Here’s a couple examples from my life:
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Safety Razor. I get a better shave and it’s like $15 for 100 razor blades, which lasts me a couple years. Way way way better than the disposable multi-blade Gillette things, which sell 5 heads for $20.
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Handkerchiefs. I am prone to allergies, so instead of constantly buying disposable tissues, we now have a stack of handkerchiefs that can just be used a few times and then thrown in the wash. This has also saved me loads.
What about you?
Buy from bulk stores and markets instead of bagged supermarket products.
Switch to soap strips instead of liquid detergent for laundry
Cook yourself instead of getting delivery
Use public transport and or bike
Buy local produce and fruits that are in season
as far as buying bulk, the idea it to look for price per unit, and with this you have to take at least a medium (month) or long (annual) look at the pricing. This is your typical restaurant budget strategy.
And this assumes you have storage space, which not everyone has.
my dumbass read
Cook yourself
Switch to soap strips instead of liquid detergent for laundry
What is this wizardry you speak of? [begins Google session]
Wear a condom
Yes, kids are very expensive.
Buy and use whole chickens instead of buying chicken pieces. They’re not difficult to break down yourself, a youtube tutorial is all you need.
Then keep the bones and stuff that would normally be considered waste. Put them into sturdy ziplock bags and freeze until you have a few of them. Then take them out and use them to make a chicken stock that can be the base of a soup or stew.
Add to that, onion butts, potato peels, corn cobs, tough mushroom stems, etc. All great for stock.
I know how to fix almost anything mechanical and I usually try to buy really high quality things when I can. It means spending more money up front, but things tend to last a lifetime and I don’t have to buy it again.
Adding some more
- Reusable canvas bags when shopping
- Compost (all cardboard in the US is compostable btw)
- Buy directly from farmers. I bought half a cow and a whole pig a year ago and it’s lasted me this long. I wanted to see how much money I saved off market price of the cuts and it was around $2000
- Reusable storage containers and bags for leftovers. I have silicon ziplock bags and glass containers. Works amazing.
- Plastic wrap can be replaced with beeswax wrap (reusable) or basic cloths and works really well too
- Bar soap is better for the environment too
Im pretty certain since cardboard has plastic on the outer layer for graphics
Yeah peel off plastic the rest is compostable even the ink used on cardboard
Aleppo soaps are great. We buy like 5 bars. Lasts us about a year or more. Better than normal/modern soaps. Ancient wisdom makes these soaps.
- Reusable canvas bags when shopping
I’m sorry to be that guy, but this most likely will be worse for the environment.
Reusable bags are alot more poluting than plastic bags, because the manufacturing process can use up to 100x the energy.
What you SHOULD buy as a reusable is a higher quality plastic bag that is made from reusable plastic.
This sounds wrong I know.
I will also be that guy and say mine have already reached carbon neutral. I’ve had them for 4 years now and probably close to 1000 trips and have saved thousands if not more plastic bags in that time already. They have no rips or tears and I expect them to last another 10 to 15 years. I don’t think reusable plastic would get that sort of shelf life unless you rarely use them.
You are probably right if you can get that many trips out of it. And I was also only focusing on the environment and not the money saved, which is also wrong of me taking OPs question into account.
If you have a dishwasher, do NOT rinse things before putting them in. Just scrape off the bits into the bin. A big part of the efficiency of a dishwasher comes from not running more water or the water heater unnecessarily. If you rinse you might as well hand wash.
Also, use the cheap powder and make sure to use it in the prewash phase.
Good tech connections video: https://youtu.be/_rBO8neWw04
If you have space to store stuff buy bulk in things that don’t expire.
Make your own cleaners for some things. Vinegar, dawn soap, and rubbing alcohol are the base for most.
Boardwalk laundry detergent has been a great cost saver. You have to buy 40 lbs at a time, but it works great. We typically use half the recommended amount since it’s made for larger washers.
Watch for commercial products as sometimes this is the way to go for simple items that need to be durable.
I think I’ll be looking into Boardwalk. I haven’t heard of that before. How long does that 40lb detergent bucket last you?
About 6 months. It even seems to be working for the sensitive skin person in the house.
We also save all of our egg cartons and donate them to the elementary schools. Teachers love using them to help students learn math, especially fractions. They’re also useful for arts and crafts. Check with the school office before dropping them off, but I’ve never had the schools be anything less than enthused to have these.
I second the safety razors. Except I’ve been running through the same box since 2016 and I’m barely half through. Takes a bit to learn, but when I want a real smooth shave nothing beats it (except maybe an actual blade razor).
Use a budget
If you don’t own it, don’t pay for it. That’s one of my main principles and the motivation why I don’t pay for streaming services anymore. I also noticed that I wasn’t enjoying music and movies as much anymore anyway when it was in such high quantities. That’s just about saving money.
Other one is, I don’t buy anything of which i know of that it won’t work or keep much of its value anymore after several years. So I rarely buy anything with irreplaceable batteries, that basically ends up on the junk pile after 3 years.
I also use a double edge safety razor, but have an electric razor also for a quick morning shave. Other things I do:
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I cut my hair with clippers I bought 15+ years ago for the price of 1-2 haircuts. This probably only works for people with simple, short hair, but has saved me thousands of dollars compared to getting a monthly haircut at $20+
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We put a basket with cloth napkins next to the dining table and a basket with washcloths on the kitchen counter and have drastically reduced the quantity of paper towels that we use
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The college geography department will sometimes sell old and outdated maps to raise some funds, rather than just recycling them. They make great wrapping paper that’s unique to you.
Chest freezer if you have room for it, and a Costco membership if there’s one within a reasonable drive. Being able to buy in bulk and freeze what you don’t use can save a lot of money over time. Costco gas is also typically the cheapest so you will save a few dollars each time you fill up your car too.
Plants / gardening.
You get free food while reducing waste in its purest form. I have alot of indoor plants giving me seasoning, fruits and vegetables that are also pretty plants and great for the indoor environment.
