Buy buy buy – for almost everything we need, we run to the store and purchase brand-new items. Our dependence on readily available goods and services often blinds us to the fact that we can often perform simple tasks or create goods ourselves. These seven tips for how to consume less will help you venture outside the box of consumerism.
1. Harvest your own Veggies
Growing your own food is the easiest way to assert your independence from the food industry. If you have your own backyard, you’re already a step ahead. For those without, all it takes is a bit of creativity for urban dwellers to grow food on their balconies, terraces, or even windowsills. Herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and even potatoes can all be grown in simple pots.
And of course: Whether you’re growing basil or your own stash of edamame beans, you’ll never want your harvest to go to waste. Check out our tips on how to put vegetable scraps back to use: Reuse Vegetable Scraps: Skip the Trash and put Food back on your Plate. Make the most out of what you harvest with creative recipe ideas such as homemade pesto or vegetable broth.
2. How to Consume Less: The Freedom of Cycling
An oldie but a goodie: Ride your bike everywhere and anywhere possible – to work, to the gym or to meet your friends. You’re immediately independent from auto producers, gas prices, public transportation agencies, and even traffic. Plus: You won’t be stuck in an overcrowded subway car or a traffic jam anytime soon. The only way you’re even more independent is when walking on your own two feet.
3. Let It All Hang Out … to Dry
It’s so simple: Hang up your laundry to dry rather than putting it in the dryer. A dryer requires a massive amount of energy and is usually unnecessary. Whether you hang it outdoors or in your house, your laundry will dry on the line by itself all without requiring a lick of electricity. Just keep an eye on humidity levels in the winter and you’ll be fine.
4. How to Consume Less: Don’t Toss It, Compost It
Do yourself and the environment a favor and start a compost pile. Your fruit and veggie waste languishes not in the landfill, but rather can be reused to provide valuable nutrients for your houseplants and garden pots and plots. Keeping a compost pile harnesses valuable energy from our food waste and eliminates the need to carry heavy sacks of dirt for planting. It’s an easy and important step on the path to self-sufficiency.
You can also play your part in stopping food waste in its tracks by storing it correctly at home. Check our guide Storing Food: 7 Easy Tricks to Avoid Food Waste for helpful tips and tricks on how to reduce your impact on the environment and control your consumption.
5. Do It Yourself
Patching, mending, gluing, sanding, screwing, painting – repairing items is not as difficult as we think. And it’s totally green, because it prevents waste and saves natural resources. Finally, you are more independent of consumer drives when you make do with what you have rather than buy a new replacement. If you need help in your handiwork, always check YouTube for a variety of professional and amateur repair videos; if you need further assistance, look for a repair cafe in your area.
6. How to Consume Less: Make your own Cleaning Supplies
Most industrially produced cleaners contain ingredients that are harmful to us and to the environment. And for what, when basic household items do the job just as well? Vinegar and citric acid fight lime scale, baking soda counteracts grease und unclogs your drain, and potato peels add luster and shine.
Here’s a simple recipe for an all-around cleaner:
- Place an orange peel in a clean lidded jar and fill with vinegar.
- Let it sit for one to two weeks, then remove orange peel.
- Add equal amounts of vinegar and water into a clean spray bottle of your choice. Use as needed.
Your oven needs a thorough cleaning after some heavy duty baking or it’s time give those windows a scrub-down? Here’s the good news: You don’t need professional-grade chemical cleaning foams and sprays to get your either looking shiny again. Give these a try instead: Homemade Oven Cleaner: 3 DIY Methods Better Than Chemical Cleaners and Homemade Window Cleaner: DIY Glass Cleaner for a Streak-free Shine.
7. Take your Wardrobe into your own Hands
Sewing, knitting, and crocheting are the hobbies of the moment. If you’re handy, patient, and the owner of a sewing machine, you’re already on your way to independence from the fashion industry. Clothing you produce yourself can immunize you against trend thinking and allow you to make style choices that are totally about you: your shape, your coloring, your taste, your comfort.
Another splendid way to pinpoint your precise style and taste in clothing is adopting a minimalist wardrobe. This involves taking inventory of the clothes you own, weeding out your most fashionable and combinable favorites and sticking to these. The rest are passed on and given a second life somewhere else – either at the local flea market or in your cleaning door: That old t-shirt you hardly ever wore is sure to make for a great new dust rag. Creating your own minimalist wardrobe will lead you to consume less and to be more aware of what you buy. Plus: No more closet-clearing searches for the perfect outfit in the morning.
Read more:
- Water Conservation: 10 Tips on How to Save Water at Home
- Life without Plastic: Easy Tips for Everyone
- Dry Shampoo DIY: Homemade Shampoo using Natural Ingredients
This article was translated from German into English. You can view the original here: Stoppt den Konsumwahn!
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