Green: An Old Fashioned View of Living?

Over the weekend I made about 30 jars of apple jelly. I used glass jars I had collected from past purchases and about 250 fresh apples I got through the freecycle network. People think I’m dated because I like canning. It made me think about some of the old fashioned ways of living that work well with a green lifestyle.

Taking fresh locally grown organic produced and pickling it, making jelly or preserving it for future use is a great way to save money and lower your carbon footprint. Canning reduces the amount of prepackaged foods that you consume, reduces waste and provides a healthier non toxic diet.

Mending clothes seems like a phrase out of the dark ages but it’s a great way to reduce consumer spending and in turn your effect on the planet’s oxygen supply. The less new clothes that are produced the lower the carbon emission from factories. Sewing a tear, hemming pants and patching up jeans are great ways to save cash. Wear your clothes with a sense of green honor and keep the needle and thread handy.

Fixing things is another simple way to save money and reduce your footprint. When the bed rail breaks, don’t throw out the bed, repair the rail. Maintain your home with regular maintenance and clean appliances thoroughly to extend their life. Repair and reuse has always been the name of the game for the thrifty and the green.

Barter with friends and family rather than throwing things away or paying for things up front. Swap skills with neighbors and trade a mowed lawn for a new deck chair or a serviced boiler for a few jars of canned vegetables. This helps lower the community carbon footprint, extend the sense of societal unity in your home town and saves money for everyone.

Think before you buy or use something. Our grandparents generation lived through worst economic times than we are facing now and learned quickly what was necessary and what was frivolous. Before buying or doing anything, consider the real cost both in carbon and cash. Living frugally in a poor economy helps everyone.

It may be a little old fashioned, but it turns out, so is being green.