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In my journey to start a homestead, I have realized that there are a number of things I can change while living in an apartment that will help me make an impact now. These few things will not only help me live a greener life now, but will also help me save some green to put toward that homestead.
By making a few small changes in my life, they may not seem like they make a difference, but when you combine them with other small changes that others are making, they add up.
At any rate, you may see a big difference in your wallet if you make these small changes too.
1.) Eat Fewer Animal Products – By replacing a few meals a week with vegetarian or vegan options and I am spending less money on food and improving my health. This will hopefully translate to spending less on healthcare too.
The effect of eliminating one gallon of milk can save over 2000 gallons of water due to the amount of feed and water it takes to care for the cow.
2.) Drink Fresh Filtered Tap Water – Plastic bottles, even recyclable ones, add a huge amount of pollution to the environment and landfills. Nothing is wrong with tap water or well water in most cases. I purchased a refillable container and added a filter, so now I have water that is better than bottled without the huge environmental impact.
3.) Unplug Your Appliances When Not in Use – It might not seem like much, but whenever an appliance is plugged in, it is using power. Turn them off, and unplug them when not in use to save money on your bill and save fossil fuel. I have found the easiest way to do this is just to unplug the power strip.
4.) Take the Stairs – When you are in a situation where you have a choice between an elevator, escalator, or the stairs – choose the stairs. You’ll get healthier and use less energy, thus impacting not only your health but the entire environment. If you work at a place where you have to go up and down the stairs a lot, you might even save money on gym membership.
As much as I don’t want to do this tip, I know I should. The key to doing it is make time for it and start small. Hiking up six floors all at once when you aren’t used to going up a single flight is not going to be easy to commit to. I am going to go up a flight of stairs for a week and slowly increase it until I feel I can safely go up to the floor I work on.
5.) Turn Off the Water While You Brush Your Teeth – You might be shocked to learn how many gallons of water you waste twice a day when you brush your teeth by keeping the water running the entire time, I know I was. To see for yourself, try catching the water when you brush. Use it for watering your house plants or something else. Save that amount by turning the faucet off while you brush.
6.) Switch Conventional Light Bulbs for LED Bulbs – LED bulbs use less power than conventional light bulbs of which over 95 percent actually goes toward heat instead of actual lighting. The light bulbs are costly to buy, but over time you’ll save money as they last longer and use less electricity. If you are lucky enough to live near a Dollar Tree, they are now carrying LED bulbs that are the equivalent to 60 watts and 100 watts.
7.) Buy Used When Possible – From cars to furniture to clothing, buying used is a great way to save money as well as lessen the environmental impact of your existence. When you buy used companies will need to make fewer of these items new. What’s more is you can save the difference and use it on something you need (I need a farm, lol).
8.) Borrow When Possible – The library is an awesome resource for anyone looking to read books, watch movies, or listen to music. Most libraries have these available and if they do not currently have a title you are looking for, they can do an inter-library loan. There are also groups out there on Facebook like Beg, Borrow, or Barter for things and services that you wouldn’t find at the library.
These small changes all add up to making a huge impact on your environment and the world. If everyone just picked one or two of these changes, it wouldn’t take long before we saw a big difference in the pollution of the environment.
