Frugal and sustainable minimalist home decoration

Welcome to my final post in my minimalist moving series! For now, anyway. 😉 In this article, I'm going to discuss all the budget-friendly and sustainable methods we used to furnish our new apartment.

In case you missed the first two posts, the recap is that a while back, I moved in with my partner to the house that they owned. We had 2 sets of everything. Their style of furniture wasn't really my style, and my furniture was not my style either.

So when we decided to sell their house, we also decided to sell or donate most, if not all, of our existing furniture and downsize the rest of our belongings so that we could start fresh together.

If you want more details, the 2 previous posts are:

Is it minimalist to move to a new home?

4 frugal minimalist tips for moving

As for what's in this post, the information is going to fall into a few categories.

1. Why we moved and where we're living now
2. How we downsized 2 households into 1
3. Budget-friendly and sustainable furnishing of a new home
4. Overall costs of furnishing a new home from scratch

1. Why we moved and where we're living now

My partner scrimped and saved every penny starting as a teenager to put a down payment on a house. At age 21, they bought a place they were barely able to afford. They had a roommate to help pay the mortgage at first, but that person unfortunately left and was never replaced, leaving my partner to work 6-7 days per week to make ends meet.

The house is older and had never been updated, which meant that esthetically, it was very dated and worn, as well as mechanically/structurally, it had things that were going to need fixing or replacing very soon. Some things were already in disrepair and were out of my partner's budget to address. 

When I moved in, that eased up my partner's finances a bit and with time and a LOT of money, we could have fixed the place up. However, given that it was an attached house (shared wall on 1 side with a neighbor) in a neighborhood that we weren't fond of, it didn't make a lot of sense to do it. Especially when we checked in with a realtor and it seemed like we'd be able to sell it for a modest profit to reinvest in a house that we both liked better.

Well, let's just say nothing turned out exactly as we thought, which was both good and bad. Firstly, the interest in the house was completely overwhelming. It sold for far more than we were asking, which was great.

But the downside was that even with such a large anticipated profit and both of our incomes instead of just one, the market outpaced our buying power and we were never able to find the right place to buy by the time our house sold. Ironically, we would not have been able to buy the house we were living in.

We don't regret selling it for a minute, though. It was what my partner could afford at the time, not their dream home, and it needed more from us financially than we could give it.

The house is about 1200sf and has a one-car garage. We moved into a ~800sf apartment with no garage or extra storage, and a completely different layout from the house. Lots of things had to change.

The apartment is newly renovated with only energy-efficient appliances, its own water heater, and very quiet HVAC equipment. It's nice to not have to speak louder each time the AC or furnace turns on! Each unit has a washer and dryer so we don't have to haul our laundry out to the garage like we used to in the house, or to some laundromat used by hundreds of people. 

It's a secured building, so no random strangers or salespeople knocking on our door. And the best part? If something breaks, we call maintenance and they fix it, and we don't pay anything extra to have a fully-functioning home. This is saving us potentially tens of thousands of dollars over the course of the next 12 months versus if we were to stay and tackle the needs of our previous house.

In this current economy with skyrocketing fuel prices and inflated costs for necessities like food, we are closer to my partner's work, and we have 2 reasonably-priced grocery stores within 5 minutes of the apartment.

The last reason why we moved into an apartment is that it leaves us free to make decisions without undue pressure. We found ourselves looking at houses farther and farther away from our target area. It ended up that the houses in a comfortable price range were in locations that we weren't very familiar with. The economy was not as stable and my partner would have to see about switching their job situation around, which might lead to a loss in income. Also, we were uncertain how we would feel about living there, as it was so different from our current city. 

We didn't want to make a hasty choice just to own a house because we were afraid of "wasting" money on rent, so we thankfully were able to find this apartment that we really like on short notice. The rent is comparable to our previous mortgage, but now we have no mortgage debt and more money in savings.

In my opinion, paying for housing is never a waste, whether you're renting, owning a house, living in an RV, car, a boat, or jumping from one hotel to another. Having a roof over your head is a necessity, and these days it seems to be a privilege that not everyone has access to. These financial gurus who shame people for housing choices clearly have no idea what it's like to be without a choice. Also, just because you can buy a house also doesn't mean you should. Homeownership is a large responsibility and ties a person to a location in ways that are not always easy to circumvent if you need to move.

In our case, we don't know what the future holds and if we want to be tied to a house at this moment. Our 12-month lease gives us time to regroup and decide what's next. Do we want to try again to buy something locally? Move out of the area? Or do we want to stay here and rent, either in this apartment or a different one?

Right now, I'm really liking apartment living and I definitely appreciate the convenience of our location and all the surrounding amenities. Not to mention the peace of mind of built-in repair and maintenance services. My partner grumbles occasionally about not having a garage, but oh, well. 

2. How we downsized 2 households into 1

This was a process we started when we were getting ready for me to move in with my partner. I more so than my partner, because they had their stuff already set up a certain way and didn't want to change it. I was fine with that because I had no emotional attachments to any of my furnishings; I just needed a place to do my work and crafts, which I got. This definitely doesn't work for everybody, though, and should be part of the conversation when people are deciding to move in together or to a new location.

As we planned our next move together, we looked at houses and discussed what kind of floor plan we were looking for, and determined what size house was in our budget. This helped dictate what we would keep from our existing possessions.

But then, when it looked like we might be moving several hours away, paying for a moving truck to haul everything looked very unappealing. Realistically, the houses in our budget were fixer-uppers. We would already have to set aside a renovation budget on top of a disgustingly large down payment and closing costs; did we really want to add (at minimum) a thousand dollars plus fuel costs to that? At this point, we started doing garage sales and Craigslist ads to see what we could sell, especially big items.

We also carefully went through everything we owned and decided what was in the best condition, was the most useful or practical, and was most important to us. My partner did a lot of purging of things that I never thought they would; they wanted a clean slate as well. I like to think I inspired them a bit with my minimalist habits. 😁

When we did a showing of our apartment, we knew we'd have to go even further with our possession overhaul. But that was fine because we were on a roll at that point.

On the weekend before closing, I was busy setting up our new place while my partner held one last sale at the house. They actually started giving whatever was left over away for free and posted an ad to let people know. There was only a small amount of stuff left that we had to donate once the sale was over, and we ended up with almost $3000 in our pocket from all the sales that we did.

And thank goodness we did because we still would have been hard-pressed to fit even one set of our existing furniture in our apartment. The way the space is arranged and the shape of each room is completely different from the house. 

I think the key factor that helped us to downsize was having a goal to motivate us that mattered more than holding on to what we owned. We both wanted a fresh start in a new place and the opportunity to decorate it together. And after our first garage sale brought in over $1000, I have to say my partner was hooked on the idea of selling things. 😛 They were happy to keep going with a sale every weekend until we ran out of time.

The last downsizing we did was to offload one of our cars. We're down to just a small SUV now, as my partner's pickup truck was just too gas-guzzling. Since I work from home and we're closer to public transportation, sharing a car has not been a problem.

3. Budget-friendly and sustainable furnishing of a new home

Out of everything we did to move into our new place, there was only one thing that we bought new. That was a bed. Both of our beds were not very comfortable anymore; my partner's bed was older and mine was a cheap mattress that didn't stand up to time very well. So we decided to invest some of our newfound money into a decent bed. 

We were pleased to find a company that manufactured locally. You can find eco-friendly mattress companies online, but they are usually much more expensive than non-eco companies. So this was our compromise; by buying local, we were supporting the local economy and also reducing the need for shipping long distances. This is a type of eco-friendly shopping you can incorporate into your life when overtly sustainable options are out of your price range.

