My best advice is probably to ask family and friends before you buy anything. Very often I find that I can get the things I need that way. Eg. an old sawing machine for mending. The old sawing box from an old relative who no longer uses it, etc. etc. And if you think frugal you most often also end of with the most suitable solution.
Second hand everything (well, almost 😅). I mean furniture, electronics, yard supplies, clothes, shoes, sports equipment, tools, dishes, books, decor, cars...name it! Ask family & friends to borrow or if they are decluttering, we would gratefully accept, curbside freebies, yard sales, buy nothing groups, local online sales groups and only after all that I go thrifting. This has saved our family at least $10 K / year, some years way more. Love this series!
When I first started my zero waste journey about 5 years ago, I bought a safety razor, a menstrual cup, and reusable cotton rounds. Just those three things alone have saved me SO much money. I’ve implemented many more things over the years (thanks to many of your suggestions!). It definitely has been a huge money saver.
1st: You have the best sweatshirt! Air drying in the sun can help clean clothes more completely after washing (UV rays). Washcloths do almost everything. Cheap ones purchased years ago are thinner in places now but still holding up. They are napkins, cleaning wipes, and used also for intended uses. The different color ones were for diaper wipes. The kids are grown and now they wipe the floor.
I bought cloth napkins at Meijer when my children were preschool. I cooked 3 meals a day, and they were messy eaters. I’d go through 1-3 paper napkins per day 3 times a day so when they had the napkins on clearance I bought them. I think it was a dozen for $5. Enough for 3 days and since I didn’t buy a lot of clothes for my kids (as they outgrew them before wearing them out) I washed a load of laundry almost daily. One napkin per person per day worked and they would get washed with what ever I was washing that day. I haven’t gone back to paper and even camping I bring cloth napkins because I’ve found by refolding them I can get 3 or 4 days use of one napkin. I now use handkerchiefs instead of tissues since covid and the paper products shortages. I bought a Henson razor second hand and it works a charm. I had bought the leaf second hand but ever time I used it I cut my self, the sides of the razor are exposed and sharp and was part of the problem. I also bought the cheap men’s razor and had trouble getting it to shave evenly. Henson was almost exactly like using a 3 bladed disposable razor or the ones with the changeable heads from the start.
I've been into reusable, refyce, re-use & recycle for decades. I'm 71 & still enjoy what I call urban hunting, when I shop 2nd hand. I purchase underwear & socks new. After those items almost everything else is recycled. Rugs, fyrniture, clothing everything. When my sons were babes, u did buy disposable duapers for Grandma visits, but at home it was cloth diapers. When I retired i bought a small rural property. I jerp chickens, Muscovy, goats. Planted orchards & gardens + I forage for wild foods. Luve the life you want.
I would say you need to take into account cleaning/washing costs for some reusables. They're probably still a lot cheaper than one use items, but it does bother me that very few people include that extra cost because it is not free to run the washing machine, etc (though again, will be cheaper than one use, and definitely usually better for the environment). The best swap I ever made was my safety razor, but another swap that's saved loads is storage jars - instead of buying, I now just reuse jars from foods I've bought at the supermarket.
no, it's not free, but it's usually less than $1 per load. Plus I simply cannot calculate the water and energy user per diaper per load per region. My energy bill is different from yours and is different from the other 2k people who have already watched this. Plus, I wash my period underwear (different, but it's all I got) with my regular load therefore no extra money
I got some nice cloth diapers secondhand from my buy nothing group! We do use disposables occasionally (we are only human), but it’s been great to be able to significantly reduce our diaper waste and save a ton of money. I’ve bought some as well, but all together we’ve saved about $400 in the first year of my baby’s life even with using some disposables. I use a safety razor from Henson, and it works fine! Their blades are like 100 for $10, so cheap.
I have that same Dutch oven and never thought to use it for baking bread. Definitely going to have to give that a try now that the weather is cooling down in CA.
i’ve had the leaf razor for almost 2 years now. i bought the whole kit with the travel case the grip the stand the tin and the extra blades. i have not had to buy new blades as of yet (i only shave once a week, but i also use all 3 blade slots) , and still have so many to go before i run out. the only thing is sometimes the shaving soap collects in the nooks and crannies, but washing with soapy water and an old toothbrush every now and again keeps it in tip top shape. such an amazing purchase and saves sooo much money and plastic in the long run. one of the best investments. also a diva cup + period underwear combo for the girlies is life changing and also saves so much money/hassle. another suggestion is wash cloths instead of loofahs. more hygienic, does a better job, and so easy to throw in with my weekly laundry. lastly, for everything new i wanna get, i always check facebook marketplace and the thrift store first
I am mending a pair of jeans as I am watching. Also, you can air dry clothes inside the house. I use a garage sale bought metal clothes rack, and hang my clothes on hangers to dry. I also have a net (with a plastic base) sweater dryer for items I do not want to hang to dry. It works out well. My mother has always had clotheslines attached to the ceiling of her basement that we have used since they moved in, in the early seventies. Great tips, thanks for the video!
