TUCSON, Ariz. - Theoretically, caring about the environment is a good idea. But for college students without an abundant amount of “green” in the bank, doing so can seem challenging.

“I usually don’t have room in my budget to consider anything more expensive than a generic product,” said junior University of Arizona psychology student Adriana Amaya as she shopped under the fluorescent lighting of a Target store.

Amaya is a full-time student who also works part time at the JW Marriott. She pays for most of her everyday expenses out of her own pocket and is saving up for a spring break trip. She decided to go with her standby Crest toothpaste instead of the more organic and Mother Nature-approved Tom's of Maine Toothpaste .

Agreed Pima Community College student Cody Bell, who works a job as manager of a Magpies Pizza and pays for his expenses on his own, “I don’t usually buy organic products, but depending on the product and if it wasn’t that much more expensive I would consider it."

With products such as Tom's of Maine availble at easy-access superstores such as Target, it’s easier to go green than ever. In the past, consumers had only the option of specialty retailers. Whereas now, according to a 2002 USDA report, organic products are now sold in upwards of 73 percent of conventional grocery stores, making it easier for consumers to jump on the green bandwagon.



Now the only question is where to start. According to Carol Huerta, an employee at New Life Health Center on 3954 N. Oracle Rd, the best budget-friendly way for someone ready to dive into a more organic lifestyle is with a good cleanse.

“It’s good to clean out the toxins before starting an organic lifestyle,” Huerta said, “You could get a good cleanse here (at New Life) from between 20 to 25 dollars.”

After cleansing the system, the easiest and most efficient way to go green is to buy organic fruits and vegetables.

“Organic means no pesticides for at least ten years, and this includes meat,” she said.

Additonally, Huerta said consumers may want to shy away from mass retailers' organic products and stick to retailers who have a commitment to organic products as the definition of organic can be different.

USDA Organic Seal is only given to produce coming from farms having the proper accreditation outlined in the National Organic Program . Products with this seal can be trusted in the mass retail environment, however not all products coming in a green bottle will have this symbol.

For further savings, it might be beneficial to comparison-shop on the Internet. Type anything into Amazon , including any organic product and results are bound to show up from the World Wide Web.

Another option for saving some cash is internet coupons. HealthESavers is a site where natural product manufacturers can upload coupons for their products for consumers to print directly from their website.

All it takes is a little imagination and a little extra time to take a shopping trip to the green level. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, the employees at every store with organic products are eager to help.