Since no one is an authority on everything,  The Frugal Diva gives you her favorite resources for going green.

Let’s start with one of my favorite activities, spring cleaning.  Yes, I am a bit of a neat freak and love nothing more then to take everything off my pantry shelves, clean, and reorganize. Sometimes you just  have to admit that you are truly never going to use that bottle of caraway seeds. This site has so many great tips Planet Green on how to use kitchen staples instead of toxic cleaning products, ways to repurpose items, and how to recycle electronics.

Here are actitivies forEarth Day 2011 0n April 22nd.  You can start now with small acts that will help you and your community. 

Even Amazon has gotten into the act with a shopping green page that includes clothes, household items, energy saving  light bulbs, and kitchen wear. When sending a gift you can also send a message about sustainability.

Learn that green in terms of clothing no longer means hemp sacks at Care2.  This site also gives great tips on crafts and healthy homes.

Energy Star is a government backed program with energy saving tips for home improvement.  Learn how to lower fuel bills by getting rid of drafts and having better insulation.

And for those who garden, Organic Gardening has 20 budget tips and even how to grow herbs indoors for apartment dwellers.

Let me know if you have other helpful sites and I will update this post.

There are so many fantastic deals on the Vita Cost site I don’t know where to begin. Vitamins, shampoos, organic foods, protein powders, herbs, and homeopathy are just a few of the items covered.

Let’s start with organic products – 22 ounces of Organic Raw Honey for $6.35, 8 ounces of organic shredded coconut for $2.68, 12 ounces organic whole bean French Roast for $8.20, 16 ounces of Arrowhead Mills organic flax seed for $2.70!

Moving right along to shampoos- 11 ounces of Kiss My Face Whenever Shampoo for $4.19, 32 ounces of Avalon Nourishing Lavender Shampoo for $10.67,  18 ounces Nature’s Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Shampoo for $3.90!

Organic Agave sweetener 23.5 ounces for $6.53!

Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent White Flower and Bergamot Citrus 7 lbs for $13.73!

And Aubreys, Alba Botanica, Burts Bees, Jason, Zia!

So many types of vitamins and herbs that you are going to have to see for yourself!

Now The Frugal Diva knows what you are thinking. What in the world is it going to cost to ship all this? $4.99 per order – that means if you get one item, two items, or ten items it will cost you $4.99 shipping. 

And as a diva it’s so nice to have things appear at your doorstep without having to schlep out to the store.

For years The Frugal Diva drove by the Santa Monica Co-op  at 1525 Broadway and wondered what the deal was with being a member.  Was it necessary to spend $25 per year plus $5 the first year to shop for groceries? Would it generate enough savings?

First of all you can shop there without being a member and see if this place works for you. Here are the benefits for members.   The main difference is the savings on Member Sale items. For example they had organic hummus with jalepeno and garlic in a 12 ounce tub for $2.49 and a very nice aloe vera soap for $1.29 a bar.  I bought some organic Fuji apples at the regular price of $1.99 per pound.  They also have a major selection of bulk items that allow you to get just the amount you need and not pay for extra packaging.

This is a community based, consumer owned and operated business that offers a huge selection of  organic products and natural foods.  They have a vast selection of reasonably price mostly organic produce sourced from California farms. Their health and body care department is stocked with a large selection of vitamins, homoeopathic items, cruelty-free cosmetics and much, much more.  They have specialized diet items for raw foodies, vegans, dairy free, and gluten free.  There is even have a deli with roasted chicken and prepared salads, a coffee bar, and a juice bar. 

 The Santa Monica Co-op works best for those wanting organic produce and specialized products.  However you can still use coupons and watch monthly specials to bring prices down. On my first shopping trip I got a Lara Bar for five cents with a 90 cent off coupon and $3.00 of a Cascadian Farm Cereal.  Now that $25 membership has already saved me almost $4. And that was just the first day.  There are always strategies for saving.

And you might get a little bonus at the end of the year. When coops have a profit left over at the end of the fiscal year they may distribute the member’s share of the profit back to the members. These profits are distributed in direct proportion to a coop member’s purchases.  Membership does have its privileges with member appreciation months, speaker events, and Co-op members offering their services for a discount to other Co-op members!

What makes The Frugal Diva happy is finding a site with all the information needed for a topic.  Max Goldberg has taken the time and effort to make organic living just a little bit easier for all the rest of us.

With just two lists Max lets you know the fruits and vegetables that are the Dirty Dozen and should be avoided unless organic and the Clean Fifteen that have the lowest pesticide residue.  Now you can make an informed choice about what are organic must haves and which are acceptable even if not organic. Since organic can be more expensive this is a great way to move toward better eating without breaking your grocery budget.

Now speaking of budgets, here is a Frugal Diva find.  Living Maxwell has devoted a page to links for some of the organic food company coupons .   Savings on Stonyfield, Santa Cruz Organic, and many others are just a click away.

So don’t wait any longer to live better.  Or dare I say it, Maximize your potential. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.