Tag Archives: sustainability

How to budget effectively?

Hi lovelies,

I have not written for a while due to some personal issues, but it does not mean that I did not write anyting for you:

After a plenty of time and work of planning, designing, I am glad to say that my Budgeting pdf with a helpful excelsheet is out!

Have you ever thinking about where all you money goes? If yes, do not forget to read and share my short guide to personal budgeting. Let’s achive a more conscious life together.
Free download available on my homepage. Yes, youdo not need to subscribe or anything just click here

Xoxo,

Big Announcement
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

PS: I am also hardly working on my YouTube, so stay tuned!

February Low Buy Haul

Hi lovelies,

So second month has been passed in 2020, so that means an other haul. But let’s start with the budgeting:

February was just a month to be finally over. I am nearly on a zero leftover now, as we had so many expenses this month, some of them was planed, others aren’t.

So we have bought our very first TV and my husband wanted a voice bar so bad for his birthday so that was his gift. I think we did send a lot of gifts for friends (dispute the budgeting) as we had 5 birthdays and a farewell party this month. I must not forget that my income was 35% lower than in January. I got sick and we had the opportunity to invest in a half pig, which would cover a lot of meats we actually eat so now it is an expense, but in a long term that was an investment…

Savings: only 34 %, but if I add that saved a bit more in January it convers to 51% of the planned one, so I will try to manage it next month somehow

Needs: Sent 16% more on my needs as it should had been…

Wants:

This month I have not bought any makeup or skincare as I am hardly trying to use them up. I went to my hairdresser as a treatment this month, which I only do like every 4 months. I had a few birtdays in this month, so did  purchased some gifts to my husband and to my parents- but these are counted to the need file. I also had to buy a new makeup counter and paper organizers as we have finally finished our glass wall and the oldies was not fitted in… + I had to clean a lot in the house so decluttered a lot too.

What I have purchased for myself:

Kazar shoe- for a while I was looking for a perfect pump, but all of the high-heels was so uncomfortable, and now I have found the perfect one with a blocked heel: elegant, comfy and easy to walk, made of a 100% leather- of course it is not the cheapest from a Polish brand, Kazar -BARI- shop it here.

Everlane– This sustainable brand, which I am eyeing on… it was coming in a paper packaging:

I wanted to upgrde my basics, these are their Basic Cotton Crew in S size and Oversized Alpaca Crew in Almond – S size.

So that is what I have decluttered in the middle of the month:

Expired Make up: Bobbi Brown Bronzer, Nars Orgasm Blush, The Balm Mary Luminizer, MAC Ruby Woo lipstick, ABH brow pomade were all so great and saved several decluttering, but some of them were over 5 years…

Then I had a looking to my jewellery box and found some never gonna use items which I was gifted to a thrift store.

Used up two parfumes and my Estee Lauder coral sun lippie.

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On the wants I have sent 102% more than I would had been…. so failed.

xoxo and see you in March!

My wardrobe goals in 2020

Hi lovelies,

This is my year of low buy so I just want to describe what are my wardrobe goals for this year. It is going to reflect to my clothes, shoes and acessories too. This post might will makes you to understand why I did choose to have a low buy instead of a no buy year and why I am doing not just budgeting but also monthly hauls.

May main goal in a nutshell is to upgrade my wardrobe: to have less, but better quality items, from which I can make a use of.

That is my haul year about: to use up what I have, to buy better quality items from my budget, save for better items and declutter all which I just do not like, do not use.

  1. Have better quality items, natural fibers to
  2. Make a better and longer use of them,
  3. buy items secod hand, more luxurious and from sustainable brands,
  4. strick to my needs,
  5. have capsule wardrodes, which I really use.

Soon I am going to post my current wishlist, which I just want to strict too, to be able to skip impulse purchases and inventoryposts to have a better overview of everything that I own.

Yeah I am still not a minimalist, but may my lifestyle are getting closer to it.

