#lowwastelife

[getjadedlocal-blog]

I seriously can’t stop talking about our rose embroidered jean jacket. It’s so unique and stunning with its shimmery rose gold thread. Find it on our Etsy store ⠀ #nothingnew #thriftstorefinds #fuckfastfashion #thrifter #alternativegirls #gothgirls #worn #zerowastevegan #vintagestreetwear #etsy #vintageculture #lowwastegift #lowwastelifestyle #lowwastejourney #lowwastelife #streetwears #streetwearstore #streetwearbrand #streetweardaily #streetwearaddicted #streetwearculture #gothgirl #gothgirls #tattoolife #shopethical #ethicalclothing #ethicalfashion #ethicalbusiness #etsyvintage #etsyshops https://www.instagram.com/p/B4XeB--hRtg/?igshid=gvc149xwhyhr

[juli4soapart]

Given by nature. Made by SoapArt. Making soap is such a great way to infuse the healing properties of plants and natural clays into something that touches your skin every day… 🐝🦋🐳🍃🌸 #zerowastebathroom #duurzamebadkamer #ecoconscious #lowwastelife #bemorewithless #artisansoapmaker #savonartisanier #savonnaturalle #soapmaking #soapshop #soapgifts #natuurlijkeproducten #mysmallbiz #natuurlijkeverzorging #soapartserenity #naturalskincareforbabies #soapartist #artisansoapmaking #artisansoapbars #artisansoapshop (at Amsterdam, Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSHkVZKiI3_/?utm_medium=tumblr

[heynells-blog1]

May Money Diaries // Oh hello $5 Adidas Athleisure Top

For the month of May, I’ll be recording my weekly expenses and sharing them as my “May Money Diaries” (here’s Money Diary 1, Money Diary 2, and Money Diary 3). Inspired by the “Money Diary” series on Refinery 29 and The Luxe Strategist, I thought it would be interesting to see how I hold up against my budget and long-term financial goals. I think I’m quite disciplined with my spending, but I ocassionally have slip-ups - these usually occur around food (eating out with friends) and coffee shops. 

Low Waste Food Haul #2 - In an effort to be plastic-free, I’ve been using reusable cotton produce bags instead of plastic bags. No one has questioned me about their use. The only reaction I got last week was the cashier raising their eyebrows at the bags. 

I changed my morning routine on and went early to the Union Square Greenmarket. After dropping off my food scraps, I bought 3 sweet potatoes, radishes, and carrots as extra sides for this week and next week’s meal prep. I wanted to buy more, but I didn’t want to carry too much with me as I had a full day of babysitting and I wouldn’t get home till 8:30pm. 

There was an opportunity for me to save $2.75 on subway transportation. I could have walked from Chinatown to Greenwich Village for my evening kickboxing class. But it was extremely humid, and I was slightly tired from babysitting. I didn’t want to tire myself more and not have enough energy for kickboxing class; so I decided to conserve my energy and take the subway. I’m glad I did that because I felt more energetic during this week’s kickboxing class compared to last week’s class. 

I went about my usual Tuesday routine - working out at home, babysitting, working from home, and eating at home - and spent $0 because no spend days are my favourite days.  

I did not intend to spend $2.75, but I ended up having a food shortage due to the vegan burger patties (which my mom bought at the store, eventhough I didn’t ask her to) getting spoiled. I bought chayote, grapefruit, and sweet potatoes (because you can never have enough sweet potatoes, and they were only 99 cents per pound - score). 

I was surprised at how little I paid for my food haul at the Williamsburg grocery store. I expected to spend $5, but I realize that I always gravitate towards produce that’s marked down because those are the deals I’ve been waiting for. 

Since I knew I was attending an artivism panel in the evening, I packed dinner. Whenever I attend public events, I’m always concerned that there won’t be vegan food options. I’m a picky eater and also particular about the timing of my dinner; so I prefer packing my own food/snacks versus putting my faith that the event will have vegan options. In my experience of organizing and attending panels, most serve appetizers/snacks - and I was right for this event. I was grateful I packed dinner and ate it before the event began. 

