A Healthier and Greener Life
By: Stéphanie Boisvert
Tags: Lifehacks, Zero Waste, Lifestyle, Minimalism, Healthier

As I make my way toward a simpler lifestyle, I realize it often means making choices that are better for me, the environment and my finances. I’m sharing here a small list of my favorite tips to make my life simply better.

Credit to Vitalii Pavlushynets from Unsplash

Put the healthy snacks on display

We naturally tend to eat snacks that seem reachable.

If you want to eat healthier but don’t know where to start, place healthy snacks where you know you would want one: your office, the living room, even in your bedroom if you feel for it.

The same can be applicable to the pantry, the fridge or the freezer. Organize it so you see the healthier options first. Do not forget to do a rotation so older items can be eaten before the new ones.

The important part is to really choose snacks that you like. If you force yourself to eat something only because it is good for you, it would hardly become a habit and you would have to start all over again.

Do it yourself

Buying things is like second nature for us. We do so without even wondering if there is another option. But, in fact, with a little time and a tutorial, you can make a lot of your own household items.

My favorite example of that is soap. With some basic ingredients, you can create your very own. It’s a fun, safe and creative activity that can end out giving you months of soap. The best of both worlds.

Don’t get me wrong, making everything is time-consuming. It’s really about balance and trying things to find out what fits your life, needs and skills.

Go paperless

For someone (like me ) who loves agendas and notebooks that one is particularly hard, but the paper clutter can quickly make space and life unpleasant.

The solution is obvious: reduce the quantity of physical paper you receive. Put a no-advertisement sticker on your physical mailbox, ask for a numeric version of your documents and recycle (or reuse) those no longer needed.

Your phone and computer can replace your paper agenda. As for notebooks, I use old one-sided printed sheets and thus extending their useful life.

Replace one-time-use items

One-use items may look easier on the spot, but they are of lesser quality than their reusable counterpart and end up costing you a lot more over time.

The next time you throw away an item, ask yourself what you can do to prevent it. Some solutions are easier to find than others, but with a little bit of craft, nothing is impossible.

You can already check my list of 15 Easy Eco-Friendly Swaps for some ideas.

Upcycle

To upcycle something is to recycle it into something more valuable.

The feeling of finding a new application for an old item is priceless. An old container can be a new plant pot, useless rags can become reusable Swiffer pads or old calendars can be transformed into beautiful envelopes.

The possibilities are limitless, but for it to be worth it, it has to bring value to your life.

Buy quality over quantity

Buying a 50$ pair of boots each year is way more expensive than a 300$ pair that will last you decades. If you are in a position where you can make this investment, do it. It will always benefit you in the long run.

The same applies to clothes, tools, furniture and many more.

Be careful though, the price alone is not proof of quality. Do some research on the product and the company before buying an item. What materials do they use? How is the maintenance? How long can you expect them to last? Look into the reviews to see if the item can pass the test of time.

Choose memories over materials

Buying things make us feel good for a while, but if the item itself doesn’t make you happy, it doesn’t have a place in your life.

This is a mistake we all made and, for some, our home is filled with those errors. Errors that take us space, time and energy. Even getting rid of it requires an effort on our part.

For those reasons, I rather chose experiences over physical goods. The memories will stay, but I will never have to clean them.

It is a great choice whether it’s a gift to yourself or to a loved one.

I hope those tips will help you in your own journey. On that note, I’m gonna wish you a happy start in 2022.