15 Signs that you are Crunchy.
I was thinking about this the other day and decided I needed to put together a post with 15 signs that you are crunchy. 🙂 Think Jeff Foxworthy’s “You might be a Redneck, if…”
I am not a tree hugger, and at the end of the day, I have to be honest and say that my personal comfort and my pocket book comes first. However, I also believe that we are to be good stewards. Not just in financial matters, but also of this earth that we have been given to care for.
When I first heard the term “crunchy” my thoughts immediately went to fresh cereal that has just been poured. 🙂 But when I learned that it also meant earth friendly and hippy-like, I quickly realized that crunchy was a good term for me!
So going off of my experience, here are 15 signs that you are crunchy.
You might be a crunchy if:
1. You buy your household products from a company that represents living green and healthy, like Melaleuca, or Seventh Generation .
2. You use rags and/or flannel cloths instead of paper towels. I have flannel cloths like these, that I use for everything but greasy/oily and pet messes. The pet messes are cleaned up with old rags, the shop greasy messes with old socks, and the kitchen oily messes with paper towels. A roll of paper towels will last us well over 3 months.
3. You never throw away your old news papers and phone books, because they are the perfect fire starters, and drop cloths for messy projects. And speaking of newspapers, perhaps your family has come to expect their gifts to look like this!
4. At the grocery store, you are the person in line with (cute) reusable bags. I get plastic bags if I am running out of bags for cleaning out the litter box, and I always keep 2-3 paper bags in the house. Otherwise, I am rocking out cute bags like this one.
5. All old clothes are either donated, repurposed or turned into rags. In our case old clothes actually mean rags!
6. You love your Lunette Cup and recommend it to all your friends, even though you usually get weird or totally grossed out looks!
7. You use, or have considered using reusable pads such as these Glad Rags.
8. If you have children, you cloth diaper, and perhaps even use flannel wipes.
9. Your house is just a little warmer than you would like in the Summer, and you wear layers in the Winter. 🙂
10. You prefer natural and organic foods for you and your family. If possible, you garden.
11. If you are a mom and prefer natural/home births, breast feeding, baby wearing and other things along those lines.
12. If you homeschool or “unschool”.
13. The doctor is your last option. We rely on Chiropractic health, and taking herbs and vitamins to boost our immune systems.
14. You soak grains, make kefir, and believe in fermenting your foods before eating.
15. And this final one is proof: If you use family cloth, then you are a full blown crunchy super-star! For the record, we do not, but I have certainly considered it. 🙂
I know I could give you way more than 15 signs that you are crunchy, but I think you get the idea. And I’m sure you also see the many ways that being crunchy means saving money and being healthy. 🙂
So let me know how many of those signs fit you! 🙂
Sharing here: Frugally Sustainable,
Lana says
July 18, 2013 at 8:08 amYou have described me perfectly. My five children are all grown and I did many of these things before they were crunchy. I am still on the fence about the family cloth.
Kendra says
July 18, 2013 at 2:26 pmYeah, hubby shot the idea down and I was a bit relieved 🙂
Emily Kelly says
July 18, 2013 at 10:44 am10 out of 15!! I guess I’m crunchy! When I first heard the term crunchy, I also thought of cereal! I love reading your posts!! They are always so positive and uplifting!
Kendra says
July 18, 2013 at 2:43 pmI looked it up, and the term came from granola which hippies often known to eat. So it kinda does mean cereal.
The Smelly Lady says
July 18, 2013 at 11:13 amwell I must be crunchy too. maybe not as crunchy as you, but I’m pretty crunchy LOL!
Becca @ The Earthlings Handbook says
July 18, 2013 at 1:35 pmHomeschooling doesn’t have anything to do with the environment, unless you live in a very rural area and keeping your kids out of school shortens the bus route. I do all of these other things except the soaked and fermented foods.
