Leigh, on the 20th Jan, asked about natural cleaning products. Here's a good link:
http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/env...rnateclean.htm
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Leigh, on the 20th Jan, asked about natural cleaning products. Here's a good link:
http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/env...rnateclean.htm
I save money by buying fruit and veg in markets or local shops. Much cheaper than supermarkets.
Also, I don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, and don't go on holidays. I've always been careful with money, having grown up very poor. I appreciate money and never waste it. I used to make my own bread - the second best I've ever tasted - but it used to take up all of Sunday to make it. I'm thinking of buying a bread making machine because I'm sick of the rubbish that is sold in shops.
I rarely have lights on. I exercise in the dark and have a bath in the dark. Well, I know where everything is and don't need to see it.
This might be a bit extreme for some people but it seems quite natural to me.
Wow, this thread being bumped made me realise how much my diet has changed since I posted that first message. Now, 90% of my groceries are fresh produce and foods in their natural state, I eat 95% organic, and feel sick if I have anything near as bad as I described there. Well, that was when I had just gone vegan and still had crap loading my pantry, but still. Sheesh. I can't believe I ever did that!
Sniveling, this makes me so sad that you were so down & out. We're practicaly neighbors.
How are you since the Hurricane?? I live in the section Rita plowed through. It's been horrible. We're picking back up though. Some ppl still arent home or back together with their families.
Glad to hear that life is on the mend for you cafejane. I hope things continue to get better for you. :)
aww Rox, you took the time out to leave a comment for me.
Thankies. (((HUGGS)))
is there a food not bombs in your town?
I'm a cheap college student living on my own so saving any amount of money is always a good thing. I am currently trying to reduce my waste [garbage etc] which actually saves money too. this is what i've been up to:
Started making my own bread [cheaper because you get about 2-3 loaves from one bag of flour, and you only end up throwing out the packaging from the flour bag rather than the double bagged bread]. :D It's so exciting to make your own bread.. well okay, I am compulsive so maybe it's just me. :o
I think i may start to make my own hummus too because that way i can buy a cardboard box of the mix and then make it as i need it and just reuse the old hummus containers i have from before.. maybe? I'm trying to think of other things i can make on my own as well. I'm sure i'll come up with some more. I want to learn how to make my own peanut butter!!!:eek:
Started saving all containers and bags and not buying items with unnecessary packaging [i hate when fruits and veggies are wrapped in shrink wrap or something.. sooooooo unnecessary!] Also still bring my own grocery bags to stores, reuse those bags as trash bags, and so on.
I found out the other day that the pick n save [a grocery store] near my apartment sells this toilet paper for 1.15 for a 4-pack and it's called like Green leaf or Green Tree or something and is made from recycled materials.. so that's cool!
I've stopped buying things like kleenex and napkins and paper towel. I rarely bought any of those items normally though, so not a big change there. Whenever i print something on my comp that I don't end up using, i cut the paper into about 4-6 pieces and use it for scrap paper.
I'm going to start using natural alternatives for many things that i use once those products are gone. For example, shaving cream, face wash, dish soap, shampoo, conditioner, and others. I have to look into a few of those still for recipes so if anyone has any suggestions post em up! :D
It's basically winter here now but I am going to still try and sprout my own sprouts.. this is where i need a bit of assistance. Any suggestions? Is there anything else that i could easily grow in my apartment?
I'm trying to think of what to do with my organic waste.. like the scraps from all the fruits and veggies and coffee grounds. I don't like just throwing it with the other trash- i feel like there MUST be something i can do with it... In the summer I am going to rent out a small square of my mum's back yard and make a garden just for me :D It's gonna be so great.. so then i will use the waste for compost.. but until then... any advice?
I think that's the most of it. I write wayyyy too long of posts. sorry!!! I like this thread.. we should share more tips between us on how to help the envirionment/save money.
In general i try to use something AT LEAST once if possible before recycling it or throwing it out.
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE!!!! :D
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dont quite understand the above post! :D but....
ashleybeyer, i too recycle alot. except here, they wont take your garbabe unless you recycle everything that can be recycled. so you HAVE to recycle all of your stuff that can be (ie. hard plastics, tins, papers, boxes). so i recycle a load of stuff, and have found that now since doing that, we only have one bag of garbage a week, rather than way more. its great. it makes me feel good that im recycling so much. and we also recycle all the bottles/cans.
to save money and help the earth, i make some household cleaners, and also buy the natural ones aswell. we buy recycled toilet paper also. we dont buy tissues or paper towel or things like that.
we also use canvas bags for groceries and reuse all of the plastic ones we have leftover.
my bf and i either walk, or take the bus, which also helps the earth.
