When I first started my journey into the green frugal and crafty world I had no idea where to start, how to start and how far to go.
There is so much information out there on what we should be doing, could be doing and might think about doing that its easy to get overwhelmed, grab a packet of Tim-Tams and settle down on the couch and catch up with the latest sit-com or downloaded movie.
With so many options available I think its easiest to meet yourself where you are, and then go from there.
If you have an interest in cooking, then start with greening your cooking practices. A bit of menu planning will bring in the frugal aspect. Cooking from scratch will bring new skills and a sense of empowerment and making your own preserves, sauces, pasta and breads will bring a tasty new dimension to your cooking world and encourage you to try greening and simplifying other parts of your life.
Maybe you think that growing your own vegetables is the way to start. Then maybe you can grow a few micro-greens to start with, move on to herbs in a pot, a few wicking boxes on the balcony and then the full blown no dig, organic compost vege patch that spreads out onto the front verge of your place. Go with where your interests lie and you cant go wrong.
Perhaps you are a crafty person. Then maybe start with planning to make birthday presents for everyone this year, only holding eco-parties and re-sending last years Christmas cards - before tackling chemical free pest control and organic kale pizza (which is really good by the way!)
There is no gold medal for creating a green life overnight and every ones vision of a green life is different. Start with what you are passionate about and move on from there as things come to your attention and you feel confident enough to try new things. Some things the family wont be interested in getting involved with, but the change to home made washing powder may not even be noticed! Small baby steps are likely to be successful long term rather than large dramatic changes that might not be sustainable for your life style. I know in our household that I didn't mention the change in washing powder since the husband was a bit fussy about such things. Since he discovered that I was no longer using a big brand laundry powder, he has become fascinated by the process and is the one to make up a batch of powder these days... Small successful steps or changes have a greater chance of becoming the new norm in your home than larger, grand, expensive efforts might.
There are lots of people on the web blogging about their daily lives and the steps that they make towards changing how they live. These are great inspiration as well as practical instruction on how to go about moving from a blind consumer to an active greener individual. Not everything you try work s the first time. Or even the second time. My vege gardening skills haven't improved despite the size of the land I have available to me, so I end up frequenting farmers markets and supporting Food Connect until they get better.
I found a couple of "greening myself" lists that I have been using as a base to go back to and have a look at from time to time when I feel like moving forward and aren't sure where to go next. These can be useful as a guide rather than gospel - Don't get caught up trying to do it all at once!
Have a look at these posts to get some ideas for simplifying your home and these ones for greening things in the garden. And once you get going, blogging is a great way to make contact with other like minded people and to share with us your successes! Have a look on my side bar to see who I read regularly and get inspiration from!
This is a link to a list of 50 Green Living Blogs that might inspire you!
Above all have fun with it. If the project you have chosen to work on is not enhancing your life and making you feel good about what you are doing then its not worth doing. I get quite a kick out of the smallest things - even making an inner sole for my shoes out of a washed meat tray - and that's why I keep trying and then adopting new ways of doing things!
If you have a blog that documents the experiments, tells us about the wonderful new things you have discovered - then link to it in the comment section below and let us all have a look at how you have gone about simplifying, greening and fugal-ising your world!
There is so much information out there on what we should be doing, could be doing and might think about doing that its easy to get overwhelmed, grab a packet of Tim-Tams and settle down on the couch and catch up with the latest sit-com or downloaded movie.
With so many options available I think its easiest to meet yourself where you are, and then go from there.
Maybe you think that growing your own vegetables is the way to start. Then maybe you can grow a few micro-greens to start with, move on to herbs in a pot, a few wicking boxes on the balcony and then the full blown no dig, organic compost vege patch that spreads out onto the front verge of your place. Go with where your interests lie and you cant go wrong.
Perhaps you are a crafty person. Then maybe start with planning to make birthday presents for everyone this year, only holding eco-parties and re-sending last years Christmas cards - before tackling chemical free pest control and organic kale pizza (which is really good by the way!)
There is no gold medal for creating a green life overnight and every ones vision of a green life is different. Start with what you are passionate about and move on from there as things come to your attention and you feel confident enough to try new things. Some things the family wont be interested in getting involved with, but the change to home made washing powder may not even be noticed! Small baby steps are likely to be successful long term rather than large dramatic changes that might not be sustainable for your life style. I know in our household that I didn't mention the change in washing powder since the husband was a bit fussy about such things. Since he discovered that I was no longer using a big brand laundry powder, he has become fascinated by the process and is the one to make up a batch of powder these days... Small successful steps or changes have a greater chance of becoming the new norm in your home than larger, grand, expensive efforts might.
There are lots of people on the web blogging about their daily lives and the steps that they make towards changing how they live. These are great inspiration as well as practical instruction on how to go about moving from a blind consumer to an active greener individual. Not everything you try work s the first time. Or even the second time. My vege gardening skills haven't improved despite the size of the land I have available to me, so I end up frequenting farmers markets and supporting Food Connect until they get better.
I found a couple of "greening myself" lists that I have been using as a base to go back to and have a look at from time to time when I feel like moving forward and aren't sure where to go next. These can be useful as a guide rather than gospel - Don't get caught up trying to do it all at once!
Have a look at these posts to get some ideas for simplifying your home and these ones for greening things in the garden. And once you get going, blogging is a great way to make contact with other like minded people and to share with us your successes! Have a look on my side bar to see who I read regularly and get inspiration from!
This is a link to a list of 50 Green Living Blogs that might inspire you!
Above all have fun with it. If the project you have chosen to work on is not enhancing your life and making you feel good about what you are doing then its not worth doing. I get quite a kick out of the smallest things - even making an inner sole for my shoes out of a washed meat tray - and that's why I keep trying and then adopting new ways of doing things!
If you have a blog that documents the experiments, tells us about the wonderful new things you have discovered - then link to it in the comment section below and let us all have a look at how you have gone about simplifying, greening and fugal-ising your world!
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