One of the best ways to save money in life is to decrease waste which is money down the drain. The perfect place to start is by limiting waste in the home. This reaches into many different areas of our lives. Not to mention as well as saving money there is the added benefits that less waste has on the environment.
I am far from perfect and have plenty of room for improvement but I try to live by a reduce, reuse, repair or recycle motto.
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Reduce
First is reduce, this means I try and reduce how much I am using of something. An example would be reducing the amount of water you use by taking shorter showers. Or cutting down on gas usage by carpooling with friends.
Reuse
Next is reuse, this means trying to find alternatives to single use items. Purchasing reusable items may cost a little extra up front but will save you money in the long run. One example of this is switching from dryer sheets to reusable dryer balls.
Repair
Next thing you can do to limit waste in the home is repair. In today’s society we are so quick to throw things out and buy new when something breaks. The other day a piece of Robin’s electric shaver broke. Rather than buying a new one we looked at the cost of a replacement for the piece that broke. It was half as much. So we spent $9 instead of $20 and fixed his razor. The same goes for clothing items, resew on the button or mend a small hole and you can stretch the life of your clothing a lot further.
Recycle
Finally, If there is no way for you to reuse or recycle an item and you aren’t using it anymore then donate it. Or if you do use a single use item then recycle it whenever you can. This will stretch the earths resources and decrease the overfilling of landfills.
Limiting Waste in the Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house which makes it a great place to start limiting waste in the home.
- Use cloth towels instead of paper towels. They are easy to clean and will last longer. This is a classic case of higher up front cost but it will save you money in the long run.
- Another great way to limit waste in the home is by using reusable shopping bags whenever possible. The best part is it doesn’t have to cost anything! If you want to buy cute reusable bags and that encourages you to use them more then great. Or if you want to make it cheap (free) then use the free reusable bags you get at every promotional event.
How to Limit Food Waste
There are SO MANY ways to limit food waste so there will definitely need to be a post that expounds on more of these. However, until then here are a couple ways to get you started.
- Keep your fridge and pantry organized. This will allow you to better know and see at a glance what you have on hand. It will help prevent you from buying doubles and food items you’ve forgotten about can be found before they go bad. Shelf cooking is a style of cooking coined by Jordan Page at funcheaporfree.com where you plan your meals by starting with what you have on hand then shopping to fill in the gaps and not the other way around. This will only be possible if you can see what you already have.
- Next is to use up ALL leftovers. This could be as simple as reheating a meal and eating it as a second meal. I always love having leftovers to eat for lunch so that I don’t have to cook again. If you have leftovers you are sick of eating then find a creative new way to use that food by incorporating it into a new meal. Sick of chili? Make chili dogs for dinner one night.
Learn more about: How to Decrease Food Waste
How to Decrease Waste in the Bathroom
The bathroom is another great place to limit waste in the home and save money.
- The bathroom is the perfect place to save on water. Try to turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth and while you’re washing your face. You can also try and take shorter showers.
- This one is female specific but can make a big difference: a menstrual cup. A menstrual cup is a reusable product that replaces tampons and pads. They only cost between $20-$30 so in the long run you can save money. Plus they are free of any chemicals and safe for your health.
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How to be Environmentally Friendly Doing Laundry
Laundry, the never ending chore but there is still room to decrease waste in the laundry room.
- When you do laundry make sure you measure out the soap. If you are using it without measuring there is a big chance you are using too much per load. Extra laundry soap won’t make the clothes any cleaner so you are better off measuring it out and not wasting it.
- Instead of using single use dryer sheets. Try using reusable dryer balls instead. They can be purchased for only a few bucks on amazon and they work over and over. Perfect for cutting back on waste and saving you money.
How to Limit Waste in Life
- Turn your bills to paperless bills. In todays technological age you can check your bill statements easily online. If you’re like me then bill statements sent in the mail get opened, glanced at and put right into the trash. Ask your utility companies to send you email statements instead and cut back on paper waste.
- Another great way to start limiting waste in the home is by using reusable water bottles. Cutting out plastic water bottles will decrease landfill waste. Plus there are often harmful chemicals in plastic water bottles if they are used multiple times or left in the sun.
How to Decrease Clothing Waste
- When you are done with an item of clothing, maybe you outgrew it or it went out of style, make sure you donate it. Donating clothes prevents them from going to the landfill. Have a box set aside of items you want to donate and when its full take it in. If you have current styles to donate you can take them to shops like Plato’s Closet and possibly even make money back on your clothes.
- On the other side you can shop second hand for your own clothes to save money and prevent clothes from going into the landfill. I would also recommend learning how to mend small things like missing buttons and small holes.
How to Decrease Utilities Use
- Turn off lights every time you leave a room and spend a little time teaching your kids (and spouse 😉 ) to do the same. This can do a lot to decrease your electricity bill.
- Try filling up the dishwasher completely each time you run it. This way you are running it less often which will save on both electricity and water.
Limiting Waste in the Home
Limiting waste in the home can help you save money, help us all save the world by lessening our impact and really just feels great. It may not come naturally but it can become second nature if we make it a habit.
It takes 21 days to make a habit. So pick a point or two to start with and try doing it for 21 straight days. Then add another point until you are doing them all. It all starts with baby steps.
