Counting Pennies

Freeganism is a lifestyle based on the principles of anti-consumerism, community living and social responsibility. Freegans believe that modern society is based on the notion of buying things not because we need them but because we have been conditioned to do so. In response to this, they have chosen to live mostly on what they can gather and stay away (as much as possible) from shopping, globalization structures and greed.

Many freegans engage in dumpster diving (more on that tomorrow) while others grow their own food, barter for their basic everyday necessities or reuse/recycle what they can gather.

While fully embracing the lifestyle may qualify as “too much” for most people, there are certainly some things in the freegan philosophy that can work for everybody:

Stop driving. Or at least reduce it to a minimum. Not only are cars expensive (monthly payment, insurance, gas) but they’re also damaging to the environment. Carpool if you can’t take public transportation or simply get yourself a nice bike.

Buy your own cup. Stop taking disposable items. This will probably only save you a few cents (if you bring your own cup for coffee, stores may give you a discount of about 5cents) but again, it’s great for the environment.

Stretch what you have. Think twice (or more!) before buying something new. Instead, reuse what’s lying around your house or find ways to adapt something else. Old clothes can be turned into cleaning rags and old jeans can be made into tote bags. Learn to sew so you can repair your own clothes and reuse plastic and glass containers (such as mayonnaise jars) once they’re empty.

From the Freegan website: “Get a book on edible plants and start looking around; there is a lot more edible food growing all around us than we realize.” There is so much, in fact, that in NYC you can join a free monthly class with herb guru “Wildman” Steve Brill who will take around Central Park and teach you how to forage edible plants. “We live in a society where the foods that we eat are often grown a world away, over processed, and then transported long distances to be stored for too long, all at a high ecological cost. Because of this process, we’ve lost appreciation for the changes in season and the cycles of life but some of us are reconnecting to the Earth through gardening and wild foraging.”

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