Disposables

Living the theory of anyway from Belinda's blog.

The Theory of Anyway is this nifty little way of looking at the world that argues "95% of what is needed to resolve the coming crisis in energy depletion, or climate change, or whatever is what we should do anyway, and when in doubt about how to change, we should change our lives to reflect what we should be doing “Anyway.”

So on that note, I was doing some things anyway, the way my Mum taught me, then I have gone soft in a couple of areas.

I was already:

Washing out my own nappies
Using the newborn flannelette ones for burp clothes and to wipe up spills in a hurry
Cutting up old things like pyjamas and towels, sheets (hard to remember as I regularly used to do jobs like this) usually the scissors is just to cut through the harder sewn parts
I used the same rags to clean up things on the floor, and washed them
A long time ago but I have used old teatowels to wrap up things like left over lamb roast on a plate
I haven't been buying tissues, I was probably not doing that anyway, but it has been a long time. However my glasses are always dirty, and my Mum uses tissues to dry hers after washing them, I may have to do that, or to buy a chain for around my neck to keep them on

A good video to watch about what you buy at the supermarket is this:



It is interesting that the first item Christian took out of his bag was powdered milk. We have been buying one that you just take a few teaspoons out of, rather than having to make a whole lot up, and we use it at the new house, which doesn't have a fridge. Probably is better on packaging that the Jiggers.

I don't often buy individual yoghurts anymore. They are not cheap and gone possibly in a day, the six pack. We get the bags of yoghurt flavoured mix, the kids usually have about two goes at it and use bowls to eat it. I suppose one bag is better than six tubs, possibly not. It is cheaper though.

For cheapness I buy 2kg raw sugar, possibly it saves on packaging as well. I dislike a lot of kids snacks, and I can't afford those either. They usually get two things to last for the whole fortnight. A large packet of popcorn as it is one of the cheaper things. We have been using real popcorn I think lately, and sometimes the microwave one, I think real popcorn you can microwave in a pyrex. Very cheap. However we made up the icecream mix, like yoghurt mix once, and our daughter dropped the lid, didn't realise how easily it slides off, maybe it was up high as well. We buy fruit and try to get a large amount dispite the cost. However the bin fruits I get under 50c each, usually 30c or slightly more. I.e. they are not perfect.

We only get bought biscuits/cookies with our Christmas hampers. Or if we are very short on afternoon tea or snacks for a very good reason. They are cheap, but I find lately they really don't fill you up much. The girls and our son have been having fun with their 5 minute chocolate cake recipe this week (made in microwave), it is in a special kids recipe folder that they can find quickly that is all their own. I bought some cocoa. If I buy Milo they just go overboard. They also have pita bread and hamburger buns and make things for afternoon tea. My seven year old is quite good at making the cakes now.

I sometimes use bread bags again, still it ends up in the bin.

Shapes and chips, we have chips on birthdays, same with soft drink or soda. I am intolerant of 211 I think in the cordials and soft drink. All I have found is Ribena to drink last summer when it was hot. In my hometown there was a colourfree cordial, but looking at Safeway there are very few cordials to choose from these days. I used to shop in Coles. No shapes.

We make our own pizza base using a microwave recipe to speed up the homemade base (it makes the dough rise quicker and it works), have canister of yeast in the fridge, it lasts for ages.

I have started getting individually wrapped things as we have a pinata each year for my husband's birthday. Not very often as not healthy I get a large bag of individually wrapped chips. Usually it is because we are travelling, chips are also a birthday thing. We didn't always celebrate birthdays with quite so many things.

We have gone away from pasta sauces, though I did get one recently. Probably just for variety in our meals. I do like the Organic IGA one though and it helps. However, I have been healthier since I have lived here, maybe less of those type of foods, or the fresh air, or walking up hills, perhaps less stress and better water, and I'll never know which one and if the food aspect helps or not. I'd say it did because I seem slimmer. Though that could be environmental as well.

Now that awful subject. Not sure why I am bringing it up. I always bought Safe toilet paper in our hometown. These days it is hard to buy a product like that. They even change things around a lot, and the prices go up and down. I found Coles back then five years ago, was more stable. I buy over 24 rolls when I shop. Lots. And because of the variation we may run out. Yes, if you are desperate newspaper is good, and my husband learnt that from his Grandma. Usually we get saved pretty quickly.

Does anyone remember that you can use butter wrappers to grease cake tins and trays, rather than using greaseproof paper. I do that sometimes. I did that anyway.

I haven't used napkins for years, only had cloth. I dislike the way some people discard paper napkins. One of my few? pet hates/dislikes.

I refuse to buy water,I especially bought an old-fashioned blue thingo with the cup on top when we came here for when we went into town. I noticed when it was hot last year someone buying one. You can put cups in the freezer to make giant ice blocks to go inside them, that is what my Mum did for my Dad to go up the paddock with. She used the anodised cups I think to freeze?

I sometimes buy party tablecloths but this is a new thing. I had awful trouble adjusting to their not being cakes in those plastic trays with lids when I came here. Even the bakery, I think I used one or twice, that is it. We stock up on cake decorating supplies when we go to the regional centre, though there are plenty here now. I got over it after a long while. Guess what? I saw the cakes in our town last week. I wonder if I go back to them?

My tip about sponges and dishcloths, I use warm soapy water, usually people use it from the dish washing up water, and wipe benches etc. rinse sponge and put it somewhere to dry. It stays fresh then. I love soap shakers, but have been using the liquid, even though I still buy Preservene, though have only Sunlight at the shop now. If we run out of bathroom soap we will use it. You cut it in half to use in the shaker.

To wash dishes with a shaker (you can buy them on ebay) turn on the hot tap and straight away shake under the fast running tap. I have a hint though don't leave your soap bar that you can wash your hands with on the window ledge, as eventually all the paint will be off your ledge.