The first half of Thursday was stressful due to a babysitting incident and an intense lunch discussion with my mom, so I spoiled myself in the afternoon with a pot of rose green tea. I could have saved $2 by ordering it to-go. But, I didn’t do that because I would get less tea for the price I was paying. Also, the owners know me now and give me free hot water refills for my tea pot. 

After babysitting my Chinatown kids, I explored some grocery stores near their apartment. I got great deals on lemons, pears, peppers - all marked down. 

Fridays = eating out with friend(s) day. I was excited to eat out because it offered a nice break from meal prepping. 

Lunch was at peacefood: a vegan kitchen & bakery, and my friend and I ordered a spicy cesar chicken salad. I was planning to get their soup of the day ($5.95), but I wasn’t wooed by their carrot and pasnip puree soup. I knew that soup mix wouldn’t fill me up because it’s not high in protein. At least the spicy cesar chicken salad offers a decent amount of protein, fat, and carbs at a reasonable price of $12 and something cents (it says $15 above because + tip). 

We couldn’t end our meal without dessert, so I took my friend to Union Square Greenmarket to introduce her to Body & Soul Bakery. I got a sunflower seed double chocolate chip cookie, while my friend bought a double chocolate muffin. Oozing with chocolate dessert in our hands, we went to look for a seat. My friend accidentally smeared some melted chocolate on her dress, and that dictated our next stop - second-hand clothing stores. 

In New York City, two well-known thrift/second hand stores are Beacon’s Closet and Buffalo Exchange. My friend and I first went to Beacon’s Closet because it was closer to Union Square Park. We didn’t find anything there, so we headed to Buffalo Exchange. 

I didn’t plan to buy anything at Buffalo Exchange, but Lady Luck felt differently. I found an Adidas blue athleisure top (still with its store tag) for $10, in my size; but its final price was $5 because it was on sale! The amount of self-control it’s taking me to not use a million exclamation marks right now is the same amount of disciplne I exerted to not scream in the cashier’s face. I love buying multi-purpose and high quality clothes at low, low prices. 

After Buffalo Exchange, I walked my friend back to Union Square and we parted ways. I went to The Strand because I wanted to buy a book by Octavia Butler, but then I walked out with an ECOlunchbox stainless steel container. What happened? While wandering the cook book section, my eyes fell on the ECOlunchbox containers tucked away on a small shelf. Without thinking, I moved towards the containers, opened the sample, gave it a detailed inspection, and then I lined up at the check-out counter. 

I’m not someone who makes spontaneous purchases, though how I spent my money this Friday presents me that way. My thought process behind buying the ECOlunchbox container looked like this: 

I actually need it because the plastic containers I have at home (which I’ve had for 4-5 years) have scratches, nicks, and a little bit of discoloration which makes them not good to use  

Buying this ECOlunchbox container at The Strand would generate less waste because ordering it online would mean extra packaging (e.g. plastic and paper) for mailing, along with the pollution produced in delivering the package to my apartment in Jersey City 

Also, ordering it online would include an additional payment of $5-$10 for shipping, which is something I’d prefer to save 

I was confident and excited purchasing the ECOlunchbox because it’s an investment for my low waste | zero waste journey. I had a goofy smile on my face as I handed my credit card to the person behind the counter. 

I ended the day with dinner at Red Bamboo with one of my best friends. We ordered lots of food as we updated each other on over two months of activities. With this friend, she pays for dinner while I pay for dessert; but that night, I paid the 20% tip. We didn’t get dessert because we were full from our main dishes. 

Something that I look forward to about the weekends is that my parents pay for lunch, so I only need to prepare breakfast and dinner. They also surprised my brother and me by taking us to see Solo: A Star Wars Story. 