Otherwise, everything we acquired for our apartment was pre-owned. Where possible, we got it for free or cheap from the community through Craigslist or local yard sales. A few items came from thrift stores that we weren't going to find easily through a Craigslist ad, like cloth placemats and a cooking utensil holder.

My one complaint about our kitchen is how narrow the drawers are. The top drawer is also so shallow that all you can realistically fit in it is a pair of scissors and a can opener. It didn't make much sense to put all our silverware in an upper or lower cabinet, so we ended up getting a free-standing cabinet that fit a silverware tray and helped us organize some other items as well.

One thing that's easy to find as a giveaway in our area is those cube storage units. You know, the open shelves that have square spaces for those fabric containers? I like them because they come in various heights and widths, so you can use them in just about every room.

We have one in our bedroom closet, a small one in the kitchen, and a large one in the bedroom that our TV sits on.

We already had a few of the fabric containers that we use to store our folded clothes in. But to better organize other stuff, we needed more cubes. Easy fix: I used a bunch of my leftover yarn scraps (and also made some "yarn" out of old clothes that were too worn out to donate) and crocheted myself some baskets. There are all sorts of free patterns on the internet for doing this; you can even coat the basket with a stiffener like corn starch to make the walls stand up better. Plus, you can customize the colors and sizes however you like. 

Most of the things we found were in decent shape and didn't need any fixing to be used straight away. However, the one struggle was with finding a dining room set. 

I wanted dark wood or shiny black finish, small (square or round), high-top, with 4 chairs. There were choices out there for like $150 used that weren't even really what I wanted. All the cheaper or free stuff was really banged up. 

But we finally found a real wood table and chairs for free. It needed some fixing to make it decent, but it's the right size and I'm happy with it.

We've been here for almost 3 months now, and I think we're pretty well finished with the setting up. I will probably do a few decorative items down the road, but for now, we need nothing else to be organized and comfortable.

4. Overall costs of furnishing a home from scratch

I consider this "from scratch" because we got all the essentials for our apartment when we moved in. The things that we brought with us (plates, utensils, cooking supplies, personal items, some art, 2 TVs) were things that we did see being offered for free or very inexpensively in the second-hand arena, so feel free to add on as much as $25 to our total if you want to be picky about it.

I'm also not including the cost of gas, because that was just too variable to keep track of. We tried our best to check ads while we were already doing something else so we wouldn't be using extra fuel. Or, we would set up a time to get something along a route we were already going to take the next day. 

OK, so onto the price breakdown. I'm betting many of you will find these details less interesting than I do, so I'll make it quick:

• New bed: $1400
• Small items from thrift stores (place mats, utensil holders, soap dispenser, spice rack): ~$40
• Cabinet with doors for kitchen, three cube storage shelves, sofa, living room TV stand, small bookcases, corner desk, desk chair: free
• Dining table and 4 chairs: free plus ~$30 in refinishing supplies
• Crocheted storage baskets: no additional cost (made from items on hand and acquired for free or bought a long time ago)

I think that's it. So as you can see, we came out well ahead after selling most of our old household stuff plus one car.

I hope the examples I gave you in this series are helpful if you have to move, downsize, or furnish a dwelling during these expensive times. See you next time!

5 frugal minimalist habits that are ruining the planet

Saving money is wonderful, especially these days. But being frugal at the expense of the environment is an issue that I think many people struggle with. This post is about frugal minimalist things that people do that are bad for the planet, and what you can do instead.

1. Looking only at prices
2. Shopping in all the wrong places
3. Spending money on the present, not the future
4. Not spending money when you should
5. Lack of planning

1. Looking only at prices

If your only factor when choosing what to buy is the price tag, you're missing the bigger picture. Purchasing decisions should be about the value of your money, not just paying the lowest amount possible. Here are 5 factors that you can add to the equation.

• Cost per weight. If you're buying something, such as food, a lot of the bigger supermarket chains will show you the cost-to-weight ratio. This may reveal that, for example, the 16 oz bag of rice that costs $0.76 breaks down to 4.8 cents per ounce, while twice as much rice costs $1.46 or 4.6 cents per ounce. The same math can be applied to just about any consumable product (not just food) to help better inform your decision about which price point works best for you. Obviously, you want to keep to amounts that you will use before it expires.
• Cost per use. A lower-quality item may be less expensive, but it will also wear out faster. You can spend about $4 on a pack of plastic disposable razors that you're only supposed to use once each. I chose instead to invest $15 into a metal safety razor that I have already had for over a year, and will likely have for many more years. A 50-pack of safety razor blades cost me $5.50 and after 12+ months, I still have over half of them left. 
• Quality of item. That razor I bought is definitely not the best quality available; you can buy safety razors for upwards of $200 that probably have warranties on them, and some that are specifically more eco-friendly. While that price point would still break down to very affordable throughout a lifetime, I think you can still get a decent-quality product for a good deal if you do some research. It rarely has to be one extreme or the other.
• Materials used for product and packaging. We never pay just for the product. We also pay for packaging, all the marketing on the package, and marketing that goes into the brand. Of course, getting something that's package-free and pre-owned is the simplest and most cost-effective way to eliminate the price of packaging, as someone else has already paid a good portion of that money upfront. However, buying used is not an option for food obviously, which is why I wrote the article about Eco-minimalist grocery shopping on a budget.
• Supply chain. There are so many new resource shortages that I read or watch about these days. Soil shortage. Sand shortage, rubber shortages. Then there are the shortages that are less new, like petroleum products of all kinds and our finite amount of fresh water. These are no joke and not to be ignored; they WILL get worse, and without intervention by everyone, the situation will become catastrophic. In some cases and for some people it already is catastrophic. I saw footage of a town in Arizona that has a water shortage so bad that people have zero access to water of any kind, from the city, whose water system is overwhelmed, or their own wells, which have run dry. They will have to leave their properties, and who will buy them without running water? Sadly, it has come to the point where every buying decision comes with consequences. Yes, I'm a broken record when I say that the solution is to do everything we can to keep what already exists in circulation for as long as possible. Take proper care of what you own; repair it if you can, and don't just throw it in the trash if you can't. If you think it's expensive to go shopping now, just think how much worse it will be when the resources needed to make new things no longer exist.

2. Shopping in all the wrong places

Product manufacturers and retailers know when they have you cornered. Movie theaters don't allow outside food, so if you're hungry, you're stuck paying $6.00 for a few cents worth of popcorn and some butter-flavored oil. You lose your sunglasses on a road trip and have to pay $30 for a replacement pair at a gas station.

There's a reason why they're called "convenience stores;" they have a few things conveniently located in high-traffic areas at astronomical prices. 

And don't even get me started on what a rip-off the various dollar stores are for what you get. But one report showed that each $1 item yielded an average of $0.35 - $0.80 profit. 

How well do you think something could possibly be made if it cost only $0.20 to make it?? Do you think the manufacturer (or the retailer) worried about the environment when they created or sold that product? Do you think they care that it's going to end up in the landfill in a month? No; and they actually look forward to that outcome. Because they make their profit on volume, so they hope items will break and you will come back as a repeat customer.

Aside from urgent/emergency situations, there are a few basic rules you can follow to ensure you don't run into the traps of spending your money in places that are bad for both the planet and your wallet. 

The general idea is to have a backup plan in place. If you own a vehicle, create a little emergency kit in a bag in your car with things you might need while on the road. What comes to mind for me are a blanket, extra sunglasses/eyeglasses, a first aid kit, spare clothes, water, shelf-stable snacks, utensils, a cloth napkin, a towel, some coins, and paper money, and an emergency phone charger. You can create a mini-version of this if you don't use a car, and put it into a bag or backpack.

