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Give to Your Favorite Charity Every Time You Shop - At No Extra Cost to You

I believe people should spend less money during the holidays and focus more on creating lifetime memories. But when you do shop, wouldn't it be great if you got something more for your money than the material item itself? What if you could donate a percentage of every online purchase you make to your favorite nonprofit, school, or association - at no additional cost to you?

We-Care.com lets you do just that. Its "click through" website gives you access to more than 600 online retailers so you can shop as you normally would. But when you buy, a percentage of the purchase price is automatically donated to the charity you choose.

Merchants include retail, travel, financial services, and more. Book your flight and hotel. Rent a car. Shop for books. Buy furniture and household items. Subscribe to magazines, newspapers, DVD services, and even satellite TV. The sky is (almost) the limit. Participation costs nothing for organizations; there's no extra charge to you, either. Many merchants also offer special money-saving deals and coupons.

There are over 325 charities to choose from, including public health, animal welfare, women's advocacy, k- 12 education programs, peace and justice, arts, culture and more. In the environment category, you can contribute to such organizations as Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Environmental Working Group, and the Center for a New American Dream. If you don't see the cause you support, it's easy to add it to the database. You can also contact your cause and encourage them to sign up.

For more donate-when-your shop options, check with GoodShop.com, the Nonprofit Matrix, or Yahoo's Virtual Charity and Fundraising Malls
gift wrapping
I love surprises, so using some kind of wrapping adds to the fun of giving a present.

What I hate is seeing so much beautiful paper being ripped up and tossed aside. And I just can't get beyond the fact that making paper is one of the most polluting industries on earth. The less I use, the better.

Hence, my list of green wrapping paper alternatives:

Reusable cloth bag These Envirosax bags (see photo) can be used all year long. $7.95 - $8.50 Bring It in a Bag also makes wonderful wraps.

Reusable shopping bag - $.99 at almost any grocery store.

Holiday gift bags - free; reused from gifts people have given me; put tissue paper on top for a festive flair. Homemade gift bags - cost only the price of fabric (free if you reuse what you already have); my neighbor makes gift bags of all sizes from beautiful but inexpensive holiday swatches she buys at the local craft store. Use pinking shears to give the top edge some pzazz after you sew the other three sides together, then bunch the top and tie with a reusable ribbon.

Reused gift wrap - free (I "capture" it as it's coming off the present, fold it up, and put it in a box so I can easily find and reuse it next year). Some families reuse the same "Santa paper" year after year, to their kids' delight!

New gift wrap - Pristine Planet offers recycled, recylable paper online. If you're buying wrapping paper at the mall, ask the sales clerk for the most eco-friendly option they sell.

Kitchen towels - ideally, made from organic cotton, but anything reusable works.

Scarves - rather than wrap an entire box, tie a decorative scarf around the box and attach a tag made from a recycled gift card.

Sunday comics - free; add a holiday flair with a colorful red or green ribbon.

As for gift tags, reuse last year's holiday cards. Cut off the card that has the signature, thread a ribbon through a corner of the remaining card, and voila!

One caveat about printed wrapping paper: the inks and foils may contain chemicals that become toxic when burned. If you can't reuse the paper, don't burn it: recycle.

holiday candles
Want more ideas to help you celebrate the holidays in a simpler, greener way?

* Start with these simple suggestions from the Center for a New American Dream.

* Find organic or locally grown Christmas trees here.

* Consider holiday candles made from soy or beeswax.

* Try LED lights.


Back to One in a Million for a minute. The holidays offer a prefect opportunity to shift spending to products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefit. Don't forget to ask, "Can I Get It In Green?" when you shop. Keep track of how you've shifted your spending, and let me know at [email protected]. We'd love to brag about your good deeds on the Big Green Purse website.

By the way, I hope you'll pass this information along to a friend. Just click on the Forward button right below my signature.

Talk to you again soon,

Diane's Photo
Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse

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