Here are the top ways to get started living green on less than $5/day. It's WAY easier than you think, you'll feel healthier (and subsequently happier), and you'll be doing your part to help the earth.
1) Clip coupons. Don't know where to start? Click Here
2) Shop Smart. Buy foods in bulk that can be made into at least 2 distinct meals. The goal is to live happily, savvy, and comfortably so you can keep saving, so you don't want to get sick of anything! For a list of foods that fit the bill, Click Here.
3) Cook - I'm far from a top chef. Far. But I've found that the more I do it, the better I get (and it's pretty damn fun). I've even gotten my boyfriend interested, and he lived for 7 YEARS without a kitchen. Start with simple pasta or bean salads with minimal cooking. The more you learn, the more you can do with your cheaply green ingredients. For recipes, Click Here (new recipes added regularly). You can also set your StumbleUpon to "Cooking and Food" (for a tutorial on setting your Stumble settings, Click Here)
4) Keep going out. The key is to keep living your life to the fullest, but just spend a little more time researching free and cheap things to do! Living in NYC is amazing because there is always something happening for free. Sign up for Freenyc.net to get daily updates on free things to do. Or check out Brokelyn.com for even more great ideas!
5) Use your hands! Get crafty and start making things you would normally buy. It's not only good for your wallet, but it's good for the Earth, too!
6) Don't think you can do it? I am! Read my blog to follow how I'm making it work, including what I eat each day, how much I spend, the cost of my food, and what I do for entertainment!
Who and Why?
- Katie
- New York, NY, United States
- I've spent the last few years of my life in a sort of scattered state. A 2009 college grad, I’ve had very little control over my finances. I spent all the money in my meager paychecks the minute I got it, saving just a small % for that vague time when taxes would hit. Suffice to say, they did. I found myself in serious debt and in need of some major life changes. More than my personal finances, I am writing this blog for one major reason: I am appalled by the American food system and the fact that Big Business decides what kinds of foods we should put in our bodies with little concern for our overall health. We are fed the idea that only people with money can break away from this system and eat food that is good for both themselves and the environment. I’m setting out to prove that we can ALL afford to eat foods that nourish us and are procured in a safe and sustainable way – we just need to learn how! E-mail me: Kermitchic@gmail.com