Cloth diapers has saved me SO MUCH. They generally don't fit newborns well, (They do have "Newborn sized" cloth diapers, but they only last the first few months) but I have used mine many times ever since she started sitting up. They are gross and annoying to clean but totally worth it if you have the time for it. Also great for potty training 👍
For broth, if you don't have the freezer space to make it from food scraps, you can use Better than Bouillon concentrate. It comes in glass jars with metal lids. Its more expensive than homemade, but wayyyy cheaper than buying cans or cartons. For bread, if you can't make your own at least freeze your bread before it goes bad. It saves so much money and so many bread bags. Target sells some pretty nice cloth napkins for anyone who has trouble finding or affording them.
I can get behind everything that you said except for the diapers. I have 3 kids. 2 are under 3 years old and my oldest is 5. As someone whos a full time mom who has a full time job in a wfh setup, disposable diapers definitely saves me time. You also have to take into account the time that it takes washing these reusable diapers and the electricity, water, detergent that you consume just to clean them.
I do like leaf because the learning curve is none, however if you want to save some money you can buy a traditional “man’s” safety razor which is single blade for about 20$ with blades included (I like the brand Viking on Amazon but it does have a learning curve)
I cloth diapered, and i was able to get the diapers free. They were used from freecycle, remember to check them out, but a great way to save money is to get waterproof covers and some flour sack kitchen towels, they are super absorbant. And you can get some different ones for napkins and dye or embroidered them if you are handy.
I bought a very soft towel in the make up section at dollar tree and it has replaced make up removing wipes. I wash it every few days. No more waste. Menstrual cups are awesome too. Will never go back to tampons.
They do go in the dishwasher but I personally wouldn’t recommend it. Because of their size & because they’re so ‘floppy’ they either don’t get super clean themselves or they prevent the water going around well so your other dishes don’t get cleaned properly. Personally I handwas it and let it dry over our faucet. 😊
We use paper towels in the bathroom, it has stopped spreading school illnesses. We have hand towels too but if anyone is sick, they dry their hands with paper towels. If any are used to dry things on, they are saved, dried and use again to clean up bearded dragon poop. I have been saving old clothes to cut up for pee rags. I need to figure out what to use as a diaper pail for soaking them.
There are some hidden costs in cloth diapering. You have to consider the cost of water/electricity to run the washer and dryer (unless you choose to hang dry) and laundry detergent. In my experience, cloth diapers have to be washed frequently (most likely daily) to avoid an ammonia smell. I tried so hard to cloth diaper, but at the end of the day didn’t feel that it was worth the stress it was causing me.
sure...but I simply could not caluclate the water for every single person watching this video. Good to note, though! Would you say it's significant? I imagine it can't be that much
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist totally get that you can’t calculate that for everyone! But simply mentioning the other costs associated would have gotten the point across. When I calculated it for our family, with our older washer and dryer, it was costing .50-.60 cents per load to wash and dry diapers, which I had to do daily to avoid the ammonia smell. I found that I had to use a pricier laundry detergent to get the smells out AND not irritate my kiddos skin, so add on at least .20 cents per load, total we’re at .70 cents a day to use cloth. At the time my baby was using about 4 disposable diapers a day (cloth diapers have to be changed more frequently, so we were using around 6 cloth diapers a day and a disposable at night because cloth just wasn’t absorbent enough for my kids to last all night with). I was getting disposable diapers for about .15 cents each - 4x.15 is .60 cents. It turned out to be .10 cents cheaper per day for me to buy disposable than to wash cloth 🤷🏼♀️ and that doesn’t even take in to account the initial cost of the cloth diapers. Maybe the numbers are different for other people, depending on their circumstances. That was just my experience. That’s why I feel it’s important to at least mention that there are other costs involved.
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I should also say that I know a lot of people probably feel that the .10 cents per day is worth it for the environment. And I totally respect and support that! For our family, the fact that it wasn’t cheaper and it was yet another thing I had to take care of during the day, we decided to prioritize other ways of helping the environment. Sometimes our own mental health has to take priority.
You can also re-use dull safety razor razor blades in a stovetop scraper, which is also useful to scrape off soot from the fireplace doors, old silikon from tile, annoying glue on glas jars and other things that are stubborn and sticky.
I use a combo of reusable and disposable diapers because traveling with reusables is more messy than we can handle 😂 but we got 19 reusables on FB marketplace for $100 and we love them. Also I don’t bother shaving (I’m FAB so not a ton of facial hair). Don’t have the time or energy and just don’t care about hairy pits and legs.
