That was the first thought that ran through my head this gloomy Monday morning, as I looked around my cluttered apartment. The clutter is normal, weekly accumulation from two busy college students that also work and attempt to have social lives. On an average Monday, this would not bother me; however, this particular day, I am beginning a journey into a new phase of my life - living low impact and sustainable.
I wrote a blog around the beginning of the year, about how I wanted to make my life more affordable. I tried my damnedest to do such, but my life style has mostly prevented me! The more I look at my budget and try to make ends meet in a satisfactory way, the more I notice that it is perhaps my life style that is the problem! Between eating out on a daily basis, splurging on Starbucks, and purchasing those oh-so-needed clothes for going out (because heaven forbid one wear the same outfit twice at a club!) I am realizing that I SPEND SO MUCH on things I truly can live without! Even more than the spending, is the mindset: consumerism.
After watching several movies, reading books, and perusing blogs on the matter I have decided to take some radical steps in my life. The most inspiring of all these has been the documentary No Impact Man, in which a New York family makes the commitment to live sustainable and low impact for a year. It can be done, and I have decided to start moving in that direction, in ways that make sense for my life.
Today marked the first day of making changes. I spent the morning procrastinating, because it seems so daunting! By the time I sat to write this blog, however, I had whipped my butt into action and implemented some changes.
-I am cutting out trash in my life. No more grocery bags. No more magazines, paper bills, plastic containers, plastic water bottles, or junk mail... as the weeks go by, I expect this list to expand as I discover more that I can reasonably cut out of my life.
-No more paper coffee cups. I am going to carry my own coffee tumbler with me, for those days when I absolutely need a cup of coffee.
-I am going to try and eat seasonally, relying on farmers markets and locally grown foods. This will cut my super market spending way down, and get me out of the house.
-Toilet paper and tampons are being kicked to the curb. Except for the roll kept in the bathroom for my house guests, I will not be buying the tree-wasting, money-guzzling paper butt wiper. After research, I have decided to clean the simple way: with small squares of cloth that are afterwards soaked in a pail, much like cloth diapers, and washed with the laundry. There is a certain ewww factor that resonates in me, going into this change, but I suspect that the feeling will go away. It is sanitary, safe, and actually quite more comfortable on the tush!
As for tampons... bye! And hello to GladRags! I was squeamish at first, at the idea of washable and reusable pads that can be carried around in a water-proof bag in one's purse, but after contemplation, the idea has grown on me. I can make this happen- women used rags and cloths during menstruation for centuries before the disposable pad and tampon were invented: why not me?
-I am also making the commitment to buy nothing new for the next 6 months. Any furniture and clothing I need can be found at second hand stores. Just this last weekend, I bought a cute, warm sweater, a beautiful skirt, a scarf, and a pair of plaid Mossimo canvas slip ons, all for 20 dollars. Brand new, those things could have cost me up to 100 dollars.
But my changes are not primarily about the money I can save, though the extra dough is a serious perk! It is about changing my mindset from consumerism and wasteful habits. It is about what I can do, as an individual, to help protect our environment and create social change.
What an adventure this is going to be!
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