Benefits of Our Simple Changes

It is now some weeks since we sat down and had our family meeting and brainstormed ways that we could simplify our lives and reduce our budget outgoings, energy usage, fuel usage and garbage output. I have to say that the results speak for themselves. It is very satisfying knowing that we can make changes by doing little things

The following things are working really well:

- cooking from scratch

- working on a cash only budget

- buying things with minimal or no packaging

- turning off appliances

- limiting water usage and having shorter showers

- riding our bikes instead of driving

- composting our food scraps

- not eating preservatives and artificial colours and flavours

- washing up in the small sink

- limit trips to town

- using things sparingly

- no take away food

- grocery stockpile

- think before you buy

- grow sprouts

These are the things we need to focus on now:

- riding to work ( still quite chilly in the mornings and dark in the late afternoon)

- buy/ eat local - so far I have only found oranges, red wine, Camembert cheese, milk, yogurt and macadamias. The farmers market is on this Saturday but I will miss it. I am definitely checking out the next one.

- getting the herb garden up and running ready for spring and planting the vegies

- getting water tanks up and running

- grey water system

We still have a long way to go, but it is all a step in the right direction.