How to Save Money and Go Green With Your Friends

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By FurryLoo
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Save Money and Go Green With Your Friends

If you're like me, you've got friends that are really into going green and saving money. Here are some really FUN ideas for being GREEN together!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Your imagination

Step 1

First, put together a small party or a coffee day where you can get your closest friends together. I recommend starting with just 2 or 3 friends that you can count on to help you assemble your new "green team" goal. Brainstorm ideas for helping each other save money and living more green.
Step 2

Arrange a babysitting co-op. Set up a point system for watching each other's children. For example, for every child you watch for one hour - you earn 1 hour of your child being watch. This keeps things fair and ensures that no one takes advantage of anyone else. Place a person in charge of tracking this point system, a "treasury" person of sorts. It might help to choose someone who does not have children or whose children are already grown.
Step 3

Set up quarterly or monthly clothing co-ops. Instead of allowing all types of clothing, initiate different themes. Different theme ideas are: business clothes, children's clothes, dresses or formal attire, baby clothes and much more. Find a tailor who will be willing to attend the co-ops and provide services if needed. Your friends will be more excited if they know that the clothes will be tailor-fitted for them. They will have to pay the cost of the tailor, but the savings are still astronomical.
Step 4

Set up a "rainy day" fund. A lot of people don't like to give money to a group so suggest a really small amount that people pay (as low as a dollar) each time they come to the group. This is something they can fish out the change draw in their car. Also, don't require this and keep it optional. Be sure to each write down ideas of what to do with the rainy day fun and pull the ideas from a hat. Create a voting list and have each person fill out. One great idea is a family bbq at a local park. A great way to get everyone together.
Step 5

Finally, create a way to "commit" members with a simple initiation. Maybe a simple pin or hat that each person gains when they join. Give a bonus for those who recruit others (maybe free babysitting points). Create a very special feeling for being part of the "green team" so that people want to come back.
Step 6

Join a cause. This happens naturally as one member will suddenly have a hardship (maybe breast cancer). Rally around this person and find out when's the next opportunity to join a local cause. Do this together as a team and you will find many people preparing for it by walking together, raising money, etc. This is a green way to stay involved in the community and stay active.
Step 7

Food. We all have food that we end up throwing away. Don't do this! Arrange a food co-op and commit to donate whatever is not taken home. This will be well worth it and you will be surprised to see that someone is thrilled to have the box of phyllo dough that you never used.
Step 8

Arrange a co-op for books and magazines. Magazines are a big money waster but one of the things people enjoy the most. If you are trading magazines and books with friends, there is less money spent and less waste. Plus, you will find the same books and magazines resurfacing with only more people eager to read them. Donate books that no one wants (or give back to original owner) and recycle old magazines.
Step 9

Have a garage sale day. Either choose a friend's house or rent out the local grange hall. To keep track of who sells what, assign each person a different color sticker. Buy many different colors of stickers and when a person purchases something, stick the sticker inside a notebook (be sure to mark if the price ended up being different). This is a great way to raise money for yourselves and have fun at the same time.
Step 10

And last, but no least. Talk about green things. When you are together as a group, compare different ideas of ways to save money and live green. Encourage each other in your endeavors and work as a team.

Comments

robinlk said

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on 8/22/2009 I love your ideas, especially the food co-op. How about swapping gently used items w/ friends? Have a BOGO party! Take a look:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5327136_throw-party-bring-one-one.html

2besure said

on 11/20/2008 Cool ideas for going green. I recycle everything and Craigslist is a good place to sell and buy. I havd sold some great things and puschased a lot of things as well.