EdenFeed

Gretchen Covine

We save money and reduce our environmental impact with this one question… “Can I EASILY accomplish the same thing with less waste, expense and/or processing and transportation?” Take something as simple as popcorn for example. Popcorn is a popular snack in our home. Once I started making and throwing away a bag or two of microwave popcorn a day I tried making it myself from kernels. I remembered my parents making it in a pan over the stovetop with a little oil. So I bought a bag of popcorn seeds which will last me usually at least a month or more for under $2.00. Throw in a shaker of popcorn seasonings and for the same price as box of microwave popcorn (which would be gone in less than a week) we had a month’s worth or more of popcorn supplies. Popping the corn did not take any more time or inconvenience as sitting watching a bag or two of popcorn in the microwave. So now we enjoy the same snack with much less waste, expense, and processing. Not to mention it is healthier too. This same equation can be applied to just about everything. It goes way beyond the kitchen … • Household cleaners – baking soda and vinegar can tackle most of what you use chemicals to clean. Even if you still want to occasionally clean with chemicals substituting vinegar and water a couple of cleaning a month will reduce environmental impact and expense. • Egg trays for seedling trays. • The library for books, movies, magazines and eBooks instead of the bookstore. • Plugging in entertainment center equipment into power strips that can be turned off when not in use or leaving the house with one switch. • Programming your thermostat to be warmer or cooler when no one is home. • Reusing glass and plastic containers that come with your groceries. • Buying second-hand. One second-hand big ticket purchase alone can save your household thousands of dollars and reduce environmental impact. • Grouping your errand running by locations to save time and gas. • When you are grocery shopping purchase a couple of easy dinner items so you can skip takeout the next time you are short on time or energy. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. If you are short on time or inclination start with just one simple change and when you see how easy it is to save money and reduce your environmental footprint without additional inconvenience or diminishing your quality of life you will want to do more. Pick a starting place that will give you the most personal satisfaction and go from there.