Shopping Smart Home Edition

Oh my so much to say, we have been doing a lot of renovations around the house and I'm happy to say that I think the only thing I haven't bought on sale is paint. The biggest hint I can give is plan ahead. About a month ago we decided to redo the bathroom in March. We started watching sales and buying things when they were cheap. We have saved a lot of money this way. Keep measurements in your purse/wallet so that when you see a good deal you can take advantage of it. This is a great and easy way to save some money as long as you have somewhere to store the items till you use them.

Also don't forget that many of the 'big box' stores and some of the smaller stores as well will honor their competitors coupons. So if Home Depot has the exact item you want but you have a 10% lowes coupon take it to the customer service desk and use it! Along with that keep ahold of your receipts and watch the ads if something you just bought goes on sale you can often take in your receipt for a price adjustment. I've done this a few times to and although it feels a little funny I've saved a few hundred dollars this way.

Another good way to save some money and be green is to buy used. Think thrift stores, cragislist, ebay, garage sales, that kind of thing. My Friend Abbey is trying to declutter her life and has a great sale with some super cute stuff going on right now in the Twin Cities area, here is a link to her sale: Abbey's Sale.

As for greenie ways here are some ideas for you, bamboo, bamboo, bamboo. Bamboo still has to be manufactured like cotton and wood however its regrowth time is only around 5 years!!! This is a product with some sustainability. Not to mention it looks and feels fantastic. Have you ever felt a bamboo towel? They are amazing, they stay so soft wash after wash. Buy as many recycled items as you can and reuse as much as you can. There are lots of products out there to keep your house as natural as possible. Low VCO paint, natural cleaners such as Method and Shaklee, and many others. Find the one that works for you. Another great way is to borrow things. If you having a baby you could use your friends old bassinet and toys that their child has out grown. Try to use glass over plastic whenever possible.

Can you think of anything I'm missing I'm sure there are lots of ideas out there.