The Story of Stuff

If you haven’t seen The Story of Stuff yet, you should. This eye-opening 20 minute animation explains where our stuff comes from, where it goes, and what effect it has on our planet.

Just a decade ago, ‘going green’ was synonymous with ’spending more money’. Today, the words green and frugal became practically interchangeable – whether you suffer from environmental guilt or are simply thrifty, recycling always makes sense. There are many ways you can save money on going green and suggestions below are just some that I implement in my life. I would love to hear your ideas!


Don’t you love these water bottles?? | Image: Garden Diva

  • 1. Say no to bottled water
    Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled and end up in the landfill. In addition, drinking bottled water is not economical and it can be up to 10,000 more expensive than tap. The solution? Get yourself a pretty sports bottle, buy a filter and refill! They come in all shapes and sizes, and having mine around encourages me to stay hydrated at all times, yay!
  • 2. Shop with reusable totes


Image: simplyironic

Shopping totes are cute, hold more stuff than regular plastic and aren’t harmful to the environment – what’s not to love? Some stores down here even offer a 5-cents-back incentive for you to bring your own bags. Yet, somehow, we always end up with plastic bags – from the pharmacy, dry-cleaners… I reuse the smaller bags as bathroom garbage liners, and tie a knot on the bottom of the big dry cleaning bags to collect plastic recyclables. They are just the perfect size!

  • 3. Go Compact Florescent
    Compact Florescent Lamps (CFL) may seem more expensive compared to regular bulbs, but in the end they help you save money. I use CFLs throughout my entire house and can vouch that they give the same amount of light, last about 4 times longer and reduced my electricity bill by at least $20 a month!

How do you recycle dead CFLs? Because they contain mercury, you want to drop them off at IKEA for proper recycling – they have special containers located throughout the stores.

  • 4. Viva la Baking Soda!


Image: Tonto–Kidd

I live and swear by this stuff. As you probably know, chemical cleaning agents are extremely harmful to the environment, and expensive to boot. Baking soda is odorless, biodegradable and extremely versatile – use it for everything from whitening your teeth to cleaning the kitchen! (I even tried using it as deodorant, which worked fine except it’s not an antiperspirant so you still sweat, although it doesn’t smell.) I can honestly say it does as good a job as the $4 cleaning stuff I used to buy at a store – and it costs only 49 cents per box!

For the curious: 60 Uses of Baking Soda

  • 5. Shower less or take shorter showers
    Here’s a shocker: most Americans over-bathe! The truth is that very few people need full daily showers (exceptions: oily skin/hair, daily work-outs, uncontrollable b.o.). Frequent water exposure dries out your skin and daily shampooing damages your hair. My advice? Take a shower only when you need it (I shower once every 2-3 days and manage to smell like roses) – and when you do, make it short.

  • 6. Install a Low-Flow showerhead
    Same shower experience, less water. Oh, the wonders of modern civilization! Alternatively, don’t turn the shower on full-blast – lower the pressure to save water.

For the curious: what uses less water, a bath or shower?

  • 7. Reduce, reuse, recycle


Antique Shop | Image: AntyDiluvian

I love scouting out flea markets & garage sales for unique stuff, but thriftstores are my favorite: not only do you find lots of brand new stuff for dirt-cheap, you are also helping those in need! Most furniture in my house came from either the flea market, Salvation Army (they have an awesome furniture section), Craigslist, or the street (exercise caution when it comes to items that come in direct contact with your skin though – like mattresses).

  • 8. Pack your own lunch
    If you have a job and have to eat lunch every day, bringing your own lunch can be a major money saver. Cook more food for dinner than you normally would, take it to work the next day. By the way, those sandwich ziplocks are evil – - get a cute, reusable lunch box instead.


Image: FromJapanWithLove

  • 9. Eat less meat
    The average American may not have considered the connection between global warming and a cheeseburger, but the United Nations says livestock is responsible for 18% of our global warming emissions. The problem is especially acute here in the US because we tend to over-consume meat. I understand that not all people think they can go straight-up vegetarian at the drop of a hat, but eating less meat is a better choice for your body, the cows and the planet. Replace at least one meal a day with a vegetarian dish – and look up the recipes on YummyVegetarianRecipes!
  • 10. Avoid small containers
    When buying drinks, go for a bigger and less wasteful container instead of a 6-pack. Kiddie-sized juice packs are especially bad because they combine paper and aluminum, making them hard to recycle – so get a refillable bottle. Larger containers tend to be more cost-effective but the risk here is over-consumption. Don’t buy more than you need.
  • 11. Get a battery charger
    Batteries contain dangerous metals that are not combustible. Modern recharges will get your batteries up to full speed in 30 minutes to and hour, and you won’t have to buy throw-away batteries for a while.

Deerlings: do you recycle? What are your favorite methods?