At home, you can have a similar kit set aside for everyday life stuff, just in case an emergency happens and you need to leave the house quickly. Do similar planning for day-to-day food needs by meal prepping some items to store in the freezer and keeping staples on hand as for dry and canned goods. That way, you always have something to eat and don't have to get takeout when you don't feel like cooking.

Putting together these "kits" and stocking your kitchen is something that can happen over time--or, you may already have everything you need in your home and don't need to buy anything. There's usually no need to run out and buy what you want to include all at once. Be patient and choose carefully.

Lastly, learn not to give in to temptation. All the various techniques to avoid impulse buying and falling prey to marketing would require a separate article. But the goal for this article is to only ever buy gas at a gas station and to never step into a "convenience store" or a place that sells new junk for cheap ever again.

I'm aware that large portions of the U.S., and other countries, live in food deserts, and their only options to buy food places exactly like the ones I'm telling you to avoid. Obviously, if this is the case for you, then do what you need to to survive. If you need help with food or any other resources, here in the States you can dial 211. It looks like United Way has 211 services available worldwide as well, though I can't speak personally about that. For U.S.-based people, here's a website about how 211 works and the help you can get by calling: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/dial-211-essential-community-services

3. Spending money based on the present, not the future

Being eco-friendly is all about leaving a liveable planet for the future. So when you don't think of the consequences of what you do today and how they will affect tomorrow, chances are that you will make a less eco-conscious decision.

This once again requires restraint. Don't buy things just because you want them or they are affordable. There are many times I can recall in my life when I thought I "needed" something, and right away. It turned out that I really could have done without it.

Use methods such as a purchase pause to hold off on impulse buys. Keep a running list of things you want or need, saved on your phone, and take some time to try to track it down used.

Think as well about joining community groups that share items. Do you need to have this item on hand at all times, or can you borrow, barter for it, or rent it? Are there other ways to solve a problem than to buy something? Can you afford the upkeep of this particular item, and do you have a place to store it?

What other questions can you think of that are problems for tomorrow that buying something today might cause?

4. Not spending money when you should

Particularly where I live, it saddens me how much we've become a throw-away society. The trend is to have everything new, and marketing research likely shows that people will probably throw things away after a short time. This is great for them, so nothing is built to last.

Modern technology, clothing, and unfortunately, even people, are tossed aside once they don't meet societal standards. I've watched in anger as unhoused people where I live are shuffled from one place to another so that their housed neighbors don't have to look at them.

Just like with that issue, the first instinct for inanimate objects is often to get rid of them and buy something else shiny and new. This, too, is hurtful to people, because the objects that were thrown away were also made by people. If they were made cheaply, they were likely made overseas in unsafe conditions with underpaid employees by companies that care NOTHING for the environmental impact of their manufacturing practices. Then they ship a piece of plastic worth a few pennies across the world, burning large quantities of fossil fuels just so Westerners can save a few bucks, only to add to the landfill a short time later when the product inevitably falls apart too soon.

A better idea is to spend your money up-front with companies that have been vetted for being socially conscious. Try to get something that can be repaired, refurbished, recycled, or upcycled. And if something can be fixed or altered instead of tossed out, make that investment.

5. Lack of planning

A time-tested marketing strategy is creating a sense of urgency. Launches of new products are hyped up ahead of time using catchy music, celebrities or influencers, and alluring graphics. Then an "introductory price for a limited time only" creates a flood of sales. The buying frenzy, fed by a wave of hive-minded consumers intent on having the latest and greatest, drags everyone along until we've all spent money on a product that rarely holds up under scrutiny.

I don't want the latest smartphone or the newest TV. I don't want a new car model fresh from the factory, and I certainly don't want to be the guinea pig for the latest fad supplements or another throwaway clothing brand advertising on Instagram.

If you let time pass before you try a new product, it allows others to give feedback on how it works in the real world. You can bypass all the safety recalls and faulty parts that the brand-new buyers have to sort out. After a few months or years, you have a clear picture of how well consumers actually like something and how well it works. Then you'll know if it's really worth your money.

Play the long game and take your time. Plan waaaaay in advance. For example, I have a super-secret project I'm working on that may happen 6-12 months from now. And even though it's far away, I am starting to collect the supplies I will need now. I'm looking in the free sections, visiting thrift stores, and asking people I know if they have what I need. My very last resort is to buy anything new from a traditional retail store.

I hope you liked this episode of Marina scolding people for being cheap, lol. Just kidding (sort of 😉). I have almost completed furnishing our apartment so the wrap-up post on minimalist moving will be coming up soon.

4 frugal minimalist tips for moving

Moving is expensive. Whether you're buying, selling, or just moving from one rental to another, it costs money.

And if your journey is far, or you just broke the bank on a down payment or apartment deposit, you probably don't have much left for an expensive moving company. Let's talk about how to move on the cheap.

1. Why make your move frugal minimalist?
2. Plan ahead as far as possible
3. Minimize your possessions to maximize your savings
4. Be patient and frugal in your new place 

1. Why make your move frugal minimalist?

I think moving expenses are something many people don't budget for. Or, they can't budget for it because they need the money for other things.  Fuel prices in my area have increased a lot lately, which makes tight budgets stretch even thinner.

As discussed in the last post, the least frugal (or minimalist) thing you can do is to blindly pack up everything you own, pay to move it, and then stuff it into your new house. Unless you own a house full of priceless antiques, I'm guessing that much of your furniture is not worth the cost of moving it. 

Before you get offended, let me throw some stats at you. According to Zillow, people moving within the same city can pay an average of $475 for a local move. A 4-bedroom house costs maybe $1200 to bring across town.

Meanwhile, long-distance moves with full-service movers range from $2000 to $5000 according to the same Zillow article. 

But I think the article is either old, or the estimates are way too low. Just for kicks, I checked out what it would cost to rent from U-Haul going from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. The smallest truck (that is supposed to hold a studio or 1-bedroom apartment) would cost $3488 and that doesn't include the cheapest insurance for the truck rental, use of any dollies, moving blankets, boxes, packing materials, moving helpers, any additional miles, cost of fuel, or more than one months' storage if you need it when you arrive at your new destination. This can add several hundred dollars to your costs. A move that far would also usually mean you would need to buy food and pay for hotel rooms along the way. Even about halfway across the country (I picked Des Moines, IA) started at $2286 for the smallest truck. 

The containers that people rent and then a truck picks them up and drops them off are even more expensive, and then you still have to get any living beings (people, pets, plants) and any restricted items, personal vehicles, etc. to your new home. U-Haul seemed to have the cheapest prices I could find, so I don't know how anyone could get away with a DIY move for under $2000.

These high costs are exactly why using frugal minimalist techniques to relocate is to your advantage,

One goal with a frugal minimalist move is to bring as few items as possible. Lots of stuff means either a bigger truck or many trips, and either way, you'll be spending more on gas.

I also read recently on the news that not only are thieves stealing gas from people's cars and trucks, but they are also stealing moving trucks. This is leading to reduced availability when you're trying to rent a truck. I'm sure the cost of those losses is also passed on to the consumer by the company. And losing everything you own when someone steals your moving truck is not good.

So the solution is to cut back and then cut back some more until you have only the barest essentials and maybe some personal items to bring with you.

At this point, you're probably thinking that if you bring hardly anything with you, you'll need to spend money to replace it when you get to your new place. Don't worry, I've got you covered with ideas to keep your move frugal even after you've moved in.

