All of my friends know that I’m not big into trends. It took me about two years before I purchased a pencil skirt. I bought leggings, but I wear my jeans. Even though my hair stylist thinks I’d look great with one of those Victoria Beckham bobs, I choose to keep it the same as its been all 23 years of my life- long and blonde, no bangs, and the color varies only slightly.
Well, with the exception of that one time in 8th grade when I went jet black. Let’s say I learned my lesson never to stray too far from home.
I am also vocal about this whole ‘organic’ and ‘going green’ business with my friends. Do I think that eating organic and all-natural is a good thing? Sure. Do I think that its practical for everyday people? Not really. I mean, people don’t jokingly refer to Whole Foods as Whole Paycheck for nothing. Not to mention, its hard enough living a healthy lifestyle when our society ‘runs on Dunkin’ and there’s a McD’s on every corner, let alone trying to find anything that can be certified organic.
Throw the ‘going green’ and ‘reducing your carbon footprint’ into the mix, and you’re really screwed.
When you hear about people going green, it tends to be about celebrities. Yes, we do live in a society that worships the rich and famous. However, slowly there is a shift in people’s thinking. I’ve found myself watching more House a lot less Real Housewives of Orange County. E! rarely is in the mix- not even to watch The Girls Next Door. I’m just not that interested in hearing about how Paris Hilton is carrying around the latest $5,000 handbag or Britney Spears’ comeback from insanity. I think everyone is feeling the need to resort back to the real Simple Life.
Going green, unfortunately, has taken on the undertone of costing a fortune because of the ties to the celebrity endorsements. Celebrities are talking about their renovations of their homes to include bamboo flooring, thousands upon thousands of dollars in solar paneling, and designer furniture that was made of renewable resources. There was even legislature on the ballots this year for vouchers from the government to help subsidize the costs of solar panels for home- which doesn’t really help the case that going green can be affordable.
Surprisingly enough, as I started looking at my own lifestyle- much to my surprise- I’ve been going green! I wasn’t even trying to! I was simply trying to save some money.
I’ve always poked fun at my boyfriend’s frugality. Eric takes it to a WHOLE other level. Even though he jokingly recites our ‘rule’ for the toilet- ‘If its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down’- I know that if I wasn’t around it wouldn’t just be something he says to make me scrunch my face and roll my eyes. The whole point of it is to save water, even though it is in an effort to save money on the water bill and not the planet.
Another monthly expense we try to save on, like every other Floridian, is the dreaded electric bill. Lately we’ve been fortunate to have a few cold spells come through. It affords me the luxury to kill the A/C and throw the beloved quilt my grandmother made me on the bed. Keeping the windows open and letting the fresh, crisp air in not only keeps money in the bank but its also conserving energy. We also make sure to turn off our laptops, and use the natural light that pours in through the windows rather than turning on the artificial ones. How much has it saved me? In one month, we went from $95 to $59.
CHA-CHING!
But there are other little things that Eric and I do. We plan our meals and grocery shop once a week. Not only does it save some gas and money, but we don’t waste food. Most of the food we buy is on sale or in season. We can fit all of our groceries in the three Publix Green Bags that we use. The groceries that don’t fit go into plastic bags that we later use to line our garbage cans other than the one in the kitchen.
I wait until I’m down to my last pair of socks before I do the laundry, that way I not only save on the utilities bills by washing full loads but I can also put off having to fold laundry! We plan out our weekends and take one car to run the errands all in one trip. I’ve even set aside $25 a week for gas- and when its gone, its gone. When it comes to bottled water, I don’t have the money to pick up a new one every time I go to the gym. And just as the Brita commercials instruct, I refill one a few times before it hits the trash.
Even the Holidays aren’t safe from our frugal/green efforts. Since this is my first apartment, there are some things that I’m lacking. So that I could have a proper Christmas, Eric bought me a tree. Albeit it was second-hand- which means it probably cost us about $10 and didn’t involve cutting down a tree. Not to mention it fits perfectly in my living room. The lights and decorations were hand-me-downs from Eric’s mom.
Much to my surprise I’ve not only stayed inside my budget, but I’ve surpassed it. I always thought that ‘going green’ meant purchasing the hybrid car, ripping up the carpet to replace it with bamboo, or spending money in general to replace the things that you already have.