Regarding “family cloth”, I found that the best approach for me is to use it just for pee; the sanitation and odor issues are much less, but I’m still cutting my toilet paper use in half! I did a guest post with all the details:
http://www.liverenewed.com/2013/05/how-to-use-cloth-wipes-all-around-your-home-green-in-365.html
Kendra says
July 18, 2013 at 2:25 pmIf we ever did use family cloth it would only be for pee as well 🙂
Hollie Black Ramsey says
July 18, 2013 at 3:54 pm5 out of 15. Not so crunchy I guess… just picky and often times lazy, (using newspapers to wrap gifts because I don’t feel like going out to buy wrapping paper LOL!)
Kendra says
July 18, 2013 at 6:12 pmHaha! Lazy works well too 🙂
Rachel @ Wife, Then Mama says
July 18, 2013 at 6:21 pmI do about 10 of these (or would do them if I had kids) and have considered family cloth, but really just for me and even then only for pee. I just don’t want to deal with anything grosser than that…
Kendra says
July 18, 2013 at 8:11 pmYeah, I actually have started a cloth diaper stash. 🙂 Knowing that they are not cheap, I look for nice ones at garage sales and have won a couple giveaways and also bought a couple when a shop went out of business. 🙂
Peggy Lindenthaler says
July 18, 2013 at 7:11 pmCan I be considered “partially crunchy”? I do use old newspapers for underneath my crafting. It soaks up the water and paint real good. I also use newspaper as a kind of shield when I use spray inks, so that the ink doesn’t go everywhere. Also, what are family cloths?
Kendra says
July 18, 2013 at 7:39 pmI love how newspaper has so many great uses! We don’t get the paper because I consider it an unnecessary expense and a lady I clean for gives me all I would ever need 🙂
Oh, and family cloth: I linked to a shop on Etsy that sells it in the post above. 🙂
Debora Gillespie says
July 18, 2013 at 10:19 pmi’m nearly 33 years old, and i don’t think i’ve ever bought a roll of paper towels. yes, i grew up with them, so really only the last 13 years are applicable to this, but that’s not the point. in those 13 years i have never found myself wishing i had some paper towels at home. i have cloth towels and rags for wiping and drying. in the event of the odd, small mess, like your boston terrier’s vomit, i usually have a few paper napkins in a drawer leftover from eating out somewhere (rather than throw away the unused napkins, i take them home), and worst case scenario, there’s always toilet paper in the bathroom. i don’t fry food at home pretty much ever, and because i’m a vegetarian, bacon isn’t really an issue at my place. it seems to me that if that’s your primary uses for them, then a roll should last you a year or two, and that’s not so bad.
Kendra says
July 19, 2013 at 1:03 pmI don’t fry bacon much because of the preservatives in it, but we love potatoes that are fried in coconut oil!
And like you said with your dog’s vomit, I have used the paper towels for when my cat freaks out and poops while she is running. We don’t eat out a lot and I tend to keep the extra napkins in my car, but that is a good idea too.
Zografia says
July 19, 2013 at 6:31 pmI do some of that stuff, but i am not sure i understand the meaning of “crunchy”. Greek is my native language, so i am loosing somthing in the translation!
Kendra says
July 20, 2013 at 9:53 amCrunchy was a 70’s term for hippies. the earth/environmentally friendly attitude is coming back again and so is the word.
Rebekah says
July 20, 2013 at 1:52 amMatt is always calling me a hippie because I love nature, rarely wear shoes, and in fact have hugged trees. You already know I am somewhat crunchy as I work with Melaleuca, use all green products in the home, never go to hospitals (see a naturopath instead and treat all ailments with herbs and essential oils haha) and I like to repurpose things too. However, I am not nearly as crunchy as some in that I draw the line at using reusable feminine products and toilet tissues. Ew. But hey- to each his own!
