What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[BDutch]

I suppose these rules and regulations are necessary bc people throw all kind of things in the toilets and sinks.

Human poop without anything else is very well compostable as long as the persons don’t use medicines.

 

[FrostRanger]

I saw that turkey is now cheaper than usual rn. Our local wallyworld has them for 88 cents a pound.

Also, you can save money by buying phone service in advanced. Been using mint mobile for 4 and a half years now and am very happy with the service. I pay like 200 a year for unlimited call and text and 5 gigs of data a month. I actually get better service at work than my coworkers who use Verizon (although of course cell service very much depends on regional coverage). Only downside is you need to have a carrier unlocked phone, they do sell such phones but you can get them cheaper elsewhere and they don't have brick and mortar stores. Not really an issue for me as I like to shop around anyways and can figure out phone issues either on my own or with some duckduckgo fu

 

[fuzzi]

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The latest thing I am doing is helping dd do cloth diapers with my grandbabies. I ordered the diapers last week and they came today.

Reducing garbage footprint is only a small part of why I've been encouraging this, though. Did you know diaper rash was very rare before the advent of the super absorbing polymers that wick moisture out of skin too? I didn't but today the pediatrician told dd that the babies' rashes were so mild they aren't even considered rashes. I know what healthy skin looks like, though. I haven't anything to dd because she has already been doing everything that can be done except cloth diapers (yet) or going without diapers. Incidently, the dr recommended going without diapers periodically.

Healthy skin is also only part of my motivation.

In finding the supplies to order, I discovered cloth diapers with old-fashioned plastic pants are the least likely to leak for adults with incontinence, at least according to many websites of the general public talking about that issue. And, evidently, are often the most comfortable if one don't mind thbr bulk.

I liked plastic pants best when my kids were babies. They are still available. Walmart carries the bigger sizes. The smallest size takes some searching, or luck, maybe, but is also still available.

My children wore cloth diapers. When they did get a rash the pediatrician (old school) told me to fasten the cloth diaper very loose, letting air get in through the leg openings. It worked well.

 

[TooCheep]

Also, you can save money by buying phone service in advanced. Been using mint mobile for 4 and a half years now and am very happy with the service. I pay like 200 a year for unlimited call and text and 5 gigs of data a month. I actually get better service at work than my coworkers who use Verizon (although of course cell service very much depends on regional coverage). Only downside is you need to have a carrier unlocked phone, they do sell such phones but you can get them cheaper elsewhere and they don't have brick and mortar stores. Not really an issue for me as I like to shop around anyways and can figure out phone issues either on my own or with some duckduckgo fu

I've also been using Mint Mobile for years now. I'm a light phone user and am on the same plan you are. I just pay once/year and the service has been excellent.

As for the carrier locked phones, in most cases it is actually easy to unlock. If you've had your old service for a while (generally 6+ months), you can generally call their customer service and have your phone unlocked. Then transferring to Mint or any other compatible third-party provider is easy.

 

[gtaus]

Human poop without anything else is very well compostable as long as the persons don’t use medicines.

Human waste can be composted, for sure, but that compost is not safe to be used for anything around food gardens under normal composting processes we might use at home. Humanure composts has to be processed under strict conditions - more than it would be worth my time or effort.

I have a septic system, and I asked the septic guy where they dispose of all the human waste that they pump out of our holding tanks. He told me that they license a farmer's property to spray out the human waste (septage) on the fields. Then, it has to sit for a few years before it can be turned into the soil to plant a cover crop. Then, a few years later, they can put cows back on the pasture for grazing. That's the general idea where I live in a rural area.

It's not only medicines you need to worry about, but also the untreated pathogens that can be transferred that is a big concern.

I am more than happy to make my chicken run Black Gold compost that I know is safe for my food gardens. I make more compost each year than I can use. It's mostly leaves, grass clippings, and chicken coop litter with chicken poo in the mix. But it turns into a dark, rich, black color that I sift out and put on my food gardens. I harvested a couple hundred dollars' worth of compost again this year, and maybe only took out 10% of the chicken run compost that was ready.

