Save. Spend. Splurge.

3 easy things that won’t take much effort to save the planet (and money too)

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1. USE SOAP NUTS

I use these to wash Baby Bun’s super poopy cloth diapers. You just need to put a few of these shells into a bag, toss it in the wash and be done.

They get his diapers SUPER clean and keep them nice and absorbent, unlike with commercial detergents… so if they do that to his poopy-diapers, can you imagine how great they’d be for your clothes in getting them clean?

You don’t even need to cook them down to be a liquid unless you cold wash your clothes rather than warm wash them.

You need a bit of heat to release those saponins, that’s why, although frankly, it is the water and agitation of the machine that gets clothes clean, so I don’t even use soap nuts unless it’s for The Bun’s diapers.

But if it makes you feel better, throw them in there in your cold wash…

You can re-use them 3-6 times before tossing them and you don’t need that many.

Why soap nuts are awesome:

  • They WORK; and work REALLY well
  • Biodegradeable
  • No perfumes and dyes – great for sensitive skin like mine & The Bun’s
  • Natural – they come from a tree
  • Better for the environment — not a toxic chemical soup that pollutes our water
  • Come in a recyclable package (cardboard)
  • Supports indigenous people in having a livelihood (Nepal)
  • Cheaper than commercial laundry — one box lasts me half a year, washing on average 1.5 times a night, so about 42 times a month, WAY MORE than what you would do

You can buy them here at HolyTaste.ca.

2. BRING YOUR OWN MUG / TUMBLER TO WORK

You have no idea how upset it makes me (on a small level) to see people who work at the office, NOT HAVE THEIR OWN DAMN CUPS.

An example of what NOT TO DO.

I get it if you go to that office just ONCE to visit but you are never really there; of course you won’t have your own mug… but I mean you are there, 5 days a week, drinking 3-5 cups of coffee a day.

Do you really need a fresh coffee cup each time?

Maybe so…. so BRING YOUR OWN MUG.

If you buy coffee, why not bring your own tumbler? You will get $0.10 off at Starbucks for doing so and you get to keep your coffee hot without having any BPA from the cup lining leech into your drink.

It’s just so ridiculously easy to buy a tumbler or bring a mug to work to use, that it’s really sad to see how many disposable cups end up in the trash bins each day.

3. EAT LESS MEAT

Don’t give it up completely but don’t eat so much of it.

I eat 4 chicken drumsticks a week.

Total.

I used to eat two at each meal, twice a day. I’ve cut it down from 14 drumsticks to 4, and at the end of the week, I even find that I have too much meat leftover.

It saves money, but more importantly, I can buy higher quality chicken as a result, and I am really appreciating what I am eating (I love eating meat, I REALLY do).

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It’s great for the environment because our hunger for meat is well-documented and it is starting to be a serious environmental problem.

You really don’t need all that meat, you don’t. It’s not good for your body either, with all that cholesterol and high blood pressure shooting up from eating it.

Substitute in potatoes, eat more pasta/rice/veggies, and just use meat as a flavouring rather than as the main meal the way that Asian cultures do.

Meat is the FLAVOURING, and if you think of it that way, you will see how little you need to eat it.

If you want to go on a meat binge-fest which I do on occasion, then do a BBQ and eat as much as you want, ONCE, on rare occasions as a treat.

Otherwise, please, I am begging you to consider cutting back on meat for your health, your wallet, and for the environment.

All three items above are EASY TO DO and not at all difficult to implement in your life. They will also save you money to boot…

12 Comments

  • Sally

    Very nice! I would suggest bringing a mug for hot drinks and a different reusable cup for water. I refill my water bottle all day long, but sometimes forget to bring a mug since I only drink once or twice a week. But that’s two less paper cups that could be used.

  • Pickled Fish

    Great point about meat as flavoring and not as a main meal. Never thought about it this way. However, I have to admit that with age I eat less meat and more fish.

  • Heather

    These are all great ideas! I keep a mug in the glove box in my car for spontaneous coffee trips and they’r always willing to rinse it out for me at the coffee shop.

  • ella

    Yes! I needed this reminder: “use meat as a flavouring rather than as the main meal.” I’ve been trying to eat meat less, but that can be difficult when you’re living with someone who HAS to eat meat. Later for dinner, I’m challenging myself to eat fewer meat….

  • Clarisse @ Make Money Your Way

    I really, really wanted to tell my family that we should eat meat less BUT the problem is they totally love to eat meat! 🙁 How I wish someday I can convince them about that one.

  • Taylor Lee @ Engineer Cents

    Oh, never heard of soap nuts before, will try. And man I hear you about the meat thing but it is SO GOOD. Sigh. I know you’re right though…

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