The traditional way of moving does not typically line up with frugality or minimalism, so there will be some tweaks to that method. It may feel uncomfortable doing things differently. But if being frugal is your goal or necessity, then these tips will help you.

2. Plan ahead as far as possible

Taking your time and planning are best, but don't worry. I'll give you some ideas you can do quickly to make your move frugal and minimalist as well. Bear with me as some of this information may be old news to experienced home buyers, sellers, and renters. I'm trying to list as many things as possible that people should plan for.

We just finished selling a home and also tried to buy one simultaneously. I can tell you that doing just one of those takes a lot of effort. There is so much paperwork, so many appointments, and a lot of stress as you wait and hope that everything will line up. There's less of that with renting, but even so, the time goes quickly from when you commit to moving to a new place until it actually happens.

I know some people ask for a "rentback" (where you rent the home from the new owners after you sell it), a very long closing period, or ask to have the sale conditional upon finding a new home. Those weren't good options for us, but they could be for other people.

Deciding to plan ahead means that you do as much of the work as you can long before you move. There are lots of free websites and online calculators that you can use to estimate how much a move would cost. Research the type of homes in the area you're looking at and see how much they go for. If you're looking to rent, don't accept the rental prices listed at face value--I've called many apartments that never updated the rents online, and the place cost way more than I thought it would.

It's important as well to think of all the hidden costs that come with moving. For an apartment rental, that usually means application fees, security deposits, and first and last month's rent. 

For a first-time home buyer, if you want to apply for grants, you may have to pay to take seminars to get financial assistance. If you've never bought a house before or it's been more than three years since you've owned a home, you are typically considered a first-time home buyer and can be eligible for special programs that may be available at the federal, state, and local levels. Paying a small fee to be eligible for these programs can save you thousands of dollars, so not doing it is like leaving money on the table.

Here in the U.S., generally, lenders require an appraisal at a minimum, which the buyer has to pay for out of pocket (Yes, I know that during the recent house-buying craze, people were waiving appraisals and inspections. That's an exception to the rule and something I'd never recommend). 

Home inspections are also generally important to get and must be paid for in advance. If issues come up that need repair during the inspection, then the buyer must decide whether they can afford to pay for those themselves or ask the seller to fix them. 

Regardless of which route you choose, likely, the house will still have repairs come up after you buy it. I've heard this from many people; inspectors simply don't find every fault in a house, no matter how meticulous they are. There can be intermittent issues that aren't happening at the time of inspection, the inspector can't access something because there's something in the way, or they simply miss it. 

Also, a deal may fall through. This can happen if buyers and sellers can't come to an agreement about repairs, or if the appraisal doesn't match the selling price of the house and one or both parties can't or won't adjust for the difference. Sometimes, a buyer or seller simply backs out for various reasons. If you're a buyer who already put money toward the house to have inspections or repairs done and then you suddenly can't buy it, you're out this money. Depending on the situation, there is no recourse and no refund for any services already rendered. And you will have to pay for them again for the next house.

As a buyer, your lender may also require you to have certain documents notarized as part of your loan application. This is probably one of the least expensive parts of home-buying. Some banks or insurance companies offer notary services for free to their clients. Other places charge, and it can be $5-10 per signature or more, plus additional expenses if you have a notary come to you.

Then there's the travel required to buy a house. Unless you're buying a house sight-unseen, there will be travel expenses involved, and you will probably spend time looking at several properties before you buy. If you're not buying within your same city, those expenses may increase to include meals, lodging, and more.

As a seller, your realtor may recommend taking certain steps to get your house ready for sale. This could be remodeling, repairs, renting furnishing for staging, or putting items in storage. Then as mentioned above, the buyer may ask you to pay for repairs after the inspection. You must also decide whether big-ticket items, such as a refrigerator, washer, and dryer, will stay with the house or come with you. These are heavy and take up space in a moving truck. But they are also some of the most expensive items to furnish a new place with (if you buy them new). If the buyer doesn't want them and you don't want to bring them, you can sell them and hopefully find buyers who are willing to coordinate their pickup with your moving.

There are also sometimes less common items a seller may need to pay for. For example during the inspection period, a buyer may ask for proof that work was done to code and permitted; records from the county may come with fees.

When we were ready to list our house, we decided we wanted to make it available for showings over a single weekend, starting on Friday until Sunday evening. We thought it would be stressful to be gone for 10-12 hours each day then come home just to sleep and have to put everything back in show-worthy condition again. So we decided to take a short trip and stay in a hotel for the weekend. It was nothing fancy for sure, just something to distract us. A more frugal option, if you have it, is to stay with family or friends.

It was still a stressful situation because hotels are never as comfortable as sleeping in your own bed, plus all the driving wore us out. But, we had probably close to 40 buyers come through over that weekend. The house was relatively unscathed, but some people were less respectful than others. It felt...icky to come home and know people had been messing around with some of our stuff. No personal items were disturbed, but other things happened. Strangely, someone wanted to investigate the inside of our furnace and didn't know how to replace the cover. Curtains were pulled aside in weird ways. Leaves and dirt were tracked inside from the back door, despite us providing THREE mats back there for people to wipe their feet on. There is definitely an emotional cost to having strangers roaming through your home. I'm just glad we were gone for the weekend. Otherwise, we might have had to experience that discomfort 3 times in a row instead of just one. I'm also glad we were able to sell our house through the offers made that weekend and didn't have to do more showings!

Depending on the state, buyers and sellers each pay various portions of the realtors' fees, and certain areas also require the services of a real estate attorney. Other costs that happen at the end of the sale are closing costs, which typically include fees for the title company (title insurance), recording fees, (optionally) points to pay down the interest rate, prorated payment of utilities, and prepayment of homeowner's insurance and property taxes. Sometimes, a buyer or seller will ask for a credit of closing costs to help cover some expenses, either during their offer or as a re-negotiation if repairs are needed. A seller may also offer (or a buyer may ask for) an extended home warranty for older houses or homes that have fixtures nearing the end of their lifespan.

Regardless of whether you rent or buy, there may be additional fees to transfer or turn on utilities. You might be required to rent or buy a new router for internet or pay a service fee for someone to come out and activate it. There will likely be an overlap between your first utility bills at your new place and your last bill at your old place. Also, if your wireless service doesn't have good coverage in your new location, you will probably have to switch providers, get a new SIM card, and maybe even a new phone.

If the climate is really different when you relocate, changing tires, updating vehicle maintenance (like switching out antifreeze), or even buying a different car might be in order. 

If you use public transportation, you will need to buy new transit passes. Changing your address also has fees involved. At the very least, you have mail forwarding with the post office (costs $1.10 online) and changing your info with the DMV. If you want your address to be correct on your ID, most places make you pay to change it. Or if you move states, you need a different ID or driver's license.

Then there's the cost of all the paperwork, passports, and visas if you're traveling to a new country.

These are all financial possibilities that my partner and I or people we know have encountered in renting, buying, and selling. I'm sure that I'm missing some, and of course, I don't know how things work in every state and in other countries. If you know of more, please comment below.

Now, if you can't plan ahead--trust me, I've been there. Storytime. You may remember I spoke a while back about living in my first apartment with a roommate? Well, she turned out to be a nightmare to live with. She did a lot of upsetting things, including having screaming matches late at night with her boyfriend, moving her sister in with us, and then having loud fights with her as well. Then she and the sister started yelling at me.

My roommate would also often have trouble paying her share of the rent, leaving it up to me by myself to keep us current. She would always pay me back later, thankfully. But it showed me that I could pay more in rent if I managed my money carefully, and that planted a seed. 

