Living in a way that benefits the world is a journey that starts with eliminating harmful habits and, quite possibly, never ends. It certainly should go in the direction of having the way you live begin to repair the planet and nature as opposed to harming it.
The first step is to identify which of your daily habits is not environmentally beneficial. Then the work begins to replace each habit with something more sustainable. If you keep doing this, you will continue to find ways to up your game as you go. Many of the solutions that we need still may not exist today, so taking it one step at a time is necessary and absolutely a much easier way for you to adjust how you live.
Some changes will be total turnarounds, but they will happen in small increments. It really is not a comparison game or a competition. What is most critical is that we all continue to move towards greater sustainable living. Some adaptations will be produced from the bottom up. We, as consumers, will show the way for what needs to be produced and how it should be delivered.
Overtime, I have implemented quite a few sustainable living changes. Beyond the initial most obvious changes, that next level required some investigation and experimentation.
Packaging
My two areas of “next level focus” are still in process. I am continuing to improve on diminishing and diverting my family’s food waste, and eliminating single use items from our household. Single use items include all the packaging that is everywhere. You know what I am talking about – it is everywhere! Even produce at the grocery store is wrapped in plastic! I am spending extra time at the store – every trip – trying to diminish the packaging that lands in my shopping cart.
Last summer and fall, I participated in a CSA which was amazing at eliminating all the packaging on my produce. This year I hope to have a garden so that I can step it up even more. But packaging is not limited to just produce. My ultimate goal is to become an “ingredient household.” If you have not heard that term before, it means that I would have no premade anything in the house – only ingredients. That would be better in terms of packaging, but still not the final solution. So, continue to check in with me here to see how I am progressing on my elimination of packaging.
In the meantime, my big fun project this past month was working on eliminating food waste by utilizing the “envelope budget system.”
Envelope Budgeting
Maybe you have heard of it or tried it before. The basic concept is that you set yourself up for a period of time with envelopes to pay each bill. An envelope for your utilities, the gas for your car, your groceries, etc. Think milkman, and newspaper delivery. If you are not sure what that is, ask a Boomer.
My parents’ parents did not have credit cards or bank checks, certainly no automatic electronic payments, or apps. When they received their paycheck, it was cashed, and then divided into separate envelopes for each service that they used. When the milk delivery came to the house, it was paid from that specific envelope. There was no credit card debt, and no overspending. It was noticeably clear how much money was spent on each category of living, and how much was left over too.
How does this apply to food waste? For my little experiment I decided to try and limit what we brought into the house by pre-setting the spending limit. Before I tried this, we were not tracking how much we spent on food, when we purchased food, or how many times we ate out. All those habits undermine my overall goals, costing extra dollars, and creating waste every month. I did my best to menu plan, freeze leftovers, and use up ingredients. But all that grabbing of a few items here and there added up. The things that I thought I needed really just ended up stocking the pantry. Habits that led to food waste and unnecessary money spent.
The Result
My food experience for the month totally changed. My family did not feel a difference. There were, of course, the constant reminders every time we left the house as well as my announcements of how much money was left in the envelope for the remainder of the month after each grocery shopping trip. In the store, I only bought what was on my list. I walked by so many items that I would have normally grabbed. I was in the habit of grabbing an extra carrot, or apple, or snack, or flour, oil, etc. Many times I am sure these items ended up as food waste. I was also more thoughtful about how my ingredients went together. It took a bit of extra time, but I considered how I could incorporate the food that I had in the freezer and the pantry.
I successfully spent less money and created less waste. I made a dent in the amount of food in my pantry and freezer. It might have been annoying at the register when I reached into my envelope and counted out my cash. But I fed a family of three for $35.00 per day, and we ate organic home cooked nutrient dense meals.
My envelope budget number may be way off from your spending, so try not to focus on that. My goal now is to see how low I can get that number. I want to improve my menu planning to reduce food waste and save even more money. If you have not tried it, I highly recommend doing an envelope budget system for at least one month. I found it to be fun and I (surprise) got a bit competitive with myself! I hope it is an idea that helps take your food waste to the next level! Let me know if you give it a try!
I am impressed . I can see you put a lot of thought into your project. Many great ideas . I will try to do the envelope budgeting system !!
Let me know once you try the Envelope Budgeting. I found that I was much more thoughtful about how we spent our grocery budget, and for sure we spent a lot less! My ultimate goal with it is not just to save money but to make sure that I am not buying extra food that ultimately goes to waste.