If you're one of those people who want to "go green" but think they can't afford it, meet Sue H. of Dewitt, Virginia.

This "One in a Million" grandmother of two has found that shifting her spending to products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefit actually saves her money - especially when it comes to energy.

The One in a Million campaign inspires consumers to shift at least $1,000 of their existing household budgets to greener goods. The idea isn't to spend more money, just to make "green" a priority when you do shop. In many cases, the new purchases are not only better for the planet. They're great for your pocketbook, too.

Here's how Sue shifted her spending:

Date: Item / Money Spent

04/'07: '07 Honda Civic / $17,500
04/'07: front loading washer / $1,000
'06-'08: 50 CFL bulbs / $200
01/'07: Water heater blanket / $20
01/'08: Weather stripping / $10
01/'08: 8 pairs of thermal drapes / $500
05/'08: Bamboo bathroom flooring / $400

Total: $19,130

Sue says she's "pretty much a typical 60ish woman" with three grown children, two grown step-children, and seven grandchildren. Retired, she sews, does some crafting, reads and gardens. When I asked Sue what inspired her, here's what she said.

"The green thing? It really began for me in the 70's when we planted our first garden. ...

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Also see Top 10 Ways to Green the White House

1. Eliminate use of pesticides and herbicides

The White House perches smack-dab in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, where the main source of pollution is chemical runoff. Eliminating toxic landscape chemicals would help protect the quality of one of America's most productive estuaries.

2. Go native

Replace large sections of the White House lawn with native trees, bushes and flowers. Need some advice? Ask the native plant societies in Maryland and Virginia.

3. Plant an organic vegetable garden

EatTheView.com is encouraging the First Eaters to plant a "Victory Garden," with produce going to the White House kitchen and local shelters. ...

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Barack is talking about putting in a basketball court. Michelle is picking out china. And their daughters have plans to redecorate their rooms. When the Obamas move into the White House on January 20, they'll immediately start putting their mark on the nation's most historic residence. Environmentalists are hoping that mark will be a bright shade of green.

The new first family would hardly be starting a revolution. As far back as June, 1979, Jimmy Carter attempted to increase the energy efficiency of the 132-room building when he had installed a $28,000 solar water heater on the roof of the West Wing. In 1993, President Clinton commissioned a report from the Rocky Mountain Institute that identified a number of improvements that could reduce the White House's environmental impact, such as upgrading the HVAC system and improving the energy-efficiency of the windows. In 2002, solar photovoltaic panels were installed on the roof. By 2007, the White House also sported compact fluorescent light bulbs, "smart" lawn sprinklers and energy-efficient mini-vans.

But the Obamas could make greening the White House even more meaningful - by taking steps that reflect their willingness to change their lifestyle as well as the building itself.

Here are my top ten recommendations for what they should do, inside and out. ...

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I love the fizzing freshness of seltzer. But I hate buying water, especially if it's in a plastic bottle but even if it's bottled in glass.

Hence my delight at using the Soda Stream, a counter-top sized carbonator made by Soda-Club whose handy CO2 cartridge infuses my water with all the fizziness I want - but none of the throwaway mess.

The fizzer I have comes with a CO2 cartridge and two refillable liter-sized plastic water bottles (other models come with glass carafes). It couldn't be easier to use, and it takes up very little room in my kitchen.

I'm also impressed with the statistics the company offers on the environmental benefits of the product:

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Whether you're wrapping up your holiday shopping or browsing for general household goods, take advantage of online coupons to save you big bucks on green gear for yourself, family and friends.

These three blogs specialize in linking to coupons for green products and services. NOTE: not every item on every site will be "green." Read product descriptions before you buy to avoid greenwashing (yes, it even happens with coupons! See "organiccoupons.com," below).

1. Green Coupon Codes

This site is very easy to use. Every entry offers the same practical information: an overview of the product, the discount offered (highlighted in bright red ink), shipping information, and an easy click through to the product itself. You'll find a wide variety of items in categories that include health and beauty, organic garden, personal finance, batteries, and light bulbs. The only coupon category that didn't make sense to me was "auto." The promo promises coupons for "green auto parts at Juiced Hybrid," but I could never access that particular site. ...

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In their eagerness to cash in on consumer demand for eco-friendly products and services, many companies are calling their goods "green" despite their decidedly un-environmental qualities. When you shop, these 5 steps can help you distinguish what's green from what's being greenwashed.

1. Read the label

Look for meaningful claims, not words like "natural" or "planet friendly" that aren't backed up by standards or third-party verification (see below). When it comes to cleansers and other household goods, avoid products labeled "caution," "warning," "danger," and "poison," all of which indicate the item is hazardous to you and the environment. Ignore products that are inherently contradictory, like "organic cigarettes," or "most energy-efficient Hummer." Leave goods boasting irrelevant claims - like something is "CFC-free," (true, but misleading, since CFCs have been banned since the 1980s).

2. Look for third-party verification

In the absence of universal sustainable standards, if a company says its product is good for the earth, your first question should be, "Who else says so?"

Reliable eco claims are backed up by an independent institution or nonprofit organization that has investigated the manufacturer's claim so you don't have to.

Look for labels from groups like Forest Stewardship Council, Energy Star and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Organic.

3. Choose fewer ingredients ...

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I love surprises, so using some kind of wrapping adds to the fun of giving the present. Otherwise, why not just throw the gift at the giftee and say, "Hope you like it!"

What I hate is seeing so much beautiful paper just being ripped up and tossed aside. Honestly, these days, it's a little embarrassing to put bags full of ripped up paper out on the curb for trash pick-up. 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:

1. Reusable cloth bags - $7.95 - $8.50
   Envirosax bags are really beautiful and can be used all year long. Bring It in a Bag bags also make wonderful holiday wraps.

