I have been having a lot of conversations with my family and friends about leading a ‘sustainable’ lifestyle. The general opinion amongst them is that being sustainable is expensive in comparison to our normal way of living. For the longest time I had the same opinion because a lot of brands charge a premium from customers for sustainable products. Here are my recommendations for how to be sustainable on the cheap-
- Wastage reduction – The easiest step towards being sustainable is to be mindful of wastage – waste less water, electricity, food etc. This is not only good for the climate but is also good for your pocket.
- Vegan vs Vegetarian vs Non-Vegetarian lifestyle – I agree that vegan milk/cheese/tofu/cream are all more expensive than their dairy equivalents. A vegetarian lifestyle on the other hand is in general cheaper unless you want to have guacamole and berry smoothie everyday (avocados and blueberries are expensive in India!). While I don’t know the costs of meat & vegetables across countries but for a basic comparison when you go to eat out and you pick between a veggie and a non-veg pasta – the veggie one is always cheaper!
- Reusable cutlery & mugs – Instead of opting for a Starbucks one-time-use-take-away mug, why not carry a mug from home and use that instead. Instead of using a plastic straw provided by the cafe carry your own metal straw. Carry your own metal/glass bottle from home instead of purchasing a plastic bottle of water. Metal straws, mugs, metal bottle etc. are inexpensive and can be reused for years! This is a very easy way to be sustainable which isn’t pocket heavy at all!
- Sustainable fashion – I usually end up shopping for a few new pieces of clothing/jewelry every month. But sustainable fashion means buying lesser and more meaningful clothes. Doing this is both pocket friendly and reduces wastage! I have written a blog on sustainable fashion, check that out for more ideas!
- Recycle – recycle & DIY old items to re-purpose them into something new. DIY old clothes to make new outfits, recycle old wine bottles to make room decor – there are a lot of such ideas on the internet and they’re all really easy to do!
- Make an “Exchange Circle” – I personally believe this is quite exciting – make an exchange circle with a group of friends and exchange items with each other. If you’re bored of a pair of blue denims exchange it with your friend for her boots that she’s bored of wearing! This gives you access to A LOT of other things without spending any money. This also ensures that the items you’ve bought are properly used till the end of their lifecycle.
- Donate – instead of just throwing out old items – try to donate the ones that can be used again to someone who might need it or can re-purpose it and use it. Again, this will ensure that the product you’ve bought is used thoroughly!
- Reduce usage of wipes/cotton pads – instead of one time usage wipes/cotton pads move to microfiber cloth to clean your face and remove your make up. Microfiber cloth is very reasonable and can again be used for long so is cheaper in the long run!
- Lesser usage of pads/tampons – This is something that even I haven’t been able to incorporate yet since I’m still researching on it. But mensuration cups & period panties are reasonably priced, easily available and way more economical than pads & tampons. While I am sure heavier flow days may make you want to use a pad or a tampon but even if we can reduce our usage by 50%, its a great first step!
- Be conscious – as a consumer and as an occupant of our planet. As a consumer – do a little research about the products & the companies you are investing in. Support companies that are are sustainable in their ways or atleast contribute back to the environment. Be conscious of the carbon footprint you are leaving behind. This costs nothing and is definitely THE first step towards being sustainable!
These are just some starting steps to take towards a sustainable lifestyle. These steps will not cost you money and will definitely save you money in the long run. If we all decided to be even 50% more sustainable in our ways – we’ll be leaving a much healthier planet for our next generation!
Stay safe and be sustainable! ❤
Checkout my sustainable brand Moksha. (available in India)
I also write about fashion, travel and cooking. You may want to check out –
Fashion | Sustainable Fashion and Us
Life | Climate Change and YOU!
Cooking| Whole Wheat Eggless Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Travel | Craziest Moments During My Solo Travels
All images are sourced from the internet.
