Things we already do

-scratch cook most of our own food from staples
-cook mostly meatless meals
-buy some local produce & patronize the farmer's markets
-buy some organic foods
-buy staple foods in bulk when possible
-shop with canvas bags
-recycle, reuse, or repurpose as much as we possibly can
-try to mend and repair things instead of throwing them out
-buy only what we need or what we really, really want - but buy very little overall
-if we buy something, see first if we can get it second-hand
-fill as many of our needs as possible with second-hand and thrifted goods
-my husband does some bike commuting to work
-i'm transitioning to a work-at-home job
-use a low flow toilet and showerhead
-use rechargeable batteries
-keep the thermostat set lower in winter and higher in summer
-purchased an energy-efficient refrigerator
-things go in the wash pile only when they really need washed
-hang a lot of our laundry to dry
-minimal use of paper towels and other disposable paper products
-use a washable fabric shower curtain
-DIY as much as possible
-we try (and usually succeed) to not throw any food away, i.e. leftovers really get eaten, etc
-we buy drinking water in bulk and store it in reusable jugs
-we wash and reuse plastic storage bags
-we reuse things like oat cylinders, yogurt tubs and spice jars for storage and bulk buying

In other seasons, we've had a small garden and composted. This year, with me being pregnant and some other craziness ensuing, we didn't get the garden in and let the composting slide. One of the first steps for us is to get back on the wagon with both of these.

Day to day, it feels like we do a pretty good job; indeed, we do more than a lot of people we know. Looking at this list, though, and seeing it actually written down, it seems so... paltry. I find myself thinking that surely we're doing more than that. But everyone has to start somewhere, and seeing a list like this really helps create the motivation to step up our efforts.