Brands that I would or planning to purchase from:

  • Levi’s
  • Everlane
  • Armed Angels
  • &Other Stories
  • Sezane
  • Furla
  • Kazar

Places that I want to try to purchase from…

  • Vintage and secondhand shops
  • Depop
  • Asos market place
  • Vestiare Collective
  • Local designer Stores and fairs

I know I do really have to improve my bag and shoe selection too.

xoxo,

November haul

Hi lovelies,

So it is the next haul which I have promised in October. November is always a month to declutter for me, so let’s begin with it: I have take a hole sac of holey, hardly worn clothes to H&M this month too in their recyle system, it is ca. 15 items. Also took some underwear to Intimissimi recycling program.

I have wrote about the Lush stuffs in my previous post: 7 to 3 face cleaners, the naked argan sampoo and shower and bathing things.

I have found a COS Cashmere knit in a camel color in the beginning of the month at Dorothy & Aby outlet (they do sell the previous years’ fashion collected from Budapest’s stores) for half price.

P0

During the coupon days I did some general shopping at the drogstores again and yes no make up bought, I am so proud just these:

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So at H&M I have bought this beautiful brown dotted dress, it is reminds me the 1990s so much and of course a the velvet hair brand, which reminds me to my childhood, so lovely. Unfortunately, their premium collection is not available in stores, so will keep more online shopping.

hmgoepprod

From Zara a classic brown trouser:

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I have a smaller accident when I have distroyed my jeans so I have to purchase a new Mile High Skinny in the demin blue shade.

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I have bought a gift for my husband, but let’s keep it in secret:). Christmas is coming…

At The Body Shop I have repurchased my beloved melting balm, the tree tea oil and as I finished my UD setting spray I have choose their ones. And yes, I have not bought any make up beside than this.

Xoxo,

Getting sustainable 2

Hi lovelies,

So I have wrote that I am on the way to use and buy less and being a bit more sustainable so here we go what I have done recently.

I sew a few cotton bags, three of them are made of an old white sheet, one more from the sheet, which lest after the pillow, which I made like 2 years ago and I have recycled a shirt from my Husband, which had a hole on one of the arm.

e2

Package (less) free shopping

I have try to use a bit more packing free products, so I have purchased some lentil, peppers, bread, pasta and rice that was the easiest to do so far and I think I will just visit that store regually for the dry products for cooking.

 

 

Lush: I have tried their 7 to 3 pads during our holiday and I was missing it from my life so I went to repurchase it. In the mean while I have picked a naked sampoo with argan and two of the bath bombs: pumpkin and a black one.

 

Second hand

I have been to so many second hand stores recently and I just did not find anything: most of them are from the UK, which is not sustainable at all (2000 km away)… I am just  on the way to try some more vintage or  a thrift store, luxury reseller store or site like Vestiare Collective abd maybe the Depop. Honestly, I am so unlucky with selling on Depop yet … haha. So I was not lucky as I used to be back in my college years:).

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I think that is so far, I am going to make some reusble cotton pads soon in this week.

image

I did only one shopping day which will be in the haul of the month…

Keep me inspired in the comment section.

Xoxo,

e5

Textile materials

Hi lovelies,

If you have read my previous post, you might known that I am constanly doing decluttering, trying to waste less, recycle and buy quality instead ofquantity, so any way it is just my journey to become more sustainable.

So in term of cosmetics I try to use everything eco friendly and cruelty free, but now let’s jump into my closet. Recently decluttered a few things that are not my taste or size or in a bad condition, but now I just wanted to know what are the materials which my clothes made of. So Quality is all about the fabric and construction: when a nicer fabric meets with a good construction it is tend to be a higher quality garments, which last longer. Is price tag show the quality? Not all the time, because you sometimes pay for the marketing behind,but I would not say that if you buy a cashmere sweater on a 130 EUR or a 1000 EUR price tag they will be the smae, because might be the materials are the same, but the time and care of production is totally different. I do not think that luxury items are worst the price tag, also in vintage or pre-owned items can be a great deal.

