Living (a little more) naturally and less expensively

I'm not a huge green advocate who is going to tie myself to trees but I do think we can each do our part, even if it's a little part, to stop the impact of global warming. And, I say that I'm not a huge green advocate because I am not ready to change our lifestyle completely to save the earth, but I am willing to try things that will fit comfortably into our lifestyle with little or no impact on us and maybe a little better impact on the earth. Also, I've just now come to realize that consumerism has a lot to do with what we use and how we use it. Next time you want to buy something at Target just because, think about what you could make at home. You'll get a lot more satisfaction and you won't spend a dime. It's also a great way to spend time with your family- get the kids involved and the spouse too. E loves anything that will save money and is very willing to help me do that. Anyway, thought I'd share what I've already done and what I plan on trying in 2008. Some of these I've shared before.

1/ Grocery bags- We have tons of our own bags that we take to stores with us
2/ Walking and taking public transportation- this is totally a coincidence this year because E and I happen to both be in Paris, the kids are within walking distance of our apartment, but our careers from now on should remain in Paris, so this means no more taking the car! The only time we take it is when we leave Paris, which we can go a month without doing!
3/Cloth diapers, wipes and my own wipe solution- we all know how I adore these!
4/ Tea tree oil- throw away that bleach and get yourself some tea tree oil! (if you need something to whiten, try a natural whitening salt) Tea tree oil is AWESOME! It kills just as many bacteria as bleach, it smells better, and it's natural.
5/ White vinegar and baking soda: my main staples for cleaning the house, no expensive commercial cleanser can beat how these two can clean- add some tea tree oil and you have a fabulous multi-purpose cleaner that's antibacterial
6/ Freezing food- usually when I make something, I try to make double and freeze the rest- this assures future meals. Today, I am going to make a chicken stock with a rotisserie chicken we ate off of for 2 meals (one just the chicken, the second a chicken walnut and cranberry salad and now stock)
7/ Yogurt making- we LOVE homemade yogurt and now even Gab is getting into it
8/ Homemade bath gel: I've just started making this and we love it

This year's goals
1/ Homemade toothpaste: personally, I don't really understand why we need all those commercially appealing brands in the grocery store- I think they are just to make money because most of the ingredients for toothpaste you already have at home and it's bundles cheaper.
2/ Homemade laundry soap if my current supply of soap runs out (I bought a ton of powder in bulk last year)
3/ Actually planting seeds in Feb/March instead of waiting until it's too late- last year we had a wonderful supply of basil, chives and red peppers that I froze at the end of the summer- maybe this year I'll plant some other staples? Any suggestions for a balcony garden?
4/ Not throwing anything away and really trying to use what we have in the fridge
5/ Knitting gifts with yarn I have instead of running out and buying something (and maybe, I'll get my sewing machine fixed so that I can start sewing too- E's uncle is working on that)

One of the things I would love to try is composting but the MIL says it's impossible to do in an apartment. Has anyone had experience with this?

Anyway, just some thoughts and some goals for 2008. Share with me how you are living more naturally!

Comments

[Stefanie]

thanks for the tip about tea tree oil, I'm going to try that. I have been wanting to get away from industrial cleaners and only use savon de marseille for the floors, and a vegetable based product for the dishes. where do you buy yours? I've also been thinking about making my own laundry soap with savon de marseille, baking soda and borax (a receipe I saw online) but I have no idea where to buy borax - any suggestions?

[nikki c]

ooh- homemade bath gel- do you have a recipe you can post? ;)
cheers-
nikki c

[Alice]

What you've already been doing is really great -- and your new ideas are great too! I feel like I can learn so much from you inspired gals on the Internet... I already do simple things that just make perfect sense to me, like carrying my own shopping bags and such, but I know I definitely don't do enough on my end to improve the environment. We rarely use our car too, but that may change down the road if we end up leaving la région parisienne... We'll see! But I was just wondering: can I buy tea tree oil at a place like Naturalia? I definitely need to spend more time in shops like that... I just haven't found the opportunity yet.