Wonderful series! Sourdough Bread: Couldn’t you make shorter loaves, or even dinner roll size, or subway sandwich size in your small RV oven? I love PS: starting in the 1970s my family went to reusable cloth napkins & each kid had a wooden napkin ring. Then whichever kid was clearing the table & washing dishes on Friday night gathered up the dirty napkins & put into the dirty clothes basket by the washer for whoever is doing the laundry Saturday. Oh we had spare clean cloth napkins is there was a “messy meal”. Now contrast that with my spouse who is addicted to paper napkins… well you see the conflict. Sigh.
Kathy/VeganPrepper mentioned grinding your own flour from whole grains- I believe that is saving $$$ 🤩Planting your own herbs, vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees, ect. will reduce plastic and $$$. The plasma lighters, multi packs was so helpful as small gifts to myself and hopefully some of the family members 😊
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist yeah, Kathy spoke of the whole process, so I would equate it as an investment like a food dehydrator, freeze dryer etc. And later you can always grown your own grain and see what will thrive in your area 😊If I wan to go the rebuy route and old grinder from a thrift store etc. just to test how I would like it.
@@NguyenVinhHang haha if only I didn't live in an RV park! I try to keep my tips as accessible to me and others but this is a great advanced swap if you have the time and money!
I got a stainless steel razor, the little brush thing to make the soap foamy and a nice bar of conditioning soap. Not buying the shaving gel has saved me so much as well.
I freeze glass all the time. Leave 1.5-2 inches of head space (or below the shoulders for shouldered jars) and always thaw in the fridge. I have SO MANY kept jars. They’re everywhere 😂
@ for sure! Just wanted to share how to do it safely if people had more glass than plastic at home 😄 I could see why some folks would prefer plastic; it doesn’t shatter, even if it does burst.
I'm always confused about the scrap broth. my scraps from veggies are always the bad parts like mold that I cut off. is it safe to make broth put of those parts after freezing?? so confused
We used reusable diapers starting at the end of 2019 through until pullups in 2022. It saved us thousands, especially with an infant who could go through 20 diapers in a day because he could not abide being wet. I got most of them second hand, and had a HUGE stash that I have since passed on to a friend who just had her first.
love an extra budget option :) this just usually isn't my first recommendation since there is almost no way that was made ethically. But if it's your only option I understand!
@@coolchameleon21 my towels do occasionally get crunchy but I've never had that with actual clothes. If it really bugs me I do throw them in the dryer but that's maybe every fourth time I do laundry. And yes it does take longer to dry then the dryer does but in the summer it only takes an afternoon. I can also hang up several loads of laundry to dry at the same time so I don't have to worry about switching things out into the dryer which I love.
love an extra budget option :) this just usually isn't my first recommendation since there is almost no way that was made ethically. But if it's your only option I understand!
Can we have videos like this in a different format? I’m tired of being encouraged to buy or do things without knowing the all the unintended consequences of doing so. I have bought so many items in the past hoping to reduce my footprint only to be hugely disappointed with my purchases. I didn’t have enough money to get enough stasher bags for everything I needed n ended up continuing with ziplocks. I hated the Swiss dishcloths I got bc they take forever to dry and didn’t seem to be as absorbent when wet, and they feel gross really fast. I’ve bought nice reusable tumblers/water bottles only to lose them while out or forget to take them with me in the first place. I’ve baked bread before as meal prep/hobby and the time it takes to do any of that isn’t worth it. I don’t have kids, what’s it actually like to wash loads of cloth diapers with waste remains on them? Does it take tons of extra time? If it’s done in a washing machine does the waste/smell infiltrate other clothes or get stuck in the machine in places we can’t see? What’s it like to airdry them and possibly not have enough clean ones on hand to use? If using a dryer, does it affect it or other clothes somehow? I know air drying other items is a PITA in areas where the weather is hot/humid/wet/cold and unpredictable and isn’t worth it. How much time does this all take, what are the items/activities really like to use or do, are there any safety concerns with these things, what’s the real cost if we were to buy the exact amount we need upfront? In-depth reviews are needed.
If you are able to find them cheap or secondhand, the flour sack dish towels (bed bath and beyond used to carry them, I got mine about $1 each when bbb went out, they were apparently reg like $4 each 😱) will get damp with repeated use, but they dry same day. They're about 2ft x 2ft so I usually work in quadrants but they work great as a hand towel or a spill clean up. Washing I save up a week's worth, wash on warm/cold (with non-chlorine bleach if they are particularly grungy). They're 100% cotton so they can be tossed in with other towels if needed, and mine are white or unbleached (tan-ish) so I don't need to worry about them bleeding if I need to toss them in with something else. They were a swap I found useful because reg hand towels and drain cloths never actually dry for me and I hate touching damp fabric. They're not really coarse or scrubby though, so I suppose they could be used for light hand washing, not sure about actual scrubbing. Not sure if any of that helps since it would involve finding something new, but if you run across them, hopefully that provides some background. (Also these can be air dried if needed, when I needed to replace a board in my dryer I had a couple that I just put on a drying rack. Didn't smell musty and didn't feel damp drying that way overnight)
Yes, I have a whole series titled zero waste on a budget with over 350 ways to do it for free. Also, this video even had free tips like air drying laundry. Part one I talked about energy conservation. Hope you find what you're looking for on my channel, I talk all things zero waste for free!
