Cheap green Tip 4: Have patience

So I'm a little, let's say, frugal. This is not eco-friendly scrimping that have made sites like Freecycle and Zwaggle so darn popular, but rather an innate cheapness aided by too many years of Ramon noodles as my main source of nutrition.

But re-sale goodies, especially on the big stuff like furniture, can help keep quality items in circulation. It's always better to buy something used than new, even the greenest-of-green products.

I once bought a tiled oak table for $250 and our bed frame (which was broken, but just barely) was a scant $30. And with kids, because they use things for such a short amount of time, it's crazy to buy some of this stuff new if you can help it.

Take my daughter's big-girl bed, for instance. We found this Pottery Barn masterpiece at a garage sale for $200, including the Sealy mattress and two identical princess quilts. The key was patience. We looked for months before we found what we wanted. And we didn't want junk because a)we don't like junk and b) junk is a lot more likely to end up at the landfill.

So this summer when we go searching for my 4-year-old's first bike, we won't be paying the bike store $100, and we won't be buying junk from Wal-Mart. C'mon garage sale season. I know you're out there.

Tip: Don't forget about the old-fashioned classified section. Sometimes when people move, or get divorced or whatever, they need to get rid of some big-ticket items fast.