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Hi there,

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I have 10 tips for you

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on how to live zero waste on a budget.

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My name is April Hepokoski

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and my journey to zero waste

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started about 5 years ago.

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I started living a zero waste lifestyle

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when my health took a dramatic downturn

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which motivated me to look into

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natural treatments to live a healthier

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and in result, more sustainable life.

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Zero waste is really about

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living more simply and within our means.

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It creates a great mindset for [br]reducing expenses.

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Tip number 1 is for when you are[br]looking to swap

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single use items with [br]reusable alternatives.

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Shop your home for reusable items

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you already own

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instead of going out

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and buying new ones

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When you replace single use items

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with reusable alternatives,

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you will also reduce the amount of money

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you spend, because you are[br]not continually

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needing to replace single use items.

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A great way to get started

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is to make a list of the single use items

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used in your home

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and come up with a reusable alternative,

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putting priority on

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alternatives you already own.

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Some common reusable items I use

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are cloth napkins

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instead of paper napkins,

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reusable jars and containers with lids

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when buying bulk items at the store,

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instead of taking the single use bag,

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reusable utensils, straw, chopsticks,

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shopping bag for when I go places

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that only offer options

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that are single use,

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and cloth rags instead of paper towel.

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Tip number 2 is to save [br]recyclable items

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like glass jars, containers, paper,

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really anything that you would find

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useful in your home.

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For example, I use glass jars

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as a vase for flowers, a pencil holder,

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for bulk shopping at the grocery store,

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or just in general for storage.

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That way I do not need to buy a vase

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or mason jars for buying bulk food.

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Remember that reuse comes before

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recycle in the "5 R's of zero waste"

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and those 5 R's are

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refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot.

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Tip number 3 is to use

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community sharing resources

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like the library, or community groups

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that encourage giving and trading

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instead of buying and selling,

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or simply borrowing from a friend.

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There are many ways to

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acquire items that do not[br]involve money.

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Tip number 4 is to buy second hand items

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instead of new as much as you can.

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Used items typically cost less money

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than buying something bran new.

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Hat and vintage homemade dress

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are some of my favorite secondhand items

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that I have found.

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If you are like me where you[br]provide a meal

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at events for large groups [br]of people often,

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look for used silverware[br]at thrift stores

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instead of buying

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single use plastic utensils.

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It would have cost about 50 dollars

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to buy this set of forks bran new

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at a department store.

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Instead, I was able to find this set

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at a thrift store for only

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6 dollars and 50 cents.

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Also, I borrow this set to family members

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or friends who are also hosting events

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that do not want to use the[br]single use utensil.

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When you buy used, you are

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supporting the second hand market,

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taking items out of the[br]waste stream,

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and giving new life to items.

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Each time an item is purchased,

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you are voting with your money

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and supporting that business.

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So make sure to support

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businesses that align with your values.

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Tip number 5 is to embrace [br]experiences over material things.

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In general, when you switch to a[br]mindset that reduces

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the material possessions in your life,

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you have less of a desire to buy things.

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When you buy less, you are putting less

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demand on the earth to supply [br]resources to create these items.

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Find value in immersing yourself

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in experiences and especially in nature.

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Connect with family and friends,

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sit out in the sun, go for a swim in [br]the nearby river,

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forage for wild edible foods.

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There are so many experiences you can

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indulge in that do not cost any money.

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Tip number 6 is to grow and forage [br]your own food.

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Food can be a huge expense on a household.

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Seeds cost hardly any money,

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compared to the amount of food [br]you get from just one seed.

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There is also an abundance of wild food

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growing all around us.

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I can pick enough edible leaves [br]from my yard

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to make a salad every day, from [br]spring to fall.

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This food is not packaged, processed,

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or sprayed with chemicals, and supports

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eating a whole food diet.

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Gardens can be made right [br]on the ground

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or with repurposed materials,

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making them very inexpensive.

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You can also join a community garden

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in your area.

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Tip number 7 is to start composting.

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This dramatically reduces

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the amount of material

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that you would send to a landfill.

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These materials break down and create rich

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compost that can be added as nourishment

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in a garden and help you[br]grow your own food.

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It can be as simple as a pile in your yard

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or a bin in your home.

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I have red wigglers in my home

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that I feed food scraps to.

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I have a bucket on[br]my counter

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to collect all the compostable [br]materials.

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like food scraps, peelings, hair, [br]floor sweepings.

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Many cities have community

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drop off sites as well.

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Tip number 8 is to repair items

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instead of buying a new one.

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Repairing extends the life

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of an item that could

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have otherwise been thrown away

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or recycled into something new.

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It also takes less resources from [br]the earth

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because you are not putting demand

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on bran new items to be made.

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Tip number 9 is to make your own items

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instead of buy them.

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When we make our own, we can repurpose

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items in our home that need new life

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like turning a ripped sheet into

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a reusable bag, for example.

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Use what you have already to [br]create what you need

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and then your waste and your[br]expenses are reduced.

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Tip number 10 is to reduce food waste.

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Food can cost a lot of money,

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when it is spoils, it is like

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throwing your money away.

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One way I reduce food waste in my home

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is by meal planning where I come up with

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meals for the week and write down

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the ingredients I need.

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I check my fridge, freezer, and cupboards

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for the ingredients and make a list

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of the ones I still need.

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That way, I'm not buying what I[br]already have.

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I also plan a leftovers day.

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On that day I move all the food that is

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about to spoil to the front of the fridge

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just like a store would do with[br]their shelf

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so that that food gets used first.

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I also do the pantry challenge

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when I have a lot of food left over[br]for the week.

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This is where I use only what I have

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in my home to make meals.

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Sometimes I have to get pretty creative.

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I do not buy a certain food group until

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I am out of it.

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I so hope you enjoyed my 10 tips

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to live zero waste on a budget.

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Please share your tips in the [br]comments below.