I’m surprised that I spent less than $100 this week, because I thought that my two instances of eating out and shopping would cause me to go over $100. I’m mentally high-fiving myself for staying under this week’s budget and discovering great deals. 

My grocery spending was small this week because I bought the right amount of produce as side additions for this week’s meals and to last for this upcoming week. I also made sure to buy produce that was on sale. 

I honestly smile when I think about how much I spent on shopping this week because I know I saved money on both items. I paid $5 for a $30 Adidas athleisure top. I paid $29.34 for a $35.00 ECOlunchbox container (this is an estimate I calculated based on buying it online). Saving approximately $30 on shopping makes batgirl ridiculously happy about this week’s purchases. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts/comments on this Money Diary and my May Money Diaries series - ask me anything. Next weekend’s blog post will be my last May Money Diary. 

[applepieillustration]

🍓 Frutilla Gang! Un pequeño bordado de cumpleaños para mi hermosa mamá. Le envolví su regalo en una bolsa de tela reutilizable y su cumple está bajo el formato de #lowwastelife porque mi mamá está ocupada por lo que sucede en el 🌎 Una de las buenas cosas de hacer cambios de hábitos juntos es que es más fácil cumplir nuestro propósito y nos sentimos animados por hacerlo. #modernembroidery #dmcthreads #strawberry #applepieillustration https://www.instagram.com/p/CCTwiGXDp7P/?igshid=11n98x8uhcbx7

[mashcamper007]

I'm not Zero Waste in low waste or low impact Zero Waste Isn't Possible for any consumer Zero Waste is for the producers Low waste is for the consumers You can only do the best you can with the access to the materials and shops you have and can afford Even doing things little by little is better than nothing Original post by @bezerowastegirl #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #lowwastelife #lowimpact #lowimpactmovement #notzerowaste #zerowaste #ourresponsibility #environmental #environment #ourplanet #noplanetb #justplaneta (at Europe) https://www.instagram.com/p/BumNTz_g3Vn/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=aigmjrlf7tl1

[greensplained-blog]

For this week’s theme you will be reading about all things related to sustainable sex & women’s health ♥️ 🍆 Starting with a short article on oral contraceptive pills and their effect on the environment. Spoiler alert: there is no current universal solution to this environmental dilemma. Read about it on greensplained.com 🖖 . . . . . . . #thepill #birthcontrol #sustainableliving #ecofriendly #eco #gogreen #greensplained #thelowdown #valentines #womenshealth #sustainability #environmentallyfriendly #environment #environmentdesign #environmentalawareness #enviromentalprotection #ecoblogger #ecoblog #bcblogger #canadianblogger #canadianbusiness #aquaticlife #cleanwater #nature #hippie #hippielife #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #lowwastelife #zerowaste https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Un_wNAAVk/?igshid=b8heckmr2qjt

[signsofthemarch]

Have you switched to a reusable water bottle yet? ⁉️🙏🏼🌎 . #Signsofthemarch 📸credit: @gogreen.activist . . #gozerowaste #nomoreplastics #ecolifestyle #stopusingplastic #lowimpactliving #lowimpactlifestyle #savetheearth #refuseplastic #sustainabilitymatters #plasticpollutionkills #stopplasticpollution #protecttheenvironment #livingeco #lowwastelifestyle #lowwastemovement #lowwastelife #ecoliving #zerowasteusa #onlyoneearth #sustainableliving #noplastics #sustainablefuture #sustainableliving #singleuse #environmentalist #environmentalsustainability #environmentallyfriendly #noplanetb🌎 #ecolife https://ift.tt/2XP1DEo

[woodlandsescapes]

