She Put $1,000 of Her Money Where Her (Eco) Mouth Is

Diane MacEachern
Fredia
Fredia

It's easy to say you want to do something to protect the planet. Actually doing it is another matter altogether - unless you're Fredia Banks. Not only did this Washington, D.C. resident launch a non-profit organization to promote sustainability in the nation's capital. She took our One in a Million challenge to show people how spending their money makes a difference.

Fredia created the House of Green organization to "encourage residents and business owners (of the District of Columbia) to embrace environmentally-friendly lifestyle alternatives as a solution for sustainability." The organization offers workshops, connects consumers to green products, and helps raise awareness about green businesses that are operating in the District of Columbia.

She was inspired to shift her spending because she wanted to "live healthy and elmininate toxins" in her lifestyle. Fredia says that the increasing availability of products where she shops and online is making shifting her spending easier than she'd anticipated. However, the challenge is determining what's organic and what's not, especially for products that are not food, but still claim to be organic.

In the future, Fredia plans to put solar collectors on her home and replace her current vehicle with one that is more environmentally friendly. Meanwhile, the House of Green will continue to share Fredia's knowledge with D.C. residents.

How Fredia Shifted $1,000 in 2 Months:


4/10 - Mineral cosmetics - $300

4/17 - Foot detox - $50

4/15 - Two months of natural body products - $300

4/16 - Whole Foods groceries - $100

4/17 - Natural vitamins/minerals - $133

4/21 - Cookies $7.99

4/28 - Whole Foods - $75

5/2 - Whole Foods - $35

5/3 - Yes! Market - $49

5/6 - Groceries - $31.21

5/25 - Organic shoes - $114


Total Shift - $1,195.20

One_in_a_million
One_in_a_million

Have you joined the One in a Million challenge yet? It's a great way to make the changes you've been thinking about making anyway. Get started here.

Diane MacEachern

For more ways to green your spending, visit www.biggreenpurse.com

For green product recommendations, health and safety information, and environmental succeess stories, get your own copy of Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World today.