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

3. Holiday gift bags - free
   I reuse the bags from gifts people have given me.

4. 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. ...

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Even though a "green Christmas" means you're cutting way back on gift-giving this year, you may still want to give friends and family members some token of your love and appreciation. Consider these earth-friendly options that won't break your bank. They'll help simplify your holidays, too.

1. Your time!

• Give friends or family with small children at home a gift certificate for three hours of free babysitting they can redeem any time.

• For friends who like to garden, offer to help them weed in the spring.

• If you have particular electronics expertise, donate a few hours of training or support.

• Offer to make supper on a school night when parents can get frazzled and kids cranky if dinner’s not ready on time.

2. Pictures and memories

...

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I honestly 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?

1. We-Care.com

We-Care.com lets you do just that. Its "click through" website gives you access to more than 600 online merchants 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 join We-Care.com. ...

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I'm honored! Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, is a finalist for the prestigious Books for a Better Life award given annually by the New York City Chapter of the National MS Society.

The winner will be announced Monday, February 23, 2009 during an awards ceremony at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in Manhattan hosted by Meredith Vieira, co-anchor of NBC’sToday show.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

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Thanksgiving is one of the easiest holidays to green up. With the focus on giving thanks rather than gifts, we honor not only our family and friends but Nature's bounty, too.

1. Simplify the day.
   Celebrate being with those you love. Don't overdo the cooking - and savor whatever you make. Linger over dessert, play games, watch football or a favorite movie, take a walk. Revive special traditions from the past and create new ones you can turn to next Thanksgiving, and the holiday after that.

2. Decorate with boughs and berries.
   There's no need to buy fancy Thanksgiving decorations. Head out to your yard with a pair of shears and find tree branches, bush stems loaded with berries, flowers whose seed heads have dried on the stem, and flowering grasses to fill tall vases, hollowed out pumpkins, and autumnal baskets.

3. Let there be light.
   Illuminate your table with candles of varying heights and widths. Use votives in small glasses or carved sugar pumpkins.

4. Serve locally grown food.
   Even in colder, northern climates, farmers markets are still selling locally grown greens, potatoes, apples, pears, spices, breads, and cheeses. You'll find lots of good recipes for ...

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Pity the poor Thanksgiving turkey.

Fattened up all year, it's devoured in a matter of minutes, eaten as leftovers for days thereafter, and then long forgotten - until next Thanksgiving, at least.

If the turkey is the "Broadbreasted" variety - which most supermarket turkeys are - it's life has been particularly bleak. After being bred to produce an unnaturally large chest, its legs are so short it must be artificially inseminated to reproduce. Farmers remove the tips of these young turkeys' beaks to prevent cannibalism triggered by close living quarters in cages and warehouse, Plenty magazine reports. As for having the strength to fly? Forget about it.

Fortunately, delicious vegetarian options abound -- and you should be able to find many of the ingredients at your local farmers market....

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HoneyLynn, a soon-to-be-mother who joined the Big Green Purse campaign back in March, has shifted almost $2,000 of her household spending to products and services that benefit the environment as part of her commitment to live a greener life. Here's her story:

"Over the last 4-5 years, I have really become committed to environmentally conscious living, but have realized that it doesn't and can't on a practical level, happen overnight. So, slowly I have shifted our household's spending to more environmentally conscious products. Whenever I need to replace or or buy something new, I take the time to seek out environmentally friendly alternatives, and if it costs a little more than I thought and we don't need it right away, then I save up to make the purchase (no credit card purchases here).

"The idea of seeing exactly how much of our household spending was directed to environmentally friendly products, was what inspired me to get involved in the One in a Million campaign. Regarding the biggest lesson, like I mentioned above, is that sometimes it takes a little research (thank goodness for the Internet) to find environmentally friendly alternatives, but it is worth it. ...

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A new social networking forum called The Prevention Agenda is urging President-Elect Obama to do what few other presidential administrations have done in recent history: make preventing threats to the environment and human health a top priority.

The forum is amassing recommendations to prevent climate change, toxic exposures, food contamination, water pollution and other dangers that affect both people and the planet. The recommendations will ultimately be synthesized into an Agenda that will be submitted to the Obama transition team. The goal is to help focus the Obama vision for change into a commitment to make preventing environmental crises before they occur a cornerstone of the new administration.

As the catalyst behind The Prevention Agenda, I hope the forum will help revolutionize the government's traditional, "after the fact" approach to addressing threats to human health and the environment. It is extremely expensive and usually completely inadequate to attempt to fix problems after they've taken hold. While we certainly must address the dilemmas that already exist, if we don't make prevention a priority, we will never make any true progress. ...

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I celebrated the very first Earth Day as a high school senior in 1970. As students across the U.S. buried polluting automobiles, decried oil spills that were fouling pristine beaches, and protested nuclear power plants, I thought it would be only a matter of months before Americans would come to their senses and adopt an ethic focused on protecting both people and the planet.

Instead, it's taken almost 40 years for citizens, companies, and elected officials to consider environmental destruction seriously. The delay has cost us all. The climate has changed, with deadly consequences worldwide. Risks to human health from environmental pollutants are growing, threatening children and adults alike. Plants and animals are approaching extinction levels at alarming rates, giving rise to concerns about the collapse of the global food chain and loss of the creatures that add a rich dimension to our lives.

Scientists intone that we have only ten years to "turn things around." A grim forecast? Yes. And yet, after all these years, I have hope. ...

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