Did you switch out all the incandescent bulbs in your house to LEDs?

Maybe you gave away your car and bought a bike.

Or planted a huge organic garden to grow more of your own food.

Started raising chickens in the back yard? (Free range, of course!)

Finally got a clothesline so you can use the sun to dry your laundry?

Whatever environmental change you made, we want to hear about it…by December 30!

If you let us know how you went “eco” in 2010, we’ll automatically enter you in a contest to win a free, autographed copy of my latest book, Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World.

Just leave a comment on this post with the following info:

* The change you made.

* Why you made it.

* How much it cost (or saved you).

* What you plan to do next.

If you’ve thought about going green in some way but have yet to make it happen, do it now so you can tell us about it.

What’s the biggest change I made? I stopped getting printed newspapers delivered at home. I did it because I hated to see all the paper wasted, especially on advertising supplements that I never use. Right now, it’s saving me the cost of the subscription. Next year, I think I’ll have to start paying to read the paper online. But this wasn’t a cost issue for me as much as it was an environmental one.

Next?

I’m looking to you all for inspiration! Please share your changes. We’ll highlight your stories on December 31 when we announce our prize winner.

Thanks!

The post What’s Been Your Biggest, Coolest, Eco-Friendliest Change This Year? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Here’s the inspiring story of Cassandra, one of our most recent shifters. Thanks for becoming One in a Million!

Hi Diane!

I signed up for your “One in a Million” challenge last year at the beginning of May after I purchased your book. I am delighted to report I have achieved the goal of shifting $1000 towards organic products in one year. My total was $1153.06.

Just after I signed up for your challenge I moved from Syracuse, New York to Salt Lake City, Utah. This made my challenge both easier and harder. I didn’t know where to shop for organic foods and I had to start from scratch with appliances and furniture.

I learned quickly and began shopping at Whole Foods as well as thrift stores for furniture for my new apartment, kitchen supplies, and clothes. I tried to share my excitement with my family and friends by buying them “green presents” – organic soaps, used books, organic chocolate, bamboo shirts, and organic cotton socks for their birthdays and Christmas. As a result my mother has begun to use her reusable grocery bags and buys organic fruits and vegetables. I’m working on convincing her to switch to organic laundry detergents.

I work as a project manager for a small firm based out of Arizona. Currently, I am helping my company manage the construction of a large wind farm in southern Utah called the Milford Wind Corridor. My company acts as the third party compliance monitor ensuring the biological and cultural resources are protected during construction. It has given me a new perspective on the process of shifting to alternative energy.

I enjoy being “green” at work and at home! Your book and blog has prompted me to be a better, more informed consumer.

Thanks so much for your inspiration!

Cassandra

How did Cassandra do it?

She shifted more than $1,000 of the money she spends anyway to:

* organic fruits, vegetables, snacks and milks

* non-toxic cleansers

* gently used, rather than new, clothing, home appliances, furniture and kitchen utensils

* recycled toilet paper, bulk soap, reusable shopping bags, and concentrated, fragrance-free laundry detergent

How are you shifting? Let us know, and become One in a Million!

For more ways to shift and save, see the Green Moms Carnival posts listed at CondoBlues.

The post Shift Your Spending to Protect the Environment appeared first on Big Green Purse.