on your list to include in that month’s shipment, but the system will also allow you to change those items if you wish. In short, the Q is built to fit your needs, no matter how they may change.

You can pause your shipments temporarily or stop them indefinitely – no penalties, no problem.

At Shelf Reliance, we understand that life is not always predictable. That’s why we never ask you to continue using the THRIVE Q if it doesn’t make sense for you. If life circumstances change, you can stop receiving shipments. If you’ll be out of town for the month of May, you can delay your next shipment until June. You’re under no obligation to complete your THRIVE Q within a certain length of time or, in fact, to complete it at all. As a courtesy, we’ll keep track of the items left in your THRIVE Q in case you’d ever like to start it again.

You can use coupon codes to get your food at the lowest prices possible.

If you’re using a coupon code for your THRIVE Q that’s good for 5% off regular prices, but the can of strawberries in your next shipment is on sale for 15% off, the system will automatically deduct an extra 5% from the price. You don’t have to worry about missing out on the best sales; in fact, you’ll be receiving an even better deal!

You’ll have a THRIVE Q assistant to help you all along the way.

The THRIVE Q concept is unique to Shelf Reliance. Something so new is bound to have small glitches and confusing aspects, so we’re learning as we go! If you ever have a question or a problem with your THRIVE Q, you’ll have a team available to give you some direction and get the problem solved.

Want to try the THRIVE Q for yourself? You can get started by visiting this page.

As a special offer to PYP readers, you can use the code QPYP to receive 5% off all the products in your THRIVE Q. Remember, that’s an extra 5% off of sale prices!

If you seasoned Q customers have any tips or suggestions for other readers, don’t hesitate to leave a comment! I hope you’ll take advantage of this fantastic program in the near future and that you’ll have success with food storage. Thanks for reading!

The Latte Factor is simply the idea that frequent, small dollar purchases add up quickly. We don’t notice them because the purchases are small, like a $3 cup of coffee each morning, but over the course of the year that adds up to serious money. This is nothing new but something to seriously consider and it does not always have something to do with coffee.

I have really been looking at this in my life. What are my purchases that seem so small but add up so quickly?

Confession: Everyday after I leave the gym I swing through the very convenient window at the gas station and get a 32 oz Diet Coke and a “Bug Juice” (10oz flavored sugary drink) for my son. It costs me $2.26 each day. Wow! I go to they gym 20 days a month — that’s over $40 a month! I would be much better off to make a 2 quart package of Kool-Aid and refill an empty Bug Juice bottle — I could get 6 bottles for PENNIES rather than dollars. And what about my Diet Coke? Of course I would me MUCH better off if I just stopped drinking it – but I could could also buy a 2 liter at the grocery store and use the empty bottles for water storage….

Consider the money your family may spend on eating out. Sure it is easy sometimes, but with a little planning you can really save money and improve your health by planning and preparing your meals at home.

Think about what you could do with the money you can save by just redirecting a little bit of the money we are spending each day.

To reveal your Latte Factor, get a notebook and carry it with you for one day. Write down every penny you spend, including cash, checks, credit, and debit cards. This may seem simple, but this exercise can be life changing.

You can invest in your future
Pay off debt
Plan a vacation
Replace the washing machine that is on it’s last leg

What would you do?

I love finding a great deal on cereal – it’s an easy breakfast, stores well with a decent shelf life, and with the right sale and coupon matchup, can be purchased for cheap!

But I often wonder just what exactly I’m trading in nutritionally for that convenience. So recently I’ve tried to make an effort to choose “healthier” cereals for my family. I thought I was doing so well! Little did I know…

Yahoo! Health and Men’s Health Magazine published an article this morning on the best and worst breakfast cereals, ones you might think would be good for you but really aren’t. Guess what I found? I’m an offender on almost every count! Here I was so proud of myself for picking up the Raisin Bran cereal instead of the “sugary kid cereals”…WHAT A SHOCK! And I’m a big proponent of reading the nutrition labels, and I STILL missed this one!

To see what they found, check out the full article HERE. Looks like I have a lot more studying to do… 😉

Become a fan of Wheaties on Facebook and get a $1 coupon!

LINK TO OFFER

 $10 off any purchase of $10 or more at Aeropostale.  Print your coupon at the link below and use if from 4/23-4/25.

PRINT YOUR COUPON AT THIS LINK.

Hanes Buy 3 Hanes^® products and the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree, up to 20,000, on Hanes behalf. We’ll also send you a free Earth Day T-Shirt. Offer good from April 1, 2010 – May 15, 2010.

Here is the link to this offer

BBC Planet Earth – From now through April 26, you can download the first episode of the BBC’s landmark series, Planet Earth, for on iTunes.

Disney Hats – If you are lucky enough to live near a Disney Store you can take advantage of this offer: Visit any today with six empty bottles or cans and you can get a free Disney “youth baseball cap.”

Babies ‘R’ Us – Reusable shopping bags make an appearance every Earth Day, but this year Babies ‘R’ Us is going one step further. With an online coupon that’s valid through April 22, (loads slowly) customers can get a free tote bag and 25 percent off all clothing and shoes that fit inside.

REUSE Jeans

Think it’s impossible to be fashion forward and eco-friendly? Think again. REUSE jeans offer the season’s trendiest styles in sustainable denim constructed from 80-percent recycled fabric. The company’s motto: step into a smaller carbon footprint one leg at a time. In addition to skinny, straight and boot leg jeans, REUSE sells denim skirts and shorts on its Web site, REUSEJeans.com. In honor of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, everything on the site is half off through April 25 – punch in the promo code EARTH to refresh your closet and help the environment without hurting your wallet.

$1.00 Ink Refills at Walgreens with code: $6365

Make sure you check out your local stores for more Earth Day specials!

