We all want to save the planet, don’t we?
I’ve adopted a lot of the reusable products in an effort to reduce my impact on this planet, but they’ve ended up saving me money along the way.
We often avoid purchasing these things because we don’t want to spend the money, without realizing that it’s an up front investment that will save you tons in the long run. We just need to have a little forsight.
Many of these have the added benefit of removing plastics and chemicals from your routine too, which is always a bonus!
These are the single use swaps that I’ve made over the last few years that were easy to get on board with. Comment below if you have any others to share
Nail File
This one’s my favorite because I didn’t even know these things existed. We always have the paper and foam files around my house growing up. Those bend however, get dull, and need to be replaced way too often for my liking. I bought this crystal file on Amazon for $9.50 and I’m in love.
Safety Razor
This one scares people, and I get it. these things look intimidating. It’ll only take you one or two shaves though where you’ll have to go a little slower, then you’ll be comfortable.
It’s well worth it – the razor itself will run you between $35-50 and the blades come out to about 10cents a piece and each will last you 3-4 months. Compare that to the typical cost of disposable razors. It won’t take long to make back your money and then some.
My biggest tip with these is not to press down on your skin like you would with a plastic razor. The weight of the razor will do that for you.
Get one with good handle grip. I got a short handled one without realizing you could get a longer handle and regret it. Do your research on these. You’ll hopefully have it for 10yrs+
Beeswax Food Wrap
We used to use saran wrap a fair bit and beeswax wraps have seen a great replacement. If you haven’t heard of them before, they’re basically fabric coated in beeswax. You wrap them around the bowl or food item you’re trying to store and hold until the warmth from your hand molds the wrap into place.
I have two tiny complaints about these.
1. You have to take them off to see what’s inside
2. You have to wash them with cold water.
After having my first set for about a year, some of the beeswax is starting to rub off (probably because I ignore the rule about washing in cold water), but I hear you can pop them in a warm oven on a cookie sheet and the beeswax will redistribute itself into a nice coating again.
Overall though, my gripes are small prices to pay to save money and reduce the amount of plastic chemicals that come in contact with my food. So I’m here for them.
These Abeego wraps are my favorite.
Cloth Napkins
These are great as napkins, yes. But we aren’t that fancy in our house. We don’t serve napkins with food.
We had a family member gift us a set of cloth napkins so instead, we’ve put them to good use as a replacement to paper towel!
We keep the stack folded nicely in a kitchen drawer and drape them over the faucet between uses. After using them on a particularly dirty mess, we toss them in the wash.
Fabric is fabric. Don’t get caught up buying those fancy reusable towels that come on the role if you already have a set of these hanging around. If your family is the fancy type who use napkins with dinner, get yourself a set of these and they can be double duty! #minimalismlife
E-Reader
I received an e-reader as a gift about 8 years ago now and honestly, didn’t use it for the first 4years that I owned it. I liked the feeling of owning and flipping through books too much to part with that. Then I noticed how many books I was accumulating and not re-reading which didn’t feel okay.
I started to use my e-reader for the first time – I’d still buy physical copies for the books I expected to love, but started buying digital copies for the ones I wasn’t so sure about. And over time, I grew to love my e-reader as much as a physical book. I’m hooked on my e-reader. I now buy books with a lot less guilt.
The unexpected perk – no more stressing about which book to bring with you when you travel. You’ve got them all right there at your fingertips.
Grocery Bags
I’m hoping everyone’s on this train by now. These things cost $1 at most grocery stores (at least in Canada) and can carry so much more than the plastic counterpart. Easy.
Produce Bags
Okay. These aren’t a money saver, I’ll admit.
But it was killing me to throw away a fistful of those flimsy plastic produce bags after each grocery shop. I’m hooked on my reusable bags.
Store them inside your grocery bags and you’ll never leave them behind.
Menstrual Cup
When I first heard of these, it seemed the only option on the market was the diva cup. I used it for a while but honestly found the rigidness of the silicone uncomfortable.
Since then, there are SO MANY more options on the market that cater to all shapes, sizes, and lifestyles.
Do your research and pick one that you think will work. Give it a couple months before you give up since the insertion and removal take some getting used to.
These are another huge money saver. Good tampons are hella costly and not to mention the risk of TSS. Let’s not go there, ladies.
Here’s the one I use. I suggest going dark because it will discolour over time.
Straws
Drinking through a straw encourages me to drink more. No idea why, but that’s the truth.
We’ve all seen the photo of the turtle with the straw stuck in his nose, right? Let’s avoid that.
The metal and glass versions are cheap and easy to clean. I have metal, but if you haven’t made up your mind, I suggest glass just so you can be sure you’ve done a good job cleaning it between uses.
Soda Stream
We went through a little phase in our house drinking pop too often. It was only once a week or so but I wanted to cut it out.
That’s when I got hooked on sparkling water. I was going through so much of it a week and was trying to buy the glass bottles instead of plastic.
Now, I just use our soda stream! This has become one of my favorite kitchen gadgets.
Unexpected perk – this has become a cocktail making staple in our house. If you’re interested in reducing sugar, sparkling water is a great substitute for a number of mixes.
Dryer Balls
Replace those chemical-laden dryer sheets with dryer balls. You can buy wool ones that last a couple years, or these plastic ones that presumably last a lifetime.
Mini Containers
Save your meal kit containers, Lush product containers, etc to use them for travel. This can replace having to buy the miniature versions of all your products that are about 2/3rd the price for 1/16th the quantity. When you run out, just top up from your regular container.