Just an Average Day of Life

I couldn't think of anything to post today for the longest time other that It's my birthday!!!!!! :) until my sister told me her reaction to my blog. She does NOT think that frugal and environmentalist go together. Well.. I must redefine the meaning of environmentalist. I am NOT the "walk ten miles to keep from driving one" kind of environmentalist. However, I have the same idea in both economy and ecology. Every little thing you do makes a difference. Just not using Windex and instead using vinegar and water makes a difference. And in these things, it is much cheaper to be an environmentalist. Either way you look at it, from monetary gains to environmental gains it makes a difference. And I'll sure tell you that it makes a whole lot more difference to make it yourself for the environment than buying "Seven" brand or some other "Eco-friendly" brand of cleaners. After all, what am I doing buying my window cleaner? First I buy a heavy-duty-use-forever spray bottle. $1-$3 with tax. The bottle maker ships it to the store, I buy it, it never sees a landfill or recycle center (I reuse it instead and it is better than recycle.) The vinegar bottle ships to the vinegar plant (or is made there, but lets do worse case scenario here) the vinegar is made and shipped to the store. I use it and (eventually because I buy in bulk) the bottle goes to a recycling center. However, if I were to buy a "Eco-friendly" version of Windex, the cycle would go a bit like this. The bottle is made and SHIPPED to the plant. The sticky logo is made and SHIPPED to the plant. the sticky logo is placed on the bottle. The cleaners ingredients are SHIPPED to the plant. The plants' MACHINES make the cleaners, hold the bottles, fill the bottles, seal the bottles. Lots of people DRIVE to work at the plant. The plant uses normal ELECTRICITY. The bottles are then SHIPPED again (MANY MORE MILES than any bottle or vinegar I bought) to your store (or sometimes to the stores' warehouse THEN to the store) and you DRIVE to the store and buy them. Then you RECYCLE or THROW AWAY the bottle.

Now then, let's see how much better my vinegar and water is for the environment than their Seven Generation Brand Windex.

Mine (worse case scenario):
2 local (within 500 miles) shipping
1 drive-to-store
1 recycled bottle every 6 months

Eco-Friendly Windex (best case scenario):
4 shipped (most more than 500 miles)
1 large plant worth of heavy duty energy sucking machines
<250>
1 large dose of energy for the machines
1 recycled or tossed bottle every 1-2 months
1 seal that must be tossed

Now how much better is "Eco-friendly Windex" for the environment? I'm not saying I'm out with truckers or people driving to work. But when you can do a LITTLE something to help, you should do it. It cleans just as well. It's better for the environment. It takes about ten seconds to make a batch. It costs about $1.05 the first bottle, less the more you use it, maybe more if you put a scent in it. I guess my philosophy is much like Ben Franklin's "A penny saved is a penny earned." The same applies to the environment. Just don't go overboard with it. Baby steps people.