Things I have done in the past few months to save money, use less chemicals, and less waste:
1. Stop buying multipurpose cleaners. They are too expensive and although I love Seventh Generation, it's hard for me to justify spending over $3 for a bottle. So, I took an empty one (they have the BEST sprayer on the market) and I make my own cleaner. I put a few tsps of Dr. Bronner's soap (lavender or peppermint are my faves) and fill the rest with tap water. The lavender is an antiseptic and it smells heavenly. I've started adding a few tsps of white vinegar for some punch. Now, it costs me probably $.25 for a bottle of cleanser.
2. Cut back on paper towels. This one was hard...not for me but my sweet husband who would use about five. FIVE to dry his hands. I almost had a heart attack on several occasions. He is doing better and now knows to use the towels on the stove or fridge to dry his hands and uses far less now to clean. We are now down from about 1 1/2 rolls a week (scary, right?) to about 1 roll every two weeks. I use microfiber cloths for just about the rest of my cleaning, but when it comes to cleaning up meat juices from husband's dinners, I get way to grossed out to use anything but paper towels. I'm working on it though!
3. Stop buying rinse aids for the dishwasher. Use vinegar. Hello. Why haven't I done this before? It's ridiculous and cheap. So, adios rinse aids!
4. Use half the recommended amount of laundry detergent. I don't notice a difference in the cleanliness of my clothes and it makes my laundry detergent last twice as long. Zing!
A few minor changes with big results. What little things do you do in your home to make big changes?
Showing posts with label 2011 goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011 goals. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Goals for the year..#1: Pantry
This year I'm really going to work on pairing down the house...in other ways than just purging unwanted goods. My number one pet peeve? The pantry. I really have been sick of an overstuffed pantry that is quite inaccessible and quite inconvenient when I want to cook. Too much stuff and a horrible design. I've decided to get back into cooking, purge the pantry and save money at the same time.. sound good, right?
As a vegetarian for almost five years now, my main staples are definitely carbs (and I have no complaints about that!). I have an assortment of whole grains (bulgur, millet, quinoa, and brown rice) that have been neglected so my plan is to cook up a large batch of two different grains each week and then pair it with beans (black are my favorite!) and then whatever condiments I have in the fridge (olives and balsamic vinegar,f or example). Not only is this smart on my pocketbook, but also on my thighs. Eating whole, far from processed foods is definitely something I've been looking to perfect for the past few years.
Why don't you do the same? Save for fresh produce, why not get creative with what you already have in the pantry? Make a list of the items that you have and then create some recipes ideas from that. Be creative. Have sunflower seeds that you're bored with just snacking? Throw it in some spaghetti sauce for some added crunch and protein. Why not make your own tomato soup from some canned tomatoes? You can get some awesome recipe ideas from here.
Work through your pantry until you need to restock. Once everything is out, vacuum out any crumbs, wipe down the shelves with some cleaner and start fresh. Always wanted to store your food in glass containers? Why not? Not only will you have saved a ton of dough over however many months it takes you to go through everything, you'll be proud of a clean, streamlined pantry!
As a vegetarian for almost five years now, my main staples are definitely carbs (and I have no complaints about that!). I have an assortment of whole grains (bulgur, millet, quinoa, and brown rice) that have been neglected so my plan is to cook up a large batch of two different grains each week and then pair it with beans (black are my favorite!) and then whatever condiments I have in the fridge (olives and balsamic vinegar,f or example). Not only is this smart on my pocketbook, but also on my thighs. Eating whole, far from processed foods is definitely something I've been looking to perfect for the past few years.
Why don't you do the same? Save for fresh produce, why not get creative with what you already have in the pantry? Make a list of the items that you have and then create some recipes ideas from that. Be creative. Have sunflower seeds that you're bored with just snacking? Throw it in some spaghetti sauce for some added crunch and protein. Why not make your own tomato soup from some canned tomatoes? You can get some awesome recipe ideas from here.
Work through your pantry until you need to restock. Once everything is out, vacuum out any crumbs, wipe down the shelves with some cleaner and start fresh. Always wanted to store your food in glass containers? Why not? Not only will you have saved a ton of dough over however many months it takes you to go through everything, you'll be proud of a clean, streamlined pantry!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)