A Thousand Dollars Adds Up Fast
The "One in a Million" Campaign is urging a million women to shift $1,000 of money they'd spend in a year anyway to green products and services that can help protect the environment. Women are finding all kinds of ways to swap out "brown" products for "green."
Erin just sent the balance sheet she downloaded from the Big Green Purse website to help her keep track of her purchases and report back on her pledge. It only took her six months to become "One in a Million." Her secret? She bought two water saving toilets for a total of almost $600, then made up the difference in organic groceries, safe cleansers, and organic potting soil.
Take a look at Erin's shopping list. Does it give you any ideas how you can swap your current purchases for green ones that would make a difference?
If you haven't signed up to be One in a Million yet, join us today.
If you're part of the movement, let us know how your campaign is going. We'd love to feature you - just send a photo and your balance sheet.
Erin's One in a Million Balance Sheet
Date Item Money Spent
2/14/07 Toilet 1.3 gal flush (white) no tax 281.45
3/11/07 Toilet 1.3 gal flush (tan) 308.52
---------------------------------------------------------- sub total 589.97
4/23/07 Prego organic spaghetti sauce 3.29
4/23/07 2- 7th Generation Dish Liquid 4.88
4/23/07 7th Generation fabric softener 3.35
4/23/07 2-Private Selection Organic tomato 1.98
4/23/07 2- Private Organic Black Beans 1.98
4/23/07 7th Generation dishwashing detergent 6.28
4/23/07 2-Swanson Organic vegetable broth 6.58
4/23/07 2- Envirokids cereal 5.00
4/23/07 2-Naturally Preferred Eggs 4.00
4/23/07 2-Naturally Preffered Angel Hair Pasta 2.98
4/23/07 Muir Glen Organic Salsa 3.29
4/23/07 Organic apples 2.99
-------------------------------------------------- sub total 636.57
5/1/07 2-Green Forest Tissues 3.18
5/1/07 3- Bon Ami Cleanser 5.67
5/1/07 Green Forest Toilet Paper 6.99
--------------------------------------------------Sub total 652.41
5/2/07 organic apples 2.65
5/2/07 2-Westbrae black beans 3.40
--------------------------------------------------- sub total 658.46
5/10/07 Dr. Bronners Soap 3.19
EnviroKids Cereal 3.99
Healthy Valley cereal 2.79
Nature's Gate shampoo 5.59
Healing Garden organic bar soap 6.29
Naturally Preferred Eggs 2.69
2-SC Imagine organic corn soup 5.78
Red Delicious organic apples 1.50
Simply Organic Sloppy Joe mix 1.29
Red pepper organic 2.64
5/10/07 2- Westbrae Black beans 3.98
Westbrae organic chili beans 1.69
_________________________________ sub total 699.88
5/21/07 2-EG organic potting soil 5.28
-------------------------------------------------- sub total 705.16
5/30/07 Nature's Gate Lotion 4.69
7th Generation glass cleaner 4.69
Organic Koala Crisp cereal 3.59
Annie's Crackers 2.69
BTN wheat crackers 1.60
2-Newman organic raisins 5.00
Chun Express noodle meal 2.99
Imagine soup 3.29
Organic ground beef Coleman 17.97
Granny Smith organic apples 4.29
------------------------------------------------------ sub total 755.96
6/6/07 Miracle Grow organic potting soil 3.97
Plant Tone Organic plant food 5.19
Chicken breasts 6.22
Kellogs Organic rice krispies 3.69
2-Celestial Seasonings tea 5.00
Fruit bars 2.79
Coleman natural beef 9.04
SG- Natural wipes 3.79
Muir organic pasta sauce 3.69
Kroeger 100% grape juice 2.38
Coleman Beef 10.12
2- Imagine organic corn soup 6.58
2- Imagine organic been soup 6.58
Peach white organic juice 3.14
Organic apricots 2.96
Motts 100% apple juice 2.50
---------------------------------------------------- sub total 833.60
Green culture shower head 1.75 GPM 19.50
7/1/07 Newman Organic cookies 2.99
Annies crackers 2.50
2-Annie's pasta 4.00
Annie's shell pasta 1.79
Muir Glen salsa 3.29
Nature's Premium organic canola spray 3.99
-------------------------------------------------------sub total 871.66
7/3/07
2- organic ribeye steak 21.98
2-Annies pasta 4.00
Chicken breasts 4.01
Chicken breasts 3.50
Coleman hamburger 9.64
9.04
Garden of Eatin chips 3.59
------------------------------------------------------sub total 927.42
7/23/07
Organic apples 4.29
Green Forest toilet paper 6.99
Organic Raisin Bran 3.59
Annie's crackers 2.50
2-Annie's pasta 4.00
Kashi crackers 2.50
NW shake- organic veg. shake mix 19.49
7th Generation dish soap 3.49
Avalon face cleanser 6.59
Toms natural deodorant 4.99
Welchs 100 juice 2.50
Colemans natural beef 7.49
Chicken breasts natural 3.20
Colemans natural beef 8.81
-----------------------------------------------------sub total 1007.85
I lost some receipts in July but still made over $1,000.00 and counting!
Congratulations, Erin!!! Great Job!!
Way to go. Our Atlanta courier company (Green Express) switched to hybrids in January and we have already saved over $3000 in fuel cost. We have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 30 tons since January. We also have reduced our paper usage by 74% and we recycle almost everything. Keep up the good work.
Go Green!
Posted by: Jay Holgate | September 25, 2007 at 02:04 PM
Way to go Erin - you're an inspiration to us all. I'm taking that list and posting it on my refrigerator.
Posted by: Mary Hunt | October 03, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Very inspiring! I signed up and posted about it on my blog!
Posted by: Greenstylemom | October 06, 2007 at 03:43 PM
Jay, those are incredible savings. I hope you're bragging about them non-stop (btw, tell us more about Green Express!).
Thanks, Greenstylemom! Let us know when you become "One in a Million" so we can share your story the way we did Erin's. Diane
Posted by: Diane MacEachern | October 06, 2007 at 04:26 PM
This is wonderful! Individuals can indeed make a significant impact. It would be great if there is a way to also correlate the balance sheet above with carbon / eco-footprint.
Posted by: Marn-Yee | October 22, 2007 at 06:55 PM
Good idea, Marn-Yee. Eventually, the One in a Million Campaign will do those kinds of calculations and post them to the site. Stay tuned! Diane
Posted by: Diane MacEachern | October 24, 2007 at 01:50 PM