also, I just rewatched this myself since you had me doubting, there are 6-7 swaps and habits in THIS video alone that are free: making broth, mending, using scrap fabric as reusable napkins and reusable makeup remover pads to just name a few....so, I do check the box of free things and DIYs...not stuff you "have" to buy. Again, check out my full zero waste on a budget series to learn more! ua-cam.com/video/VPCknV_QEO4/v-deo.html
I believe a big caveat is necessary to mention here: Not everybody has the time to save for those “cheaper in the long run” purchases. For those in the United States, our economy demands that we pay for our basic needs very quickly. Hence, why poor and lower income people are often losing most of their money as soon as they gain it. You can’t control when you have to pay rent or when you run out of food. Are there expensive purchases that save more later on? Yes, but not everyone has the “long run” to wait.
of course. And I never say everyone has to buy these. I cannot and do not force anyone to do anything. These are recommendations. This video is designed for those who want to know how much money these can save you. If that's not for you, great. Thanks for the comment!
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I appreciate that you take the time to address these nuances! It definitely deserves more attention in the zero/low waste space and thankfully we’re getting there.
My latest swap is refillable deodorant. I use to get a local deodorant that i could refill, but it didn't travel well so im trying two refillable deodorants to see which i like best - Fussy and Wild.
A way cheaper eco friendly option for makeup removal, I use ELF cleansing clouds. I got a two pack for super cheap, I don't even remember, probably under $5 and they work so well and only need water to work
Do not buy a silicone grilling mat for baking cookies. The grilling silicone mats have tiny holes on purpose so the grease can drip through. They're a disaster for baking.
Air drying clothes is NUMBER 1 in the UK. I dry clothes in my house during the colder months. And outside in the warmer months. I'll only use a dryer if i need clothes NOW. Like the time I was going to work and didn't do my laundry and i needed my uniform. As for the napkins, I've seen so many people on American videos that use the napkins to clean. I'm looking it like, use a microfibre cloth and wash them. What a waste of napkins and paper towels.
Or just don’t shave and you don’t need to purchase any razors! And baby oil on a cloth works well to remove makeup (as long as you don’t have oily skin)
Out grown kids socks are a perfect pee rag size. I love using pueces of old cloth for yucky cleaning and just trashing the filthy rags, like oven cleaning.
My best advice is probably to ask family and friends before you buy anything. Very often I find that I can get the things I need that way. Eg. an old sawing machine for mending. The old sawing box from an old relative who no longer uses it, etc. etc.
And if you think frugal you most often also end of with the most suitable solution.
SO TRUE!! You can get zero waste swaps for free :)
Yes!!! Why don’t we borrow things anymore?
@@hollyhock.and.lavender wild how uncommon it is now!
I found an old Treadle sewing machine at an antique store for SEVENTEEN DOLLARS!!! best thing I've ever bought
Second hand everything (well, almost 😅). I mean furniture, electronics, yard supplies, clothes, shoes, sports equipment, tools, dishes, books, decor, cars...name it! Ask family & friends to borrow or if they are decluttering, we would gratefully accept, curbside freebies, yard sales, buy nothing groups, local online sales groups and only after all that I go thrifting. This has saved our family at least $10 K / year, some years way more.
Love this series!
yay love to hear it!
When I first started my zero waste journey about 5 years ago, I bought a safety razor, a menstrual cup, and reusable cotton rounds. Just those three things alone have saved me SO much money. I’ve implemented many more things over the years (thanks to many of your suggestions!). It definitely has been a huge money saver.
literally! thanks for your testimonial :)
1st: You have the best sweatshirt!
Air drying in the sun can help clean clothes more completely after washing (UV rays).
Washcloths do almost everything. Cheap ones purchased years ago are thinner in places now but still holding up. They are napkins, cleaning wipes, and used also for intended uses. The different color ones were for diaper wipes. The kids are grown and now they wipe the floor.
omg thanks I thrifted it! I love air drying clothes for so many reasons :)
In addition to the reusable diapers, reusable baby wipes. Those things are outrageous!
omg yes!
I also love hanging clothes outside on the line-very therapeutic!