So I just feel, so start buying things which contains at least for 80 % of natural fabric is a good start. Might be the list will not be complete one.

Cotton: might be one of the most common material for clothes and it is natural, there are many different quality of it like organic cotton and it is widely recycleable. Here is a picture of its actual look as a plant.

cotton

Linen: an other natural, plant based textile, made from the fibers of the flax plant.

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Leather:  I think it is clear for everyone, the skin of the animals, most common is cow. So many different prducts can be made of leather, it last long and alright it is not so cruel, but you can choose what is better if you kill an animal (of course not the wild ones) use their meat to eat, skin to create leather goods or produce a lot of faux leather, which cause a lot of gas during production and kill all the natural eco system… Vegan leather is a great option but highly luxurious.

Cashmere and Wool: are fibers obtained form goats. Cashmere is a special type of wool form cashmere and pashmina goats. All of them are ideal for sweater and warm clothes, quality can be different.wool

Viscose:

Viscose is a term often used to represent the viscose fiber that is made from natural sources such as wood and agricultural products that are regenerated as cellulose fiber. The molecular structure of natural cellulose is preserved in the process. The many types and grades of viscose fibers can imitate the feel and texture of natural fibers such as silk, wool, cotton, and linen. The types that resemble silk are often called artificial silk. The fibre is used to make textiles for clothing and other purposes.[1]

Rayon is manufactured from naturally occurring Cellulose hence, it is not considered to be synthetic. Technically, the term synthetic fiber is reserved for fully synthetic fibers made from synthetic polymers. In manufacturing terms, rayon is classified as “a fiber formed by regenerating natural materials into a usable form”. Specific types of rayon include viscose, modal and lyocell, each of which differs in the manufacturing process and the properties of the finished product.

Viscose can mean:

  • A viscous solution of cellulose
  • A synonym of rayon
  • A specific term for viscose rayon—rayon made using the viscose (cellulose xanthate) process

The viscose fiber is made from dissolving wood pulp and regenerating it in the form of fibers. Pulp made from wood or bamboo is the most common raw material for making viscose. Viscose process dissolves cellulose pulp with aqueous sodium hydroxide in the presence of carbon disulfide. This viscous solution bears the name viscose. The cellulose solution is used to spin the viscose or the rayon fiber. Viscose rayon fiber is a soft fiber commonly used in dresses, linings, shirts, shorts, coats, jackets, and other outerwear. It is also used in industrial yarns, tyre cord, upholstery and carpets, to make disposable wipes, cleaning cloths and in the casting of cellophane.

Honestly I had totally no clue what is viscose so it is from Wikipedia…

Silk: can be natural like mulberry silk or syntetic from polyester or lyocell. So try to go for the natural scarfs, tops and shirts, they are real luxury.

Lets turn to the plastic side: Acrylic, Nylon and Polyester all made in the middle of a hude chemical process, there are more cheaper then the natural ones. Here is their main trait from dailymail.co.uk:

syntetic

Elastane or spandex (in the USA): is a fiber which has elasticity and recovery in it. Usually they use it to give fexibility of natural or synthetic fibers, not on its own. It is gives the comfort to wear any of the clothes. Usually it is lower in jeans but highher (40%) in sportwear.

Lyocell: is the faux silk, shinny fabric made of cellulose. Tencel also made of cellulose (eucalyptus tree) and it widely recycled and as strong as polyester.

I hope it was a bit useful for the future, I am going to continue soon with the Fash fashion recycle movements.

Xoxo,

 

A month without extra spendings

Hi lovelies,

Let’s continue my journey to waste less. In September I have not purchased any clothes, cosmetics, electricity stuff or any extra household items. I feel so proud of myself, because I just feel a step closer to my sustainable lifestyle.

