Ecofriendly on a Budget

As more of us turn to live a more leisurely lifestyle and remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of mass production. We are learning the effect that we have on the planet that we live on.

One of the things that we have learned is that the life of mass production is harmful to the planet. The more convenient things become, the more harm we do to oceans, the climate, and the earth.

Though the word frugal has a lot to do with your finances, it also, in many ways, has a lot to do with the environment and helping fix some of the problems that we have caused.

You see, living a frugal lifestyle and being Eco-friendly go hand and hand in many ways. One way is that frugal people, for the most part, reuse a good amount of the things they have in their homes, and by recycling and reusing, they help keep things from being put into landfill.

This is just one example of how being frugal helps the planet better. However, living a frugal life doesn’t mean you live an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Why are we not living an eco-friendly life (since reusing saves you so much money)? A lot of it has to do with the cost. In the world that we live in, the better things are for you, the more significant the price tag (which is really dumb if you ask me).

Example: reusable bags

If you buy one of the reusable bags from the store that is made with plastic, it will cost you .99 cents.

If you buy a reusable bag from the same store made from cloth Or canvas (which is 100% better quality and 100% better for the environment), it will cost you $3 to $5.

Some people will tell you that you pay more initially because it saves you money in the long run. This way of thinking is that you don’t have to buy the product as much because it lasts longer or has multiple uses.

The problem is you have to be able to afford the price initially. Another problem is that plastic, although it harms the environment, is cheap and can be reused,

Can you be eco-friendly without the price tag? Yes, you can. You just have to know what to use and buy and find the right price.

So I have what I like to call my eco-rules. This is how I can be eco-friendly and not have to spend thousands of dollars doing so.

Eco-Rules

Rule – Buy reusable

I try to buy reusable products as much as possible and buy them on sale or in bulk whenever possible.

Example: spaghetti jars

Any food containers like spaghetti jars can be reused. For example, milk jugs can be reused and used to help with gardening. You can also use kitchen organization containers for other parts of your home.

Rule #2- Don’t go out of your way to buy brands

I don’t go out of my way to buy an eco-friendly brand. I never bought paper towels much, but when I decided to not buy paper towels at all. I just bought microfiber towels from the dollar store and Walmart. I didn’t go out of my way to buy an eco-friendly microfiber towel (there is no sense in buying an expensive product that does what a low costing product does).

Rule #3- The Five elements of eco-friendly

Wood, Metal, Canvas (or cloth), Glass, and Stone

When shopping for my home, I try to ensure that what I am looking for comes in one of these elements.

Example: flower Pot

If I am going to buy a flower pot, it has to be stone or wood. I do not own any plastic flower pots in my home.

Rule #4- Use it to tell you can’t

I reuse all things in my home as much as possible. If I have to buy something, I try to make sure it can be used for more than one thing or can be made into something else. Also, don’t go out and buy things to replace items that are not eco-friendly. Just reuse it until you have to through it away.

Example: Plastic Shampoo bottles

Don’t buy reusable bottles and just throughout the ones in your home. That’s not helping the environment because the plastic is still going to landfills. If you can reuse the plastic bottle. Buy your shampoo in bulk size (this will save you money in the long run), then reuse the smaller bottles for your shower (you can remove the label and make your own if you like). This will help the environment.

Rule #5- If it’s cheaper to make it yourself than do so

There are many eco-friendly products you can make yourself.

Example: Reusable bags

You can turn old t-shirts into grocery bags and crochet reusable produce bags.

You can make your own shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, reusable trash bags, compost bins, laundry soap, soap, body wash, and all-purpose cleaner, and believe it or not, you can make your own paint.

So instead of buying a product, you can be extremely frugal and eco-friendly by making things yourself.

Well, that’s all I have for today; I hope this helps you on your journey.

Thank You for reading Everything Frugal.

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