Reduce

 Contributed by Catherine Vierthaler, Director of Finance, Green Builder Media

 

Reducing consumption levels need not be drudgery, actually I like to make a game out of it.  There are websites that can help you figure out how to reduce power and water usage (or check out Green Chix blogs and March Facebook posts).  I like to try to reduce the amount used over the same month from the previous year.

I decided to call a spending holiday one day per week.  Wednesdays are a No Shopping Day in my house.  Nothing.  Not even groceries.  And no internet shopping either!  If it isn’t in the house on Wednesday then I don’t need it.  I have found that as I buy less, I want less.  And it makes for some REALLY interesting dinners.

One thing that does help keep me from overbuying food is to make a list before going grocery shopping.  By buying only what I will use, I waste less food. I’ve also learned some basic food preservation skills, so that I can safely freeze items that might otherwise go to waste.

Another way to reduce consumption is to drive less.  I live 1 mile from our little town.  I can walk or ride my bike to do errands on most days.  Every mile driven in a car produces one pound of CO₂.  Each time I walk or ride my bike into town, 2 pounds of CO₂ is not pumped into the atmosphere.  Check out this video for other fun facts about using bikes as transportation.  The side benefit is that I’m also burning calories!