Saffron Rouge (www.saffronrouge.com) sells organic beauty products for men, women, and children. Here you can buy facial cleansers, exfoliators, moisturizers, bath products, cologne, perfume, makeup, and haircare products. In addition, the site recommends products to remedy various skin and hair conditions such as acne, cellulite, eczema, psoriasis, ingrown hair, and dandruff. Shoppers receive two free samples of their choice with each purchase. Purchases of $95 or more include five free samples and free shipping. If you buy a product from the site then find it at a lower price on another Website within 15 days, you will be reimbursed the difference. You’ll also be refunded the purchase price of any product returned within 60 days.

Environmental Home Center (www.environmentalhomecenter.com) is a site for new homeowners and those looking to renovate. The Website carries a multitude of products for the home including building materials, bathroom fixtures, cabinets, countertops, flooring, and paint. If you’re not sure how to get started, the site allows you to review rooms that others have designed. Review “Go green without busting your budget” to gain an idea of how to purchase eco-friendly products that are comparable in price to traditional materials.

Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org) is ideal for those unaccustomed to organic food. If you’re unfamiliar with the terminology for eco-friendly eats, simply click the organic food hyperlink on the home page and a glossary will appear. When you’re ready to shop, return to the home page and enter your zip code to find farms, farmers’ markets, co-ops, and restaurants near you. Local farm listings include the contact information, hours of operation, and address as well as a list of the crops and products available. You can also access a variety of recipes from this site.

Pivot Boutique (www.pivotboutique.com) carries women’s eco-fashion that appeals to a variety of budgets, with prices ranging from $30 to $339. The site offers accessories and clothing from more than 40 designers, so there’s something for every woman’s taste.

The Green Office (www.thegreenoffice.com) provides guidance to help you incorporate green practices into your work space. Start by perusing tips on how to conserve energy from the break room to the boardroom. Whether you’re looking to purchase products for your personal space or the entire office, you can choose from a plethora of products including appliances, furniture, cartridges, paper products, cleaning products, and organic snacks and beverages. Merchandise is biodegradable, nontoxic, recyclable, and recycled. Free shipping is offered on purchases of $49 or more. If you’re thinking beyond the office, you can learn more about climate change, natural resources, and the effects of pollution when you click on the Learn More tab.

Lauren Lea conducted reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared in the September 2009 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.

Toney found inexpensive ways to keep her family healthy. (Photograph by Alex Jones)

In May and June of this year, Alisa Toney took her 22-month-old daughter, Camille, to an urgent care facility to treat the toddler’s recurrent ear infections. With each visit costing $100, Toney’s household budget might have been strained. However, Toney, 42, is a leadership gifts officer at Spelman College, which provides a Flexible Spending Account that allows her to pay for Camille’s visits with a prepaid PayFlex MasterCard.

Toney joins millions of Americans who are taking advantage of creative ways to cut healthcare costs. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, employee contributions have increased more than 120% since 2000, while out-of-pocket expenses rose 115%. There are several options for saving money.

1. Do your homework during open enrollment. “Conducting the proper research before selecting benefits not only saves money, but ensures your family’s needs are met,” says Matt Tassey, former chairman of Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education. Ask providers if they offer preventive care with no co-pays or before the deductible is reached. Also ask employers about lower deductions or various credits. Compare the premium, co-pays, out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, and lifetime or annual caps.

2.  Ask about tax breaks. “Individuals can write off, as an itemized deduction, all medical costs after they reach 7.5% oftheir adjusted gross income. For small businesses, all health insurance premiums are deductible. If yours is an S corporation, your medical premiums are 100% deductible but they will be added to your W-2 as wages and deducted at 100% in adjustments on your 1040 tax return for you, your spouse, and dependents,” says Matthew Ware, an accountant and CEO of Ware’s Padgett Business Services. Itemized deductions can include medical and dental care, prescriptions, and weight loss programs.

3. Take advantage of a Health Savings Account. “The HSA is like a personal savings account with investment options for healthcare, except it’s all tax-free. Participation through payroll deductions allows employee contributions to be pretaxed,” says Dr. Rhonda Medows, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health. It also allows consumers to save for future medical and retiree health expenses. It rolls over each year.

4. Use a Flexible Spending Account. “An FSA is an employee benefits program that allows employees to set aside a portion of their pretax earnings to pay for qualified expenses such as doctor co-pays and prescriptions.  This account provides a substantial tax advantage since contributions are made before your paycheck is taxed,” says Tassey. Unlike the HSA, if you don’t use all the money in your account within the year, you lose it.

5. Carefully read your bill. “Check to ensure that the services attributed to you were actually received by you. Review the bill to check for errors and duplications,” says Medows. Save all receipts from the doctor’s office, canceled checks, receipts, and billing statements. Once the insurance provider has paid and you have received your final bill, call the insurance company to go over the statement if you have concerns.

This article originally appeared in the September 2009 issue of Black Enterprise magazine.