Frugal/Green Living
At cyberdryad's request, I have made a list in down time while my computer churned away at work-related reports. It's insanely long, so I put it behind a cut. I'm sure there's more to add but really, only Jen is interested in all this! Maybe I'll post more later. Maybe I'll just tell Jen!
- We have a garden where we grow veggies, herbs and (new this year) raspberries. Next year, we hope to add asparagus and strawberries. And be more diligent in the care of the garden so yields are better. We start most of this from seed.
- I’ve got a small pot of green onions growing in a kitchen window, which we use as needed. I brought in parsley too, and until a really hard frost, we still have sage & oregano & chives out back.
- We have participated in two CSAs, and I buy from the farmers market and a local fruit farm whenever we can. This may not always be cheaper, but it sure is healthier and Greener since there’s less gas burned to get the food to our table.
- We compost all (acceptable) kitchen waste and garden refuse. I’m also starting to add weirder things like cat fur, Tom’s hair when I cut it, the contents of the vacuum bag, etc.
- I wash and reuse ziplock bags, and some other plastic bags from food too. The non-ziplocks I mostly use to bag up chicken bones or clean up cat puke or some such.
- We buy bone-in poultry on sale - preferably whole birds - cook them in the crockpot, shred what we don’t eat for dinner, and freeze the meat for use in other meals.
- We now use Feline Pine instead of regular cat litter. It’s compressed pellets of pine sawdust. Urine returns the pellets to sawdust - with no odor - and can be composted. Poop can be flushed. I think it will be a little more expensive, but there’s no waste stream, and less unused litter gets discarded with the used.
- I cut Tom’s hair.
- I use the Diva cup (and previously the Keeper) and cloth pads.
- We don’t shop much or read the newspaper or listen to non-public radio, and ignore TV commercials as much as we can. So we are bombarded with less ads telling us what we ‘need’ to own, and I think want less. I think.
- We do get the Sunday paper from my parents, and cut coupons from that. We also use the circulars (if we get the paper before the week is up) to help us buy things when they’re on sale.
- We now have a freezer in the garage. It is old enough to not be saving on energy, most likely, but it allows me to buy meat and milk on sale, freeze the extra loaf when I make bread, make my own stock, make a big batch of soup or whatever and freeze extra. I also keep milk jugs full of water in the back, to keep it more full which supposedly makes it more effiecient.
- Cooking ahead like that keeps us from eating out sometimes. It also greatly reduces the need for pre-packaged foods.
- One benefit of working downtown is that I can walk to our bank, the post office, a drug store, the library and other retailers rather than driving.
- We use the library a LOT. We are consciously curbing our urge to buy books, music and DVDs/videos.
- We’re slowly but surely getting rid of our extra stuff. As much as possible, we use freecycle, cheapcycle and Ebay or donate them to a charity.
- We buy most of our clothes, many housewares, and many other things second-hand through thrift stores and Ebay. We mend broken/damaged items if we can. We trash pick from the side of the road (so far only obvious things, no dumpster diving).
- We give a lot of gifts that are handmade and/or consumable. We encourage the same, at least from our immediate families.
- As much as possible, we make our long distance calls on the weekend when they’re free on the cell phone.
- Listen when Jen tells me about deals. For example, we’ll be getting Dish Network on Friday (unless we can’t get reception) and saving about $20 for the first 10 months and $12/month after that. For basically the same channels plus 2 DVRs.
- We work out and eat relatively healthy, keeping us out of the doctor’s office.
- We carpool to work whenever possible. Occasionally, I ride my bike to work instead.
- Plan errands to minimize gas usage.
- I use coupons whenever possible. I also have a grocery price book to let me know if I've found a good deal. I'm not that great about keeping it up-to-date, though.
- I use canvas bags as much as possible (subject to memory, of course).
- We’ve switched to CFLs in many of our lights, and will continue to do so as bulbs burn out. We do a decent job of turning off lights that aren’t in use, but could do better. I’m trying to remember unplug electrical devices when they’re not in use.
- We bought a new fridge, which is at least 10 years newer.
- We avoid using the air conditioning as much as possible; in the average year we have it on for a few days. We also have the heat set low during the winter.
- I clean mostly with water, vinegar and baking soda. We have a swiffer-like thing that has a washable microfiber head. Also a dust cloth of microfiber which can be used with water to wash windows. Tom uses Seventh Generation bathroom cleaner. (I’d like him to use baking soda & vinegar, but so far, no dice).
