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It's a dire economic situation we have going on, with cut-backs and layoffs happening all around us. If it's happened to you, don't worry, you certainly aren't the only one. And you certainly have help. We have pulled together a resource guide to help you sail through this unemployed phase with some pocket change to spare when you nab that perfect job in a couple months.
Turns out, it's really easy to green your life when you're out of, well, green. Think of it as the perfect time to green your life, since living green is often cheaper. Homemade solutions are less expensive and skip a lot of the toxins and carbon footprints of more expensive pre-made things, from clothes to food to detergents.
Here is our advice on living the frugal green life while still enjoying the lifestyle of a young urban professional.
Food
Shopping for Groceries
The first key to going green is cutting out the waste that you accumulate when you go grocery shopping. With a few simple tips you can carve out the excess and save money.
Part of carving out the excess includes the packaging—buying bulk staple foods and cooking them yourself, like beans, grains, flour, sugars and anything else that is available, will save you money and is lighter on the environment.
You can extend the savings even when buying organic. We suggest checking out the local farmer's markets where you can often get quality organic produce for less than what is available in grocery stores.
If you're not sure where to start, we have a selection of 8 great green, cheap foods to get your shopping list going.
Cheap Cooking Ideas
Cooking is one place where cheap and green easily align. It's easy to green your cooking, especially by leaving out the meat. You can make some phenomenal vegetarian meals that no one would guess cost just a couple dollars. You can even get experimental with some of the cheapest organic foods, like potatoes.
Just remember a few basics: One pot meals that provide a lot of leftovers offer the biggest energy and money savings, plus fewer dishes to wash with valuable water; learning how to preserve foods will allow you to store foods when they're in season and at their cheapest; and make your own staples such as soy milk and peanut butter.
Living Situation
Greening up the rent
If you're looking to shrink the rent portion of your budget, then you're in a perfect position to live a greener life. There are a few options that will depend on your current living situation. If you have a fair sized apartment, you can opt to move into a smaller space, bring in a roommate, or become a roommate in another apartment. If you've been living alone, it might be tough to transition, especially if you have to train your new roomie on being green, but the financial savings and drastically reduced carbon footprint will be worth it.
Throwing Parties
If moving, or moving someone in, just isn't an option, you can throw a green party. A green rent party, that is. Popular in the Great Depression, a rent party is just a get together where guests bring some extra money that is donated to the host or hostess so that they can make their next month's rent. Pour over our suggestions for throwing a waste-less party with green supplies.
Changing Habits
Of course, regardless of if you stay on in your old place or change your living situation, you'll want to take on habits that reduce utility consumption. It might seem difficult in an apartment, but there are lots of ways to cut back on water, lighting and heating. You'll also be able to save money by getting thrifty with decor without compromising your style.
Washing
Soaps, Shampoos and Spa Treatments on the Cheap
You can save a lot of money while feeling really luxurious if you make your soaps yourself. Making organic soap is pretty easy and you can experiment with the ingredients with the free herbs you can find growing around your city such as lavender and rosemary, or at farmers markets.
Homemade shampoo is equally easy, though you can save money and go green by simply cutting back on it in the first place. You might not even need to mix ingredients—you may find you just need a little apple cider vinegar.
Even shaving cream and mouth wash can be made at home naturally.
Household Cleaning Supplies
Houses were spic and span well before the advent of Windex and Febreeze. You might wonder how. The solution is in the vinegar, really. Vinegar is a miracle ingredient for cleaners. We mentioned it's great for washing your scalp, and you'll soon read how perfect it is for laundry. But it's also a key ingredient for a clean home, from washing windows to floors.
If you have wood floors, you might want to make a cleaner and polish that uses oil for a beautiful shine. We have recipes for you for everything from oven cleaner to mold remover using natural, cheap ingredients.
Laundry Detergents, Softeners, and Suggestions
Doing the laundry can be a burden on the budget, but with a few tweaks in your habits and supplies, you'll barely notice a dent in your piggy bank. You can go green on your laundry first by making your own laundry soap and using vinegar as a softener.
Once you have that handled, it's time to wash with cold instead of hot water, and ditch the dryer and dryer sheets altogether.
Even in a small apartment, there's a place to hang clothes to dry. In fact, if you have a tub or large sink, there's a place to wash them!
Wardrobe Issues
Mending and Refashioning
Keeping your clothes and making them last is the greenest thing you can do for your wardrobe. But that often means careful mending and some refashioning to keep them hip. You can upcycle your clothes, changing old shirts into something new, or refashioning pants into a dress. Taking up sewing is a great way to save a lot of money without looking like the new fashion season passed you by.
Thrift Shopping and Clothes Swaps
When it is time to grab something new, try thrifting and upcycling what you find. You could also participate in online clothing and shoe swaps, which is a great way to get like new, current clothing. Swaps are increasing in popularity as budgets everywhere tighten, so it's worth a try.
Or, you could make a whole event out of it! Host your own clothes sway party. We have some great tips for throwing a stellar swap party.
Makeup Routine
Simple steps for makeup use can take the burden off your wallet and the environment when it comes to often toxic substances. First, you can cut the foundation from a morning makeup routine. We also have tips for making the rest of your make-up last as long as possible. But if you do need to bring on new items, we have suggestions for green purchases that can still be made on the cheap.
Networking for a New Job
One of the most important parts of being green during unemployment is finding great events where you can network. Instead of picking up the paper to find out about events, hop online and check out sites like MeetUp.com, where you can join up with green-minded young professionals groups, network, and hopefully get leads on great green jobs to pursue. We also have loads of tips for greening your job search, and even finding a telecommuting job that will help you reduce your carbon footprint by cutting the commute.
But the most important tip for this time of your unemployed life is to look at it as an opportunity to go green and solidify your green habits now.
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