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Collaborating for a more frugal, sustainable lifestyle
Posted on March 31st, 2009 5 comments
I’m really looking forward to implementing some exciting environmentally sound and frugal practices into my lifestyle for the spring and summer. For one thing, my friend and I are talking about ways we can share our resources. A most generous person, my friend is also lucky enough to live in a house with a lawn and garden. With my tiny condo balcony, I am more than thrilled to have the opportunity to help her with her vegetable and herb garden.I really believe that collaboration is important to living a frugal, sustainable life. We have travelled so far off track, with “success indicators” being private ownership. In our consumerist culture, we promote the idea that the only way to access goods or resources is to buy them. And the ownership of such things - not only cars and homes but all sorts of goods and services - become icons of financial success. But there are so many opportunities to share and collaborate with our friends and neighbors, by bartering, carpooling, sharing tasks like gardening or home repairs, babysitting and cooking. And living this way reduces waste as well as cost. In fact, collaboration is a cornerstone of frugality, and used to be a necessary part of survival.
It can be difficult to take initiative to create a collaborative lifestyle, but not impossible. I don’t believe it’s necessary to live in a co-op or Kibbutz in order to implement these ideas. Simply volunteering to share with willing neighbors, friends and family is enough to start.
Do you share or collaborate with anyone in order to save money or reduce waste?
5 responses to “Collaborating for a more frugal, sustainable lifestyle”
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My friend and I do co-operative canning. It’s very difficult to preserve 40 pounds of pears by yourself with small kids underfoot. By pooling our resources we can do it faster, and our kids can entertain each other.
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You are soooooooo right. I have done this with gardening with my MIL, babysitting with neighbors, and soooo much more. Community is a GOOD thing.
Blessings in Him<
-Mary -
Catherine March 31st, 2009 at 19:02
My Mom and I used to can etc. together…I haven’t done as much these past few years alone. However, I have decided I’m going to make a recipe of red pepper sauce (24 red peppers)and my hubby’s favourite pickled beets (with the ;o) secret ingredient of my Mom’s) this year as things come into season.
We have a wonderful mennonite market about 10 minutes from here that we use from May - Oct. One of the favourite things we get is kale. We eat tons of it. Last Oct. hubby brought home kale that was the size of a peony bush in full bloom - huge! My daughter says you can blanch it and it freezes well so will be doing that this year too. -
Hi there-a great post and it does help when when you have willing participants who think the same. Thanks for your kind comment and support and I do wish you well with your future financial goals my dear.
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My neighborhood holds produce exchanges throughout the summer. You bring something and you can take something. Or, if you don’t have anything to bring you can make a donation (proceeds go to specific neighborhood beautification project). Leftovers go to the local food bank. Everybody wins!
This year some friends who know how to can are going to come visit when it is time to harvest my peaches. They will all get peaches and I will learn how to can! My little tree produces way too many peaches for us to eat so there is no loss to us.
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