Green Your Home on A Budget

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Search secondhand stores for an interesting mix of complementary dishes to build your own fun, unique set.

Love your living room

These simple tips will lead to a budget- and eco-friendly relaxation space.

Accent your area. Lay a few area rugs down on hardwood, tile or linoleum for a carpetlike effect without harmful glues. Choose rugs made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, hemp, bamboo and sisal, and look for vegetable dyes or no dye at all. Rugs made from recycled materials are another green option. Abundant Earth offers durable Recycled Cotton Rag Area Rugs in many colors starting at $55 each; www.AbundantEarth.com.

Set the mood. Turning the lights down makes for an inviting atmosphere, and it saves electricity. A compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) has a 10,000-hour lifespan. New low-wattage CFLs work with conventional incandescent dimmers and cost about $20 per bulb. Visit www.GELighting.com to find them.

Found it. Finding free or cheap furnishings is tons of fun, and your budget will thank you. Check Craigslist (www.Craigslist.org), Freecycle (www.Freecycle.org), thrift stores and curbside pickup for unique pieces that need a makeover. Turn trash into treasure by giving your "new" items a safe, eco-friendly cleaning (check out "Fresh Finds," page 15). Breathe new life into hand-me-downs by reupholstering with fresh, breathable fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp or linen (see "Reduce, Reuse, Rethink," page 63).

Create a healthier kitchen

Follow this recipe to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Befriend your dishwasher. In general, a regular dishwasher cycle uses less water than handwashing. Skip the prerinsing and save even more. For caked-on food, soak in cold water (to avoid using energy to heat the water). Some dishwashers have a heated dry feature; turn it off and either towel or air dry. If you’re in the market for a new dishwasher, an Energy Star model is the way to go; they start at about $500.