True 😂 #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #zerowastehome #zerowastelife #zerowastejourney #zerowastevegan #zerowastekitchen #zerowastelifestyle #zerowastecollective #zerowastemovement #zerowastestore #zerowastecommunity #houstongarden #houstongardening #thewoodlands #thewoodlandstexas #thewoodlandstx #zerowastethewoodlands #zerowasteaustintx #zerowastesanantoniotx #zerowastehoustontx #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #lowwastelife #thewoodlandsartscouncil #thewoodlandswaterwayartsfestival #compost #composting (at The Woodlands, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/B46iCttHwof/?igshid=6q9ox2kvczpv

[vegannomadgeek]

Earth Conscious Natural Deodorant

Product review @EarthConscious_ Natural Deodorant #NaturalDeodorant #ProductReview #DeodorantReview #LowWasteLife #VeganDeodorant #VeganLifestyle #VeganBeauty #EarthConscious

Product Review

When I’m looking for new products it is important to me that I find products that aren’t just vegan but also as natural as possible, and that have a lower environmental impact. I really wanted to find a good vegan friendly natural deodorant that actually worked, that came in sustainable packaging, and was not ridiculously expensive. Enter Earth Conscious.

(more…)

[heynells-blog1]

May Money Diaries // Recommitting to Low Waste Food Shopping

For the month of May, I’ll be recording my weekly expenses and sharing them as my “May Money Diaries”. Inspired by the “Money Diary” series on Refinery 29 and The Luxe Strategist, I thought it would be interesting to see how I hold up against my budget and long-term financial goals. I think I’m quite disciplined with my spending, but I ocassionally have slip-ups - these usually occur around food (eating out with friends) and coffee shops.

Photo 1 of many vegan low-waste | zero waste food hauls to come! 

Monday was my usual full day of babysitting, and I ended the day with a kickboxing class in Greenwich Village. 

During my lunch break, I bought 1 pack of vegan cheese and 1 pack of tempeh at Trader Joe’s - I amost bought a bar of 90% dark chocolate, but I returned it because I had 3/4 remaining from last week’s dark chocolate bar. 

Last week, I forgot to include the $20 online donation I made to my friend’s AIDS Walk New York fundraising page - so I added it to Monday’s expenses. 

I feel like a queen whenever I record a $0 day. I went about my usual babysitting and work from home schedule, and I made and ate meals at home. 

Since I meal prep at least 60% of my food during the weekend, I only spend 5-10 minutes prepping each meal and enjoying it within my alloted 30 minute meal time. I made vegan meals using groceries from last weekend. I tend to buy enough to last for 1.5 weeks because I want to get rid of any temptation to “eat out” just because I’m feeling “kind of tired”. 

It was a smooth morning going from baby sitting in Jersey City to my work meeting in Williamsburg. I was pleased at not paying for subway fare - kudos to my boss for providing me with prepaid student fare tickets. 

I wanted to have another $0 day. But after my work meeting, I needed a coffee shop for WiFi and to shelter me from the rain. I didn’t have a lot of options in finding a coffee shop near my afternoon babysitting gig that wasn’t crammed with people. I settled for the coffee shop closest to my kids’ pick-up location, though it had an expensive menu. In my opinion, $3.50 for an iced green tea is overpriced, but that day it was so humid and my throat was begging for a cold drink. I also didn’t want to take away time from working. 

$0 Day #2! Babysat in the morning, went back home to work and eat lunch, then left to head into NYC for a work meeting - subway paid for [again] with my student fare cards. 

My meeting ended early and I considered walking from Union Square to Chinatown; but I decided to use the 1 hour till babysitting to sit and work in the cafe. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do any work the next day, so I did as much as I could before my afternoon babysitting gig. 

I got hungry waiting for my kids and from using lots of brainpower during the meeting, so I helped myself to a few snacks from my kids’ pantry. I’m grateful that their mom is transitioning to being vegan, so the kitchen is well-stocked with vegan snacks. 

And because I was determined to have a $0 day, I made and ate dinner at home.

Hail Friday! I woke up a little anxious because I was going to meet my partner’s parents for the first time AND I also needed to stop by Whole Foods’ bulk bin section and Union Square Greenmarket before 1:30pm. I had a lot to do before and after my 9:30AM babysitting gig. 

