Shifting habits to be thrifty along with saving the planet are pretty nifty in my book. Small shifts, that is all it takes. Are you noticing that you are designing a better life, by shifting your habits? Well, if not, perhaps this is the book for you? Thanks to Art House Design, she spotted this book and thought of me. Thank-you.What little shifts or good habits are saving you and the planet? It's ok, if you are a total spend-thrift? All I ask is that you be responsible for your habit in the form of a nifty comment.
33 comments:
Thrifty habits:
1. Borrowing from the library instead of always buying on Amazon.
2. Making espresso at home instead of plunking down $3 for a teeny store-bought upper.
3. Alternating restaurant visits with simple, spirit-sustaining meals at home with friends.
4. Future project: Getting my black thumb treated by a horticultural expert so that I can someday have my own kitchen garden!
This should be helpful! So much of what is Earth friendly today is so much more expensive. We eat organic foods bought at the store because there are no good local markets where I live and the bill is so much bigger then my pre organic days... Maybe by reading this book I might just save enough to help my pocketbook as well as the Earth. Also, BUY LOCALLY GROWN foods if you can.
Lisa,
Do I feel another little stitch in time coming along in regard to waste not want not....
Your tips are wonderful.
Thanks for sharing and inspiring our bloomsbury side by being thrifty. You know they were a creative thrifty bunch.
pve
Shiny Pebble-
Do you have a garden? I hope you will start one if not.
We had tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash and more. I have an herb garden that I love.
pve
Can I echo Lisa's comment re coffee. We bought machine last year and my goodness the improvement to my life and wallet.
My other one is to re-use old Ikea cushion covers and childrens clothes to make soft toys and other bibs and bobs. Thanks to my sewing machine, another grandmother style appliance which I am loving just this year. At the age of 41 in fact!! xoxo
Jane-
Good for you, pour me a cup!
Oh, I need to drag out my machine!
It is now nearly an antique, I got it in High School!
love it. Makes pretty button-holes.
pve
Ditto to Lisa's coffee comment. I adore DD's coffee, but it's out of the way and I can make perfectly good coffee at home. I do like to remove something from my home to donate before entering with something new. I have that well-covered after my recent cleaning purge! We just ordered two new raised beds- I am itching to get my hands in the soil again!
I'm trying to buy local produce from our farmers market.Eat at home more,haven't been to Starbucks in weeks..:(
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Love this concept... it's the little things that add up and make a differnce. When we moved to Germany last year the recycling we'd done half heartedly before became legal requirements - sorting in 5 different ways! Initialy I recycled in Berlin because I had to.. but now after a year and half living here I recycle everywhere I go. It's become such a part of my life!
I really enjoyed seeing Lisa Borgnes Giramonti's list... Off to go check out her blog!
Toma
A wonderful book! Don't you love the little treasures the mailman drops off time to time?
I swamp magazines with friends and when finished I take the magazines either on a doctor's visits or the salon.
I only buy if I realllly love something.
I sometimes barter services.
I try to grow as many herbs and veggies as I can. I say try bcuz I have a clay thumb and lots of shade out back.
When farmer's market is in season (soon in my corner- yahoo), I buy all our fruits and vegetables at the markets. I also plan out my errands to do multiple things in that area and schedule my time around a market in the area. xo
Good morning, PVE--
Another great find of yours I will check out
--I love to eat out but enjoy all the meals I prepare at home
--Professional alterations are expensive and I was thinking about
learning to do my own--suggestions for a novice sewer?
Have a great one
BarG
looks like one I need. editing subscriptions and getting more information online. planting bloomers that get brought into the house instead of buying bouquets. planting herbs and veggies- and getting to the farmers market lots. pgt
My family has always done these things because we love it, but now it has become more relevant. We live in the country in a restored 1845 cobblestone home. Some rooms are heated by wood. We have a huge garden and buy at local farm stands what we don't grow. We are lucky enought to have mulberry (amazing), apple, and cherry trees in our yard. We go blueberry and respberry picking at a local farm every summer, and freeze bucket loads. I have always been a thrift store shopper, just for the thrill of the find. I don't think of us as being "green". We are just lucky that we get to live this lifestyle. It's hard work, but it beats the weekend mall crawl any day.
Toma,
Yes, I am always amazed at how the Europeans are so much farther ahead than we are and then how the observe and respect certain qualities of life by shutting down on Sunday. I quite like that idea.
We need to shift our habits of always racing around like crazy Americans.
pve
Debra,
So wishing that I could be there for Lisa, I adore her artistry in words and she keeps me in stitches too with her travels, her posts, her love of home and craftiness.
pve
1- making my coffee at home
2- cancelling my paper and reading it online
3- closing out my storage unit and incorporating what was in there or giving it away
4- repurposing family pieces
We don't need more, we just need to make the most of what we have!
