My parents were extremely frugal. (Except they didn't have plastic coming out of their you-know-what) I'm not going to start burning my garbage in the backyard and only drink water from a hole in the ground but using more reusable items and re-purposing everything possible is a wonderful way to get going.
We already cook a lot of our own food. I make many convenience foods and spice mixes. I make my own laundry detergent and use vinegar as a softener. That's just to name a few things. I'm almost to "hillbilly" level of make-your-own stuff!
Anything that I find too expensive, like purchasing items just because they're "green", well, that doesn't work for me.
Recently I discovered Norwex products. This company sells cleaning and other household products and beauty supplies that are made from environmentally-friendly ingredients and eliminates the use of harmful chemicals.
Although quite pricey at first, many of the items are of great quality and will stand the test of time. Many products contain silver which doesn't harbour bacteria. That's an idea they would've gathered from a century or two ago....even baby soothers were made from silver! (Learned that from Pawn Stars!)
Being green is hard work sometimes. I've taught my offspring a lot of DIY tactics and life skills...you know...how to sew on a button. Thanks to the internet and you tube videos, there's no excuse for anyone not to be able to figure things out on their own.
We haven't gone off the grid or anything and we're definitely not minimalists. Living in one of those "tiny houses" isn't our idea of a good time either. We find ways to lighten our impact on the environment if possible. If something just doesn't work for us, that's okay....we take from it what we can.
Which brings me to minimalism. (Does anyone else find this almost as extreme as hoarding?) You've heard the jokes...your friend comes over, she asks you if you have a place for her to sit down and you say no...because you own enough chairs for just you or your family but not enough for if guests were to visit.
I recently started following The Minimalists on social media. They say you need to get rid of "stuff" so you can make room for more things that bring you happiness. I've lived in small homes and I don't like clutter. When there's something that doesn't get used or is just taking up space, I like to give it to somebody who can use it, re-purpose, upcycle or throw it away if necessary. I realize what size house I have and that I can't fill it up with too much stuff. It's just not reasonable and it looks ridiculous when my house is jam-packed with crap. But I like my home to look homey. I like it when a friend comes into my house and feels at ease...feel like they can just plop on the couch or pull out a kitchen chair and have a seat waiting for the coffee I'm about to serve them. I like guests looking at my pictures on the walls and asking me about them or discussing some of the pieces I retrieved from my mother's house after she passed away.
My parents were frugal because they had to be, not because it was the thing to do. They didn't know who David Suzuki was and they probably would've thought he was an idiot. Ma and Pa were from the "dirty 30's" era and everything, I mean everything, was scarce. But they made do with what they had and what they could share with and from family and friends. They didn't know that they were poor at the time.
We can read all the blogs, articles and videos about having less impact on the environment all day long but what we really need to do is think back to a time when our ancestors were alive.
Unless of course you're a close descendant of a royal family. That may be a little different I suppose.
