Start Here to Be Magnolia Green!

Here are 7 easy suggestions to get you started on a more frugal sustainable lifestyle! 

1. List the skills you have and if practical, don’t pay someone else to do it. For example, I’m the family groomer. I even cut my own hair. Sorry, no pictures of me (wink) but I will share one of our dog Fluphy.

2. Avoid buying disposable products, ie, disposable dishes, disinfectant wipes, individual serving size foods and drinks. Instead, opt for products you can reuse after cleaning and produces less waste when bought in bulk.

3. Evaluate your needs versus your wants. Does every family member really need a smart phone or will a pay as you go cell phone plan make more sense economically? Can your family survive without cable television and opt for online streaming? Do you need a land line or will a cell phone be all you need? Eliminate redundant expenses.

4. Don’t make too many changes all at once. Make changes to your routine or buying habits gradually. For example, if you want to start eating more organic foods, don’t throw out all non-organic foods in your pantry. Start by buying those perishable organic products, like meat and diary, then slowing implement buying organic produce the next week, then non-perishable pantry items, like spices, as they need to be replaced over the course of the year.

5. Buy less and pay more for things locally produced instead of buying more and paying less at a national chain store. I know we can’t all make it to the farmer’s market every week, but at least try getting there once a month. Locally produced foods are fresher and do taste better. Plus the dollars we spend stay in our community.

6. Simplify what’s in your cupboard. Buy products that serve double duty, ie, baking soda is not only for baking but cleaning. Both baking soda and vinegars can be used for cooking, household cleaning, hair care and fabric softener.

7. Repurpose and recycle something. I love to repurpose glass containers. I use cleaned glass jars with lids as grain and pasta storage containers or to freeze broths and soups. Don’t overwhelm yourself with recycling everything. Some locations do not offer recycling centers for all recyclables. For example, my local recycling drop off location only accepts type 1 plastics, newsprint, and aluminum. Just concentrate on recycling the most convenient things bi-weekly. After that becomes a habit, you can start recycling other items that require further research and some travel to recycle, like glass, metal, and electronics, dropping them off semi-annually.

Check out the blog as I explore more indepthly these suggestions and much more. Don’t forget to check out my store and events calender. Thank you for joining me in this journey to Be Magnolia Green!