food:
- Go to a farmers' market and check out all the awesome local goodies. At the height of the season, the one near me offers veggies, berries, fruit, cheese, meat, eggs, yarn, hot snacks, cider, coffee, breakfast, clothes, jewelry, bread, pastries, and more!
- Plant an herb garden on your windowsill or porch. I have this insanely hardy basil plant (named Rathbone, btw) living on my windowsill. Rathbone is at least three years old.
- Pack your lunch for work or school.
- Plant a legit garden (if you have a yard), or sign up for a plot at the community garden.
- COMPOST, FRIENDS!
- Eat a snack that doesn't have a wrapper.
clothes:
- Maybe you have too many? Sort through your closet and bring a box to the thrift shop.
- Speaking of which, check out the local thrift shop when you need new threads. Here are some sweet thrifting guides that will help you develop your skills (thrifting is a skill).
- Choose classic and well-made items instead of ones that are transiently trendy and shoddily constructed.
- Become friends with your shoes.
stuff:
- Too much stuff? Have a tag sale! Throwing a tag sale is an excellent way to spend a Saturday.
- Choose multiple-use instead of single-use, and multi-purpose instead of single-purpose (usually. you still need a fire extinguisher).
- Do you really need thirty-five towels? Animal shelters often gladly take extras.
- You can sell your extra stuff on craigslist or e-bay, if you want to make a little more than you might at a tag sale. Tag sales are better for moving volume.
- The more stuff you have, the more energy it takes to manage. Less stuff=less energy spent managing stuff=more energy for awesome things, like skydiving (or whatever).
transportation:
- Ride your bike, walk, carpool, ride a horse, or ride the bus instead of driving.
- Consider alternative transportation for errands - can you walk to the store?
- Drive a smaller car, or share a car with a buddy/significant other.
- Check out the local bike co-op, yo!
- Make friends with the people at the local bike shop.
- There might be a bike path (aka rail trail) near you. They are excellent routes that don't allow motorized vehicles (so your mom can worry less).
self:
- Wash your hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar.
- Buy bar soap without a wrapper instead of body wash that comes in bottles.
- Brush your teeth with baking soda. caution - it's salty!
- Cut your own hair, and compost the trimmings.
- Wear sustainably made/less/no makeup.
- Make your own deodorant.
home:
- Cleverly manage the temperature in your home. You can open the windows and/or use fans instead of air conditioning when it's hot. Put shades or curtains down over sunny windows, and turn off lights that heat up easily. When it's cold, tighten down the windows, minimize drafts, and let in as much sunlight as possible (but don't leave too many windows uncovered)! Put on a sweater and toasty socks. Make a mug of hot chocolate. Build a fire in the fireplace.
- Close off rooms that you're not using so you don't have to heat/cool them
- Make threshold snugglers out of old socks and cloth stuffing.
- Move to a smaller place.
- Build a tiny house!