by Becky Smith Gallops

These days it seems everyone is getting down to earth-or going green. If the thought of recycling all your trash, growing your own veggies, and creating a compost pile seems frightfully overwhelming, don't despair just yet. There are some simple steps your family can take to start going green a little bit at a time.


Keeping It Clean
Biodegradable and non-toxic are the buzzwords you need to know where cleaning products are concerned. You may be surprised to learn that you probably already have three very powerful, natural cleaning products in your kitchen-lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar. These three ingredients combine into a variety of cleaning solutions to keep your home clean and fresh. The Internet is a treasure trove of information on how to use these simple kitchen items to clean. Check out The Queen of Clean's Web site for cleaning tips at www.queenofclean.com/tips.php.


Declutter
Make your trash someone else's treasure. Visit www.freecycle.org to find a Freecycle group in your area. Join the e-mail list, and start listing the things you want to get rid of. You will be amazed at the speed in which folks will snap up your stuff, and you will avoid cluttering up the landfill with your unwanted items.


Saving Green
When you go green, you can save money. As your incandescent light bulbs go out, replace them with a CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb), which will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. You can also set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and higher in the summer, wash your clothes in cold water, and use a drying rack or clothesline to reduce the energy used by the dryer. All of these tips will help to save money on your energy bills.


Borrow or Swap
Instead of buying books, borrow them from the library or friends. You can also trade them in at used bookstores or swap them via Web sites like www.paperbackswap.com. Along with saving you money, it also saves on the paper and ink used to print the books. You can also borrow or swap DVDs and CDs.


Save the Trees
If you're finding your recycle bin full of unwanted and unread catalogs, or worse yet you are throwing them out, visit www.catalogchoice.com and cancel any unwanted catalogs.


Use Less Gas
Reduce the amount of gasoline you use (and harmful emissions) by carpooling to work or with other families to get the kids to and from school and activities. Biking or walking to work and nearby stores can also reduce your carbon footprint.



Set your own pace for greening your lifestyle, and ask your kids to help. Remind them to help by turning off unnecessary lights, televisions, and other appliances. A few small steps can help to make a big difference.