Our Life as Frugal…

Or green or greenly frugal, maybe frugally green.  Someone really needs to shorten that.  Let’s give it a try:

GREENAL (um…no!)

FRUEEN (scary rock band)

GRUGAL (sounds like a search engine)

FRUGREEN (maybe)

Anyhow, it is a lifestyle we are pursuing.  Thankfully, they go hand in hand – for the most part.  So, just how are we doing this?  Well, I will tell you.

The first thing we did was attempt to use cloth diapers.  I say attempt because we are not currently using them (much to my shame).  We found that the wetness gave the babies rashes. Once Tara is completely out of diapers, I may give it another go with Caitlyn.  Cloth diapers are frugal in that you do not buy them over and over and over.  They are green because you do not throw them away AND it is best to air dry them, saving landfills and electricity ($$).

Next, we dry most of our laundry outside on the line when the weather permits.  I really want to find an efficient way to do this indoors when weather does not permit.  Until then, I do what I can.  This saves money on electricity.

We also use cloth dinner napkins and tissues almost exclusively.  We keep some paper on hand for times when the laundry is backed up or for you who may come visit us.  I like cloth in these instances for a variety of reasons. One being that cloth is nicer than paper, feels softer on your skin.  Another is that it is a great way to use up left over fabric.  We use only paper in the bathroom, incase you were wondering.

As I look around our home, I find that there are too many things that get used once and then thrown away.  My newest goal is to eliminate them all together.  The main two being: paper towels (I keep them for bacon purposes only) & plastic bags (I would love to find a better way to store bread).  I know that you can wash zip-top bags, but really I don’t have time or space for that.  I have heard you can wash them in the washing machine (in a lingerie bag or something) then hang them to dry, but I have not decided zip-top bags are really worth the trouble.  I have a vast and growing collection of glass and plastic containers for storing leftovers.  All glass would be greener, but I think I should use up the plastic and only replace them with glass when they are no longer serviceable.

Growing a garden and canning is one of my favorites.  We are still enjoying applesauce from apples I got (picked or gathered) for free from my dear friends.  Our raspberry jam was grown, picked and canned right here at Villa de Morgan.

My least favorite? Trying to reduce our food budget.  We eat a lot of meat.  Steve loves meat and seems lost when a meal does not include meat, but he knows why and is such a good sport.  We also have Brendan who is a 15 year old eating machine (in cycles).  The whole family is coming to accept that we don’t eat cold cereal off the shelves (homemade granola is healthier, more filling and less expensive) and that water is the only beverage offered here. The little girls probably don’t know that bread comes from the store.

How do you do frugal or green or both?