Ecothrifty: Cheaper, Greener Choices for a Happier, Healthier Life

Following her eco-friendly debut, Homegrown and Handmade: A Practical Guide to More Self-Reliant Living, self-sufficiency expert Niemann focuses now on practical ways to be green while saving money through informed consumer choices, such as how to avoid buying toxic products or their expensive alternatives (e.g., making laundry detergent with washing soda, borax, and soap) to reducing environmental harm and support personal health. In every chapter, from food to home to transportation, Niemann includes recipes or other straightforward guidance, along with cost comparisons, to make her ideas accessible and seemingly easy to implement. Because she covers so much territory, some ideas are bound to pique readers' interest, whether wine- or soap-making, gardening, bread baking, or clothes swapping parties. A homesteader herself, Niemann does not forgo technology when it provides the cleanest and cheapest option. She acknowledges, for instance, that using a reel mower for lawn care may not be practical for large lawns or busy people, and so she describes the differences between electric- and gas-powered options. Likewise, in her chapter on free stuff, Niemann discusses foraging in parks as well as foraging online. Small testimonials sprinkled throughout the book complement Niemann's encouraging tone, so that her advice does not come across as self-righteous or preachy, but more like insider tips from an experienced do-it-yourselfer. Photos. (Oct.)