My nephew loves dinosaurs. I'm not sure he has discovered the 'Frugalocasaurus Greenovaraus'. This particular species though difficult to spot has become more and more popular. The more common name is the 'Frugal Greenie', not to be confused with the 'Cheapasaurus Manivore'.
I know a lot of people tend to feel that being "green" costs more than it's worth. I'm not sure where or how this idea came to be but in fact being green can also be frugal. It's in the motto..."Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"! Now let's be realistic do I bring my travel mug in to every coffee shop I go to? No. But I make an effort and have noticed that this pays off (pun intended). Here are some tips and ideas that are also main habits of the 'Frugal Greenie'.
1. Toss the dryer sheets and get on the ball! I haven't used a dryer sheet in years. I bought a set of dryer balls at a discount store and have never looked back. I've also had them for almost three years. Well worth the $2.99 I spent on them. The dryer balls reduce static, keep the clothes nice and fluffy and now most dryer balls can be purchased scented in case you enjoy the scent of your dryer sheets. Now I know that dryer sheets can be used for so many other things but come on, when is the last time you put one in your pocket to keep mosquitoes away? Seriously?
2. Bring a little class to the office lunch. I use cloth napkins with my lunch. My mom had given me a few old cloth napkins that had been my grandmother's. They're nothing fancy but they do the trick. I use them at breakfast and lunch in the office. In fact they are a permanent fixture in my lunch bag. I don't spend that much money on paper napkins and I'm reducing my waste at the office. Plus everyone knows cloth napkins equal CLASSY!
3. With napkins comes utensils. The internets (intentional) has so many bamboo travel utensils and biodegradable utensils that you can use at the office, in your kid's lunches, etc. But why not bring a set of utensils in to your office and leave them there. I have in my little cabinet a large coffee mug which also seconds as a bowl, a spoon and a fork. Everything I need to make it through the meals I have at work. Fortunately my office recycles but not every office does. After a week or so of being in the office and using paper towels to dry off my utensils I brought in a dish towel from home to keep in the office for when I do my dishes. I don't have to by boxes of plastic utensils to keep at my desk (saving) and I don't waste the plastic or paper towels.
4. Reusable drinking apparatus. I know everyone knows about travel mugs and reusable water bottles. And I know that you can't always have either with you but having it with you makes a difference. A lot of major coffee chains, as well as smaller ones, will charge you less when you bring in your travel mug. As for the water bottle don't be afraid of bringing that water bottle with you everywhere and filling it up at any tap. Tap water is better regulated than bottled water PLUS it's free! Cha-CHING!
5. FIRE..starter! This is one I haven't tried yet but I do plan on doing this going forward. I also tried to find where I had read this because there were other great frugal tips that went with it but alas memory (both mine and the computers) have failed you. On with the frugality! Take the lint from your dryer trap and stuff it in to a used toilet paper roll. Once successfully stuffed use it as a fire starter! Considering how much money we can and do spend on kindling and other commercial fire starters, this can save so much. Plus using your fireplace wisely can reduce the need for running your furnace on those nights where there is just a chill in the air. As far as I can see this is a win, win for the earth and for my big ol' bag o' money!
These are four tips that I am doing daily. Once the habits were formed these were all so easy for me to do every day. This fifth tip is one I plan on trying and am looking forward to a positive outcome. I like to take the money I save and celebrate 'Bagel Day' every Friday. 'Bagel Day' for this 'Frugalocasaurus Greenovaraus' is the perfect ending to my work week!
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