Is it green or frugal?

The lines blur for me when I think about something being 'green' or 'frugal'. Am I being green when I make my own reusable sandwhich and snack bags? Am I green of frugal when I use cloth napkins? What about when I recycle? Am I green or do I just want the few extra bucks I get from turning in my cans?

I am not toatlly green , nor am I totally frugal! I do hate waste. I also hate what we are doing to our environment. I hate buying things brand new unless it is necessary. I am a teacher and I do not like it when my kids throw out whole sheets of paper just because it has a mark on it. I have lots of paper, but the waste still bothers me. I love shopping at thrift stores.

So, I made reusable sandwhich size bags and I have plastic containers for my lunch. I have a basket of cloth napkins for everyday use and even started putting those in my lunch bag. I made reusable hand warmers and used them almost every day this winter. I recycle and keep the money. I bring reusable grocery bags when I go shopping and I return the plastic bags I get back to the store's recycle bin.

I am going to make more reusable sandwhich bags and cloth napkins. I am also going to make reusable produce bags and reusable makeup wipes for my daughter.

Am I frugal or green? You decide.

RAFT

If you are a teacher or day care provider in the Sacramento area you have to check out RAFT. This is a great store for teachers that sells new and repurposed items for the classroom. They also have a die cut area that has all the die cuts you could ever need., and you can use them for free! I have been able to get so many teaching kits at a great price - like $2 for a kit that serves 20 students! They have supplies for all the subject areas. I went today and scored books for reading, plastic sheets to use with dry erase markers, a ream of heavy glossy paper, a bagful of fabric, a science kit to test reaction time, 6 die cut maps of the US, keychains for the prize box, posters of birds to go with our science unit, tins for a future project, a 2 drawer desktop organizer, two magazine racks, four Sharpies and some other smaller items. I spent a whopping $20!

I know other cities have stores similar to this one and they are well worth it. When you have to spend your own money on classroom supplies it helps to have a business that keeps that in mind.

If you want to know more about RAFT just google it- there is one in Sacramento, San Jose and Redwood City.