3 Everyday Habits to Promote a Less Wasteful Lifestyle

“A family that wastes less spends less”… Okay, so that may not be a real quote, but it certainly makes sense. Every day we are wasteful and don’t even realize it.

From food and money to water and time, we are continually wasting things. Some of which you’ll never get back.

But if you can make a conscious effort to be more aware of the choices you make and how it will not only impact your life but the lives of others, we’ll all be better off from it.

As an adult, you know just how bad it is to waste, in any facet, but your children don't. And if we’re going to be transparent here, many adults don’t know the seriousness of just how bad being wasteful can be. But that’s what this article is here for. 

We’re going to look at some less wasteful habits that you can not only incorporate into your own daily life but also help your entire family to adopt those habits as well.

Take a look at some of the top practices that promote a less wasteful lifestyle for your whole family.

Ways Your Entire Family Can Live a Less Wasteful Lifestyle

Create New Meals From Leftovers

Some people enjoy leftovers, and some don’t. For those who don’t want leftovers, it’s usually because they haven’t tried turning that meal into a new meal. 

Maybe one night you made spaghetti, with the sauce separate from the noodles. The family has had it two nights for dinner, and at this point, they’re sick of it.

Well, instead of throwing your sauce away, add a little chili powder to it with chili beans. Then, you have a totally different meal… chili! The addition of cheddar cheese, sour cream, and corn chips will turn this meal into hearty comfort food.

This is not only a great trick to not waste food, but it’s also a nod to what it means to live a frugal lifestyle as well.

By turning your spaghetti sauce into chili, you didn’t have to waste too much money on ingredients or on time because you already had the meal's foundation prepared. This ensures the entire meal is consumed.

Switch to Renewable Electricity

Off the top of your head, can you name all the ways you use energy inside your home?

When you name off how you use electricity in your home, is it pretty safe to say that some of the ways you use electricity are pretty wasteful? Of course, they are.

Aside from your rent or mortgage payment, your electric bill is probably the next most expensive bill. But it wouldn’t be so high if you used your electricity more efficiently.

Everything from letting your thermostat run when you’re not home and leaving your phone charger plugged in when you’re not using it to making the mistake of leaving your lights on, these are all ways we all waste energy in our homes.

Most homes are powered by electricity generated from non-renewable resources like oil and coal, which means it’s doing serious harm to the environment. The fact that we waste that energy means we’re doing even more damage to the environment than what’s already being done. 

By switching to electricity generated from renewable resources like the sun, wind, and water, you would be doing considerably less harm to the environment. The key is to find out where this electricity option is available for you.

For example, Connecticut allows residents to compare energy suppliers in CT to find a better deal for them, all while wasting less energy and money on their electric bill!

Turn Off the Water While Brushing Your Teeth

This habit might be harder for your kids than it is for you, but it’s still very doable for both.

Leaving the water on while brushing your teeth is one of the contributing factors to why around 790 million people in the world don’t have access to clean water… It’s not the sole reason, of course, but it doesn’t help.

You might be thinking that this is such a small act that it won’t matter, but it indeed will.

Just think about if every household in the world turned the water off while brushing their teeth and how it would impact the world… It would make a huge difference.

If you get your children adjusted to this habit while they’re young, it will become routine. But with children, especially young children, it’s important to give them a “why.”

By telling them “why”, they’ll be more apt to do it and have feelings of empathy and actually want to do their part to help other people.