I'd already been secretly looking around for another apartment when I had a huge blow-up with first the big sister, who then drove off in her car, then the little sister, who started threatening me with physical violence. I was done for good at that point.

I called up my family and asked if I could stay with them temporarily. Then I contacted all my friends and asked them if they could help me move. Within a few hours, I was out of that apartment. 

I found a new apartment very quickly. My friends once again kindly lent their vehicles (and themselves) to move my stuff. It wasn't a lot to move, but it was nice to have help.

Here are the advantages that allowed me to move quickly and easily:

• I had almost nothing to move. Nearly everything in the kitchen and all of the living room/dining room furniture belonged to my roommate. As far as furniture, I had a dresser, a desk, a bed, a small bookcase, and I think one bedside table. Everything I owned fit in a 10x12 bedroom.
• Most of my stuff was lightweight and easy to transport in regular cars. My bed at the time was a futon. The mattress folded in half easily, and the frame was easy to disassemble the frame. The rest of the items were clothes, books, toiletries, and other small random things.
• I was very lucky to have good friends who showed up for me in a pinch. It was also great that I had free a place to stay while I transitioned.

If I didn't have my relative's house to stay in, I would have rented the cheapest hotel room I could find. I would have taken the bare minimum with me and either tried to go back later to get the rest or just let it go. It's just stuff, after all.

If I didn't have my own car or any friends to help me and really wanted/needed to bring all my things with me, I would probably have taken public transport to the nearest U-Haul and rented the cheapest truck available. They have this deal where a one-way rental comes with a free month in a storage unit. A one-way rental typically just means you don't return your truck to the same city, so that storage unit can help buy you some time to try to find a new place.

On the other hand, if I had a week or more, I would have sold everything I could to get as much cash as possible. 

Being frugal can get uncomfortable, depending on how far you push it. But when you're in a jam, it gets the job done. And for me, it ended up leading to a safer and happier living arrangement.

3. Minimize your possessions to maximize your savings

Here it comes--becoming more minimalist so you can move frugally. If you're cringing about the thought of doing this to your entire dwelling, don't worry. There are tons of free resources out there on the web, including some right on this blog.

How to Declutter in 5 Steps

How to Get Rid of Your Stuff (And Why It's So Hard)

As we got ready to move, we found it was helpful to run out of things on purpose. This may be scary in a time of shortages, so obviously don't apply this to necessities such as required medications.

But for anything else, you'll find it saves you a lot of money to use up all of what you have before you buy any more (and not buy large quantities when you go to replace them).

There are 3 categories of consumable goods that we downsized:

1. Cleaning supplies: My partner had various supplies laying around when I moved in. They are items that I wouldn't buy because they have a bunch of chemicals that worry me, and I haven't used any of them (and neither has my partner) once I explained my concerns. We also don't want to pass them along to anyone we know, throw them in the trash, or pour them down the drain. So we collected them to bring to our local waste disposal center. As for the cleaners we do use, they are just simple vinegar and baking soda. They don't take up a lot of space and were easy to transport safely.
2. Cosmetics and personal hygiene: I'm someone who likes to always have a backup of things like toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. But for moving purposes, I was really careful to not buy replacements too soon so we didn't have extras sitting around. Some cosmetics sat unused for years. I made the decision to throw some away (I hate causing waste) because they were expired and I was never going to use them. Other items, I'm forcing myself to use when I can remember just so I'm not putting them in the landfill. I will not be buying any replacement make-up.
3. Food: We did a good job of clearing out our fridge and freezer. Both fresh and frozen foods cannot be at 40-140 degrees (Fahrenheit) for more than 2 hours or they should be thrown out. This danger zone is where bacteria accumulate and can make people sick. Just to minimize risk, we reduced our food way down. It was the last thing we packed and the first we unpacked (only a 30-minute trip for our move). In our pantry storage, we did not buy any more jarred or canned goods until we moved, as they are the heaviest items. We actively searched out recipes to use up any and all food that we had left while only minimally supplementing with grocery store items like fresh produce. 

Besides that, we took a hard look at all our stuff. Our sofas were not worth bringing with us, so they were sold. We have (my partner's) end tables and a coffee table that are heavy and might break during moving; they sold. My partner had an older, very heavy TV that didn't make the journey with us. My old bedroom furniture from my childhood did not come either, and random things that my partner's former roommate left behind were also rehomed before moving. We had 2 sets of dishes; the larger set did not move with us. 

One thing I'm particularly happy about is that my partner has decided that they have too many knick-knacks and decorative items. They sold a lot of them online. Fragile pieces like these need more packing materials to protect them. So even though they are mostly small and light, they will use up the volume in transport space.

If you want to know the best ways to sell off your possessions before moving, check out our article, How to Sell Your Stuff for Cash.

There were a few things that we stocked up on and didn't declutter during this time. We saved up old clothing, towels, and rags to use as packing material. Same with junk mail, especially those throwaway newspaper ads that get put into every mailbox. Lastly, we saved boxes and packing from items that were shipped to us, and asked our local grocery store for apple and banana boxes. We noticed that lots of people give away bunches of used shipping boxes and packing materials on Craigslist as well, which you can use as a resource if needed. Possessions that we don't need right now but are definitely bringing (like off-season clothes) were packed up and labeled far in advance, so we had a better idea of how many more boxes and how much packing material we still needed.

We ended up moving everything in our personal vehicles (a smaller pick-up and small SUV) with only a small U-Haul trailer. It only took 2 trips, which I was super happy about.

4. Be patient and frugal in your new place

So you've gotten rid of almost everything that you own to save on moving costs. But after you move, you still need things, right? If you buy a bunch of replacement items right after you move, then all that money you saved was for nothing.

Being patient is the key here. Don't just make up a list of everything you used to have and buy new ones. You're in a different space now, and that means different needs. Sit with the bare minimum at your place and see what you really need. For example, is it really necessary to have that 12-person dining set when you have a family of 4 and never have more than 2 people over to visit?

How about a coffee table? Do you really need one AND end tables? Do you just think you should get them because you've always had them? Or do you want one because you think it looks good, but it ends up just being a place to collect clutter?

If this is your first place, you might simply have no furniture to bring with you. After you're done paying to move in, maybe you don't have any money left to buy brand-new stuff.

We're going to use a lot of tips mentioned in my predecessor's article about furnishing a house for free. All the ideas are already there, so I won't repeat them in this post. The difference is that instead of collecting items beforehand, we'll wait until we get into the new place and keep it empty until we find what we want.

This does mean that for a while, we may have some things still in boxes while we find appropriate storage for them. But that's OK with us because we have all the basic clothes, toiletries, and kitchen stuff easily accessible.

Moving is expensive enough. Why make it worse? This is a time to really resist the temptation to follow what everyone else does and burn your savings or max out credit to get all-new stuff. Don't let the pressure to be materialist, and compete for who looks like they have the best toys, make you fall into a financial black hole.

In an upcoming post, I'll give you more info about why we moved, where we moved to, and how we furnished our new place on a really tight budget. I will wait until we're done furnishing, so other topics will be covered in between.

What is extreme minimalism?

How is extreme minimalism different from other types of minimalism? I decided to do this as a separate post from my last post about anti-mainstream minimalist concepts because there are so many different aspects of extreme minimalism. This topic needs an article of its own! 

What I find interesting is that when I looked into extreme minimalism, I think there are a lot of misconceptions about it. But I'll get into that in a little bit. Here is the run-down of topics:

1. What does extreme minimalism mean?
2. Examples of extreme minimalism
3. Misconceptions about extreme minimalism
4. The benefits of extreme minimalism
5. Is extreme minimalism selfish?