YES! the best :)
I bought cloth napkins at Meijer when my children were preschool. I cooked 3 meals a day, and they were messy eaters. I’d go through 1-3 paper napkins per day 3 times a day so when they had the napkins on clearance I bought them. I think it was a dozen for $5. Enough for 3 days and since I didn’t buy a lot of clothes for my kids (as they outgrew them before wearing them out) I washed a load of laundry almost daily. One napkin per person per day worked and they would get washed with what ever I was washing that day. I haven’t gone back to paper and even camping I bring cloth napkins because I’ve found by refolding them I can get 3 or 4 days use of one napkin. I now use handkerchiefs instead of tissues since covid and the paper products shortages. I bought a Henson razor second hand and it works a charm. I had bought the leaf second hand but ever time I used it I cut my self, the sides of the razor are exposed and sharp and was part of the problem. I also bought the cheap men’s razor and had trouble getting it to shave evenly. Henson was almost exactly like using a 3 bladed disposable razor or the ones with the changeable heads from the start.
yes! I love the idea of buying zero waste swaps on sale to save even MORE money!
I always love how informative, honest, and pressure-free your videos are! Genuinely enjoy watching your stuff :)
woohoo thank you so much that means a lot! I'm glad that comes across, some people just don't get that message!
I've been into reusable, refyce, re-use & recycle for decades. I'm 71 & still enjoy what I call urban hunting, when I shop 2nd hand. I purchase underwear & socks new. After those items almost everything else is recycled. Rugs, fyrniture, clothing everything.
When my sons were babes, u did buy disposable duapers for Grandma visits, but at home it was cloth diapers.
When I retired i bought a small rural property. I jerp chickens, Muscovy, goats. Planted orchards & gardens + I forage for wild foods.
Luve the life you want.
love to hear it!
I would say you need to take into account cleaning/washing costs for some reusables. They're probably still a lot cheaper than one use items, but it does bother me that very few people include that extra cost because it is not free to run the washing machine, etc (though again, will be cheaper than one use, and definitely usually better for the environment).
The best swap I ever made was my safety razor, but another swap that's saved loads is storage jars - instead of buying, I now just reuse jars from foods I've bought at the supermarket.
no, it's not free, but it's usually less than $1 per load. Plus I simply cannot calculate the water and energy user per diaper per load per region. My energy bill is different from yours and is different from the other 2k people who have already watched this. Plus, I wash my period underwear (different, but it's all I got) with my regular load therefore no extra money
I got some nice cloth diapers secondhand from my buy nothing group! We do use disposables occasionally (we are only human), but it’s been great to be able to significantly reduce our diaper waste and save a ton of money. I’ve bought some as well, but all together we’ve saved about $400 in the first year of my baby’s life even with using some disposables. I use a safety razor from Henson, and it works fine! Their blades are like 100 for $10, so cheap.
for sure no one is perfect!
I have that same Dutch oven and never thought to use it for baking bread. Definitely going to have to give that a try now that the weather is cooling down in CA.
it's perfect for sourdough!
i’ve had the leaf razor for almost 2 years now. i bought the whole kit with the travel case the grip the stand the tin and the extra blades. i have not had to buy new blades as of yet (i only shave once a week, but i also use all 3 blade slots) , and still have so many to go before i run out. the only thing is sometimes the shaving soap collects in the nooks and crannies, but washing with soapy water and an old toothbrush every now and again keeps it in tip top shape. such an amazing purchase and saves sooo much money and plastic in the long run. one of the best investments. also a diva cup + period underwear combo for the girlies is life changing and also saves so much money/hassle. another suggestion is wash cloths instead of loofahs. more hygienic, does a better job, and so easy to throw in with my weekly laundry. lastly, for everything new i wanna get, i always check facebook marketplace and the thrift store first
glad to hear you like these swaps!
I am mending a pair of jeans as I am watching. Also, you can air dry clothes inside the house. I use a garage sale bought metal clothes rack, and hang my clothes on hangers to dry. I also have a net (with a plastic base) sweater dryer for items I do not want to hang to dry. It works out well. My mother has always had clotheslines attached to the ceiling of her basement that we have used since they moved in, in the early seventies. Great tips, thanks for the video!
yay for mending! Thank you so much :)
Cloth diapers has saved me SO MUCH. They generally don't fit newborns well, (They do have "Newborn sized" cloth diapers, but they only last the first few months) but I have used mine many times ever since she started sitting up. They are gross and annoying to clean but totally worth it if you have the time for it. Also great for potty training 👍
glad to hear it!
How do you typically clean your diapers?
For broth, if you don't have the freezer space to make it from food scraps, you can use Better than Bouillon concentrate. It comes in glass jars with metal lids. Its more expensive than homemade, but wayyyy cheaper than buying cans or cartons. For bread, if you can't make your own at least freeze your bread before it goes bad. It saves so much money and so many bread bags. Target sells some pretty nice cloth napkins for anyone who has trouble finding or affording them.
Get the organic better than bouillon one. The other one is GMO.
yes I use that and love it for far less waste!
GMOs are not bad
GMOs are not bad
I can get behind everything that you said except for the diapers. I have 3 kids. 2 are under 3 years old and my oldest is 5.
As someone whos a full time mom who has a full time job in a wfh setup, disposable diapers definitely saves me time. You also have to take into account the time that it takes washing these reusable diapers and the electricity, water, detergent that you consume just to clean them.
yeah it's not for everyone!
