Hey everyone! I hope you all are having a beautiful day! Today I’d like to share how to start going green. Start in the easiest places, like your utilities! We all use them, and simple changes can be made to make them more eco friendly (and budget friendly!).
Both ways are absolutely free (YAY) and they make you more aware of your energy usage! Being mindful about how much of your resources you’re using is helps to lessen the eco anxiety and save the planet while you’re at it!
Disclaimer: I am grateful to be of service and provide content that brings value to your life. However, I’m not a doctor, health care physician, or expert of any kind. See full disclosure for more details.
1. Conservation
Seems simple enough but you’ll have to do some work.
Water, electric, & gas. Those are the main utilities we all have to pay. With some Wi-Fi, trash/sewer, phones and all those streaming tv things we think we need.
When we get those bills, track your usage. It may not make any sense, but it’s easy enough to compare it to last months and see how much more or less you’ve used.
First things first, set a goal for the household. Something attainable so that disappointment isn’t an option. I’m talking five dollars at a time, small steps for big change.
Eco Conscious Electric
When looking at your bill you’d probably assume you couldn’t get it any lower. I already do so much (you think to yourself)! Here are a few free eco friendly tips on lowering that bill a bit.
- Turn off the heat when no ones home, same with AC. Then when you are home change the degree by two or three (up or down depending on your current season)
-Unplug random things around the house. I SWEAR THIS ACTUALLY MAKES A DENT! Check your phone charger, tv, microwave, toaster, whatever isn’t in use, unplug it. When its plugged in electricity is still running through it, its just on ‘standby’
-Watch less tv. Simple, free, eco friendly. BOOM. And probably better for eyes too.
Wasting Less Water
This one can be tricky because water is a crucial resource for many people. Something I do when using water, whether its dishes or a shower, I think about people who don’t have clean water. Or those who have to travel to get it.
We are so truly blessed to have water right at our finger tips. I say a little gratitude prayer and that allows me to be aware of only the necessary amount I NEED for the task at hand.
-Fill your sink with the water you’ll need for dishes. Sometimes I simply wipe the dish off if it was a vegetarian plate.
-Use your bath water to do some light laundry. Plug the tub toward the end when the water is cleaner and do those articles of clothes that say HAND WASH ONLY that we all ignore!
-Wash your clothes on cold and at night, for some reason my nana used to tell me night laundry is less expensive and she’s right!
-Take shorter showers or shower with a partner. Setting a timer is good for this or listening so four or five songs so that you can have some fun while the time goes by.
-Collect rain or snow to water your plants. Heck I even use the old dog water that has a bunch of random dirt and whatever in it to water my indoor plants, they’re not picky.
Go Green with Gas
The only thing I believe that runs on gas is our heating , so its very low in the summer and sky rockets in the winter. It could range for you though, it could be your hot water heater, your stove, plenty of things run on gas. However, these are what apply to us, so potentially your gas changes could just be the same as your water and electric changes.
-Get out those blankets and cozy socks! In the winter I keep it COLD in our house, even open the windows sometimes. I love to drink hot beverages and layer up so this isn’t a big deal for our family.
-Cook more! Cooking outside for summer, then having that oven going during the winter will certainly warm your bones .
-Play outside! It sounds a little ridiculous but I guarantee its warmer/cooler in your home than out there!
2. Recycling/Trash Audit
This is mainly to recognize the areas you need to work on. Is it food, packaging, clothing, crafts, office supplies? There’s a lot to learn from yourself when you keep tabs on what your tossing.
The simplest way (for me) was to just keep a list. Weekly I’d take note of what’s going out and just try to make better choices the next time that category came up. Ours was definitely food packaging, which can be tough because that could cut into budget and simply not be available to fix.
Food Waste
What we couldn’t give to the dogs, we composted. So there really wasn’t much food waste. The next house will have a larger compost and chickens to eat a lot of the leftovers!
Refuse, Rethink, Reduce
The easiest advice is to make wiser choices. Consider the long term, if you could use the potential plastic/waste for other purposes (seed starters , insulation for dog house , organizing containers, think outside the box!). The only other options are recycle or landfill. So not having it in the first place makes all those choices disappear.
Some times that is the only option, to buy the plastic wrapped whatever it may be. They’ve made it very difficult to get away from.
If you at least are becoming aware, that’s a fantastic starting point! Then later go to a different store perhaps with less wasteful options (you may need to do some research if you live in a small town like me!) to find a substitute, bulk option, or maybe not buying it at all! Occasionally the ‘refuse’ method isn’t always an option, just do your best with what you have!
I’d love to hear if you’ve tried any of these methods or if you’ve got more ideas! Share them in the comments below and let swap life hacks!
xoxo, Tayler
