Accidentally Greenish: How Going Eco Can Make Life Easier and Cheaper

I used to have a lot of lovely fantasies about being eco-enlightened. I imagined myself inviting guests over to my home for fair trade coffee, chatting with them about hybrid cars and gardening while I chopped organic vegetables on a bamboo cutting board. In the background of this fantasy, a hemp shopping bag is slung over the handle of the pantry door, a photo of a hungry child I sponsor is on the refrigerator door, and the Jack Russell Terrier I rescued from the shelter scampers across the eco-friendly flooring--whatever that means--of my kitchen.

I loved to go to this fantasy after window shopping in a health foods store or reading an article on biodegradable cleaning products. I somehow believed that wanting to be environmentally conscious was the best effort I could make toward living harmoniously with Mother Earth. Being stylishly "green" seemed to require a lot of fancy purchases and time investment. And while I wouldn't mind saving a tree or two, my career and personal pursuits leave little extra time--or extra money--for buying ecologically sound mattresses and researching the carbon footprint of every company that's ever manufactured a product I might one day consider maybe buying.

I had all but notarized an official declaration of my eco-helplessness when I moved to California--a state that (understandably) cherishes its natural environment. Here I became surrounded by environmentalist sentiments . . . and the more friends I met here who directed me to their recycling bins when my soda can emptied out, the more I found myself asking that timeless query:

"Wait . . . do I have a recycling bin, too?"

Finally, after months of musing and speculating over this question, I managed to carve enough time out of the day to read the waste receptacles at the back of my driveway. Sure enough, the blue one was labeled "Recyclables."

I quickly tore a mail bin from our garage, dumped it on the floor of our kitchen, declared it recycling, and began the fairly easy habit of separating the waste from the renewable. Then, unexpectedly, this habit begat a second habit: the habit of analyzing waste . . . where it came from, where it was going, and whether it was necessary. I found myself embarking on shopping trips with new accidental insights, going through old belongings with a more creative vision for their disposal . . . I couldn't even look at garbage bags the same way anymore. My transformation has been slow and accidental, but I am beginning to learn something . . .

"Green" living is simple, inexpensive living.

Take heed, my friends: an eco-friendly outlook can make your life easier.

Here's what I've learned thus far:

ENERGY

1. CFLs Yeah, I know this one is old news. But I also know me, and the story about me is that I made no effort to convert until my city dropped a few free Compact Fluorescent Light-bulbs on my front porch. I'm working towards converting my whole house now . . . as each old bulb goes out, I'll be replacing it with a CFL. Why it's good for the pauper: It saves a lot on energy bills, and though the new bulbs are slightly more expensive than the old traditional ones, you have to buy them with less frequency. Also, if you happen to live in or near a major metropolitan area, chances are energy is a huge concern in your community and discount CFLs are not hard to find. Why it's good for the minimalist: You only have to change the light-bulb once every few years. Way to keep it simple.

2. Turn It Off I know most people are already getting the hang of this . . . now that we're the ones paying our electric bills our parents' advice to "shut that off if you're not watching it!" and "close that if you're not walking through it!" suddenly seems so sage. Well, here's sager: unplug it. There are a lot of appliances in our homes that still suck up energy when we're not using them . . . TVs, DVD players, microwaves, phone chargers . . . and all we have to do is unplug them. Why it's good for the pauper: Lower electric bill of course! Why it's good for the minimalist: All those extra lights and buzzes and beeps won't be crowding your atmosphere. Also, you can double the simplicity by hooking up the entertainment system or the computer area with a power strip, which will enable you to shut off power to several devices at once. For the ultimate minimalistic thrill, put the power strip within easy reach of your toe, so there's no bending, stretching, or contortion necessary.

SHOPPING

3. Packaging Can that plastic tub your hummus came in be reused for packing lunch? If so, I guess there's really no need to buy the big pack of smaller packs of carrots. Or the bag of individual trail mix bags. Which is cool because: Why it's good for the pauper: It usually costs less to forgo the extra packaging. Why it's good for the minimalist: The extra packaging clutters your space and complicates your life. And makes a distracting crinkling sound in your bag.

