Just like salvation, being frugal and environmentally conscious is a process. Okay, maybe not EXACTLY like salvation. But I do try very hard to do what I can to take care of the earth, and it’s always a good thing when that saves you a few bucks. My main philosophy with all this is to be creative with what I have, wanting to waste less, save more, and not buy things when something I already have will work. So, with that in mind, I’ve listed a few maybe a little off-beat things I do to that end.
1. I use every freaking last ATOM of shampoo or conditioner, adding water to get it out of the bottle until it’s all completely gone. Savings: a few more uses means you get to put off buying another one for a little while.
2. Heels of dried-out-but-not-yet moldy French bread go in the freezer to be later processed into bread crumbs for schnitzel, casseroles, etc. Savings: you don’t have to buy bread crumbs, plus these taste way better than the stuff that comes in a can.
3. I turn off the water when I brush my teeth or wash my face. This requires some small amount of manual dexterity as you turn on the water to wet your face, squirt facial cleanser in your hand, get a little water to foam it up, turn off the water with your hands full of cleanser, soap up your face, squint one eye open to find the faucet, and turn the water on to rinse. Whew! Savings: I’m sure someone has done studies on the water savings. Go Google it.
4. Super ripe bananas go into the freezer to be later used in muffins or bread. Once frozen, they turn a disgusting shade of green-black, and then in order to use them, you have to let them thaw enough to squeeze the banana out of the skins, which frankly also looks disgusting. But the muffins or bread always turn out! And I'm a girl who loves her banana-themed baked goods. Savings: no more wasted bananas.
5. If I bring home my nalgene at the end of the day that still has water in it, rather than tossing it down the drain (where you’d have to pay for it), I give the water to my plants. I also do this when people don’t drink all the water in their glasses at dinner. Savings: pennies, but it makes me feel better about conserving water, and the plants get much-needed drinks, which they sadly don’t get very much.
Hope this sparks something in your gray matter to use what YOU have!
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