Welcome to our month long buy less plan! Read here to get caught up on what’s going on.
Day: 14
Product: What if you could cut down a specific product you buy by half. That’s a good rate. We’d all like our money to go twice as far, right? This one is simple and easy.
Print on both sides of your paper. Paper comes with two sides, each equally perfect for writing or drawing or taking notes on. If you use both sides of a piece of paper, we get double the use out of our paper.
This is easiest to do when we have a letter or report or something that is over a page long. Just print the first page then turn it over and print more on the other side.
It takes a little more conscious effort to use both sides of a paper when you use them for something that is only one page.
The trick is to have a spot with half-used paper and to draw from that spot when you print a one-paged thing or return papers to when you’re done using them and their only half used.
You should always use your paper wisely. You don’t want to run out.
I even use the other sides of papers that others have used. When I had to spend some time in the hospital they sent me home with a bunch of single-sided pages of instructions. I get flyers for events my kids are invited to –often in beautifully bright colors- I get mail with only side printed. I even got a full box full of one-side-printed paper from Freecycle to use.
The same goes for other types of paper as well. Do you make out a shopping ling on those long list papers? When you’re done with your shopping, take the list back home and spin the paper around and use the opposite side the next week. (It may be helpful to see what you purchased the week before anyway.)
Yes, I know using paper so thoroughly sounds cheap and petty. How expensive is paper anyway? And are we saving the environment that much? Paper is easily recyclable.
It’s just that simple living is a way of life. I kinda permeates into everything, even down to paper. This thing is not hard and it’s just good practice. We should be aware of our actions, no matter how small.
So pay attention to that beautiful blank white page ready for your use the next time to come across paper with only writing on one side. It’s value is there. Don’t overlook the little things.
Reason for spending less: You don’t want to dust any more stuff!
Suggestion: It’s a lot easier to spend more if you go shopping with friends. Friends are great at pointing out what looks good on s and what great taste we have. Encouraging friends are wonderful people to have in our lives. However, if their encouraging causes us to spend money we don’t need to spend, it’s better to have them over to play cards or something.
This suggestion does not apply if your friend is me, of course– or anyone like me. A friend who is conscious of overspending is going to encourage you not to spend.
Now, it may be that I’m a miserable person so shop with, but I don’t think so. I do like to shop because I have never had a problem picking up an item, admiring it’s beauty or function or comedic nature, then putting it back. Until you learn the fine art of appreciation without spendation, just don’t shop with friends as a fun time out.
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/13589188@N00/3164059182″>How We Roll – 52 Stories – Pt 1</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>
WondrouslyWeird 