This journey made me to think how many extra things and useless things we do have at home, Yeah, we did a tiny decluttering too: clothes, old papers etc. And it is also made me to realize what is exactly missing from our home, had time before acting to think and rethink again and again. After I changed my clothes from summer to a tinier warmer I was so happy to find so much, which I was litually forgot, but used to love… rediscover my own things. Also rethought and reuse a lot of things which I have never ever imagined. Now I used to take my clothes bags to grocery stores and reduced our waste a little bit.

I do suggest to try this out for a month and it will really change your mind.  In the future I really try to buy rather quality than quantity.

xoxo,

Being SUSTAINABLE 1

Hi lovelies,

This is a continue of my previous post regarding the zero waste, so our goal is rather to reach a sustainable lifestyle. Firstly let me list you what we have already doing:

  • Transportation: In the city I use my bike when I can, so it is mostly form April to November and in all the other months I do use the public transportation, while my husband goes by car as we is working so far from home, but we usually takes his 2 fellow colleagues to work too. Going to the countryside I do use train, if we go by car we do use the car share. Note: also on holiday to Italy or Coatia we did and will share our car with 2 more people. Also about the car we do have an Opel Astra with 1.4 gasoline engine, as it is 12 years old now we want to change it into a plug-in hybrid with gasoline in ca. the same, mid-size maybe next year.
  • Recycle: since ever my parents rot and recycle at home, so it was so hard to find no recycle bin upon moving to Budapest, but thankfully we do have them now in the house, so we do have seperate bins for platic/metal and paper up in our flat too. So often I just leave the magazines, which I have bought to the neighbors. Yes this is one part, which we do want to improve! Also we do giveaway our clothes to a charity shop or take them to recycle.
  • Useless: If you have read my blog we try to shop only what we need that is why we constantly declutter and check our items at home. There are items, which are already on a regret to buy list. And trying to be a bit more minimal in terms of my clothes.
  • Drinking tap water: why should we drink mineral waters in a platic bottle if we have one of the best quality water in the world? I am always stare our guests how stupid is to take all the bottled waters up to their room or demand for complimentary bottles of water while drinking the free lemonade at the welcome desk, which made of tap water:). Yes we do buy syrup, which brand’s glass bottle is returnable.
  • More vegetables: as I can not be totally vegan nor vegetarian, so I decided to have one day in each week: so Tuesdays are my veggie days. It is mostly comes from my parents garden or the vegetable grocery next door.
  • Textile bag: I always carry one textile bag with me, however we have to update it more in the future.
  • Dairy: as I am having skincare issue due to milk, we try to reduce to consume these as low as possible, sometimes I do eat some cheese or a yoghurt, but a way much less then before.
  • Thermos: At work I already have a bottle for water and a tiny thermos mug for my coffee, so I am not wasting paper or pastic mugs everytime, like most of my colleagues do.

I think that is all what we do at the moment, but might missed out something, so coment your suggestions and I am going to continue with our steps to be sustainable.

Why we can not be zero waste?

Hi lovelies,

Plastics free July is such a nice initiative, however let me write the truth why you can not succeed-> YES the whole world is againts you. So we tried to reduce the platic: so did not buy any soft drinks, plastic bags nor anything with single use plastic packaging. But let me tell you why we failed:

I really like the conception of zero waste(read and watch videos too), specially the 5R, which I try to keep is the next time, but firstly it is my list which I just can not do. I really appricate the people, who live a zero waste lifestyle! 5-rs-of-zero-waste-refuse-reduce-reuse-recycle-rot

