In this day and age, it is very important that we humans do as much as we can to keep our planet safe and healthy. Most people who are eco-friendly have started leading more sustainable lifestyles.
Leading such a lifestyle can be a difficult task, especially when you don't even know what the term truly means. It is not as simple as just switching a couple of things in your diet or changing your light bulbs, leading a completely sustainable life will take a lot more effort.
To lead such a life means that you live your life responsibly to ensure that future generations can lead a healthy life. It is a type of mindset that understands that the resources we have on this planet are not infinite.
There will come a day when we deplete some of the most important resources of our lives and we have to make sure that day is as far from today as possible.
1. What sustainable living looks like?
It is important to ensure that the message about sustainable lives is correctly spread.
To live such a life does not mean that we have to quit every single luxury of our lives and to give up on comfort, it simply means that we should start being wary of the things we throw away, on the number of resources and energy we consume every single day and how to reduce those expenditures.
The ability to renew the resources we use and to consciously understand the impact we do on the planet is crucial.
Here are some of the things you should be aware of if you want to lead a sustainable lifestyle.
2. Reduce your overall energy use
One of the biggest waste of energy on this planet comes from the unnecessary use of appliances, according to this website.
When you exit your kitchen make sure that everything you won't use anymore is turned off including all the lights. If you are leaving your home, there is no need for the television set to keep running as loud as possible.
You could also consider getting more energy-efficient appliances at home. Sure, it might be pretty expensive to replace your clothes washing machine, but with an energy-efficient one you will save up a lot of money over the years and you are also leading a more sustainable life.
The more energy you save, the better it is for the planet and the better it is for your electricity bill.
Another huge energy spender is the heating system in our homes. You can get a quality thermostat installed for just a couple of dollars that can properly regulate the temperature inside of your home.
A more modern thermostat can be adjusted to lower the temperature inside if you are not home and to raise it when you get home. You can also use an application to warm up your room just before you get home.
By properly managing the temperature at home, you are saving up a lot of energy.
Most people during the winter just crank up the thermostat to maximum and then walk around inside in shorts and shirts. Instead of spending so much energy to keep such a high temperature sustained inside of your home, you can just put on a few layers of clothes on yourself and lower the thermostat.
The same thing applies to hot summer days too. Why should your air condition unit spend so much power to make your room so cold that you have to wear additional clothing when you can just open up a window and take off a layer of your clothes?
You could also save up additional energy during the hot summer days by putting your clothes to dry out in the sun instead of in the dryer. Not only will you save some money by doing this, but your clothes will also smell more natural and will be softer to the touch.
If you cannot force yourself into the habit of constantly turning off the lights in your room, you could consider installing LED lights instead of incandescent light bulbs.
On Energy Focus you can read more about what makes this lights eco-friendly. Not only do LED lights shine brighter, but you can also pick the colors they light up in, they last longer and they spend 10 times less energy than regular bulbs.
So not only are you saving up on energy, you are making your life more comfortable.
3. Avoiding using unnecessary plastic
Plastic is one of the most polluting materials on the planet and we use it every single day. To avoid polluting our environment, you could start using paper or canvas bags next time you go to the market.
You can also avoid using regular plastic bottles since you can get a stainless steel water bottle that will last for years.
According to waterbottle.io, a stainless steel bottle can keep your drinks colder or hotter for much longer than plastic bottles.
4. Start drinking coffee at home
Instead of wasting time and money every single morning to get a cup of coffee before going to work, you should consider getting a coffee maker.
Coffee from most coffee shops is much more expensive and use plastic disposable cups that damage our environment.
Using a coffee maker at home is a much cheaper alternative and may even a tastier, as suggested by GiftWits. If you want to achieve the same taste as most coffee shops, we recommend you to get this book about brewing coffee, Brew: Better Coffee at Home.
5. Try growing your own food
You probably already know how much money you are spending every day on food, especially fresh vegetables or fruits. If you live alone or with a roommate, all those vegetables you buy probably end up rotting in your fridge after a while.
This is just a waste of money, so why not consider growing your own food?
Try planting a few seeds of tomatoes on your balcony or next to your window and see whether they will grow. Next time you feel like eating a tomato, you can easily pluck one off from your plant. Read more here about the environmental benefits of growing your own food.
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