Buy local produce at your farmer's market and use a Brita or install a water filter. We live at the beach and after every storm the amount of plastic bottles along the shore shocks and saddens us. This is a great post, generating a wonderful dialogue. Thank you. ox Barbara
Looks like a good book to get. Thanks.
Such thoughtful suggestions! And I really feel like I did something when I make the effort. Giving magazines to friends or bringing them with me to the Drs. office makes me smile.
Recycling...so big in Oregon, thankfully. If I make a mistake and throw something in the wrong bin my kids are swift to correct me!
Janell
We make "home-made"water (Waterwise distiller): cheaper, you know its source, no plastic.
I don't have enough sun (because of my tree park which grows oxygen!) for veggies but I do herbs in containers and buy local as much as possible. I try to cook like a French grandmother and use up leftovers.
To help sponsor my very early retirement (at 45), I gave up my car.
I do most of my home repair (except for the big guns of electricians and plumbers) and my own gardening. And we have no grass.
Because most days are work days, my wardrobe budget has been slashed dramatically. I buy a few wonderful things a year and shop vintage from my own closet.
home before dark-
you leave the most wonderfully insightful comments. I enjoy them so and admire those that make choices in lieu of being prisoner to the status quo. no car, now that would not bode well here, with teens.
please do join us in blog world and tell us how you do it all so nifty!
pve
Now that I am planning a wedding I am trying to be super thrifty. Its hard work saving, but I hope it pays off with a fabulous day!
LEB-
I did so much of my own wedding, the calligraphy, designed my dress, the place cards, the centerpieces, made the flower-girls dresses, I would not change a thing. I look back and realize the energy was all out of love. To this day, I love it, but my husband - thought I was insane bringing thank-you notes on the honeymoon....and that I fell asleep on our wedding night....I think insanity is what drives me to create.
I still would not change a thing.
pve
Patricia, what a great post! I use heavy duty recycled bags for grocery shopping, my trips to Costco or Target...I try very hard to not use plastic. We recycle everything we can. We grow flowers for cutting during the summer months. I planted a veggie and herb garden with our children for fresh from the garden eating this summer! When it comes to books and magazines though I still like holding them in my hands and getting cozy on the sofa or in bed. Brochures, flyers, etc...those I look at on-line, but I haven't given up my subscriptions just yet.
Patricia,
I tagged you yesterday to repost the sixth photo of your early days as a blogger. I was tagged and decided to be a part of the fun and see what I was up to in that post. Join in if you wish.
I just wanted to say thanks for dropping by.. I always love it when you drop by. I was really touched that you suggested people follow Hello Lover. She started with 5 and now is up to 11. We all need to feel some sort of validation for our efforts posting. Anyways just wanted to say I read that and it made my heart really smile. xoxoxo e
oh I almost forgot...
I get my groceries delivered now. It saves me going out and the company sells primarily in season fresh foods. I walk to the local small grocer for milk and things I need more often. I used to drive all over the city to different stores. my life is so much better in so many ways from this decision alone.
I'm also gradually removing much of the grass in my yard. Calgary has a extremely dry climate and grass needs copious amounts of water to stay green. Silly in my opinion to go to such lengths to maintain a green outdoor carpet of sorts. I'm covering much of the yard in deck and planting more trees and drought resistant perennials in the borders.
that's my 2 cents! xoxo Erica
I am so flattered you left a comment on my blog - it means so much to me! I've been loving your work since you did Mrs Limestones home! Thanks again!
You are welcome, Patricia!
Habits:
No more then twice a month eating in a restaurant as family! More often lunch instead of dinner.
Lot's of movies from netflix instead of expensive movie going tours! For four it adds up!
Having my herb garden provides me from spring 'til autumn with parsley, dill, organo, peppermint, basil and sometimes tomatoes!
Idea: A compost project!
We try to buy farmer's market fruits and veggies, organic to help these business grow!
Never cans, always receycable bottles.
Clothes given to collection, not thrown away.
Overall we always ask ourselves: Do we really need this or that? It helps with awareness and finding the things we truly care for.
Next big thing: We want to make our house slowly energy efficient!
Great post Patricia, so motivating.
XX
Victoria
I am really into thrifting my outfits whenever I can. So I am still supporting some designers in stores, but I am recycling a loooooooooot of clothing. Especially winter coats as we don't wear ours out in the south and folks donate them in great condition. But Target tempts me allllllll of the time.Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge
Petit Rococo giveaway
My garden is steadily growing and already saving us money, by providing fresh foods, less visits to the market and the sheer satisfaction of growing healthy eats!
I try. Cooking my own lunch, planting my own veg - it's nice to be thrifty and increase quality.
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