I've recently become acquainted with the term forced simplicity. It's something a lot of us may find ourselves experiencing in this rough economy. Y'all may be familiar with the concept of downshifting, which is a type of voluntary simplicity that pays attention to sustainability and environmental impact in our daily lives. Forced simplicity involves taking a look at how we live our lives and what we can change because, well, we need to pinch some pennies. We're living simpler lives because we have to. And some of us are finding that we kinda like it.
Here are a few ideas our family has implemented or is considering that save us money as well as lessen our impact on the planet.
***Buy locally, and buy in bulk.*** It's cheaper to buy locally, since the cost of transport is not a factor. And no transport means no gas, and that's good for our environment. Supporting your local farmers and business owners also makes for a stronger community and creates jobs in your own neighborhoods. And you don't have to go to Costco to buy in bulk. Many areas have farm delivery services such as Azure Standard which bring local produce, meats, and natural products directly to you. And consider making an investment in a large freezer so you can buy a portion of a cow, pig, lamb, or several fresh chickens directly from the farmer.
***Garden and preserve.*** Even if you don't have space in your own yard to plant a garden, you should be able to find a community garden in your neighborhood. Seeds and starts are cheaper than a weekly trip to the market, and if you're so inclined, you can learn to can and preserve your bounty to last you through the winter months. If this idea strikes your fancy, I highly recommend the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
***Use cloth.*** You don't need to buy lots of paper products when you can use cloth for diapers, napkins, towels, and cleaning rags. And you can recruit your old socks, t-shirts, and other worn-out clothing for this purpose.
***Repurpose.*** Why throw something out when you can turn it into something useful, or into artwork?
***Reduce, Recycle.*** We just switched our garbage service to once monthly instead of weekly. We've cut the cost of our service in half, and we're making less garbage. Our recycling still gets picked up weekly, so we are conscious of recycling as much as possible and keeping what we throw out to a minimum.
***Pass it on!*** Instead of throwing something out that may still be useful to someone, pass it on! Give it to a charitable organization for a tax deduction or sell it on ebay or craigslist if you need some extra moolah. This tactic is especially great when you have kids.
***Buy used.*** Why use more plastic and other resources to create brand spanking new stuff when you can find the same thing used? Utilize ebay, craigslist, and your local consignment and thrift stores.
***Eat in.*** Cook! Invent! Use up all that food you grew yourself. Make your own coffee. Bring your lunch to work. Invite friends over for dinner.
***Cut out.*** Get rid of your land line. Get rid of cable (ok, we're actually not considering that one - I love me my cable). Get rid of a car!
***Make stuff.*** The best presents are the ones you make yourself. Sew, knit, crochet, collage, paint, photograph, sculpt, write, sing and play. Be creative!
***Barter and trade.*** Have a skill or a service to offer? Your friends probably do, too. Trade a massage for a painting, a meal for darning socks. Oh, the possibilities!
***Get a roomie.*** Roommates aren't just for college anymore. They can help with the bills! They can pay part of the mortgage! They can cook! They can babysit!
Happy simplifying!
Here are a few ideas our family has implemented or is considering that save us money as well as lessen our impact on the planet.
***Buy locally, and buy in bulk.*** It's cheaper to buy locally, since the cost of transport is not a factor. And no transport means no gas, and that's good for our environment. Supporting your local farmers and business owners also makes for a stronger community and creates jobs in your own neighborhoods. And you don't have to go to Costco to buy in bulk. Many areas have farm delivery services such as Azure Standard which bring local produce, meats, and natural products directly to you. And consider making an investment in a large freezer so you can buy a portion of a cow, pig, lamb, or several fresh chickens directly from the farmer.
***Garden and preserve.*** Even if you don't have space in your own yard to plant a garden, you should be able to find a community garden in your neighborhood. Seeds and starts are cheaper than a weekly trip to the market, and if you're so inclined, you can learn to can and preserve your bounty to last you through the winter months. If this idea strikes your fancy, I highly recommend the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
***Use cloth.*** You don't need to buy lots of paper products when you can use cloth for diapers, napkins, towels, and cleaning rags. And you can recruit your old socks, t-shirts, and other worn-out clothing for this purpose.
***Repurpose.*** Why throw something out when you can turn it into something useful, or into artwork?
***Reduce, Recycle.*** We just switched our garbage service to once monthly instead of weekly. We've cut the cost of our service in half, and we're making less garbage. Our recycling still gets picked up weekly, so we are conscious of recycling as much as possible and keeping what we throw out to a minimum.
***Pass it on!*** Instead of throwing something out that may still be useful to someone, pass it on! Give it to a charitable organization for a tax deduction or sell it on ebay or craigslist if you need some extra moolah. This tactic is especially great when you have kids.
***Buy used.*** Why use more plastic and other resources to create brand spanking new stuff when you can find the same thing used? Utilize ebay, craigslist, and your local consignment and thrift stores.
***Eat in.*** Cook! Invent! Use up all that food you grew yourself. Make your own coffee. Bring your lunch to work. Invite friends over for dinner.
***Cut out.*** Get rid of your land line. Get rid of cable (ok, we're actually not considering that one - I love me my cable). Get rid of a car!
***Make stuff.*** The best presents are the ones you make yourself. Sew, knit, crochet, collage, paint, photograph, sculpt, write, sing and play. Be creative!
***Barter and trade.*** Have a skill or a service to offer? Your friends probably do, too. Trade a massage for a painting, a meal for darning socks. Oh, the possibilities!
***Get a roomie.*** Roommates aren't just for college anymore. They can help with the bills! They can pay part of the mortgage! They can cook! They can babysit!
Happy simplifying!
2 comments:
Fantastic ideas.Also-Turn Off:lights, computers, tvs, ("sleep" doesn't count) Unplug:charging devices Turn Down: heat, water heater and put a (water heater) blanket around it.
I will happily teach anyone how to can & freeze this Summer. I have multi generational recipes and lots of tricks. Start collecting jars now.
Brittney, you look gorgeous in that photo! Your hair looks fantastic.
And thanks for the tips -- we've also been trying to cut down, cut back, cut out... It's a good life lesson.
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