i also bake my own bread.
i use alot of natural beauty treatments and health remedies aswell, since they are better for the earth, the animals, myself, and are cheaper in some cases!
oh, we also recently switched to energy efficient light bulbs to save us money in the long run, AND help the earth by reducing electricity.
and the only heat we use is a little tiny heater that doesnt really do anything so we rarely use it. that way it saves on electricity and oil.
also, i use a small conventional oven instead of the large one to save on electricity.
we always turn off the lights.
next summer, im hopefully going to beable to start a veggie garden and a compost aswell :)
I have one of those foodsaver vacuum sealers. It is amazing how well it keeps food from spoiling. I also freeze a lot of meals in the sealer packs. There is a really cool outdoor discount vegetable and fruit stand near my house called the swap shop. I get a kinds of stuff cheap even avacados. I do als buy a lot of dry grains and beans. When I was really bad off I lived on lentils and chick peas. Lentils and brown rice, lentil salad, lentil soup, dahl and rice, lentil sandwich spread, lentils and spinach, hummus with everything-cucmbers,carrots, pita etc. I also make my own bread.
Quote:
foxytina_69
Awesome! I wish that was the case here! :( I swear NO ONE recycles here. It makes me so sad.
I'm excited for my garden next summer! I don't know what to grow though! :rolleyes: Have you thought of anything yet foxytina?
just my favorite things, that are easy. such as tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, things like that are pretty easy to grow. and then maybe a little strawberry plant aswell :) and i have a couple apple trees, but dont know how to take care of them! and then maybe some sprouts on the window sill. :D
Quote:
foxytina_69
Cool cool. Those were what I was thinking.. simple but staples in my diet. I'm so excited- i bought a sprouter and a huge mixture of like 14 different kinds of sprouts and then i get to start sprouting! That will save money and just be cool! hmm... I need non-plant friends. :o
I grew a strawberry plant once. It grew one strawberry, and I was so excited, and I waited for more to grow. The strawberry went black and I never saw another strawberry on that plant again :rolleyes:Quote:
foxytina_69
I wish I could grow a date palm....
Same thing happened to me. I dont get why?:confused:
Quote:
Queen Medjool
you and me both! too bad date palms are extremely hard to take care of.. not considering you have to climb up the huge thing and get that really heavy bundle down.. oh yeah, and maybe the whole climate issue as well. oh if only they were like little bushels that you can put in a garden. that'd be awesome. I would be in heaven.Quote:
Queen Medjool
Mmmm...this thread looked like it was new, but the last post was November...
anyway, i have just discovered that I can resuse the glass jars food comes in as storage containers. :D
Yes, I know, I am brilliant. :p But the idea just came to me! I have decided I don't want to use plastic anymore, so I needed glass and yet I buy glass containers everyday full of food. The best is the Heinz sour pickle jar - it is so big with a really wide mouth. I am storing a large amount of corriander I purchased at the indian grocery in one, and red lentils in the other. Also, tiny jars work well for little amounts of leftovers or tiny amounts of spices.
Yea me!
And I have convinced myself that a buch of mis matched glass in my cupboard looks cool too! :D
Good for you wildflower, reading your post i thought - why don't we all do that. I have to take lunch and an evening meal to work when I do 12 hour shifts and they always taste horrible after they,ve been in plastic all day. Same with boiled water, our kettle must leach plastic into the water because it tastes foul. I am off out today to purchase a stove top kettle made of metal. We can use it on the hot plate on our woodburner when we have that installed this year too!
Quote:
theashleybeyer
You get a box of hummus mix? :eek: It's dead easy to make it from scratch - just get a can of chick peas and whack it in the food processor with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and some liquid - water, or maybe the liquid the chick peas came in (check the packaging to be sure of this).
That's easy too - just get peanuts and put 'em in the food pocessor with some vegetable oil. Whizz a little for rough butter, longer for smooth. And you're done! Good luck on your culinary voyage :)Quote:
theashleybeyer
I have an electric kettle at home that is metal...the kind that plugs in, can you have that at work? I also noticed that about tea, when I try to make tea at work in a metal or plastic cup (you know the kind for keeping coffee warm? travel mug thing) it tastes like crap. I know the boiling water in the plastic probably leached it all out and I was drinking toxic sludge.:eek: Tea only seems to taste right when made in glass (ceramic) mugs or a ceramic pot. My metal tea kettle works great though for boiling water, I don't taste anything weird, I make great tea and coffee with it. :)Quote:
Hemlock
i used to have an electric kettle. now when i want tea i boil the water in my glass cup in the microwave. i dont notice a difference.
its odd that i find the cheapst foods are also the healthiest. kale, brown rice, lentils, beans, veggies, some fruits.
and yet i manage to eat crap still. oh tina.
