By Michael Smith (Veshengro)
So, what exactly is (being) frugal and what were these activities?
The definition of frugal is “avoiding waste” and “being economical” and although that may not sound particularly "green”, in practice, in fact, it is. And is it not exactly that that we should all be doing to help the Planet? But consumerism has even slipped in on the green sector.
How can one become frugal?
The frugal do many of the same day-to-day things that a "Green" person might and we only need to consider here the old slogan of “reduce, reuse, and recycle”.
Add one more “R” and you have pretty well summarized how to live frugally. The fourth R is “repair”, and as far as I am concerned there should be another couple of Rs and we could look at those as well as we go along, such as “repurpose”, and the other “rework”.
1) Reduce
The frugal person reduces by downsizing his or her home, by reducing clutter, through yard sales, and other means. On the other hand some of the clutter may just be what you will need carry out some repairs. Thus be careful.
A frugal person reduces his or her outgoing monthly expenses by buying only what he or she needs and often at a reduced price from yard sales, discount stores or second-hand stores. Adopting this R is the foundation of frugality.
Way too many of our perceived needs are not needs at all but simple wants, driven by the advertising industry, and that even happens on the green level.
2) Reuse
Reusing will also save you money and there are many simple things that you can do to reuse things and thereby extend their life and value.
For example, save those plastic containers that cottage cheese or such comes in and re-use them as storage for leftover food or small objects like buttons or nails. The same goes for tins and also for glass jars.
Tin cans I use – and so do most frugal folks – for pencil bins on the desk, etc. which means I do not have to go out and buy them for good money.
Think creatively. Are there any objects that you can re-use or re-purpose lying around your house?
I would not, however, go as far as it is being suggested by some and re-use teabags and, as I don't use tea bags, in general, it would not work anyway.
3) Recycle
Some States in the US will pay for the return of glass bottles and aluminum cans, so there is a direct cash incentive to recycle. This is something though that, unfortunately, so the government keeps insisting, could not and would not work in Britain. To the why not they do not have an answer, however. But there are other ways to save money by recycling. Composting is a great way to recycle your food scraps into fertile new soil if you enjoy gardening, and thus growing your own food you save money.
Then, if you are creative and have a hot glue gun, there are many objects that can “live again” as art. Folk art often makes use of old objects. For example, colorful bottles can be added to trees or old shoes become planters, broken glass can be used for mosaics. Crafters make use of old scraps of paper and fabric to make handmade, beautiful paper.
If you do it right and can find a market for it – Etsy on the Internet is one of those places where you can create a virtual shop – you can even sell crafts made from waste. Colorful pencil bins made from tin cans are, for instance, one example. As are lampshades made from catering tin cans.
But frugal recycling isn't limited to crafters. Cooks can recycle water by re-using the water from boiled potatoes for soup the next day (keep it refrigerated, of course). Turn worn out blue jeans into cut-offs, a skirt or a handbag. A garrison cap, aka forage cap, can also be made from old jeans materials. They can look indeed rather fetching.
The bottom line is that there are many, many ways to recycle the objects that you use, all you have to do is think a bit.
4) Repair
The fourth R is repair. Instead of tossing something and buying a new one, is there a way to repair it? For example, shoes are a common thing that we toss aside when we think they're worn out, but have you thought about repairing them instead? A good shoe repair store used to be able to be found in most any city and they could repair stitching and replace heel lifts very easily. However, I said “used to” and “could” as many of the so-called and self-styled shoe repairers no longer are cobblers of old and while they may be able to put on a new sole or heel (using glue) they cannot sew a mid sole back on or such like.
Can the lamp that's not working, be rewired? Can you patch a hole, mend a sock or shave those little fabric balls off your old sweater to breathe new life into it?
The biggest problem as far as this R for repair is concerned is that most products today are no longer made to be repaired and in some countries, such as also the UK, it is, basically, against the law to do electrical repairs yourself now. According to the interpretation of some you now have to call a qualified and certified electrician in order to put a plug on a cord. As if I would.
5) Repurpose
Repurpose basically means using an item of waste, for instance, for another purpose. The glass jar which held jam or pickles and which I use as a storage jar for sugar; that has been repurposed.
The tin can that your baked beans came in and which you have cleaned and taken the label off and which now holds my pens and pencils on the desk; that has been repurposed.
The list of repurposing can be rather endless and that too is frugal and green.
Why buy a “sock” for a cell phone at about £5 a piece and more when a small child's sock, which can often be found lost, and cleaned, can serve the very same purpose for nothing?
As I said, the list can go on, and on, and on, so I will stop right here.
6) Rework
Rework may also be called remake or even recycle and it is the task of changing something into something new by doing a little DIY on it and getting something as a result that you want and need and which, otherwise, you would have to go out and buy, having to use your money.
In reworking often all that is required are some skills, a few pennies, some common tools and a little time, and the result, as said, is something that you made instead of bought and which will fulfill the same purpose as something that you would have to buy and pay for. In fact, by making something yourself, from scrap, you get exactly what you want and how you want it.
As you can see, it is not difficult at all to start to live frugally; you just have to start to look at things in a different way. By following these Rs I have listed here you can not only save money but be considered green, as well.
© 2011
