Thursday, November 26, 2009

Frugal living = green living = sustainable living?

I find it increasingly interesting how often simple or frugal living can mean that you are being environmentally responsible as well.

In the beginning, there were things I started doing to be more frugal that I can see now were eco-friendly. We didn’t use a dryer (due to power costs), used cloth nappies (for cost and environment), washed in cold water with full loads, cooked from scratch, didnt use chemical products to clean the house, vinegar as a fabric softener and our the primary reason for these was to save dollars.

And now with the new things I have tried as well I can see this parallel too. Knitting our own dish cloths, not using chemical cleaners, using a lunette cup and cloth pads, using fans not air con, buying 2nd hand clothes and so on. Its why I really look back with interest to what Granny B and MIL B did when we were growing up, that was done for frugalness but was more environmentally friendly as well.

Obviously this doesn’t always apply. Having to cook from scratch as much as I do for Little B, I can see that the link between cooking from scratch and knowing the ingredients is far more important, than buying the cheapest ingredients. I’m more likely to buy organic now, and grow my own food.

Mind you I am still a dollar stretcher and whilst I buy the “best” food I can for our family, I save pennies where I can. I guess its ingrained in me after years of simple living as a choice ☺

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