We interviewed Erika Jones of Organic Baby Resource for this Green Mom Spotlight.  (Check out our last Green Mom Spotlight posts, in which Eileen Spillman provides a planet-saving pep talk, tackles green guilt, and shares her eco-pet peeves.)

Green Baby Guide: Have you been able to save money with eco-friendly choices?  If so, how?

Erika: We saved a ton of money by breastfeeding exclusively, making our own baby food and using food-based skin care such as olive oil to moisturize our skin. We also stopped buying expensive cleaners and detergents. We went back to the basics of vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda.

Green Baby Guide: Would you do anything differently if you had a larger budget?

The only thing I would have done differently is invest in more types of cloth diapers to see if I could find a style that really worked for us. I tried one type and got frustrated with the amount of money I spent for it not to work. There are so many kinds to try that I got overwhelmed. I know a lot more now and I’ll try again for baby number two.

Green Baby Guide: What are the benefits of going green without a lot of money?

Erika: I think you don’t fall into a lot of the consumer traps that are out there. By that I mean products with a catchy label that aren’t truly “green” , “eco-friendly” or “natural”. You take the time to become more informed because you don’t have the discretionary income to waste on false claims. Also by making more products at home you can more closely guard what goes into your family’s food, cosmetic products and consumer goods.