Ocean Protection Through Plastic-Free Living
Our current systems is built upon lots and lots of single-use plastics. And sometimes going 100% plastic-free is a challenge. In the absence of a plastic-free solution, the next best thing is a less wasteful option–here are 10.
If you look at your trash can, chance are the bulk of your trash comes from food packaging waste. Food and beverage packaging make up 9 of the top 10 items picked up on our beaches. Tackling the plastic in your diet is a great way to reduce your plastic footprint while also eating better.
Feeding a family can get expensive. It seems like basic items get more and more expensive every year. Luckily, there are some simple ways to save money on your grocery bill, eat a little healthier, and help the planet.
I love my local farmer’s market! It’s full of seasonal and relatively local fresh produce. My farmer’s market also has locally baked breads, meats, fish, eggs and bulk foods. Pound for pound, I find that my local farmer’s market is cheaper when buying organic fruits and vegetables.
While it’s convenient to shop at the chain stores, your local, independent and sometimes ethnic stores will oftentimes have better prices and a diverse selection. Local Mexican, Indian, Korean, or Chinese markets usually sell produce cheaper than the big box grocery stores and as an added bonus have more exotic items from those cultures. If you’re exploring new cuisines, ethnic grocery stores are a great place to start.
I’m generally a loyal customer. I like going to the same places and seeing the same faces. I know the names of my fruit and vegetable vendors at the farmer’s market. I know the name of my local butcher at the independent grocery store. I even know the name of my usual check-out lady at my chain grocery store.
Besides knowing their names and details about their families, I talk to them about food. I ask for their recommendations and recipes. And since they know me, a lot of times they give me freebies. My fruit lady, Shirley, always throws in an extra few pounds of fruit that are slightly bruised. She knows I’ll always take them and I’m stoked to get free fruit and help prevent food waste. Most vendors can’t sell slightly bruised fruits and vegetables because people don’t want them. So, it’s a win-win for her to give me free ones!
Any kind of processing means labor costs. So, everything from an egg that’s been boiled and peeled or an apple that’s been cut to a full microwaveable meal, these are all going to be more expensive than the whole food.
Skip the washed lettuce and buy a whole head of lettuce. Buy whole fruits and vegetables and cut them yourself. The more you can buy the whole item and cook it yourself, the cheaper it will be.
I know, I know, I know. You don’t have the time to cook from scratch. I get it. We’re all busy. But maybe take some time one weekend or a few days over the course of a month to figure out a few meals you can consistently cook. Or figure out how to do meal prepping on the weekends so it’s easier to cook during the week. Once you figure out a game plan, cooking from scratch can be a breeze–and will save you money!
So, I’m not vegetarian or vegan but I’ve limited the meat in our meals to just one night a week. Before that, I easily spent three times as much on meat. And since I try to buy organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised meat, it added up really fast.
The same with dairy. When my youngest was still drinking milk from a bottle, I used to buy organic milk in returnable glass containers. These were the most expensive ones on the shelf. Once she was finished taking a bottle, I stopped buying milk and haven’t looked back!
If you’re a hardcore meat and dairy consumer, no judgement here. But look at your grocery bill and see where the big ticket items are. Most of the time it’s meat and dairy. And that’s because it takes a lot of resources to make meat and dairy. So, when looking for some extra pennies to pinch, consider reducing your consumption of meat and dairy. As an added bonus, it’ll be better for the planet and your health!
What do you think? Can you apply some of these ideas to save money on your grocery bill? What are your hacks for saving money on food? Tell me in the comments!
For related and random posts, check out:
Since grocery shopping is the only time most people leave the house and are exposed to the Coronavirus, it’s important to have a game plan. Here’s how I tackled grocery shopping to reduce my exposure and plastic waste during COVID-19.
Follow me around for a day in my plastic-free life. See my routine and the tools I used to live without disposable plastics!