Sustainability on a budget

Something that we get asked a lot about is how to live sustainably on a budget. We have been living a green lifestyle for years, and it's always been on a budget. The purpose of this article is not to teach you to price shop, it's to break down a few ideas and strategies to help you live green, and on a budget. In fact, this has turned into such a hot topic among society.

Here are a few of the main strategies that we personally use to keep our costs down but still feel good about what we are buying.

All it takes, in most cases, is a shift in mindset, a willingness to try, and perhaps a little patience.

1. BUY LESS, BUY QUALITY.

We live in a consumer culture. We've been conditioned early on that we can buy the things we want, and the green market is no different. There's a very real temptation to buy your way green by purchasing all the latest gadgets. Truly, we think this is where much of the feeling that green is expensive comes from, and we can't stress enough that it isn't necessary. Consequently, the first principle of living consciously on a budget is simply to buy less. Every time you are about to make a purchase, these are a few questions useful to ask yourself:

Do I truly need it? Do I have something at home I can repurpose instead? Is that item truly worn out or can I make do for a little longer? Purely saying no will obviously save you cash.

When it comes time to actually buy something, try to get your brain out of being purely thrifty and hold out until you can spend a little more on something that is really good quality so that it lasts you longer. Even if that item isn't sustainably made if it's well made it will stay out of the landfill longer and you won't have to replace it for a very long time if you take care of it. Hence, even if you spent more in the beginning, trust me you'll spend way less over the long term. But again, this requires a mindset shift out of the immediate cost and into the long-term benefit. This is especially true for bigger ticket items.

How do you tell if something is of good quality? Often a company that values quality will go to great lengths to communicate how well made their products are because they are proud of them. The label or website should go into, step by step, how their products are made, and with what. Also, read reviews, they may reveal quite a lot. Lastly, buy from a craftsman or handmade if applicable. You are then buying direct and can speak with the maker to learn the most you can. As an added bonus, you can feel fantastic about supporting an artisan and use your item with the confidence that your dollars went to a good place.

2. BUY USED

Especially if you're in the market for clothes or furniture, this is an awesome way to go. Once started purchasing clothes at a second-hand shop, you'll never look back.

Sure, whether buying clothes or furniture, it means looking around and being patient until you find what you're looking for, but isn't paying 70% less for something worth it?

Also, you can truly see how an item will wear over time. Isn't it the worst feeling ever when you buy a dress you absolutely love only to find that after two washes it looks terrible? All stretched out and pilled up? Yeah. No thanks.

3. PLAN ACCORDINGLY & DON'T WASTE

In this case, we are mostly talking about food. In the US, 30-40% of food ends up in landfills uneaten.

In other words, for every $10 dollars you spend, you might as well be throwing away up to $4.

SAY WHAT? Yep, not super budget-friendly.

The simple fix is to plan better. Rather than going to the store and buying what looks good to you at that moment, take the time to plan out your meals for the week, but start by choosing a few key ingredients such as ones that are in season right now.

Then plan several meals that use those ingredients, since chances are that one meal won't use up a whole head of broccoli, as an example.

That's a big mistake that many make, right off the bat. Personally, I find a whole week's worth of planning overwhelming, so we plan out in 3-4 day chunks and shop twice a week.

It works great.

Once you've cooked your meal, save your leftovers at all costs.

Use wide-mouth mason jars (hint: these are very cheap, way more affordable than glass storage containers, and you can probably get them used) to store leftovers in (since glass is the best way to store food, plus you'll reuse them).

If it's not enough for dinner the next day, eat it for lunch, or combine a few small portions to make a larger smorgasbord. And hey, it saves you time!

4. MAKE IT YOURSELF

The first thing you might think is "I don't have time" or "I don't know how". In most cases, a google search will teach you all you need to know. and trust us on this one, it only takes a long time the first and maybe the second time you try something new.

After that, you know how to do it, you're all set up, and you can fit it into your schedule much easier.

The cost savings makes it even more worthwhile. Not only does it help you create practical projects that use up your stash, but you can craft guilt-free knowing you’re not doing any harm to the world around you. Whether that’s reducing, reusing, or refashioning, there are lots of ways to shop your stash and make projects from items you already have around the house

5. BE AWARE OF THE GREENWASHING

Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company's products are more environmentally sound. Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company's products are environmentally friendly.

Get to know the most important sustainability certifications (This link may help you out)

To sum up:

There's a ton of ways to save money and live a conscious lifestyle, but hopefully, these few will get you started. Take a look at the way you currently do things and see if you can switch up a few things to easily put these concepts into play.