Hello, friends! And a happy Monday to you! As we settle back into our routines after that wonderful long weekend, I thought I would share some of my favorite ways to be eco-friendly on a day-to-day basis! I think that they’re all super simple, and easy to add to most routines!
- Use the backs of paper before recycling them. This one may seem a tad obvious, but I thought I’d mention it all the same. I use old pieces of paper for many things, grocery lists, to-do lists, and just small little reminders. I don’t buy sticky notes at all, I can’t seem to find a need to. I will cut up bigger sheets of paper into fours and have a little pile of paper that can be used for notes! Such a simple thing, but I make sure that I don’t recycle a piece of paper before I’ve used both sides!
- Reuse spaghetti jars. I know how tempting it can be to want to buy brand new jars that all match to hold bulk items in, but that’s really not necessary. If you’re buying food items that come in glass jars, they’re super handy to keep and use when buying bulk items, or even for organization of smaller items. I like to use old jam jars to hold bobby pins or makeup brushes. If the sticky adhesive doesn’t come off right away, you can always use a bit of an essential oil, and that generally does the trick. If you’re wanting jars for a bit more of a decorative use, you can always wrap some twine or fabric scraps around it to make it look a bit cuter.
- Do not buy things simply because they are cheap. Even if you’re buying secondhand. It’s so easy to get swept up in a good deal, but it’s not always in our best interest to purchase things. If we have no use for an item, it’ll just sit around our home, collecting dust. There could be someone else out there that could genuinely make use of it, so we ought to leave it for them. This would also probably be my number one tip for thrift shopping.
- Know when to buy things NEW. I’m especially guilty of doing this when it comes to jeans. I’ll buy a pair of jeans from Goodwill that don’t fit me especially well, and wear them until they inevitably tear from being ill-fitting, only to have to go back to Goodwill to buy a new pair. After doing this for a couple of years, I finally bit the bullet and bought two new pairs of Levi’s, because they fit me very well, and I know that they will last me for years. This may not always be in one’s budget, but I would definitely recommend figuring out if items you buy will be costing more money in the end.
- Opt for no receipt/do bills online. Some stores do not offer this option, but I try to do it whenever I’m able. For example, with Consumer’s Energy, I only receive my bill online, as opposed to also getting it in the mail. This saves some paper, and you’ll also have a record of your bills online. Additionally, some stores will allow you to opt for a receipt sent to your email, instead of a physical one. Not all stores do, and if that’s the case… look to my first tip for how to deal with that!
And remember, something is better than nothing. As long as we’re doing on our honest best, I think that we should be proud of ourselves.
XOXO,
Mattie Mae
Midwest mattie 