5 Ways We Pinch Pennies & Reduce Waste

Yep, I’m going to be hearing about this one.  My brother has always teased me for being the family hippy.  After he gets wind of these habits I implement to cut back on trash, I’ll never hear the end of it.  So here I am on the altar, ready to confess.  Add this to things we do to afford living in Europe.  (Promise you’ll share the things you do so he knows that maybe I’m not all crazy.)

1. We use both sides of printer paper.  In fact, our printer is always loaded with scrap paper since most of our print jobs like my poetry drafts don’t need a crisp piece of white paper.  It’s easier to remember to put new paper in the feeder when we need something presentable for someone else.

printer paper

2. We wash out our reclosable plastic bags and reuse them.  It doesn’t make sense to throw these bags out if all they’ve held is bread or chopped vegetables.  We turn them inside out and with a quick, soapy scrub, they’re good as new.

reuse plastic bags

3. We reuse aluminum foil.  If it doesn’t actually come in contact with food like when we cover leftovers or something baking in the oven, we fold our foil up and use it again.

4. We carry a reusable water bottle everywhere.  Instead of buying disposable bottles when we get thirsty away from home, we pull out the Nalgene bottle we bring with us.  (It’s one of the only Made in the USA products we’ve found in Germany.)

5.  We buy tea in bulk.  Tea is our primary beverage of choice, especially in the winter.  Getting tea in bulk is cheaper than almost any other beverage option, and it cuts down on waste just a bit more than using tea bags would.  Not only that, but we’re avoiding dioxins (a toxic chloride used to bleach paper including coffee filters and tea bags that can be a hazard in large doses).  This one – called Freunde Tee (friend tea) – was a gift from, well, some of our friends here in Berlin!

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So whatcha think?  Would you be open to trying any of these things?  We’re certainly not experts in the field of frugality or the environment, though we really try to think of ways we can improve our habits.  With that, we’re also up for anything you might suggest we try…

Interested in more thrifty ideas?  Check out our favorite roasted applesauce recipe and our list of how we afford to live in Europe.