In the past few weeks, I’ve been disgusted at the amount of plastic I’ve been using because I used to be committed to making less trash at least 70% of the time. I began losing track of my habits last winter, right after I finished my compost apprenticeship with Earth Matter NY. I got caught up in the stress of my dual work schedule that I started shopping out of convenience versus considering the long-term environmental consequences of my actions. I used and bought a ton of items that came in plastic. After realizing how far I’d fallen from my progress on making less trash and being plastic-free, I decided to recommit to baby steps on living a low-waste | zero-waste lifestyle. 

Whole Foods’ Bulk Bins

I rushed to get to Whole Foods by 8AM because I wanted to have enough time to peruse their bulk bins and determine my food choices - before babysitting at 9:30AM. After 5 minutes of careful deliberation, I got roasted and unsalted peanuts, roasted and unsalted almonds, and black beans; those are some of my common vegan food staples and those were also some of the cheaper options. 

I wish I knew how many pounds I got of each item, as I just filled my small cotton produce bags halfway or to the top. Since I was rushing, I didn’t look for a scale. I wasn’t worried about getting too much because I knew I would consume those items daily. In particular, I got A LOT of peanuts because I decided that I would no longer buy peanut butter from a jar since most store jars are made out of plastic. Instead, I’ll just add 1/4 or 1/3 cup of peanuts to my oatmeal every morning. I probably got enough peanuts to last me for 2-3 months. 

Because I love vegan cheese and I don’t have time to make it, I bought 1 packet of Daiya vegan cheddar. I don’t feel bad because I actually need it and it’s a manageabe food splurge. I died a little bit inside knowing that the bag was made of plastic, but I reminded myself that the point of being low waste | zero waste is doing what one can, within their money and time, to make sustainable choices. Also, it’s challenging to avoid plastic because it’s used almost everywhere. Instead of being hard on myself, I’d rather focus on taking this in as a learning experience and figure out a solution for future cheese cravings - this is how I’m practicing conscious decision-making. 

The total amount I spent at Whole Foods was $26.87. It’s a lot for 4 items, but I predict the amount of peanuts, almonds, and black beans will last me for at least 2-3 months and will save me some time for grocery shopping (since I won’t have to go back weekly to refill my cloth bags). The vegan cheese will probably be consumed within 1 month. 

Union Square Greenmarket 

After babysitting my Upper West Side child, I took the subway down to Union Square Greenmarket to buy fresh produce for me and homemade vegan dessert for my partner’s parents. 

For $11.75 I bought 5 apples, portobello mushrooms, spinach, and parsley to last me for 1 week. I didn’t buy a lot of fresh produce because I still have leftovers from last week’s food haul, and I didn’t want any produce to go to waste.  

I spent $16.50 on a vegan apple pie, vegan sweet potato and pumpkin pie, and a vegan sunflower double chocolate cookie from Body & Soul Bakeshop. I love Body & Soul because they make everything by hand and use local ingredients, and I think the prices for all their baked goods are fair and reasonable. The two vegan pies were for my partner’s parents, while the [huge] cookie was for me and my partner to share. I felt good after paying for everything because I spent less than my $20 budget and the cookie was so chewy, delicious, and moist with dark chocolate. 

For the Rest of Friday ...

I spent the afternoon with my partner’s parents. After eating with them, my partner and me went to the movies to watch Deadpool 2. My partner paid for my ticket because he had an offer that only required him to pay $4 for the ticket. Since the movie ended late and we got stuck in traffic heading back to Jersey City, we didn’t have time to get dinner together. 

It was a $0 day because I ate 2 meals at home (using food from last week’s food haul), and my parents paid for lunch at one of my favourite restaurants in Jersey City. My parents always pay for meals on the weekend because it’s the only time they get to see and actually talk to me. 

