Every once in a while, I like to recharge my “frugal batteries” by reading one of the ubiquitous tip lists or frugal resources in my library. If you’re wondering what these books/websites are, check out
the Frugal Japan resources.
I recently gained a new addition to my resource collection in Japanese: the monthly Ohanashi Salad newsletter from my organic coop featured a special “EcoLife” section in September, and I thought I’d share some of their unique ideas for trash reduction, efficient energy usage and recycling that I gleaned. Here are a few highlights:
Efficient Energy Use
“Reducing the amount of ’stuff’ in my house has made cleaning easier and improved air flow. We no longer need to use the air conditioner.”
“One night a week, I have a romantic ‘candle night.’ We use candles for reading/dining, and don’t use electricity.” (Editor’s Note: Be mindful of the potential for fires!)
Cooking
“I food process leftover vegetables (excluding onions) into a paste, and freeze it. The paste can be added to soups or sauces to give it extra flavor.”
“When making ‘nimono’ (simmered dishes) or other similar dishes, I take the pot off the stove when the the dish is about 2/3 cooked, and then wrap it in a bath towel. The lingering heat cooks the rest of the food, saving on gas expenses and preventing overcooking.”
Reuse/Recycling
“Coffee grounds and tea leaves can be mixed in with potting soil for extra nutrients.”
“I rip up old telephone books into sections two or three pages thick. I use these for wiping up leftover oil in frying pans. They are also useful for wiping my hands, lining refrigerator drawers, or wrapping vegetables.”
One last tip from the Ohanashi Salad newsletter:
Make Time
“I realized that, when I’m in a hurry, my activities produce a lot of waste and use up a lot of electricity. For example: if I’m running late for work, I’ll often drop by the convenience store to grab
breakfast, or use a taxi to get to work instead of the train. In short: my philosophy for an ecological lifestyle is to make sure I have plenty of time to get where I’m going, and to do what I need to do.”
Some of the above tips may be old news to you, others may be useful. The resourcefulness of Japanese folks of a certain age never ceases to surprise me. I did find this final piece of advice from a 30-year-old housewife quite revealing:
“The most important thing to me is NOT trying to have a more convenient lifestyle. In other words, not getting too used to too much convenience.”