Author: Diedra “DD” Holley
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Publication Date: January 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4490-5993-4
Reviewed by: Pamela Victor 
Review Date: July 2010

Do you know there are small ways you can change your living habits that not only can save you money but might make the Earth a better place for you, your children and maybe even your children’s children? In Going Green Without Going Broke, Diedra “DD” Holley clearly outlines the simple steps you can take to get started toward a fuller wallet and a greener environment.

Holley is a single parent who works full time outside the home and needs to stretch every dollar as far as it will go. She also cares about the health of the planet. Her aim is to provide readers with very easy-to-do, low-impact suggestions that don’t cost much money to implement, are ecologically helpful, and will save you money in the end. She encourages taking small steps toward a greater goal, figuring that every little bit counts. Holley writes, “By no means do I think that everyone is going to do everything in this book. I figure that starting slow and taking a few [suggestions] at a time might be the easiest way to go. It’s how I did it.”

In the bulk of Going Green Without Going Broke, Holley offers 25 simple suggestions for ways to save money while lowering your carbon footprint. The author lists the pros and cons of each suggestion as well, so readers can plainly see the impact of each change. Holley herself admits that only some of the suggestions may be new to readers, but she has helpfully collected them into one very easy-to-read place with all the facts plainly listed. Some of her suggestions include, using Freecycle (www.freecycle.org), composting, using a clothesline instead of the dryer, and switching to rechargeable batteries. Holley spells out exactly how these suggestions will save you money; oftentimes providing anecdotes on how much money she saved from making the changes.

In an understandable effort to keep the book small and approachable, the author presents a broad overview for most suggestions. While some instructions, such as the DIY vent covers, are quite comprehensive; other suggestions have fewer details. Folks who have never made a compost pile before, for example, might need more directions than she provides in the book. But for the most part, the only further research required would be a mere search online and a few more minutes of your time.

Holley’s tone is chatty, cheerful and extremely approachable, making her book feel like you’re having a conversation with a friendly neighbor over the back fence. She shops at Wal-mart, she has a young son, she struggles to make ends meet. She writes from the perspective of a regular person trying to help herself while helping the Earth rather than from a highly academic, analytic approach (no offense, Al Gore.) When she writes about rechargeable batteries, for instance, she relates a short tale, “I can’t tell you how many times my son has come to me upset and crying about a toy that doesn’t work right or doesn’t work anymore…So what if you could buy batteries just one time, and not have to buy them again for years? Wouldn’t that be great! Guess what, you can.”

Going Green Without Going Broke is the perfect start for readers who are curious about greener options but don’t know where to start. If you would like to save money while making good choices for the environment but are overwhelmed by the necessary changes, this is the book for you.

Quill says: Easy-to-do changes on how you can save money while saving the Earth one little step at a time.

For more information on Going Green Without Going Broke,please visit the author's website at: HolleyBooks.com