I invested in a cement mixer compost sifter setup a few years ago. I am not exaggerating about sifting out hundreds of dollars of compost each year. Here is my setup...

If you are into sustainability, I think having chickens and making chicken run compost is the ultimate way to go!

 

[BDutch]

It's not only medicines you need to worry about, but also the untreated pathogens that can be transferred that is a big concern.

Why would human untreated pathogens be much more of a hazard than those of pigs, goats or chickens (salmonella, campylobacter, MRSA, Q fever, bird flu…) ?

 

[gtaus]

Why would human untreated pathogens be much more of a hazard than those of pigs, goats or chickens (salmonella, campylobacter, MRSA, Q fever, bird flu…) ?

That's a great question. I spent years in Nursing school, and we studied such topics a lot. But since you asked, here is a nice summary I got online...

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Human pathogens pose a greater hazard than animal pathogens because they are already adapted to infect humans, often spread more efficiently between people, and can carry higher risks of chronic illness or death. Zoonotic pathogens from animals are dangerous too—but they typically require a spillover event and may not transmit as easily human-to-human.

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Why Human Pathogens Are More Hazardous to Humans​

• Species Adaptation: Human pathogens like norovirus, hepatitis A, and Shigella are already optimized to infect and replicate in human hosts, making them more efficient at causing illness.
• Transmission Efficiency: Many human pathogens spread via direct contact, contaminated surfaces, aerosols, or fecal-oral routes, with low infectious doses. For example, norovirus can infect with as few as 18 viral particles.
• Pathogen Load and Persistence: Human waste often contains high concentrations of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. These can persist in soil and water, increasing exposure risk.
• Antibiotic Resistance: Human pathogens are more likely to carry multi-drug resistance genes, especially in urban or hospital settings. This makes infections harder to treat and control.

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Animal Pathogens: Still Dangerous, But Different​

• Zoonotic Potential: Pathogens like salmonella, campylobacter, MRSA, and Q fever can infect humans, but they often require specific exposure routes (e.g., handling raw meat, inhaling barn dust).
• Limited Human-to-Human Spread: Most animal pathogens don’t spread easily between humans. For example, campylobacter rarely causes outbreaks without contaminated food or water.
• Spillover Events: Diseases like bird flu or Q fever typically emerge through spillover, where a pathogen jumps from animals to humans. These events are rare but can be catastrophic if the pathogen adapts to human transmission.

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Environmental and Public Health Implications​

• Human waste requires stricter treatment protocols because of its higher risk profile. That’s why untreated human feces are not permitted for direct land application in most countries.
• Animal manure can be composted or aged, reducing pathogen load before use in agriculture. Even then, it’s regulated to prevent contamination of food crops.

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One Health Perspective​

The One Health framework emphasizes that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected. While animal pathogens are a major concern—especially in farming and wildlife contexts—human pathogens pose the most direct and immediate threat to public health when untreated waste is mishandled journalofethics.ama-assn.org CDC WHO.

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All of that summary is consistent with what I learned in Nursing school. Having said that, science is having a hard time here at the moment and many people don't believe in some of our modern medicine and practices. I don't want to get political, but just let me say that in Nursing school we were always taught to follow Evidence-Based Practice as defined here...

What I always appreciated about EBP is that new research could bring new knowledge to our profession and we had to be open to new patient care as needed.

I spent many hours looking at bacteria and viruses under the microscope, but I think the science is pretty solid on human pathogens being a greater hazard than animal pathogens. Of course, I always wash my hands after tending my chickens, because animal pathogens can get you sick, too. Actually, as a RN, I'm always washing my hands out of habit, even at home.

Does any of that make sense to you? I have not lived in the Netherlands, and don't know much about how your people feel about these topics. It sounds like your people are light years ahead of us in terms of Green ideas and sustainable practices. I'm willing to consider other ideas even if they run contrary to my education and understanding.