Coupons currently available:

• $1.00 off any ONE (1) 18-oz jar 365 Everyday Value® Organic Peanut Butter
• $1.00 off any ONE (1) Lightlife Product
• $1.00 off any ONE (1) 4-pack of Stonyfield YoBaby Meals Organic Yogurt
• Buy any FOUR (4) Brown Cow Yogurt Cups, Get ONE (1) FREE
• $1.00 off any ONE (1) 4.25 oz. Box of Blue Diamond® Nut Thins®
• $1.50 off any TWO (2) Nature’s Path Organic Cereal items
• $1.00 off any TWO (2) 32 oz. Helios Kefir Products
• 50¢ off any ONE (1) LUNA® Bar or LUNA® Protein Bar
• $1.00 off any ONE (1) Organic Valley Cheese 6oz or larger
• $1.50 off any TWO (2) Nasoya Products
• 75¢ off any TWO (2) flavors/varieties LARABAR® or JOCALAT® bars
• $1.00 off any ONE (1) Michael Angelo’s Frozen Entrée or Pocket Calzone
• $1.00 off any ONE (1) Seventh Generation Disinfecting Product (Sprays and Wipes)
• $5.00 off any ONE (1) Vitamin Code Raw Multivitamins

LINK TO PRINT COUPONS

You can also get these and additional coupons in the store in their The Whole Deal guide.

They also usually have the Mambo Sprouts coupon booklet in the store.

1. FREE plants!! Receive $20 off a $20 order at www.SpringHillNurseries.com!! Pay shipping only.

More info HERE

2. Two Cases of Hammermill Paper for $11.22 after coupon code and rebate at Staples.com!

More info HERE

3. Three FREE 5×7 Custom Greeting Cards at www.shutterfly.com!

More info HERE

4. Lowest Price of Season Doorbusters plus 15% off plus Earn Kohls Cash!

More info HERE

5. Blizzard Anniversary Week! Buy one DQ Blizzard, get one for .25!! No coupon needed!

More info HERE

6. Baskin-Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night: Wednesday, April 28, 5 pm – 10 pm!

More info HERE

7. FREE SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Parks for Military members and family in 2010!

More info HERE

8. Free pretzel at Pretzelmaker/Pretzel Time on National Pretzel Day – April 26th!

More info HERE

9. Lowe’s Vegetable Plants, Herbs and Seed Packets are Buy one get one free from 4/21-4/26!

More info HERE

Salt City Candles are 70-78% off and they ship FREE!!

Just a few examples:

• Candle Angel Mother Raspberry Splash 20 Ounce $5.99
• Candle Summer Sun 14 Ounce Guava $3.99
• Candle Banana Cream Pie 4 Oz. $2.99
• Candle Apple Pie 4 Oz. $2.99
• Candle Banana Flower 5 Oz. $2.99
• Candle Fruit Tart 4 Oz. $2.99
• Candle Summer Sun 14 Ounce Plum Spice $3.99
• Candle Summer Sun 14 Ounce Strawberry Shortcake $3.99
• Candle Tropical Fantasy 5 Oz. $2.99
• Candle Watermelon 5 Oz. $2.99
• Candle Summer Sun 14 Ounce Herbal Moss $3.99
• Candle Summer Sun 14 Ounce Hibiscus $3.99
• Candle Pomegranate 5 Oz $2.99

Use code: TWITTER to get free shipping on any order.

www.seagullbook.com LINK

Have you ever found yourself calling a repairman for a home appliance problem? Then when they get there & inspect the issue, you find out its a simple fix? Then you are stuck paying a large service call fee when you could have fixed the problem yourself.

Here is an example. Last summer for a week or so I noticed that our refrigerator wasn’t getting as cold as it should. We turned up the temperature but it was not getting colder. I was starting to get concerned….would we have a large repair on our hands? My husband said he would look at it. The next morning as I got the milk out it was very cold! And it was a simple, quick fix.

The fridge and freezer work together to keep the temperature regulated properly. See this vent? It is in the top left of the fridge, and it goes to the freezer on the other side.

The problem was this: That bag of bacon bit was standing up blocking the flow vent. That’s it! Once my husband folded down the bag the fridge started to become colder within the hour. And to think I went a week with this problem. If we had called a service man we would have paid at least $75 for him to just tell us that.

If you have something wrong with an appliance, toilet, or other item in your home, take some time to check into what might be wrong before you pick up the phone to call a repairman. My husband is handy, but if you are not maybe you know someone who is that could give you some tips. It just might save you a wad of cash!

***At the time this blog was posted the DSi  and the XBox were included in the promo. The product pages on Barnes & Noble were marked as being included in the promo. B&N has since edited the pages and  removed them from the promo.***
 50% Off List Price Coupon valid on one eligible item in the Mother’s Day Gift Guide marked with the “MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS” icon with code M4U8F7F – exp 04/26/10. Valid only once per customer.

Included in the sale is a Pink Nintendo DSi

*$90 shipped after code

BN.com LINK

Also the Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade for $104 shipped

*$104 shipped after code

BN.com LINK

Print coupon from the link below and take in to your local Aveda store and enjoy 6 Freebies. It is suggested that you make an appointment first.

• a free five-minute stress-relieving neck and shoulder massage
• a free Stress-Relieving Hand Ritual
• a free makeup Finishing Touch
• a free Aroma Sensory Journey
• a free cup of Aveda’s Comforting Tea
• a free “lavishly sized” sample of Aveda Hand Relief cream

LINK TO AVEDA OFFER

Valid through 06/30/10

Just one of the awesome tools here at PYP…ready-made shopping lists.  We scour grocery ads to find the best deals at many of your favorite stores, and match them with available coupons.   Check the list below and see if you find your favorite store!