What Does Sustainability Mean?

Living in an area with a high cost of living, we are focused on finding financially sustainable ways to live a life with a smaller footprint. It can be challenging to navigate the balance between minimizing what we buy, conserving financial resources, and choosing to support sustainable industries by purchasing products that may have a higher initial cost. Through this blog we hope to share with you how we choose to tread the path of increasingly sustainable choices within our limited means.

For us sustainability is inclusive of the following: environmental sustainability, financial sustainability, and a sustainable lifestyle.

Each of these areas are distinct, yet for our lives, they are also intertwined.

Environmental Sustainability

We want to be making choices in life that will have a positive impact on the environment around us.

“The quality of causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time.”

dictionary.cambridge.org

Environmental sustainability means considering the way in which a product has made its way to us: are the materials sourced at the expense of the environment? Have elements of the product been shipped halfway around the world for manufacturing, then back again to reach their final market resulting in excessive emissions? Is the process to make an item damaging to individuals, communities, our environment? If the items on our shelves are materially damaging in some way then that is not where we would choose to spend our consumer dollars.

Financial Sustainability

Financial sustainability involves making smart and ethical choices that can be sustained over a long period of time. By making the most of the resources you have means that they can be stretched as far as possible. This isn’t always buying the cheapest option but rather using your money consciously and wisely.

Making financially sustainable choices also means that you are aware of your financial position and are making choices within your budget. Without financial awareness, it is difficult to make sustainable spending decisions.

A Sustainable Lifestyle

A sustainable lifestyle means making a conscious choice to minimize excess. For us, this includes a care and stewardship of time, money, and resources. There is a cost to every choice we make in our lives. Knowing this can help empower us to make the most practical and sustainable choices for our lives.

Daily Life

As we go through life with these facets of sustainability in mind, we realize we’ll always be works in progress. And that’s okay. The idea for us is the adage “progress over perfection” where we are continually trying to make the best choices for the moment we are in.

We are looking forward to sharing our choices and what we are learning with you!