What does extreme minimalism mean?

Just as a refresher, "minimalism," as defined by this blog's original owner, means letting go of things that are less important--whether it be things, activities, or people--to focus on what's more important.

In contrast, extreme minimalism is about paring your life down to the necessities. Some people may refer to it as essential minimalism, or essentialism, which is evaluating wants and needs, with a preference towards only acquiring what you need. If you want more details about essential minimalism, we have a post all about it here.

Examples of extreme minimalism

Besides essentialism, there are several examples of minimalist archetypes that can fall under extreme minimalism. For one, there are types of experiential minimalists called nomadic minimalists (the article goes into some detail about minimalist nomad life). 

I also recently did a post specifically about sailboat-dwelling minimalist nomads because I read a book about it that I liked so much. Other types of nomadic minimalists are people who live/travel in vehicles on land or people who live out of suitcases or backpacks, like people who hop from one Airbnb to another or who are professional house-sitters.

But extreme minimalists don't have to be nomads. They can live in a small space in one place, such as an apartment. Their home can be very minimal in aesthetic, possessions, and cost. This can include a lack of decorations and furniture. I'd say my bedroom makeover in my old apartment probably falls into the extreme minimalist category. 

While a "normal" minimalist could streamline their clothing with a capsule wardrobe, an extreme minimalist would go down to a single change of clothes, shoes, etc. (plus an extra for wash day). 

They could also own a single set of silverware, one plate, bowl, cup, etc. per person. 

Some people choose to have mats or pillows as their only seating, no TVs or other personal electronics and place their mattress on the floor. They only have one set of sheets. They're "zero waste." 

Some people base their minimalism on how many possessions they own overall. I read about this 100 things challenge where you downsize until you have only 100 things left. I also saw that one person has 15 possessions!!!

I have to admit, I kind of drowned in all the ways you can be an extreme minimalist. I'm going to truncate my descriptions so it doesn't take you an hour to read this post. Here are some more:

• Fasting/intermittent fasting/very low-calorie diet
• Abstinence
• Sobriety
• Religious/spiritual pilgrimage
• Extreme frugal minimalism

Basically, any way you can be a minimalist, you can take it to an extreme level. 

Misconceptions about extreme minimalism

I think people unfamiliar with how regular minimalism works might look at extreme minimalism and think that it's normal minimalism. That everyone who says they're a minimalist only owns 15 things and lives in a 200 square-foot apartment with a mattress on the floor and a single pair of socks. 

I think this assumption is what leads people to go overboard in their minimalist journey, thinking they have to meet other people's expectations. They eliminate what's important because they think they have to. Then they regret their decision, end up "hating minimalism," and become anti-minimalists because they think that will make them happy.

Whether you take conservative steps or extreme ones, your minimalist journey should be about what's right for you. Giving things up that enrich your life is not minimalist. It's sacrifice. 

Likewise, people who criticize others for being too extreme or not minimalist enough don't really understand minimalism either. If a minimalist wants to have 50 t-shirts or 100 paper books or save 3000 pictures, how does that hurt anyone?

I also don't see a problem with someone being not minimalist for special occasions. Maybe they're a frugal minimalist all year, but they splurge on an awesome annual vacation, treat their partner to a luxurious anniversary date, or spoil their grandchild on their birthday.

The benefits of extreme minimalism

While this type of minimalism is not for everyone, there are some potential benefits. Even more so than standard minimalist practices, extreme minimalism could lead to more free time, debt elimination, stress reduction, early retirement, the ability to pursue your passions instead of chasing a paycheck, better physical health, and a smaller impact on the environment. 

It's just a question of creating a balance until you maximize benefits and minimize side effects. Depending on one's tolerance for extremism, in theory, the more extreme one goes, the more benefits one receives.  

Is extreme minimalism selfish?

As I was reading about this topic, I actually came across a few articles that addressed this question. In their minds, anything extreme has the potential to be selfish. 

If you minimize your possessions while only considering yourself, then this could lead to complications. For example, one person said she had dinner guests over and drank her wine from a coffee mug because she only owns 2 wine glasses. But, she reasoned, this was still better than not having enough glasses to serve them wine at all.

I guess that's one way to think about it. Another way is that it's pretty shallow and privileged to be worried about whether you're drinking your wine from a mug or a wine glass. I wonder how much of her concern was about her worry of how others saw her?

My predecessor on this blog told me that it isn't uncommon for RVers to not have enough chairs, cups, or even food to accommodate guests, due to their limited storage space and tiny little kitchen areas. She said this is acknowledged as part of RV life, and there's an easy solution for it. When one RVer invites another over for a gathering, you ask what you should bring. Whether it's side dishes, a chair, or even your own plate, this is something that's considered an acceptable ask of your guests. Nobody gets judgy about it or thinks it's rude. It's common for the RVing community to share what they have and help others when they can. Isn't that nice?

And actually, my parents raised me that a polite guest always asks what they can bring or do to help when they're invited to someone else's home. When did it become a rule that what someone brings has to be limited to a bottle of wine or a bag of chips? 

Someone else said that when he was a minimalist, he was a "taker" because he lived in a trailer and rode a bike everywhere. So he could be a guest, but not have a guest. And he couldn't give anyone a ride anywhere. He also mentioned that he was strapped for cash.

I don't understand why it's selfish if you can't afford a car or an extra bed sitting around in case, someday, you need to use them?? When did living within your means make you a "taker?" 

Or what if you just think that's wasteful? I think it's more of a problem that people are perceived as selfish for not owning excess things instead of evaluated for the quality of their personality and morals.

Also, if you only have to work part-time because you're an extreme frugal minimalist, maybe that means you can offer free dog walks to a neighbor or be available to drive your relative to their doctor's appointment. It means you don't have to miss important things in the lives of your loved ones because you're too busy working. That doesn't seem selfish to me.

But in the end, it isn't always bad to be a little selfish. Everyone is entitled to live in an authentic way, and sometimes that means that your wants and needs take priority over what other people want or expect you to do. It's unhealthy to give all your time and energy to everyone else. Even the most altruistic amongst us recognize the importance of keeping themselves healthy so they can help more people. 

Right now, there are a lot of problems in this world that are the result of perceiving things a certain way that is not the most useful. If we want to improve our situation, it has to start in our heads and being open to thinking differently. Extreme minimalism might not be for everyone, but the concepts are certainly food for thought. 

Eco-minimalist grocery shopping on a budget

How do you buy groceries in an eco-minimalist and budget-friendly way? I'm about to tell you. But first, let me get this out of the way. This is not about "zero waste" shopping.

In case you didn't know, zero waste was a term developed for industrial purposes in the 1970s specifically an electronics company. It's since been adopted by other businesses and consumers, but in reality, no consumer can be zero waste. By virtue, a consumer will create waste due to their consumption because each item they buy comes from an organization that produces waste. Also, zero waste is a term I've seen influencers and brands use incorrectly for what they were actually doing. For example, someone did a zero waste "grocery haul" but then bought several of food products that I know for a fact are not compostable or recyclable. That isn't zero waste!

I also want to add that if you're in a food desert or food-insecure, please check out this link for the U.S., this link for Canada, this website for the UK. For any different countries, try searching for food banks in ____ (enter country or city).

Anyway, here's the index for this article.

1. Resources
2. Origins
3. Time of year
4. Beyond the packaging

1. Resources

Here in the U.S., Litterless has a zero-waste grocery guide by state. Check on the "nationwide" link for companies that ship to the U.S. if there's nothing local on the list. If possible, find out which of these companies use carbon-neutral/carbon-negative shipping, or buy your own carbon offsets.

