One of the fastest, easiest, most effective ways to protect the environment is by shifting money in your household budget to eco-friendly goods and services.

The more money you shift to green products, the more you encourage manufacturers to reduce pollution, save energy and water, use less packaging and protect natural areas.

In fact, if a million women intentionally shift at least $1000 of their existing budget to environmentally-friendly products, we can have a noticeable ONE BILLION DOLLAR IMPACT in the marketplace.

You can have the biggest impact by picking one commodity and shifting all $1,000 to it, though however you spend your money you make a difference. Some of the most important options (and ones that should be readily available in your neighborhood as well as on-line) include: organic food (milk, meat, fruits and vegetables); energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances; phthalate-free cosmetics; shade grown coffee; and non-toxic cleansers.

The key is to make your money matter while meeting your real needs for products and services that help you maintain your household. You can make the same decisions if you purchase products for your workplace or for organizations you volunteer for.
Want more info? Visit the One in a Million campaign. You can get a free balance sheet to help you track your progress. When you reach $1,000, let us know, and we’ll feature you on the Big Green Purse website!

Diane MacEachern Author, entrepreneur, public speaker, and conservationist

Diane MacEachern, the author of Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, is passionate about empowering women to use their marketplace clout to protect the environment.