Hey friends!

It’s time for another post, this time with more ideas on how to “reduce” in your daily life. You remember the motto “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” right?? Last time I wrote about how you can easily reduce waste by using dish towels instead of paper towels in the kitchen.

Here are some more easy ideas!

Eat Less

Don’t waste food! Save what you don’t finish, even if it’s just a small amount. Then actually eat your leftovers! Whit is better at doing this than me, but once you make it a habit, it’s not bad at all! Saves money too 😉

Use Less Water

…When brushing your teeth

….Or taking a shower (Need to work on this one! I’ve never been able to take quick showers)

….And flushing the toilet (flush only when necessary – you know what I mean!)

Buy Less

In general, buy fewer things. It’s easy to think that as an individual, your spending habits and actions don’t make a difference, but it all adds up! If we consume less “consumables,” fewer will be produced, and less resources will be used up. A few areas to rein in: clothes, paper products, gifts, appliances, furniture. Use what you have! We all know that having the newest stuff doesn’t make us cooler. Let’s put that into practice 😉 (I could work on this one too!!)

Use the dishwasher instead of the trash can – By this I mean, don’t buy trashable paper plates, cups, and utensils when people come over (or when you’re just lazy). Use the dishes you already have, and just run the dishwasher. It takes a little bit longer, yes, but creates less waste and frees up more space in the landfills that are taking over our country. Use a lunch bag instead of a brown paper bag.

Buy digital instead of hard copies. For example, music and DVDs. I actually prefer prefer physical items, so I don’t want to do this, but it’s a great idea. One step at a time… I’ll get there one day!

Use Less

Turn the thermostat down in the winter, and up in the summer. I’m a wimp when it comes to a cold house, but I like to see if I can stand just one degree colder to save a little money and a little gas or electricity. I don’t mind opening windows in the summer though, so it kind of evens out over the course of the year. Some ways to get around this are: turning the heat down when you leave for work, and at nighttime, and just keeping it at what you prefer when you’re/awake to enjoy the warmth, insulating your home better (if you own your home), and looking for shortcuts, like leaving your oven open after you turn it off since you’ve already paid to heat it up.

Bring your own takeout container instead of using the styrofoam or plastic box that the restaurant gives you.

Jack Johnson singing about recycling… swoon! haha

So, none of these ideas were probably revolutionary to you, but they’re good reminders, I hope. What are your favorite ways to reduce?