We often have the idea that going green is more expensive than doing it the old way. It sure seems so, with organic foods tending to cost noticeably more than non-organic, and with the whole range of new "green" items on the market. Want to go green? Buy, buy, buy!

Going green, however, does not mean buying a heap of new stuff with "green" or "eco" in the label. If you think about that for a second, it's pretty clear that "buying stuff" and "going green" are mostly opposites. Going green doesn't require trips to the store and a huge outlay of money: it requires creativity.


Look around you. See what your resources are. Look at things in a new way and come up with creative uses for everyday items. Consider the picture above, taken from Epicurious. It would be a stunning set-up for your casual outdoor wedding reception, wouldn't it?

And what is it? Plywood sheets set atop saw-horses for the tables. White folding chairs, which could be rented, with an assortment of red cushions, possibly borrowed from a dozen helpful friends? Assorted glass jars -- jam jars, pickle jars, whatever -- filled with lilacs, easily clipped from a backyard tree, as centerpieces. The napkins are bandannas, and probably new: You can send them home with the guests. Call them favors.

A bright, stylish, beautifully put-together display, very little of it had to be purchased, and none of it is single-use. Green and inexpensive: what's not to like?