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Sustainable back-to-school ideas that save money
I can’t quite believe it’s already August, which means I’m starting to wrap my mind around back-to-school season. It feels like summer just got started, but September is coming quickly with it’s back-to-school shopping list. Between clothes, shoes, backpacks, school supplies, lunches, and fall gear, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that everything needs to be new. The good news is that getting ready for a new school year doesn’t have to mean buying everything brand new. With a little planning it’s not hard to use items already on hand, shop secondhand, and be intentional about things that do need to be purchased. These simple choices allow…
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DIY Stainless steel cleaner: A simple plastic-free swap
Stainless steel appliances are a popular choice for modern kitchens, but keeping them free of fingerprints, smudges, and water spots can be a challenge. I recently found myself finishing a kitchen renovation, ready to move back in and clean my very dirty stainless steel appliances, only to realize I couldn’t find my usual cleaner anywhere among the boxes. Rather than buying another bottle, I looked around the house and mixed up a simple DIY version with ingredients I already had on hand. To my surprise, it worked really well! While there are plenty of commercial stainless steel cleaners available, many come in single-use plastic bottles and contain ingredients you may…
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No Spend June: Spending less, living more
Between birthdays, Mother’s Day, and a nearly completed kitchen renovation, it feels like the past few months have involved a lot of purchases. With summer vacations just around the corner, June feels like the perfect time for a reset and that’s what drew me to the idea of doing a No Spend month this June. Despite the name, a no-spend challenge isn’t about deprivation or avoiding every purchase. Instead, it’s an opportunity to become more intentional about spending and take a closer look at the habits that often happen on autopilot. A coffee on the go, a sale that’s too good to pass up, or another item that promises to…
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Borrow, swap, rent: 10 things you probably don’t need to own
These days, buying something is almost too easy. Need a thing? A few taps, one quick checkout, and it’s on your doorstep tomorrow. But a lot of what we buy only gets used once in a while — and could just as easily be borrowed, shared, swapped, repaired, or rented instead. Finding alternatives to buying new isn’t about deprivation. It’s about saving money, reducing waste, and making better use of the things already around us. In many cases, it can also create more connection with neighbors, friends, and community. Here are some everyday things we often rush to buy — even though there are simpler and more sustainable ways to…
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6 Red Flags to Look Out for when Selling Items Online
I’ve been helping a friend downsize recently, which has resulted in a lot of online sales of their belongings. Selling things online has a lot of benefits, but it can also open us up to potential scams and people that are up to no good. I’ve seen a lot of good and bad behaviours over this last while, so am sharing some of the red flags I’ve been looking out for when selling my items online. Why I love selling items online Selling items online might not be for everyone, but I love doing it for so many reasons. Here are a few of them: 1. Stretch your budget –…
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How to Shop all Year Round for Christmas Gifts
A Christmas post in March might be a little unusual, but I’m giving it a go anyhow. I truly love buying gifts for people, but Christmas and holiday gifts became my least favourite ones to buy. The holidays season always seems to come with pressure to buy gifts and various gift giving obligations that that take the fun out of it. I actually boycotted buying gifts for a few years because I didn’t want to just be a consumer. Eventually I found a way to enjoy giving gifts again and I did that by shopping all year round. This not only helps make gift giving fun, but also has a…