4. Stick to the Necessities Focus first on buying what you need. And when you allow yourself to splurge (which you should), splurge on something you're going to use. It's easy (I've done it) to mistake an impulse buy as "spoiling" oneself. But I've found that the best splurges are pre-meditated items. I think it's a good idea to know ahead of time what luxuries you value most, and head for those when you feel it's time for a treat. And if you feel that the only reason that that pair of clogs wasn't on your list was because you hadn't seen them before, at least allow yourself to walk around the store for ten minutes with those clogs in your hands. If you're like me, by then you'll have had enough time to build a relationship with them and assess how you really feel. Why it's good for the pauper: You're not spending money needlessly. Why it's good for the minimalist: You're not crowding your life with nonsense.

5. Farmer's Market This idea used to make me bitter because I lived in a town where the nearest farmer's market was two miles down the road and consisted of a few peaches and strawberries. These days I'm surrounded by much more extensive farmer's markets, and I've become a huge advocate. If you can swing it, a farmer's market is a great way to support the local economy and to spare the packaging and fuel used to bring imported produce to your grocery store. It's also a good way to make sure you know all you can about the food you're bringing home and putting into your body . . . if you're the type to fuss over that sort of thing. If you can't use the farmer's market or if, like me, you were too lazy this last Sunday to go, then you can at least restrict your groceries to seasonal produce, ideally something grown in your state. Why it's good for the pauper: Local tends to be cheaper. Why it's good for the minimalist: Cut out the middle man. Keep it simple.

6. Buy Secondhand It's cheaper. You can feel good about making sure a product was used to its full potential. And, my favorite, buying secondhand increases your chances of getting your hands on something unique (at least for this decade). You can also ditch used items and find some products that are new to you by joining your local community on freecycle.org. It's free, and folks do their best to look out for each other on there. Why it's good for the pauper: It's cheaper. Also some places, like Savers, offer a discount on your next purchase whenever you donate. Why it's good for the minimalist: Nothing is wasted. Also, secondhand venues give you an opportunity to pass on what's old to you at the same time that you adopt what's old to someone else, so you don't have to be overwhelmed by excess.

7. Reusable Shopping Bags I used to be afraid that if I brought a cloth bag through the check out the cashier would be confused and try to ring it up, then I'd insist I brought it from home, and she'd ask why, and tell her because it's good for the environment, then she'd look at me sideways and call for a price check on a canvas tote bag. This doesn't happen. Why it's good for the pauper: No reason. Why it's good for the minimalist: No more static-y plastic bag clutter! Also, getting the groceries home is much easier in a sturdy bag you can toss over your shoulder.

LIFESTYLE

8. Reuse Paper I've recently discover that most of what I print out does not need to be preserved . . . mapquest directions, shipping confirmations, terrible first drafts. The best way to make these useless things almost useful is to use the back side to print something else, or to scribble notes, or to set my drink on. Why it's good for the pauper: Less paper expense. Why it's good for the minimalist: Fewer trips to the paper store to buy more paper.

9. Cloth Napkins You can get them at thrift stores, garage sales, by cutting up old fabric . . . same goes for paper towels. A simple rag will do. In fact, Trader Joe's makes a great towel that absorbs spills and rings out dry so it's ready to be used again. Why it's good for the pauper: Fewer paper products to buy. Why it's good for the minimalist: Fewer paper products all up in your mix.

10. Do It Online I've become an online banking junkie largely out of convenience. I pay my bills online because it's easier. And I'm gradually edging toward getting more bills and statements online. I know getting a bill in the mail is nice because then you can have it in your file and make a little note to yourself that you paid it, etc, etc. But you can still print your statement out on the back of that email your friend sent you with directions to the party, and while you did have to use paper and ink for that, you saved an envelope and one one-gajillionth of the fuel that would have been used to deliver that bill to you. Why it's good for the pauper: No postage necessary. Why it's good for the minimalist: Handle your finances in the same place where you respond to your emails.

Then, in addition to these things, I'm discovering more and more things I need to get going on to both live a more "eco-friendly" life and keep things simple for myself, like:

Riding my bike on local errands.

Cutting back on my shower time (eesh.)

Parking instead of allowing my car to idle in long drive-thru lines.

Registering to be taken off junk mail lists at dmaconsumers.org.

Now let's be honest . . . none of these things will individually have an enormous impact on the environment, my bank account, or my personal sanity. Even so, a step ahead is a step in the right direction. And I'm also building an awareness that can lead me to a path of stylish eco-enlightenment in the future. I'd still like to have bamboo flooring and buy exclusively organic and rescue that dog. But until I can get the income and my landlord's permission, I'll be keeping it at a steady pace of one simple adjustment at a time.