Statesman Staff Writer

This is the second part of a two-part series.

Friday, part one of this story ran with tips for how to save money on your water and electricity bills. Today's edition will focus more on household spending and ways to save at the store.

The following tips are from worldwatch.org, a website devoted to teaching people how to go green and save green.

Think before you buy

* Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free. Not only is this a way to save money, but quite often a consumer can find very high quality products.

* Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items. Contrary to popular belief, these stores are open to everyone and are not filled with trash. Most of these places have a large selection of household items, clothing and even furniture in some cases.

* When making purchases, make sure you know what's "Good Stuff" and what isn't. Cheaper products are ok for items you don't use daily, but for items that see heavy use it's better to go for the high quality product. It can save you money in the long run on both repairs and less-frequent replacements.

Most of all, be your own judge. You know what best fits your needs.

Borrow instead of buying

* Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books. How many times do you re-read your books anyways?

There are several area stores that specialize in buying, selling and trading books in addition to the local library.

* Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.

Also, many auto parts stores even right here in Dexter have sharing programs where you can pay a deposit for a tool and then bring it back when you're finished. Quite often a project, especially automotive work, requires a special tool that you may never use again so this may be a more efficient option.

Buy smart

* Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.

* Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.

* Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently and this means less waste.

Make your own cleaning supplies

* The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.

* Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.

For more information on going green, visit http://www.worldwatch.org or http://www.thegreenguide.com

cnoles@dailystatesman.com