I do like leaf because the learning curve is none, however if you want to save some money you can buy a traditional “man’s” safety razor which is single blade for about 20$ with blades included (I like the brand Viking on Amazon but it does have a learning curve)
for sure get a generic one anywhere!
I cloth diapered, and i was able to get the diapers free. They were used from freecycle, remember to check them out, but a great way to save money is to get waterproof covers and some flour sack kitchen towels, they are super absorbant. And you can get some different ones for napkins and dye or embroidered them if you are handy.
wow I love to hear success stories!
11:29 those silicone mats are only oven safe up to like 400-425 f. If you had it any higher, that could explain the bubbling.
I don't recall I did but yes that may explain it!
Ooops. I definitely used my Gilletw razor 20+ times before changing it
hey whatever works for you!
I bought a very soft towel in the make up section at dollar tree and it has replaced make up removing wipes. I wash it every few days. No more waste. Menstrual cups are awesome too. Will never go back to tampons.
great idea!
So I definitely use my "disposable" razor at least 10x longer than suggested 👀
that's a version of living zero waste imo ;)
Love this series, I do almost all of these!
Can the baking mats go in the dishwasher? I might have to ask for one for Christmas.
They do go in the dishwasher but I personally wouldn’t recommend it. Because of their size & because they’re so ‘floppy’ they either don’t get super clean themselves or they prevent the water going around well so your other dishes don’t get cleaned properly. Personally I handwas it and let it dry over our faucet. 😊
yes they can!
true!
We use paper towels in the bathroom, it has stopped spreading school illnesses. We have hand towels too but if anyone is sick, they dry their hands with paper towels.
If any are used to dry things on, they are saved, dried and use again to clean up bearded dragon poop.
I have been saving old clothes to cut up for pee rags. I need to figure out what to use as a diaper pail for soaking them.
good to know
There are some hidden costs in cloth diapering. You have to consider the cost of water/electricity to run the washer and dryer (unless you choose to hang dry) and laundry detergent. In my experience, cloth diapers have to be washed frequently (most likely daily) to avoid an ammonia smell. I tried so hard to cloth diaper, but at the end of the day didn’t feel that it was worth the stress it was causing me.
sure...but I simply could not caluclate the water for every single person watching this video. Good to note, though! Would you say it's significant? I imagine it can't be that much
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist totally get that you can’t calculate that for everyone! But simply mentioning the other costs associated would have gotten the point across.
When I calculated it for our family, with our older washer and dryer, it was costing .50-.60 cents per load to wash and dry diapers, which I had to do daily to avoid the ammonia smell. I found that I had to use a pricier laundry detergent to get the smells out AND not irritate my kiddos skin, so add on at least .20 cents per load, total we’re at .70 cents a day to use cloth. At the time my baby was using about 4 disposable diapers a day (cloth diapers have to be changed more frequently, so we were using around 6 cloth diapers a day and a disposable at night because cloth just wasn’t absorbent enough for my kids to last all night with). I was getting disposable diapers for about .15 cents each - 4x.15 is .60 cents. It turned out to be .10 cents cheaper per day for me to buy disposable than to wash cloth 🤷🏼♀️ and that doesn’t even take in to account the initial cost of the cloth diapers. Maybe the numbers are different for other people, depending on their circumstances. That was just my experience. That’s why I feel it’s important to at least mention that there are other costs involved.
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I should also say that I know a lot of people probably feel that the .10 cents per day is worth it for the environment. And I totally respect and support that! For our family, the fact that it wasn’t cheaper and it was yet another thing I had to take care of during the day, we decided to prioritize other ways of helping the environment. Sometimes our own mental health has to take priority.
@@laurenyost1526 for sure! I'm sure the frequency will depend on the person as will the detergent, but this is good to know!
@@laurenyost1526 for sure! as i always say, do what you gotta do and what makes sense for you!
You can also re-use dull safety razor razor blades in a stovetop scraper, which is also useful to scrape off soot from the fireplace doors, old silikon from tile, annoying glue on glas jars and other things that are stubborn and sticky.
good idea!!
I've got to start doing the veggie scrap, I've been going through vegetable broth way to fast. Also love your shirt
for sure! thanks :)
Yay second comment and top 48 likes. Love this channel. Best to you and your family. Thanks for making this video.
thank you so much for your continued support :)
I use a combo of reusable and disposable diapers because traveling with reusables is more messy than we can handle 😂 but we got 19 reusables on FB marketplace for $100 and we love them. Also I don’t bother shaving (I’m FAB so not a ton of facial hair). Don’t have the time or energy and just don’t care about hairy pits and legs.
totally makes sense!
