Motivation

I’m exploring Simple Living lifestyle. I’m trying to be more eco-friendly by producing less trash. Recycling is not an optimal option for me as I don’t have enough knowledge and time to efficiently recycle. I don’t believe I need to go all out, at the cost of convenience and weird routines to achieve simple living. Natural products are cool but sometimes, it’s better to use commercial products if they are what I need.

Now the question here is: How much does Simple Living cost? How does it compare with other options? Below is what I have consumed so far and will update the list frequently to get the answer.

Body / Face / Hair

Item	Frequency	Cost (SGD)	Amount	Purpose
Coconut oil	Once a week	11.8	500ml	Hair mask
Argan oil	~Everyday	15	30ml	Hair oil
Diane Moist Shampoo	Twice a week	18	300ml	Shampoo
Menstrual cup	Once as month	50	1	During period
Handmade soap	Everyday	4-9	1	Shower
Jojoba oil	Everyday x 2	16	60ml	Face moisturiser
Rose hip oil	Everyday x 2	17.5	30ml	Face serum
Oatmeal	Everyday	3.95	400g	Facial cleanser
Aztec Bentonite Clay	Once a week	Free gift	40g	Facial mask
Thai Clay Mask	Once a week	17	50ml	Facial mask

Food / Drink related

Item	Frequency	Cost (SGD)	Amount	Purpose
Lunch box	Once a week	4	1	Take away food
Tote bag	Once a week	Free gift	1	Bag
Water bottle	Everyday	60	500ml	Drinking water

Exercise-related

Item	Frequency	Cost (SGD)	Amount	Purpose
Essential oil	2-3 times/week	15	30ml	DIY mat spray

Things that don’t work out for me

Sometimes, certain natural items just don’t work out because (1) I don’t know how to use it, (2) The item doesn’t fit into my routine, (3) It’s just a bad product

Item	Cost (SGD)	Amount	Purpose	Reason for stop using
Natural loofah	3	1	Shower	Hygiene issue. After a while, it turns dirty
Straw	Free gift	2	Drinking	Hygiene issue. If drinking on the street. I don’t know where to store dirty straws
Tumbler	13	250ml	Drinking	Spilling issue
DIY toothpaste	9	30ml	Toothpaste	Ingredients contain coconut oil so it always melts while brushing
Cotton (makeup) pads 17	7 pcs	To apply toner	Feel a bit rough and a lot of effort in keeping clean

Other aspects that I haven’t simplified yet

On the go:

When I’m on the go, I strive to bring light and simple stuff. I have little choice but to go for plastic / not eco-friendly options. These are few things I wish to find a creative way to optimise:

• Plastic cup when outside (e.g. drinking tea, coffee or bubble tea). Tumbler gave me spilling issues and storing dirty stuff after usage
• Tissues. Bringing cloth is fine but the problem is where to keep dirty tissues in my bag.

Tissue

I use tissue to wipe my table (when I don’t have the table cloth), to wipe my mouth (when I don’t have access to water), etc. Only tissue is there and it’s super convenient. Unfortunately, tissue is non-recyclable because it’s contaminated with other non-recycle content

Food

• Food waste: I cook once or twice a week. If I don’t plan properly, I would easily end up with left over ingredients that can’t be used till next week. Here’s an attempt
• Cling wrap: I’m researching this an alternative