Yesterday, I shared with you 8 Ways I’ve Gone Green–some of the ways I’ve gotten my family to help the environment while also saving money on the family budget. But there are some habits I can’t seem to break, even though I know better:
- Buying pre-cut lettuce and spinach. This is one of the easiest ways to save money—stop buying the bagged salad and make your own. But I still don’t; I just wait until they’re on sale and I have a coupon, but I still use them. I prefer the prewashed baby spinach that I can throw into a recipe instead of dealing with a whole head of spinach myself. And on a super-busy weeknight, I’m more likely to skip prepping a salad than starting from scratch, so I do spend more to have a bag on hand. We’ve planted both spinach and lettuce in our Square Foot Garden, so hopefully that will reduce our cost in the next few months.
- Buying baby carrots. Same as above; yes, it might cost less to purchase regular carrots, but then I have to clean and cut them into tiny toddler-sized sticks instead of just buying the bag. I only buy them on sale, but they’re so easy to throw into soups, stews, and to offer to hungry kids before dinner.
- Using free razors from the Drugstore Game. This is one where money trumps environmental impact. Since I’ve been able to score so many FREE razors with coupons and CVS’s ExtraCare Bucks program, I keep replacing my husband’s razor instead of just buying the cartridge refills. We’re throwing away handles and packaging each time, but it’s costing us zero compared to the $20+ that the refill cartridges cost each month.
- Taking long showers. I’m a stay-at-home mom with three small children who are in my personal space all of the time. If I can actually steal away to take a shower, it tends to be a long one. Sorry, Mother Earth., but you have to let me have this one.
It can be really difficult to balance saving money with convenience, especially as a busy family. What are some of the ways you’ve encouraged your family to help the environment? What are some things you still find challenging?
