5 Things You Should be Re-using to Save Money and the Earth
WASTE.
We have been raised in a shamefully wasteful culture. I always grew up with the garbage can, and as a child never gave a second thought or care as to where those things were ending up. Not to mention the consequences for this action.
Things need to change. And it starts with you and me.
So in my own daily routines, I’ve started to try and reduce our consumption of garbage and recycling. I’ve tried to find ways to re-use and not use. Today, I’ll share a five super easy ways we’ve started to be more conscientious. These things are very easy to do, and will save you money!
#1. Wash your baggies.
I am guilty of tossing those sandwich baggies after one use, but they can easily be washed and re-used and are in fact designed to be re-used. Last year, I easily got through the school year without even using a whole box! How many boxes do you buy a year? You can easily cut out this expense.
Just wash them along with the rest of your dishes. Maybe you can even construct a mini clothesline to dry them on, like mine. It works great!
#2. Ditch the Paper Towel
They did a great job selling us on this one didn’t they. Wastefulness at it’s best. Paper towels rarely do a better job than a good old fashion rag or cloth. You may have to roll up your sleeves and control your gag reflux now and again, but ditch the paper towel. You don’t need it!
You can do the math… you’re already saving over $15 by now just with these easy suggestions, and we’re only at #2.
#3. For the Ladies. DITCH THE PADS.
One of the absolute best decisions I’ve ever made is to make the switch to cloth pads. Disposable pads are full of harsh materials that often cause irritation. I was always so itchy and soar after my period. If you switch to cloth pads, you’ll not only make your money back within a few months and start saving (and think about how much that will accumulate to be!), but actually have comfort during your periods. With the right fitting underwear they stay in place well.
They’re not difficult to care for. I also haven’t found the need to pre-soak. Just store in a wet bag until the end of your period and then throw them in.
The cloth pads I linked to are my favorite. The grey fleece washes really well, is absorbent, and hides any staining. There are a bunch of funky, pretty fabric patterns to choose from. You will thank yourself big time if you make this switch!
#4. Re-Use Take-Out/Grocery Containers and Straws
The only containers I have actually purchased over the last couple years have been some large containers to hold full meals or broth for the freezer.
Start looking at things a different way. Margarine containers make great lunch containers. They are obviously food safe. There are so many great containers we purchase on a regular basis that can be put to good use. Deliver some cookies in one, start some seedlings in another.
We also keep all the straws we get from when we go to McDonalds or other take out places. We have a straw cleaner, but you could use a craft pipe cleaner to clean them out. Again, a little effort that goes a long way. And saves a lot of money in the long run.
#5. Bin Composting
One of my best friends is the queen of penny pinching. Sometimes she would even dry out diapers so they didn’t take up as much room and create so much weight in her garbage… QUEEN!
Since we moved to town, it’s been a lot harder to compost because of vermin and animals, but I recently tried an indoor bin composting method that surprisingly worked out really well.
After all was said and done though, I realized it really didn’t need to be inside. All that really needs to be done is to secure your compost bin properly to keep out rodents.
You can use a good old Rubbermaid tote; black ideally to create more heat. Mine was for inside initially so I just used a clear bin. Make a number of drainage holes at the bottom with a small drill bit. You don’t want to go too big or it will be easy for vermin to chew into. Cut the top out of the lid of the bin, attach hardware cloth with some zip ties, and then find another lid or cover for it when it’s outside. It’s that easy! Add a bag of soil and some paper to get it started. You can control the moisture levels with addition of paper. You’ll also want to stir it every few days/once a week if you don’t want it to get musty.
We have a pet gerbil along with a couple of pet quail and the bedding makes an excellent addition to our compost bin.
Especially if you don’t have a large family, this is a simple way to keep that food waste out of the garbage, and back into your garden next year.
Success!
Money in the bank. You can see how these savings could really add up! And you’ll feel great about the waste as well. What are some things you do to pinch those penny’s? I’d love to learn and share those as well!
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Love more. Waste Less. 🖤
How’s your food waste?
Did you know the average Canadian household spends $1, 766 on food that is wasted each year? I have a super simple printable that can help! Check out the post below…