Wonderful series! Sourdough Bread: Couldn’t you make shorter loaves, or even dinner roll size, or subway sandwich size in your small RV oven? I love
PS: starting in the 1970s my family went to reusable cloth napkins & each kid had a wooden napkin ring. Then whichever kid was clearing the table & washing dishes on Friday night gathered up the dirty napkins & put into the dirty clothes basket by the washer for whoever is doing the laundry Saturday. Oh we had spare clean cloth napkins is there was a “messy meal”. Now contrast that with my spouse who is addicted to paper napkins… well you see the conflict. Sigh.
thank you! No, I can't cause the oven also burns on the bottom
Kathy/VeganPrepper mentioned grinding your own flour from whole grains- I believe that is saving $$$ 🤩Planting your own herbs, vegetables, fruits, flowers, trees, ect. will reduce plastic and $$$. The plasma lighters, multi packs was so helpful as small gifts to myself and hopefully some of the family members 😊
woah interesting! I'm not sure where to find cheap grain though it's so expensive plus the equipment?
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist yeah, Kathy spoke of the whole process, so I would equate it as an investment like a food dehydrator, freeze dryer etc. And later you can always grown your own grain and see what will thrive in your area 😊If I wan to go the rebuy route and old grinder from a thrift store etc. just to test how I would like it.
@@NguyenVinhHang haha if only I didn't live in an RV park! I try to keep my tips as accessible to me and others but this is a great advanced swap if you have the time and money!
I got a stainless steel razor, the little brush thing to make the soap foamy and a nice bar of conditioning soap. Not buying the shaving gel has saved me so much as well.
yay that's great!
I freeze glass all the time.
Leave 1.5-2 inches of head space (or below the shoulders for shouldered jars) and always thaw in the fridge. I have SO MANY kept jars. They’re everywhere 😂
yup! it's possible, but plastic is safest for newbies I think :) thanks for sharing!
@ for sure! Just wanted to share how to do it safely if people had more glass than plastic at home 😄 I could see why some folks would prefer plastic; it doesn’t shatter, even if it does burst.
@@hollyhock.and.lavender yeah!!
I'm always confused about the scrap broth. my scraps from veggies are always the bad parts like mold that I cut off. is it safe to make broth put of those parts after freezing?? so confused
Definitely don't use anything moldy. You can use onion skins, roots, the very top of carrots, the base stump of celery, the leaves of the celery, etc.
the other commenter said it best!
great comment!
Love these videos!
yay thank you!
We used reusable diapers starting at the end of 2019 through until pullups in 2022. It saved us thousands, especially with an infant who could go through 20 diapers in a day because he could not abide being wet. I got most of them second hand, and had a HUGE stash that I have since passed on to a friend who just had her first.
love to hear this experience!
I’m a teacher. One of my coworkers taught me to buy gray baby socks and slip them over the dry erasers. Now I never need to replace them.
woah !! you just take the sock off and wash I assume?
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist yes
@@audreybressler7199 woah that's cool!!
Apparently they sell safety razors at Dollar Tree now! $1.25 for the handle and some starter blades
love an extra budget option :) this just usually isn't my first recommendation since there is almost no way that was made ethically. But if it's your only option I understand!
Yes, air drying is the best! And it saves wear on your clothes so they last longer!
YES!!
i hate that it takes so long for them to dry, and they get all crunchy 🤮 i’ll never give up my dryer lol
@@coolchameleon21 that must be a climate thing, I've never had crunchy line dried clothes! Perhaps line dried and machine fluffed is an option?
@@coolchameleon21 my towels do occasionally get crunchy but I've never had that with actual clothes. If it really bugs me I do throw them in the dryer but that's maybe every fourth time I do laundry. And yes it does take longer to dry then the dryer does but in the summer it only takes an afternoon. I can also hang up several loads of laundry to dry at the same time so I don't have to worry about switching things out into the dryer which I love.
Wait you can add fabric dye in the washer?! 😳
yes!!!
The dollar tree has reusable razor for $1.37 I love my razor from them it works really well
love an extra budget option :) this just usually isn't my first recommendation since there is almost no way that was made ethically. But if it's your only option I understand!
I have the exact same red baking dish! How did you get it to not stick to it? I baked one loaf without parchment and it was cemented on.
I always use a silicone baking mat
Can we have videos like this in a different format? I’m tired of being encouraged to buy or do things without knowing the all the unintended consequences of doing so. I have bought so many items in the past hoping to reduce my footprint only to be hugely disappointed with my purchases. I didn’t have enough money to get enough stasher bags for everything I needed n ended up continuing with ziplocks. I hated the Swiss dishcloths I got bc they take forever to dry and didn’t seem to be as absorbent when wet, and they feel gross really fast. I’ve bought nice reusable tumblers/water bottles only to lose them while out or forget to take them with me in the first place. I’ve baked bread before as meal prep/hobby and the time it takes to do any of that isn’t worth it.