However, I have a few problems with the Litterless resource. For example, not every state is listed. I noticed right away that Idaho doesn't have a link. Then as I mentioned, there's the whole zero-waste thing. If a company doesn't want to be associated with that term or feel (maybe incorrectly) that they don't meet the requirements, then they won't be on the list. But that doesn't mean that at least some of their business practices are not low-waste or eco-minimalist. I think you can work with just about any store out there to limit your waste when shopping.

For example, I like to shop at a place called Winco. They have low prices and a great bulk food section, but you're supposedly not allowed to bring your own containers. For nut butter and some liquids, they have plastic containers that are probably new plastic and the tops are not recyclable. For everything else in bulk, they offer plastic bags that they say are recyclable, but it's sometimes difficult to find a place to do that. They are also made from new plastic. I've snuck in my reusable produce bags for things like pasta and rice in bulk, and the cashiers never say anything to me. They already don't subtract the weight of the containers, so I don't see that I'm really losing any money by doing this. A quick comparison tells me that the bulk prices are often cheaper than the prices of pre-packaged options. Bulk foods are not waste-free, but the volume of food to the ratio of packaging is different than buying individual packages.

One thing I don't like about Winco is that they don't compost their food waste or seem to have any arrangements to give stock to food banks or shelters. I feel like this is something that every business in the foodservice industry should be doing in this day and age. 

Another issue I have is how around Thanksgiving, Winco gives a "free" turkey to anyone who purchases at least $100 worth of groceries. We don't eat turkey, we asked if they could donate it to a food bank instead. Nope. Well, could we get a free large bag of rice or potatoes instead? Nope--even though these things are probably cheaper than a turkey. Not very inclusive. It's nice for some people, but not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving or even eats turkey.  It also makes me wonder how many of those frozen turkeys get thrown in the dumpster every year because people don't spend $100 per visit and/or don't buy them.

Some estimates are that food waste composes as much as 50% of the waste that goes into the landfill. There's a misconception that it will just compost in a landfill, which it doesn't. It breaks down in a way that releases methane gas into the atmosphere, which is the last thing we need more of. 

Businesses that sell food certainly create a large portion of this food waste, but what households produce adds up in a collective way. There are simple and free things you can do at home to reduce your food waste:

• Know what you have on hand before you shop and when it will expire
• Plan out your meals and create a list so that you only buy what you need
• Learn the best way to store items to keep them from going bad
• Freeze foods before they rot if you know you won't have time to eat them first
• Find out how to arrange your refrigerator to keep food fresh
• Buy only exactly what you need 95% of the time. For example, did you know that cooking with oil is generally not necessary? It's also expensive and usually, the containers are very wasteful, I use vegetable broth, a little water with spices, or nothing to cook my food, and it comes out just as well. Growing crops that result in cooking oils can lead to soil erosion, endangering native plants with pesticides, adding more toxic residues to your diet, high water usage, and native forest/plant/rainforest deforestation.  Also, farmers from both this country and developing countries are often mistreated and under-compensated in general, but oil production is big business. So mistreatment is more likely to happen in farmers aligned with agro-corps like cooking oil usually is.
• For more tips, I found this blog post that includes tips about a 5-minute meal plan, composting, food prep, and more. She even has links to tips about composting when you live in an apartment.

Speaking of composting, that's something I recently started doing. I didn't do it in my apartment, because I didn't know how to work with my lack of outdoor space. But since I moved into my partner's house, we got a scrap container for the kitchen (thrifted) and one of those tumbler composters (free from Craigslist!). Since we eat plant-based, all our food scraps go in there and I'm proud to say that we no longer put any food into the landfill. We also buy some products that have home-compostable packaging and put that into our composter as well. We're still learning, but so far it's been really easy to maintain composting as a part of our routine.

While we're on the topic of home waste, think about the non-food waste left by any products you buy, and make sure you're clear about how to dispose of them. Don't be a wishcycler!

Other options for eco-minimalist groceries are: 

• imperfect food boxes, where they deliver you perfectly good food that doesn't look pretty enough to go to the store
• shopping for clearance items if you know you'll eat something soon or can freeze it--this stuff often gets thrown away
• restaurant supply stores open to the public, which sometimes have bulk foods at lower prices
• farm co-ops and farmer's markets
• mom & pop stores that want to please their customers by catering to people who care about the environment

If you have any other resources, please comment down below so other people can use them as well!

Origins

Find out where your food is coming from. If you live in the far northern hemisphere and you're buying something that originated in the far southern hemisphere, that food is probably going to be more expensive, not as fresh, and have created a lot of pollution to get to you. Even if it's a banana with no packaging, that doesn't mean it's the most eco-minimalist choice. If your store doesn't have clear labeling about the origins of the food they sell, then ask. While you're at it, try to advocate for a systemic mandate for your area.

I'm sure many people are balking at the thought of giving up a beloved food because it came from the opposite side of the world. But I can tell you from personal experience that people are creatures of habit. I have switched out items that I really liked for ones that I liked less, whether for health reasons or due to food shortages. I just kept eating it and with time, found that I had a new habit of liking that food! Give yourself credit for having the discipline to change your food habits, and reserve less sustainable foods for rare occasions. You got this!

Time of year

People talk about eating in-season, but I doubt many actually follow through on this. A quick internet search should tell you what's actually ripe and fresh for your area and time of year.

I've seen and heard about some weird things even at farmer's markets, like farms selling things way outside of the normal growing season. In states warmer than mine, I guess there aren't really "seasons" and some things are grown year-round, even though they probably don't taste as good. For example, I read that ruby red grapefruit is supposed to be in season from October to May. It's November right now, and the ones at my local store are pale and have weird spots on them--not ruby-colored at all! But to be fair, I doubt grapefruits grow well where I live anyway. What was my point? Don't rely on your stores or farmer's markets to provide in-season foods. They're going to sell what makes them money. Do your research.

Beyond the packaging

Most packaged foods have websites these days. I don't just care about the packaging, I care about the business practices of the company. If the website doesn't have a page outlining their sustainability practices, I email them and ask them why and request they send me that info. I believe every business with a website should discuss its sustainability efforts. This shouldn't even be optional any longer, because at this point it's critical that everyone and every company is thinking about how their actions impact the planet's future.

It's important that a company is transparent about the entire supply chain involved in every product, not just the packaging it ends up in. They should also be using eco-conscious vendors as well as incorporating sustainable practices in places like their offices and break rooms.

But of course, they could be lying about how sustainable things really are. At least a few of the larger companies have been caught out on that. They put out statements that say "our goal is to do X by 2020" but don't explain how. Then 2020 ends and they never update their website to report that they've actually done X.

This is why I try to avoid packaging as much as possible. It's just easier than trying to research a million different items to try to find the best option. That way, I can focus on just a few brands that I know are doing a good job.

I also try to make things myself as much as possible. This is easier than it sounds because I do things that only take a few minutes but go a long way toward making my meals filling and healthy. I use a pressure cooker, so making rice takes less than 60 seconds of my time. Beans take about 2 minutes (because of soaking), or maybe 10 minutes if I want to puree them (e.g. hummus or not-refried beans). The pressure cooker does the bulk of the work for me and they come out perfectly cooked every time. I use this same tool to make potatoes in bulk, cook ears of corn, artichokes, or spaghetti squash. I think this is a great option for people who either don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen or are intimidated by cooking from scratch.

In conclusion, you don't have to go to fancy stores like Whole Foods to be an eco-minimalist grocery shopper. You can do it on a budget and without spending all your time working on food-related issues.

