An eco-friendly journey is usually a lonely path. Packed with doubts, guilt, and some anxiety in between. Even though I still have a long road ahead, I can no longer recognize the person I was before this whole journey started. Here’s my humble eco-friendly evolution.

Looking back, I believe I’ve always been an eco-conscious person. I remember coming home from school pre-teenage years and talking to my parents about global warming. The importance of recycling and adopting conscious habits (using the car less often, waste reduction…).

I don’t even have a driver’s license (I am almost 35, btw). Why? Because I couldn’t bear the image of being stuck in a traffic jam every single day, on my way to work. Damaging the planet and wasting important resources, just because everybody else was doing it.

Instead, I preferred to do my own thing (besides the criticism). Take the train or the subway, use my (long) commute to catch up on my reading (always a bookworm), bring my own food (instead of eating out), and walking a lot.

Besides all these things, I’ve only stepped up my eco-friendly game when I became an expat. Yes, this is one of those life experiences that make you put everything into perspective.

Here’s how I became more eco-friendly during the past couple of years.

Less is more

Before moving abroad, I was one of those girls who went window shopping every week. And I used to purchase something every single time. Because it was pretty, cheap, and caught my attention somehow.

Leaving me with a packed closet, an empty bank account, and that “I have nothing to wear” feeling pretty much every single day.

Moving abroad (with only a suitcase and a backpack), made me become more realistic about my needs, what suited me best and what I actually needed.

I brought very few clothes to Madrid because most of my clothes were worn out (damned you, fast fashion) or didn’t match anything.

The changing point: “packing” was the aha-moment for me. It made me realize how much “waste” I accumulated throughout the years.

It helped me reframe what was important, what was worth buying and being savvier with my spending.

Since then, I’ve been buying fewer clothes. Investing in pieces that I absolutely love and that I know I will wear over and over, instead of something that is trendy or is very cheap.

Opting for quality over quantity

I’ve been applying this one to pretty much everything. From sneakers to computers.

It made me realize that some things are worth spending a bit more money on, as these are better quality and will last longer (like my computer or phone).

At the moment, I am all about reading (and watching) countless reviews before swiping my card.

Yes, it makes me “spend” more time. But I prefer to see it as an investment.

I know that this one might seem particularly hard if you live on a budget. I live on a budget and I don’t come from a family with money, so I was thought to make the most out of my budget.

Right now, I prefer to save my money (every month) until I can buy that one item that I have my eye on.

Reusables

“Eco-friendly items are expensive” - if I received a euro every time I hear this sentence, I’d be rich by now (seriously).

Yes, eco-friendly items might be more expensive than conventional ones upfront. But if you stop for a moment and do the numbers, you can easily tell that these are cheaper in the long run.

Here’s an example: A pair of stainless steel coffee capsules costs a little over 20 euros. Yes, it isn’t exactly cheap. But I bought these almost two years ago and I drink around three coffees a day. My partner would also drink a couple more, every single day.

Even though I have to buy grind coffee, every other month. It’s still cheaper than buying two packs of disposable coffee capsules every single week.

Besides being good for the environment (no plastic waste), it’s still good for my finances, and… it allows me to drink whatever coffee blend I fancy.

My recommendation: invest in eco-friendly items that you can use over and over again. These will allow you to save money in the long run. Avoid spending money on single-use eco-friendly products.

You might be thinking about soaps or shampoo bars. What about these? Well, these would be the exception. Besides avoiding plastic waste, these formulas are usually cleaner and packed with ingredients that are good for you.

Transparency overall

Knowing where a product comes from, how it was created and the philosophy behind the brand became really important to me.

I no longer question why something is expensive. Instead, I started to question why something is so cheap. And mostly, how that thing (whatever it is) can be so cheap.

Instead of entering an Inditex store whenever I need a jumper or pair of jeans, I look up for smaller brands who create similar products in the country I live (or in the countries nearby).

I prefer to spend a bit more, knowing that that item was produced in better conditions by people who are receiving a fairer wage at the end of the month (I say fairer because there’s still a lot of room for improvement - at least in my opinion).

This was eco-friendly evolution during the past few years. As you can see, these were mostly mindset and behavioral changes.

I won’t say that it was easy, especially at the beginning, but you get used to it. It takes time and one step at a time. But once you see the benefits, you know there’s no turning back.