I don’t have kids, what’s it actually like to wash loads of cloth diapers with waste remains on them? Does it take tons of extra time? If it’s done in a washing machine does the waste/smell infiltrate other clothes or get stuck in the machine in places we can’t see? What’s it like to airdry them and possibly not have enough clean ones on hand to use? If using a dryer, does it affect it or other clothes somehow? I know air drying other items is a PITA in areas where the weather is hot/humid/wet/cold and unpredictable and isn’t worth it. How much time does this all take, what are the items/activities really like to use or do, are there any safety concerns with these things, what’s the real cost if we were to buy the exact amount we need upfront? In-depth reviews are needed.
If you are able to find them cheap or secondhand, the flour sack dish towels (bed bath and beyond used to carry them, I got mine about $1 each when bbb went out, they were apparently reg like $4 each 😱) will get damp with repeated use, but they dry same day. They're about 2ft x 2ft so I usually work in quadrants but they work great as a hand towel or a spill clean up. Washing I save up a week's worth, wash on warm/cold (with non-chlorine bleach if they are particularly grungy). They're 100% cotton so they can be tossed in with other towels if needed, and mine are white or unbleached (tan-ish) so I don't need to worry about them bleeding if I need to toss them in with something else. They were a swap I found useful because reg hand towels and drain cloths never actually dry for me and I hate touching damp fabric. They're not really coarse or scrubby though, so I suppose they could be used for light hand washing, not sure about actual scrubbing. Not sure if any of that helps since it would involve finding something new, but if you run across them, hopefully that provides some background.
(Also these can be air dried if needed, when I needed to replace a board in my dryer I had a couple that I just put on a drying rack. Didn't smell musty and didn't feel damp drying that way overnight)
Yes, I have a whole series titled zero waste on a budget with over 350 ways to do it for free. Also, this video even had free tips like air drying laundry. Part one I talked about energy conservation. Hope you find what you're looking for on my channel, I talk all things zero waste for free!
thanks for this!
also, I just rewatched this myself since you had me doubting, there are 6-7 swaps and habits in THIS video alone that are free: making broth, mending, using scrap fabric as reusable napkins and reusable makeup remover pads to just name a few....so, I do check the box of free things and DIYs...not stuff you "have" to buy. Again, check out my full zero waste on a budget series to learn more! ua-cam.com/video/VPCknV_QEO4/v-deo.html
I believe a big caveat is necessary to mention here: Not everybody has the time to save for those “cheaper in the long run” purchases. For those in the United States, our economy demands that we pay for our basic needs very quickly. Hence, why poor and lower income people are often losing most of their money as soon as they gain it. You can’t control when you have to pay rent or when you run out of food. Are there expensive purchases that save more later on? Yes, but not everyone has the “long run” to wait.
of course. And I never say everyone has to buy these. I cannot and do not force anyone to do anything. These are recommendations. This video is designed for those who want to know how much money these can save you. If that's not for you, great. Thanks for the comment!
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I appreciate that you take the time to address these nuances! It definitely deserves more attention in the zero/low waste space and thankfully we’re getting there.
@@wireddifferent4343 i do my best! It's impossible to address every little bit of nuance :)
My latest swap is refillable deodorant. I use to get a local deodorant that i could refill, but it didn't travel well so im trying two refillable deodorants to see which i like best - Fussy and Wild.
that's so cool!
A way cheaper eco friendly option for makeup removal, I use ELF cleansing clouds. I got a two pack for super cheap, I don't even remember, probably under $5 and they work so well and only need water to work
oh cool!
Do not buy a silicone grilling mat for baking cookies. The grilling silicone mats have tiny holes on purpose so the grease can drip through. They're a disaster for baking.
good to know!!
Air drying clothes is NUMBER 1 in the UK. I dry clothes in my house during the colder months. And outside in the warmer months. I'll only use a dryer if i need clothes NOW. Like the time I was going to work and didn't do my laundry and i needed my uniform.
As for the napkins, I've seen so many people on American videos that use the napkins to clean. I'm looking it like, use a microfibre cloth and wash them. What a waste of napkins and paper towels.
that's wild I've never seen such a thing but I believe it!
i don’t understand that. doesn’t it rain all the time in the UK?
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I've been watching a lot of moving videos and that's where people tend to do that.
@@coolchameleon21 you didn't read what I wrote properly... I dry clothes in the house
@@empressdoinalot makes sense!
Or just don’t shave and you don’t need to purchase any razors! And baby oil on a cloth works well to remove makeup (as long as you don’t have oily skin)
yup!
There is an electric shaver from Norelco I highly recommend. It has a flat head / different shape than the foil kind.
Darn tuff sock company will replace your socks if you send them the holly socks to them
yes! They accept hole-y socks :)
Thank you #SaveSoil #Consciousplanet
woohoo!
Out grown kids socks are a perfect pee rag size.
I love using pueces of old cloth for yucky cleaning and just trashing the filthy rags, like oven cleaning.
so true!