- I use about a teaspoon of Trader Joe’s Dishwashing Soap for the pre-rinse and a tablespoon in the soap section. We wash on ‘normal’ and as often as possible, I stop the dishwasher when it reaches ‘dry’, open it and shake/brush water off anything it has collected on, and leave the door ajar to let the dishes air dry. I only run the dishwasher when full.
- I try to use the oven to bake multiple things (in a row, not all at once). When it’s done, if the weather isn’t hot, I’ll prop it open with a wooden spoon pressing the light button (so the light is off) and let it help heat the house.
- After we boil water, I leave the kettle on the same burner (with the burner turned off) with the spout open, so it hydrates and heats the house a bit.
- I bake almost all our bread (we sometimes buy it on sale) and granola. I’m starting to buy dry beans, rehydrate and cook them in the crockpot, then freeze them in packages of about 15 oz (the same as a can). I make pesto with basil and garlic from the garden and freeze it. I made my own pumpkin puree when they were in season.
- I buy Christmas cards, decorations, wrapping paper, etc. after Christmas for the next year. Some Xmas paper is generic enough to be used all year, and can be bought cheap! We use and reuse gift bags a lot too.
- We have one credit card, which we pay off in full every month. It earns money back at REI, so we put as many bills and purchases on it as possible.
- I have as many bills as possible automatically deducted every month, and the utility bills are level billed. The rest I pay online as much as possible. In most cases, I no longer get a bill in the mail either.
[edit, more stuff I thought of:]
- We recycle as much as possible. We reuse too, especially jars and plastic food containers.
- We make our own fertilizers (in part) and use salt to kill the weeds on the driveway.
- While the water heats up, I use it to fill the teapot or indoor watering can.
- Before the pool deck was taken down (and I lost a place to attach the line to), I dried clothes on the line a lot. I still do the 'handwash' (delicate cycle in cold water) that way, hanging them inside. We will hang a laundry line down in the laundry room soon so I can hang out more again. 10 minutes in the dryer on low first take away most of the stiffness.
- I use vinegar as fabric softener and use less detergent than is called for. I use peroxide to remove blood stains.
- We're saving money for our next car purchase. It's unlikely we'll be able to pay cash outright, but hopefully we'll achieve a very reasonable monthly payment.
- We're paying down the mortgage at the rate of about one extra payment per year.
- We put money in savings for vacations, future furniture purchases, art purchases, unpredictable things like car repairs and dental work, etc.
- We're both contributing to retirement through our jobs, at the max match amount.
- I track all this through Quicken and Excel.
- We have a garden where we grow veggies, herbs and (new this year) raspberries. Next year, we hope to add asparagus and strawberries. And be more diligent in the care of the garden so yields are better. We start most of this from seed.
- I’ve got a small pot of green onions growing in a kitchen window, which we use as needed. I brought in parsley too, and until a really hard frost, we still have sage & oregano & chives out back.
- We have participated in two CSAs, and I buy from the farmers market and a local fruit farm whenever we can. This may not always be cheaper, but it sure is healthier and Greener since there’s less gas burned to get the food to our table.
- We compost all (acceptable) kitchen waste and garden refuse. I’m also starting to add weirder things like cat fur, Tom’s hair when I cut it, the contents of the vacuum bag, etc.
- I wash and reuse ziplock bags, and some other plastic bags from food too. The non-ziplocks I mostly use to bag up chicken bones or clean up cat puke or some such.
- We buy bone-in poultry on sale - preferably whole birds - cook them in the crockpot, shred what we don’t eat for dinner, and freeze the meat for use in other meals.
- We now use Feline Pine instead of regular cat litter. It’s compressed pellets of pine sawdust. Urine returns the pellets to sawdust - with no odor - and can be composted. Poop can be flushed. I think it will be a little more expensive, but there’s no waste stream, and less unused litter gets discarded with the used.
- I cut Tom’s hair.
- I use the Diva cup (and previously the Keeper) and cloth pads.
- We don’t shop much or read the newspaper or listen to non-public radio, and ignore TV commercials as much as we can. So we are bombarded with less ads telling us what we ‘need’ to own, and I think want less. I think.
- We do get the Sunday paper from my parents, and cut coupons from that. We also use the circulars (if we get the paper before the week is up) to help us buy things when they’re on sale.
- We now have a freezer in the garage. It is old enough to not be saving on energy, most likely, but it allows me to buy meat and milk on sale, freeze the extra loaf when I make bread, make my own stock, make a big batch of soup or whatever and freeze extra. I also keep milk jugs full of water in the back, to keep it more full which supposedly makes it more effiecient.
- Cooking ahead like that keeps us from eating out sometimes. It also greatly reduces the need for pre-packaged foods.
