Five Ways to Save $$ this Week: Special Earth Day Edition - Be Green, For Less

[Note: This column is interactive: Readers and business owners should feel free to email columnist Kim Bova McDonald with deals in town you want to share or publicize.]

In honor of Earth Day next week Frugal Family has gone green this week with discounts and long term savings on reusable, recyclable or engergy efficient products. Some of the deals even provide donations to charity for participation!

Remember to check with the merchant for additional conditions.

Deal:
Reduce, reuse and recycle clothes, home decor and furnishings, and purchase "new" used items for less money and less waste:

Clothes and Accessories:

• - Wakefield retailer.
• - Wakefield retailer.
• - Wakefield retailer.
• Wakefield retalir.
• ebay.com - Online auction.
• etsy.com - Handmade and refurbished items or custom made items.
• Dress for Success - Donate suits and work clothes, shoes and jewelry to women having financial difficulties who are interviewing for job.

Furniture

• - Wakefield retailer.
• - Wakefield retailer.
• ebay - Online auction.
• etsy.com - Handmade and refurbished items or custom made items.

Fine Print: Contact individual stores for products they consign and items they have in stock.

Deal: 

• - Why purchase new shoes when the tried and true pairs just need a little work?
• - Your favorite shoes can be fixe. 
• - Re-upholster those chairs and sofas instead of replacing.
• - Refinish your old furiture and make it look new.
• - They not only repair and build custom computers they will convert your VHS to DVD!
• - Not only works on computers but also home theatre systems and they make house calls.
• - Learn to sew your own items and learn to repair torn or ripped clothes, blankets, etc.

Fine Print: Contact individual stores for more information.

Deal: and online trading

• Save money on books, DVDs, museum passes and much more by using the resources to borrow items and reuse them. This will help limit the clutter in your home and save the environment from uncessary waste.
• If you must buy new books, dvds and other items don't throw out old items re-sell them on ebay or etsy or amazon or donate them to , or other charitable organizations in need.

Fine Print: Contact individual organizations and online sites for rules and restrictions.

Deal: Yale Appliance
Purchase a new energy-efficient washing machine or dishwasher with the ENERGY STAR logo will have a portion of their purchase donated to charity: water.

• charity: water works to bring clean, safe drinking water to more than one billion people in developing nations who go without drinkable water.
• charity: water  also dedicates 100% of it's charitable donations to this cause, funding projects such as freshwater wells, sand filters and rain catchments for schools.
• As of April 1, 2011 charity:water had completed 3,962 water projects benefitting 1.8 million people. Customers who purchase ENERGY STAR models will also see benefits at home.

The new Yale Appliance dishwasher will save you 10 gallons of water per cycle and $40 a year in energy costs. The new washing machine will save an average utility savings of $135 a year.

Fine Print: Offer runs from now to Earth Day, April 22, 2011. Contact store for more details.

Deal:

• Take a family walk around or Breakheart.
• Attend the Town of Middleton Earth Day Festival on Sunday May 1st from 1-4 includes games, raffles, eco friendly vendors, music and family fun. Cost: FREE.
• Attend 18th Annual Radio 92.9 EarthFest on Saturday, May 21, 2011, 12:00 Noon-5:00 p.m. at the DCR Hatch Memorial Shellon Charles River. Esplanade, Boston. This event showcases environmentally friendly products, groups and activities, and featuring an all-star musical lineup and interactive family area.  See website for more info.
• Take a look around and bring your family and friends or start a group to clean up litter and help protect our envioronment and beautify the .

Fine Print:  See websites for feestivals.  Town cleanup and getting active outside require no fine print.