http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-do-we-choose-between-budget-and.html
25 Sustainability Changes That Save Money
1. Take advantage of your local library for books, music, and videos.
2. Walk or bike, use public transportation, carpool with neighbors and co-workers, and consolidate any car errands to one or two days per week.
3. Think about getting rid of your car to save money on insurance, maintenance, and gas.
4. Use a clothesline instead of the dryer.
5. Replace paper towels & napkins with cloth. You can make rags out of old clothing, and cloth napkins out of old sheets and curtains.
6. Barter and trade with neighbors and friends.
7. Utilize Freecycle, Craigs List, and other local free exchanges.
8. Shop at thrift stores and garage sales, and arrange clothing swaps with friends and family.
9. Make your own lunches for school and work.
10. Stop buying snacks and take-out food, and instead cook at home. If you need to save time, there are many quick seasonal recipes. I’ve posted a few here.
11. Buy in bulk: buy from bulk bins at your local market, buy large quantities of staples via special order from your local market or online, buy a whole case which generally comes with a case discount, and buy large packages of food you use regularly. If buying in bulk leaves you with too much food, go in on the purchase with a friend or set up a community buying club.
12. If you are really needing extra help, go to your local food bank. That’s what they’re for!
13. Buy fruit and vegetable seconds and day old bakery items. These are generally significantly reduced in price - often by 50% or more. Generally you’ll need to cook with them right away.
14. Pick your own produce at a local farm.
15. Grow your own food.
16. Learn to preserve food by canning, drying, root cellaring, freezing, and pickling. You can find books about how to do these things at your local library.
17. Plan your menus. If you plan your menus for the week, you will use all of the food you’ve purchased, you’ll be able to shop just once a week, you can make sure to utilize seasonal items, and you can save time and stress by not having to worry about “what’s for dinner.”
18. Recycle and compost as much as possible to reduce trash collection fees.
19. Mend and repair. You can pick up books from the library on how to sew, knit, repair furniture and cars, and so on. And there are often free classes on such subjects - ask at your local college, community center, bulletin boards, and do a search on the internet. You may be surprised at what’s out there!
20. Make your own cleaning and body products from simple and cheap ingredients like vinegar, baking soda/bicarb, hydrogen peroxide, corn starch, cooking oil, lemon juice, and water. You’ll find several recipes here at the Co-op, and at Down To Earth. I’ve recently shared my deodorant and hair washing methods. Eileen just wrote about going entirely no ‘poo.
21. Unplug or turn off power switches to appliances when not in use, to save electricity.
22. As they burn out, replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs. They cost more initially, but they will save significant amounts of electricity and will last many times longer than an incandescent bulb.
23. Reduce shower times, bathe less often, and use bath water to water outdoor plants and flush toilets.
24. Turn off the television, get rid of your cable bill, and take up reading, knitting, and walking more regularly.
25. Use coupons. I recently bought a book of coupons for local shopping. The book cost $20. The first coupon I used saved me $25. I win!
Stay safe, healthy, and happy. Things will get better. In the meantime, the most important thing to remember is that we all survive better if we stick together. Now is a great time to be a strong member in your community. You are probably more knowledgeable and better equipped than most of your neighbors, so if you can, try to help them get through this crisis, too!
Thanks for reading.
Posted by Melinda
Country Lore: Make Zucchini Chips
Turn an overabundance of zucchini into dried chips, great for snacking and in winter recipes.
June/July 2008 By Jennifer Cleary
The season of zucchini overabundance will soon be here. Before you resort to unloading your surplus in unlocked cars and empty mailboxes, try drying it. The drying process concentrates the zucchini’s flavor, making even tasteless, watery varieties decidedly sweet and nutty. I like to grow ‘Dark Green,’ a good all-purpose variety that is somewhat bland when fresh, but absolutely delicious when dried. I imagine a variety that is flavorful when fresh, such as ‘Costata Romanesco,’ would make for a true gastronomical experience.
Drying zucchini is fast, simple and requires little equipment. I like to wait to pick the zucchini until they are 10 to 12 inches long and fully mature. Don’t let them get much larger, though, or the seeds will be tough when dried. Cut the zucchini into one-sixteenth- to one-eighth-inch slices, discarding the end pieces. Spread the rounds on an old nylon window screen to dry. If the weather is sunny and the humidity low, they can be dried outside.
Alternatively, they can be dried on screened racks in a warm (100 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit) oven. I also like to spread trays of drying zucchini on the warming shelf of our wood cookstove. The chips are done if they no longer exude moisture when squeezed and are brittle. Store the dried chips in an airtight tin or jar.
Dried zucchini slices can be rehydrated in winter stews and chili — simply add the dried chips during the last three to five minutes of cooking. But my favorite way to eat dried zucchini is straight out of the jar, like potato chips.
Jennifer Cleary.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2008-06-01/Dried-Zucchini-Chips.aspx