Happy Panda 
Such great tips here that we can all benefit from doing, even if they are a couple. I have been vegetarian now for 5 years and I notice that buying groceries is significantly cheaper, however eating out in restaurants is not the case for me most of the time, especially when visiting the US, they tend to cost more there or the same, which is crazy!
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Really? That’s crazy! In India – vegetarian food in restaurants is always cheaper than non-vegetarian. May not be significantly cheaper but cheaper.
Thank you for reading! I really hope people start adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.
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Such a great tip that we must follow for a better tomorrow!!
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Thank you! I hope we’re able to do these! 🙂
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Yes…hopefully!! My pleasure!!❣❣
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I definitely recommend proof undies for your period. Great sustainable alternative to tampons and pads.
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Thank you. I’ll be trying them out too!
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It’s something very different I saw😇
All your blogs are amazing and especially being a foodie I loved the ones on cooking 😊
Keep them coming 🌻
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Thank you so much for your kind words! Really motivated me. ♥️
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Awesome post. Great tips on sustainable and not so expensive living
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Thank you! Hopefully these are easy things that everyone can do 🙂
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Indeed, they are.
You are welcome 🙂
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Amazing tips..👍🏻😊😊
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Thank you ☺️
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Great tips! I am going to start implementing this!
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Thank you! So glad you found them useful! ☺️
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Also it is very important that we Shop Local. I have a blog on the same http://www.gypsyescape.com/reasons-to-buy-local-support-for-local-business/
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Hey it’s a good write up … liked your way of thinking…..
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Thank you, Aayushi! ☺️
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Loved the idea of Exchange Circles! Also relate to feeling that living a sustainable lifestyle is expensive. It doesn’t always have to be! Some products may be expensive, but living sustainably isn’t!
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Being more sustainable can actually be cheaper in the long run can’t it! These are all really good ideas on budget friendly sustainability so thanks for the post!
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Thank you for being a part of the raising awareness community… and thanks for stopping by our blog!!!!
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Sustainable living on the cheap is awesome. It is never expensive generally in the long run. A good post…
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Thank you! 😊
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Reblogged this on Brand Moksha and commented:
Do you think being sustainable is expensive? Here are some easy ways to be sustainable on the cheap!
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This came at the right time – I was looking for sustainable options for the last few days. Great post!
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Good tips! I’ve never been one to exchange clothes with friends except one particular friend. It does make for a cheap way to add variety to your wardrobe!
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Very great advices 👏👏👏
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I recently found out about period panties, and holy crap, what a life saver! No more worrying about “accidents.” I don’t bother buying panty liners anymore, which is much less wasteful. I still buy tampons for the heavier days, though.
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Great ideas! It’s killing me that we have to throw so much food away thanks to our new foster kiddo, but we just do our best for now
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Love this! Such small incremental ways to make a difference in the world! Thanks! ❤️🙏🌍
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Excellent points. There is so much we can do to be more sustainable. I suppose people see the price tag first because commerce and consuming is their first exposure. But a sustainable lifestyle is more than that. In fact less is more in this regards.
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These our some amazing ideas! Loved the exchange circle idea, sounds like so much fun! 🙂
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This is a great list! I love how easily they can be added to everyday life.
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I have seen my friend try menstrual cups and it was a horror show😬I have been in the hunt for sustainable pads/tampons but they are so hard to come by.
I love everything you have mentioned here especially reusing, recycling and donating. Little tweaks in our daily life and it makes a huge difference to the planet.
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Nice! I might try these!
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Amazing post! I completely agree that living in a sustainable way *doesn’t have to* be expensive! For clothes, it is indeed usually expensive (unless you go thriftinh which is actually even more sustainable), but it also means you have less and cherish what you have more + it’s great quality, instead of buying something that you will only wear a few times and will break apart in 3 months!
I can only encourage you to try menstrual cups or panties – I have been using my cup for more than 5 years now and I haven’t bought a *single* pad or tampon and couldn’t even think of going back to that now! They can both hold pretty heavy flows actually – more than tampons or pads! 😊 Thank you so much for sharing on such an important topic!
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