- One benefit of working downtown is that I can walk to our bank, the post office, a drug store, the library and other retailers rather than driving.
- We use the library a LOT. We are consciously curbing our urge to buy books, music and DVDs/videos.
- We’re slowly but surely getting rid of our extra stuff. As much as possible, we use freecycle, cheapcycle and Ebay or donate them to a charity.
- We buy most of our clothes, many housewares, and many other things second-hand through thrift stores and Ebay. We mend broken/damaged items if we can. We trash pick from the side of the road (so far only obvious things, no dumpster diving).
- We give a lot of gifts that are handmade and/or consumable. We encourage the same, at least from our immediate families.
- As much as possible, we make our long distance calls on the weekend when they’re free on the cell phone.
- Listen when Jen tells me about deals. For example, we’ll be getting Dish Network on Friday (unless we can’t get reception) and saving about $20 for the first 10 months and $12/month after that. For basically the same channels plus 2 DVRs.
- We work out and eat relatively healthy, keeping us out of the doctor’s office.
- We carpool to work whenever possible. Occasionally, I ride my bike to work instead.
- Plan errands to minimize gas usage.
- I use coupons whenever possible. I also have a grocery price book to let me know if I've found a good deal. I'm not that great about keeping it up-to-date, though.
- I use canvas bags as much as possible (subject to memory, of course).
- We’ve switched to CFLs in many of our lights, and will continue to do so as bulbs burn out. We do a decent job of turning off lights that aren’t in use, but could do better. I’m trying to remember unplug electrical devices when they’re not in use.
- We bought a new fridge, which is at least 10 years newer.
- We avoid using the air conditioning as much as possible; in the average year we have it on for a few days. We also have the heat set low during the winter.
- I clean mostly with water, vinegar and baking soda. We have a swiffer-like thing that has a washable microfiber head. Also a dust cloth of microfiber which can be used with water to wash windows. Tom uses Seventh Generation bathroom cleaner. (I’d like him to use baking soda & vinegar, but so far, no dice).
- I use about a teaspoon of Trader Joe’s Dishwashing Soap for the pre-rinse and a tablespoon in the soap section. We wash on ‘normal’ and as often as possible, I stop the dishwasher when it reaches ‘dry’, open it and shake/brush water off anything it has collected on, and leave the door ajar to let the dishes air dry. I only run the dishwasher when full.
- I try to use the oven to bake multiple things (in a row, not all at once). When it’s done, if the weather isn’t hot, I’ll prop it open with a wooden spoon pressing the light button (so the light is off) and let it help heat the house.
- After we boil water, I leave the kettle on the same burner (with the burner turned off) with the spout open, so it hydrates and heats the house a bit.
- I bake almost all our bread (we sometimes buy it on sale) and granola. I’m starting to buy dry beans, rehydrate and cook them in the crockpot, then freeze them in packages of about 15 oz (the same as a can). I make pesto with basil and garlic from the garden and freeze it. I made my own pumpkin puree when they were in season.
- I buy Christmas cards, decorations, wrapping paper, etc. after Christmas for the next year. Some Xmas paper is generic enough to be used all year, and can be bought cheap! We use and reuse gift bags a lot too.
- We have one credit card, which we pay off in full every month. It earns money back at REI, so we put as many bills and purchases on it as possible.
- I have as many bills as possible automatically deducted every month, and the utility bills are level billed. The rest I pay online as much as possible. In most cases, I no longer get a bill in the mail either.
[edit, more stuff I thought of:]
- We recycle as much as possible. We reuse too, especially jars and plastic food containers.
- We make our own fertilizers (in part) and use salt to kill the weeds on the driveway.
- While the water heats up, I use it to fill the teapot or indoor watering can.
- Before the pool deck was taken down (and I lost a place to attach the line to), I dried clothes on the line a lot. I still do the 'handwash' (delicate cycle in cold water) that way, hanging them inside. We will hang a laundry line down in the laundry room soon so I can hang out more again. 10 minutes in the dryer on low first take away most of the stiffness.
- I use vinegar as fabric softener and use less detergent than is called for. I use peroxide to remove blood stains.
- We're saving money for our next car purchase. It's unlikely we'll be able to pay cash outright, but hopefully we'll achieve a very reasonable monthly payment.
- We're paying down the mortgage at the rate of about one extra payment per year.
- We put money in savings for vacations, future furniture purchases, art purchases, unpredictable things like car repairs and dental work, etc.
- We're both contributing to retirement through our jobs, at the max match amount.
- I track all this through Quicken and Excel.