  • Travel: I love to travel and can not live without it, I think it is a bit unsightly when zero waste gurus travels a lot (specially by plane or car) to give speech regarding their lifestyle.
  • Washing: instead of using single use products, zero waste usually required to wash, specially hygenic items, to disinfect you do need to use a higher temperature, which increase electricity usage and also waste a lot of (in Hungary: drinking) water!
  • Detergents: eco free detergents also packed in plastic… and costs a lot more than normal ones and usually not that effective. I have tried DM Nature, which is a prettygood eco products for us, but I have read a lots of reviews that is useless for stubborn spots- but we do not have a kid yet so… And also the fabric conditions alternatives are pretty low choices. Yes, you might say these washing nuts- but there are coming for India, form the other side of the World…
  • Hygiene: I can not replace toilet papers or kleenex. From the kleenex it is better to take the paper box ones, but there are having smaller and lower quality. Diva cup is not something that I can imagine to use.
  • Secondhand clothes: I used to shop second hand, but as most of the second hand are extremly over priced, also sells fast fashion and most of the clothes are coming from the UK, so I only go into real, local vintage store. So all those Hada or Cream English second hands sells H&M, Zara, Primark ect. so imagine: these clothes are produced in Asia or Morocco, than they shipped to UK, which they might sold (yes sometimes the stores took the unsold items into the bins) and used once or twice by a women, than they left it into a bin,which they select and sold the best ones (which are the rare used) for the price of 10-15 EUR/items in the Eastern European part. Other problem they cause, that you can not sell your used and locally purchased clothes at all or maybe by facebook market place, which takes a lot of time and energy. The zero waste way would be to shop local designer clothes, which is very expensive or sew it yourself- that is still not the cheapest and also need time and skills.
  • Lack of selective bins!
  • Lack of returnable packaging: milk, beer, wine ect. bottles used to be widely returnable a few years ago.
  • Online shopping: I love to do my shopping online as you can buy much more things then in the shops, it is easier and do save some time. Yes it is comes in a lot of extra packaging, which is mainly plastic.
  • Make-up: I am a make up lover, yes I have not rethink that part of my life;).

I hope you have enjoyed this little post, I am going to update on my steps for a sustainable lifestlye in a few days!

XOXO,

10 things, which I regret to buy

Hi lovelies,

As you might know I have just started to do a kind of minimalism in my life, which contains a healthier and more experience focused life. In my January post I have promised to share my “Regrets to buys”, so here we go:

  1. Pre-prepared spices and food: these are really unhealthy, expensive and you can do it on your own, why to waste money on them? If I do not have time to cook I rather eat out or order or just eat some fruits or veggies… only one exception: if we are ona ski holiday.
    set of wooden bowls full of different spices isolated on white background
  2. Clothes that does not meets my criteria: if you have read some of my previous posts I did changed my mind like a year ago, so I rather have less and buy quality instead of quantity. I still have to declutter, but my wardrobe nearly reached the perfect status.
    img_0574
  3. Tons of cleaning products: as our flat is relatively small, we do not store up a lot of chemicals, now we only have: toilet cleaner, universal cleaner and a glass cleaner. All of them are ecological!
  4. Wipes: on a daily basis I do not use cleansing, makeup remover or toilette wipes, these are useful for travel but no need at home.wipe
  5. Non-Cruelty free beauty products: I think I do not need to explain, here are my posts in this subject:   MAC alternatives, skin care, Bobbi Brown alternatives, Getting cruelty freecaring-consumer
  6. Useless home decor: the nice little things, which do not fit or do not add any value to my home, like: hmgoepprod
  7. An extra one of something: we do only have 2 sets of bed-clothes, one bathroom rug set, 4 kitchen clothes ect. these are enough, do not need more sets of changing.
  8. Washer dryer: I really love the smell of the freshly washed clothes and our flat is so dry so I love to hang them for the night and press them afterwards. Of course it is more environment friendly too.
    dryer
  9. Pens and notebooks: since I am not at school I do not need tons of it and colorfulness- I admit some of them looks so good-, there are always some for free or giveaway with some magazines or get it as a gift.
  10. Takeaway coffee in use-once-only mug: I do not really go for takeaway, but if so I have a really nice Starbucks travel mug, which I usually carry with me.

I know I still have a lot to do in this topic, we ought to act soon as the human living is getting unsustainable and there will nothing left for theupcoming generations… so what are your regrets to buy?