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Every parent wants to instill positive values in their kids during childhood. Helping your children to grow up in a way that allows them to understand the value of money and the need to reduce waste is an excellent way to prepare them for adulthood and living independently.
Limiting waste at home will help kids understand how to save money and play a part in protecting the planet. Demonstrating these values to your kids through your own actions is the best possible way to ensure that they understand the role they can play in using their money and the earth’s resources in the most responsible manner. Here are some examples of opportunities that you can use to reduce waste at your home, saving yourself money and protecting the planet while also being a strong role model to your kids:
Groceries: Reduce Food Waste
Food waste is a significant problem and one that is an issue throughout many of the world’s wealthiest countries. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s food supply goes to waste. This is a significant figure and equates to billions of dollars of food that is discarded without being eaten. There are various reasons that food waste occurs, some of which happen at the production stage, but consumers are also responsible for a large portion of wasted food. So, taking action to reduce the amount of food that your household wastes is crucial and a great way to prevent wasting money spent on groceries.
If you are keen to begin reducing your food waste, there are a few ways you can make this happen. Firstly, check the use-by dates on everything you buy to ensure that you have time to use it before it expires. Secondly, you may find it helpful to start meal planning. Meal planning enables you to shop specifically for the groceries you need and minimize waste. Finally, it is beneficial to find ways to use leftovers while they are still safe to eat to ensure they do not get thrown away. Reducing your food waste may seem like a small act. Still, it can actually make a significant difference to the cost of your grocery shopping while also helping to tackle a much broader issue.
Clothing: Buy Less, But Buy Better
Nowadays, fast fashion has become the go-to choice for many people looking to keep up with the latest trends without spending much money. But, fast fashion comes at a price. Spending money on clothes that are not designed to last can mean that you buy lots and don’t manage to get much wear from each item before it goes out of fashion or breaks. Purchasing cheap clothing in this way means that your closet becomes full of poor-quality garments that you no longer wear and need to be replaced frequently when their quality fails. Shopping for clothing like this is bad news for your finances, and the planet, plus adds clutter to your home. Taking an alternative approach and buying functional, stylish clothing that is designed to last will mean that you get better value for money and years of wear while preserving valuable closet space. Buying clothing from brands such as Over Under Clothing will ensure that you get the best quality and can enjoy many years of comfortable wear.
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Electricity: Conserve Power to Pay Less
As every homeowner knows, powering a home is an expensive task. Running gadgets, appliances, along with cooling and heating systems, can mean that your electricity bills escalate quickly. Making an effort to actively reduce your household’s energy consumption is an effective way to lower your home’s running costs and its carbon footprint. Reducing electricity use is also something the entire family can get involved with and take responsibility to manage.
When trying to reduce your home’s energy consumption, you may find it helpful to start with the smaller changes first. Simply changing all of your light bulbs to Energy Star alternatives can make a significant impact on the cost of illuminating your home, and further savings can be made if everyone remembers to switch off lights when leaving each room. As well as switching off lights, it is also helpful to turn off appliances (where safe to do so) when they are not in use, rather than leaving them on standby. Additional energy-saving benefits can be gained from having your HVAC system regularly serviced to ensure that it is working efficiently and not having to work too hard to heat and cool your home. These changes may seem small, but the cumulative effects throughout the year can make a marked difference to your electricity consumption.
Water: Actively Conserve Water
Conserving the amount of water that your family uses may seem challenging at first; after all, everyone needs to be able to wash and drink. However, making a conscious effort to reduce water consumption can be achieved without your family needing to forego their basic needs. Harvesting rainwater to keep your plants hydrated is one way to save a lot of water and prevent drinking water from being used outdoors. Further water-saving measures can be implemented inside the house to reduce water waste. Getting leaks and dripping faucets fixed as soon as you notice them is a great place to start.
Other water-saving activities include switching your toilet flush and shower head for varieties designed to use less water. Taking showers rather than filling up the tub can also be an effective way to reduce water use, especially if you time your showers to make them just a few minutes long each time. One great way to save water is turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth. A vast amount of water is wasted every day by people keeping the tap running while they brush their teeth, and doing this twice a day only increases the amount of water that is wasted. So, this simple act can help to prevent a lot of waste.