Really on the peanutbutter?Quote:
fiamma
What wonderfull news :D
AND I can use my old peanut butter jars to store it in. HEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHE *laughs all the way to the bank*
WOW. i posted that a long time ago. I've seen how i've learned.. and i can't believe i ever suggested a BOXED hummus.. :rolleyes::o
and for the peanut butter.. well ive already made my own haha.. and it's incredibly simple. I must have been in the middle of a stroke when i posted that. :D
Here's my list of money saving tips.
I very rarely buy new clothes and when I do I get them from thrift stores. I also buy a lot of other things from thrift stores.
I always buy whatever fresh fruits, veggies and bulk bin items are on sale.
I don't buy many pre-packaged or processed foods.
For entertainment my husband and I go to the second run $1.00 theater.
I make all of my own household cleansers. Vinegar and water for glass, olive oil for furniture polish, vinegar and lemon juice for most other surfaces, and add some baking soda if I need some scrubbing action.
I reuse all containers (margarine tubs, glass jars, etc)
Eating out is a treat reserved for special occasions.
steev and i only buy groceries that are on sale LOL.
[quote=Wildflower]
anyway, i have just discovered that I can resuse the glass jars food comes in as storage containers. :D
What a brilliant idea :) I do recycle our glass jars and cans which are collected by our council, and the amount of times I've thought I must buy some storage containers for my dried fruit and nuts etc. I can't believe I didn't think of this myself :confused:
BIG THANKS Wildflower. It'll also save me money which is a bonus :D x
[QUOTE=Poppy]:DQuote:
Wildflower
Whether you're a student, raising a family on a low-income budget, or just trying to make ends meet, choosing to buy vegan foods doesn't mean you have to break the bank. Sure, you can splurge on savory mock meats and non-dairy cheeses that are readily available in grocery stores everywhere, but there are plenty of delicious and nutritious vegan options that don't require spending a lot of money.
Above is the first para in a website http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=07budget that has a number of money saving tips especially for newbies, students, etc.
Great, thanks eve! I'm a poor newbie vegan :)
that's great!! i really need to bring a lunch everyday to work instead of spending $10 for middle eastern.
thanks eve! youre always posting great links :)
thnx for the great link, we're always looking for ways to save to have more money to help animals.......super;)
I don't know if its just me, but i have cut my grocery bill in half since we went vegan, my hubby does eat meat on occassion but its still not what it was when we were carnivores..I feed a family of four...I live in a area which is very health concious and warm , so we have farmers markets all year round that is a great savings, i go to awhole foods for specialty items and legumes and whole grains in bulk, its very cheap, i don't use many packaged meats most of our food is as whole as I can get it....All the best....
What had the most impact on the grocery bills in my household was cutting out (or almost entirely cutting out) processed, pre-packaged foods and cooking our own stuff from scratch. Whole foods are pretty cheap. The one thing that is expensive is organic fruits and vegetables, but you can often find ones that are grown organically (and locally - a bonus) at farmer's markets and they're usually pretty inexpensive.
I agree that eating whole foods and vegan is certainly cheaper than processed and omni products. I buy very high quality food that is much cheaper than my friends (how I feel for those children). But I know that cheap is in the eye of the beholder (I was a broke student myself for years), so thanks for that link, Eve.:)
Shortly after I became vegan I realised I would save a large amount of money and not have to worry about checking ingredients if I did this. I have probably saved a few hundred £££'s by now.Quote:
mophoto
see
http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/
for some ideas
I can identify, too! If you live in a dorm, that can make it especially difficult. It's been a while since I was in college, so I don't know what it's like now, but it was common then for dorm kids to have a 1/2 size fridge in their rooms. A lot of the meal ideas from that link (and yes, it's great) could be stored in a fridge and put together, if need be, on top of your desk! Having to eat dorm food is a challenge regardless of your diet (gag), but I think with a little planning, you could find some cheap, tasty, healthful (and vegan) alternatives. Best of luck to those who try!Quote:
DianeVegan
I agree that the processed foods are what up your budget and students tend to want quickness and ease at mealtimes which = processed pre prepared food.
If you just take a bit of time you can prepare so many lovely nutritious meals for a fraction of the cost.
I just love things like beans and veggies - I make a huge pan of it and use it for lunches and dinners.
That vegan lunch box site was really cute :) I want her for my Mum lol
Are there any threads on here for making your own shampoo, conditioner etc. Is this a cheaper way or doing things? Or is it cheaper to buy ready made products. I would love to make my own so I know exactly how it was made but I usually dont have money to buy the ready made ones!