Learning to live on less

There are things that I used to do back in America that I would have never thought twice about until moving abroad.  Things which I will forever think twice about from now on- they will not only benefit me financially but they are also economical. 

1. Wasting water; hotels post signs reminding us "water is a precious thing, save it!" Never have I shut off water when it wasn't necessary in the shower, or when cooking.  I've done a much better job here of monitoring my use of water.  I even hand washed some of my clothes the other day!  Sometimes not everyone flushes the toilet, I don't know about getting used to that one but hey at least they're trying to save. 

2. Lights, TVs, plugging electronics in; our first electricity bill here was fairly high.  Although it was an estimate...my roommates and I have been careful with using lights when not necessary.  A lot of Spaniards here use day light until you cannot anymore.  Some of my classrooms are also lit by sunlight when it's a nice day out.  Every building that I have stepped foot in here has automatic light switches.  Not so common in the states.  You have to press on the hallway lights when you need them in my apartment complex, or any apartment complex for that matter. 

3.  Gasoline; I've been without my car for 4 months.  I've done this before but I'm happy to say I don't miss it.  Now to be fair, it is possible to walk around my city here in Spain.  This country is about the size of Texas.  However in the states, not the case.  Public transportation is almost looked down upon in some parts of the USA.  Having a car at the age of 16 is almost an expectation, I just wish everyone would realize how fortunate we are to have these luxuries.  The legal driving age in Spain is 18, but most young adults take the bus or walk.  I remember in high school I used to drive around just because I had nothing to do- a Spaniard would think that is crazy! Gasoline is super expensive here and a lot of people carpool to work.

4. Grocery shopping; Spaniards don't waste food.  They cook and eat nearly every part of the pig...no thank you :(  I was served PIG CHEEKS in a restaurant a couple weeks ago- I barely like ham as it is (to us Americans).  I hope to start being cautious of how much food I use and what I need.  Anyways...my point here is that Spaniards frequent small and local grocers, fruit shops, bread shops, butchers, etc.  Most women can be seen with their own grocery bag on wheels.  The bigger markets charge you if you choose to use their bags for your food.  Most people "go green" and bring their own bags.  This has been a trend in the states for years now but almost 90% of Spaniards bring their own bags to the store. 


This is an example of their grocery bags the women wheel around

5. Buying produce; I hope I never catch myself buying produce in a Wal- Mart ever...again.  I enjoy grocery shopping here way too much.  Every Monday, I go to the same local produce shop and load up on fruits and veggies.  It is SO cheap!  I spent 20-30 euros a week on food.  Most of this food can last me almost two weeks sometimes.  I might cry when I go back home and remember how expensive food has gotten.  I was so impressed with my last trip to the store that I thought I'd show y'all.

11 euros (15 dollars) worth of produce; this is a lot of food for cheap! It's also better quality 

 They say traveling opens your eyes and mind to a lot of new things.  It's definitely true.  I've changed my perspective on a lot of things because of the fact I've been fortunate to live abroad and see them through the eyes of other people in the world. Maybe this post could influence other people to start living more with less :)