When I decided to live more simple and minimal I wasn’t just trying to own less stuff. I also wanted to live more a more intentional life of less waste. This meant not purchasing things I was able to make do without. For me it was my way of doing my part to save the earth and becoming more eco friendly.
When your first starting out you can easily find yourself wanting to replace things with more sustainable items right away. But until you dive deeper into the lifestyle more on a daily basis you don’t really quite know what you actually need and what your able to make do without buying new.
So I wanted to share three ways to help you find your balance and not feel pulled to buying new.
Use what you have:
More times than not you already have something on hand that will do what your needing. You just have to be a little creative in your mind to find it.
For us the first thing that pops up is using my husbands old work shirts cut up to do the dirty cleaning deeds. Shorts we would otherwise be tossing because they are ripped and stained. And definitely not up for donating. So they would end up in the trash normally.
So I take them and cut them up to a size that works for us and use them for the dirty cleaning areas (bathrooms… I have four boys)
Borrow from family or friends:
This is along the lines of can I borrow a cup of sugar my neighbor. Except it doesn’t always have to be sugar.
If whatever your needing has single task then reach out and ask those you know if you can borrow it. An outfit for a specific event. A cooking utensil you wouldn’t typically use often. Reach out and see if someone you know has one you can use.
First thing that comes to my mind is a waffle maker. I have one that was gifted to me for Christmas a couple years ago but I haven’t used it as much as I wish I did. So if you want to make waffles. Instead of heading out any getting your own waffle maker. Reach out to family and neighbors to borrow one.
Then you can make a big batch of homemade waffles. Freeze the extras and return it with out sacrificing space to store it. I’m sure most people won’t mind you borrowing it. Given you return it in the same or better condition than when you borrowed it.
Another idea is a dress for a wedding or something along those lines. Reach out to someone you know in similar size. And the. You won’t be buying and outfit you’d typically only wear for random special events.
Buy second hand:
When using what you have or borrowing isn’t an option. Head to your local consignment shop. I’m sure you have a couple around you and can easily find what you need. And if you can’t then the fb marketplace is a good place to look.
When you buy second hand you are reducing waste and saving moolah. Double win! And if you go to a personally owned second hand store or an online local resale shop. You are putting money back into your community. And we all know we need more of that right now.
If you skipped to the end then the 3 Ways To Living More Minimal By Making Do Without Buying New is
- Use what you have
- Borrow from family or friends
- Buy second hand
I hoped these tips helped you to continue rocking your minimalism journey and saved you from going the route we were raised to do. Saving the earth one repurposed item at a time will help save our planet!
If your wanting more tips the. You should check out some of my fellow minimal mom friends and what they have to share.
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Until next time,
Xo Jessica!