On Sundays, I rarely spend any money because I either eat my meals at home or I cook food / eat out with my partner. I’m not spending ay money today because I’m eating whatever food I have in the fridge and in my pantry. 

Considering that I spent more this week compared to last week, I’m relatively calm because I know $26.87 of that was on food expected to last me for 2-3 months. 

My mom surprised me with unexpected food purchases for this week - 1 pack of vegan Italian sausage, 1 pack of vegan burgers, avocados, raspberries, and strawberries. I felt a little bad that she bought the vegan saursages and burgers because I wonder if she did that because she knows I’m getting tired of eating beans and chickpeas. With my mom’s purchases, I know I have enough sources of protein and oatmeal toppings. I predict that next week’s farmers market haul will consist mainly of vegetables. 

[getjadedlocal-blog]

I am so excited to show my first round of upcycled shirts! Check them out! Links in bio!⠀ ⠀ I screen printed them by hand and sourced the shirts from local thrift shops. All sales will help me get new frames and paint ink for a better quality round next time.⠀ ⠀ I have a good feeling these shirts will the start of more fun things!⠀ ⠀ #salvage #nothingnew #thriftstorefinds #fuckfastfashion #thrifter #alternativegirls #gothgirls #zerowastevegan #vintagestreetwear #etsy #vintageculture #lowwastegift #lowwastelifestyle #lowwastejourney #lowwastelife #streetwears #streetwearstore #streetwearbrand #streetweardaily #streetwearaddicted #streetwearculture #gothgirl #gothgirls #tattoolife #shopethical #ethicalclothing #ethicalfashion #ethicalbusiness #etsyvintage #etsyshops https://www.instagram.com/p/B32Cq4xBNxC/?igshid=7em187yrav3

[mashcamper007]

Costa staff didn't appreciate my effort to produce less waste and basically glared at me for using reusable items like it made there job so much harder 😠 🍒 🍓 🌍 🌱 #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #lowwastelife #kilner #kilnerjar #mason #masonjar #vegan #veganjamoatbites #redberries #costa #costacoffee #reuse #reusable #producebag (at Costa Coffee)

[getjadedlocal-blog]

What I love about jean jackets is how classic they are. There's something timeless and inherently fashion forward AND anti fashion about them. Patches only serve to make them more unique and one of a kind as the wearer.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ And okay, when you find that VINTAGE jean jacket? There's something extra special then.⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ #denimjacket #vintagejacket #vintagedenim #vintagejeanjacket #preowned #nobuy #ethicalfashion #streetwearsdaily #jacketwithpatches #noplanetb #90sstyle #streetstyle #jeanjacket #ethicalbusiness #slowfashion #dontbuynew #etsymakers #etsymaker #thriftstorefinds #thrifter #etsyshops #lowwastejourney #lowwastelife #streetwearbrand #streetwearstore #worn #jadedlocal #etsyvintage #vintageoutfit #patches https://www.instagram.com/p/B4h-5uqBCn4/?igshid=yt4ywuwkl7cq

[getjadedlocal-blog]

They say pets make every photo better. I think Fendi would agree. Question is, would Kylie Jenner (on back patch on this jacket) agree?⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ Also, can you believe we found this preowned jacket on one of our thrift store hunts? Links are always in the bio.⁠⠀ . ⁠⠀ . ⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ #thriftstorefinds #catsofinstagram #catjacket #catoftheday #ootd #etsyseller #denimjacket #oversizedjacket #streetwearfashion #kyliejenner #kyliejennerfashion #oversizeddenimjacket #oversizedjeanjacket #vintagestreetwear #worn #vintageculture #thrifter #streetwearstore #streetweardaily #streetwearaddict #shopethical #nothingnew #lowwastelifestyle #lowwastelife #fuckfastfashion #etsyshops #ethicalfashion #ethicalbusiness #preowned #ethicalfashion https://www.instagram.com/p/B4fSXMZh_i3/?igshid=w0ntvsq11a93