Gristmill Launches "Ask a Brokeass"
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 01.15.07
So, let's face it: some of the products we feature here at Treehugger are a bit on the pricey side. That's fine, of course, as there are folks out there with plenty of disposable income, and we want to encourage them to spend their money on the greenest options available. But, what if you're broke? What if you're, in fact, a "brokeass?" Our friends at Gristmill have come to the rescue with the launch of their new column by Kate Sheppard, "Ask a Brokeass." As "Gristmill's resident brokeass," Kate plans to show readers that saving the planet can be done on the cheap:
By borrowing ideas from them (I'm attempting to follow suit this year, so, uh, you'll be my witnesses on how that works out) and other smart people, number crunching, price comparing, coupon clipping, creative creating, and dogged deal-hunting, we can figure out how to be earth-friendly on a budget. Hell, I'll even throw in some Q&As with expert brokeasses, so if you think you're a noteworthy brokeass, nominate yourself.As big fans of that "old saying," we'll be eagerly awaiting future installments. If you're truly a fan of frugal green living, and want to get your fix before Kate's next column, make sure to check out The Compact's blog (which she mentions in the column), and the new Year of Zero blog, where writer Dave Zero records his efforts "...to try to buy only what I need in 2007." We wish him well! ::"Ask a Brokeass" at GristmillSo pass along any questions, ideas, or advice you've gathered, and we'll be broke together -- and feel warm and squishy about being good to the earth anyway. ...
And remember, as the old saying goes, it's better to be broke than to further the break-up of the Arctic ice shelf.
I'm so glad you wrote about this, Jeff. One of the things that has bothered me about Treehugger for a long time is how all of their green goods seem to be for the yuppie spendalot crowd. Being a non-profiteering yuppie broke-ass (who is really concerned about getting renewables/greenery to the po' folk of the world), I'm psyched.
I second that. I believe that we treehuggerish people need to put our money where our mouths are. But for us brokearses, that often means we can't talk!
I think being a brokeass drives a lot of us to green. Washing out and reusing ziplock bags is cheap. Tap water in a resuable bottle is cheaper than bottled water. Taking the bus or riding a bike is a lot cheaper than owning a car. Bulk bins, what a bargain! Getting stuff fixed is almost always cheaper than buying used. And CF bulbs/wearing a sweater means cheaper monthly energy bills.