Living sustainability & budgeting
When I stepped on the path of living sustainably more intentionally, there were not many zero-waste products on the market. In the town where I lived, there was one shop (it had magical, hippie vibes) where one could buy zero-waste alternatives. They sold everything from unpackaged soaps, to local apples and buckwheat that I couldn't buy anywhere else. It was 2010. My first reusable water bottle came from a shop selling outdoor equipment, and my first reusable tote bag came from a book store. As time went by, and more humans became interested in living more sustainably, new products appeared on the market. These days, there are countless online shops selling eco-friendly goods. Almost anything can be found in a zero-waste form. On the one hand, I am happy to see eco-friendly alternatives becoming better quality, more available and accessible. But on the other hand, living sustainability became associated with consumption and having certain products from certain brands. Many of those products are beautiful, so zero-waste also became an aesthetic. Fellow humans who want to live more sustainably wonder how much it is going to cost.
If I bought all my food from our local food market and consumed normally (simply buying zero-waste alternatives instead of conventional products), we would run out of money very quickly.
Living sustainability, i.e., enacting it in one's everyday life, is not about buying. If I was to start from scratch right now, there are very few zero-waste products I would actually buy. I would buy a bar of soap, a dish brush, a shampoo bar. I would ask my friends, family and colleagues if they have a spare reusable bag and a water bottle. I would tell everyone in my social circle, including my neighbours, about my journey and ask for their support. I would borrow, give, swap. I would adopt some form of minimalism, as it is much easier to live more sustainably if one strives to live with less, including less space. I would use what I already have.
Zero-waste or any other sustainable lifestyle should not be expensive. Even if I had more money, I would not spend it on more zero-waste products. I would donate it.
Like many fellow humans, I have to budget. Applying for another residence permit in Denmark is very expensive. We also hope to fulfil our dream sometime, to live close to nature and grow our own food.
Here is what helps me live within our means while living sustainably:
- Renting a very small apartment
- Using public transport and walking instead of owning a car
- Staying within our local area, travelling locally
- Buying local and seasonal food whenever possible
- Going out less
- Living with very few things and replacing them only when necessary
- Avoiding many categories of products altogether (in particular status items such as jewellery, fashion clothes and accessories, store-bought home décor)
- Doing activities that are free but wonderful (borrowing books from a library, going for long walks, talking, writing, spending time with the sun and the sea)
- Using nature's gifts as home décor (stones, shells, branches of trees)
- Inviting fellow humans in rather than going out with them
- Borrowing and sharing rather than buying