Eco-minimalist crafting ideas on a budget

I love crafts. My favorites are crochet, painting, and sewing. But sometimes, I worry about buying supplies new and how that affects the environment. This article discusses all the ways I've found to enjoy doing crafts in an eco-minimalist and budget-friendly way.

1. Resources that offer pre-owned crafting supplies
2. Ask around
3. Don't throw anything away
4. Have patience 
5. My eco-minimalist budget crafting

1. Resources that offer pre-owned crafting supplies

There's going to be some overlap here with the resources in my beginner's eco-minimalist tips article. I'll leave a few here, but I recommend referring back to that list for more options. 

• thrift stores
• garage sales
• online peer-to-peer marketplaces
• creative reuse centers list: http://www.reuseresources.org/find-a-center.html
• https://makeandmendshop.com/
• https://www.onlinethrift.net/Crafts-and-Craft-Supplies
• http://www.creative-resale.com/site
• salvage and upcycling stores (like Habitat for Humanity ReStore)
• https://hootofloot.com/ad-category/arts-crafts/miscellaneous-art-supplies/
• https://www.preloved.co.uk/classifieds/hobbies/arts-crafts
• https://www.seconduse.com/
• https://www.texasartasylum.com/
• http://artresourcecenter.org/content/materials.html

I'm sure there are many places local to larger metropolitan areas as well. I saw a bunch of them while I was searching, but they didn't ship orders so I didn't include them. 

A lot of these places don't just offer partially-used supplies, either. People donate brand-new items that they bought and didn't end up using as well. For example, I've gotten unused skeins of yarn still in their wrapper and unopened bottles of paint. I would rather buy these from places that support the ideals I believe in than get them from a chain store where their money goes to create more waste and profit. 

2. Ask around

I bet you that you know at least one person who has some craft supplies that they're not using. From what I've heard, there are also networks of artists or crafters who offer up things they don't want to others.

Sometimes, people have stuff laying around that they forgot about, and they don't think to give it away until someone asks for it. I saw that all the time in my local Buy Nothing group.

I looked it up, and here are a few sites I found:

• https://doodlewash.com/forums/forum/art-supply-swap/
• https://www.atcsforall.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?42-Art-Supply-Swaps-and-Misc-Trades
• https://swapdex.blogspot.com/
• https://www.flickr.com/groups/fabricswap/
• https://www.flickr.com/groups/1120045@N20/ ("Craft Room De-Stash)
• https://craftster.org/
• swap-bot.com
• https://www.facebook.com/craftswaps/

3. Don't throw anything away

What might be useless to you could be valuable to another maker, and vice-versa. I found so many upcycled products on Etsy from things I never would have thought of myself.

Here's this website with amazing pieces of art made from reclaimed and salvaged material. Here are some of my favorites:

Nelson Mandela in plastic and broken necklaces

Plastic, metal, and wood

From cars, motorcycles, and planes

I also found this great website called causeartist where artists raise awareness about pollution through their artwork. They use trash and found items as their media.

If you don't consider yourself an artist, there are still lots of options using recycled materials. I think Pinterest is kinda famous for this, but there are plenty of other places you can find ideas. Here's one website that has some simple beginner crafts that should be accessible to most people: https://www.naturalbeachliving.com/crafts-made-from-recycled-materials/.

However, if you still end up with items that you don't know what to do with, here are a few more articles with resources you can donate to.

https://www.creativelive.com/blog/where-to-donate-craft-supplies/

4. Have patience

Just like with buying anything else used, you're not likely to have immediate access to whatever you want. But isn't that part of the fun of being creative? I love being innovative with what I have access to, and designing projects based on what I'm able to find.

When I first started doing crafts that involved patterns, I would pick out a pattern and then buy the materials (all new) to create the project. Now, I do one of 3 things.

1. I only do projects that will work with supplies I already have
2. I pick the pattern based on the materials I have or am able to find
3. I don't use a pattern at all, or improvise on a template to make it work with what's on hand

The tricky thing is when you're not sure how much you have of something and if it will be enough to do what you want. That's where extra patience comes in. I have some projects that are partially finished because I didn't have enough. I keep samples of what I'm using anytime I make a trip to a local store that might have craft supplies. That way I can check it against whatever they have and see if it will work.

5. My eco-minimalist budget crafting

I'll talk about crochet first because that's what I do the most. A lot of my crochet hooks used to belong to my grandmother, so I didn't even have an initial investment of tools! As mentioned, I get most of my yarn second-hand. New yarn has gotten SO expensive! I recently needed to replenish my stash and got about $400-500 worth of yarn (retail value) for $60, plus the large basket the previous owner was keeping it in. That yarn will probably last me for the next few years with little to no supplementation.

I sometimes design things myself. Other times, I use free patterns. I get them from yarn manufacturer websites, but my favorite place is called Ravelry. You have to sign up, but it's free and then you have access to an unlimited amount of crafting genius! 

Patterns are available for crochet, knitting, machine knitting, and loom knitting. There are paid patterns as well, and you can search and sort using all kinds of parameters.

For sewing, as I mentioned previously, I found a sewing machine at a thrift store for only $25. I looked around for a while, and it was the only one that included a power cord (and the foot pedal). I plugged it in at the store to make sure it worked.

I can't speak for the newer machines, because I've never used one. I learned to sew on my mom's old Singer, and the one I have now is from Sears and was probably made in the 70s or 80s. But that's a good thing, because the machines are entirely mechanical, and their simplicity makes them easy to maintain and fix. When I got it home, it needed some oiling, cleaning, and tuning. But since I did that, it's been working great!

I have worked with brand-new fabric and brand-new patterns before, but that's neither cost-effective nor eco-minimalist. These days, I have a few things I do regularly with sewing.

• If I have a pattern that I like, I'll trace it onto scratch paper so that the original can be used over and over without damage. Pattern paper is very fragile.
• If I'm trying to build/alter a piece of clothing based on something I already own, I use that clothing as a pattern. No paper is needed.
• I alter clothing by pinning it to size while I'm wearing it inside out. I did this recently with a man's shirt I thrifted and converted into a tunic for myself.

If you only get thrifted (or gifted) clothes, then experimenting with altering them to fit your body and style is a lot less expensive. It's also better for the environment. 

As clothing wears out for me, I see if I can upcycle it into other garments, bags, or whatever. I have 2 t-shirts that are about to be on their 3rd iteration since I got them--I'm going to weave them into reusable grocery bags. I also have a sleeveless top with a hole in it. I plan on replacing the damaged area with some crochet embellishments.

Also, I've seen some really cool things being made out of thrifted blankets, quilts, and bedsheets. When my area started having a mask mandate, there were no masks to be found anywhere, in local stores (which I couldn't visit anyway) or online. I ended up looking up a mask pattern online and used some elastic hair ties and an old, ripped pillowcase to make a few masks. I have some other old sheets that have been hanging around for years. When I next need some new pajamas, those sheets are in for a transformation.

As for painting, there are some simple options that some people might find controversial. Someone came across some used canvases and gave them to me. Some were partially finished, and 1 was just plain ugly. I plan to paint over them. 

You could also do this with thrifted canvases. You can also paint on rocks, scrap wood, used furniture, clothing, ceramic, old glass items, walls...the options are endless. 

So far, I haven't found any thrifted paint brushes by themselves. But I've seen painting kits (the ones that come with paints, brushes, and a book or pad) in thrift stores, and definitely paints by themselves. I already have enough brushes, though. When the glue separates from the handle, I just re-glue it.

This could be a much longer article. I love finding inspiration for creativity and finding ways to enjoy my hobbies that aren't wasteful or expensive. I hope you can do the same!