Kendra says
July 20, 2013 at 9:46 amHa! 🙂 Yes you are a hippy lol but the funny thing about you saying “ew” is the fact that it truly is no more nasty than the disposable stuff. In fact, I would say it’s better, simply because you are not putting the nasty stuff in our earth. 🙂
silver price says
July 24, 2013 at 9:12 pmWe use no paper towels – haven’t bought them in over two years now. But we don’t have anything special in place of them. We use kitchen towels to dry our hands and washcloths to wipe up spills. For greasy food like bacon, we use a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. We cook with the bacon grease or scape off oils in the trash. I really can’t remember what else I used to use paper towels for! Just don’t buy them and you’ll find an alternative out of necessity. Just make sure you khave plenty of cloth towels, washcloths, and cleaning rags.
Coolmom9 says
December 12, 2013 at 2:12 amNot trying to rain on anyone’s parade, but has anyone ever done a study comparing waste of paper towels with the amount of water used/detergent/bleach/electricity used to clean rags/towels used as a paper towel alternative? Just wondering if anyone knows how these two even out.
Kendra says
December 12, 2013 at 11:18 amI’ve not done the homework for sure, but I do know that it cannot cost me much to was the cloth towels. I toss them into my regular rag basket and they get washed on hot with a small amount of natural soap. This is a load that I normally wash anyway. And the cloth paper towels go further than the regular paper towels. I would go through a regular roll in a week, but of the cloth towels I use maybe 10-15 in a week.
Katherines Corner says
July 24, 2013 at 10:25 pmWell my friend I am pretty crunchy! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop xo
Susie@homemaker-mom.com says
July 25, 2013 at 5:01 pmI must be Crunchy! LOL To many of those I can raise my hand too!
I am visiting from The Homemaking Party Blog Hop! I look forward to your visit at http://www.homemaker-mom.com/the-homemakers-journey-blog.html
Happy Homemaking!
Kendra says
July 25, 2013 at 5:11 pmHaha! I think you probably are! 🙂
Kasey says
July 30, 2013 at 7:47 pmWell, you have just confirmed that I am super un-crunchy…and I am convicted that I need to work on that! I hadn’t even heard of half those things which is pretty sad! Thanks for educating me, friend!
Kendra says
July 30, 2013 at 8:22 pm🙂 Well, for the most part it’s not that big of a deal until it comes to saving money, then I find it really important! 🙂
Vague says
August 5, 2013 at 12:21 amI’ve realized that I’m so NOT crunchy. lol. I’m too unmotivated and everyone has their own priorities. We do donate clothes and toys because again, not motivation to host the feat of a garage sale. And we use reusable bags. Environmentally friendly, yes. But it also saves my pocketbook.
Kendra says
August 5, 2013 at 10:49 amYeah, that is my main point saving money 🙂 The fact that is saves the environment is a bonus!
Haleigh says
August 27, 2013 at 1:30 pmI do 14 out of 15 with #15 being the 1 I don’t do. I would do it, but the hubby does not like the sound of it. We already wash poopy diapers in our washer…?! I am loving your blog! I love saving money anyway especially if it’s healthier!
Kendra says
August 27, 2013 at 1:48 pmMy hubby is the same way! But honestly, I wouldn’t use it for solids anyways, so if we have diapers in the house…. who knows, after all, what a few more soft little rags that are a bit damp going to do to the wash? Nothing. 🙂
valorie sporleder says
August 30, 2013 at 6:47 pm11 out of 15 . It would be 12 but I don’t use 7th generation. I make my own cleaning supplies. Oh and I raise rabbits and chickens for meat and eggs.
Kendra says
August 31, 2013 at 10:03 amIf you make your own cleaning supplies then you definitely count for 12! And raising rabbits and chicken…. I’m jealous! 🙂
town sort of limits your farming capabilities.
LeAnna E says
September 29, 2013 at 11:55 pm14/15 🙂 We also avoid family cloth, can’t quite get anyone on board. But then again, I only have boys and since we would only use it for pee, I guess I would need to get on board since the boys don’t use TP for pee. I always love seeing others who share the same lifestyle. My coworkers call me Granola due to my crunchiness.
Kendra says
September 30, 2013 at 10:04 amYeah, I think the family cloth is a hard one for the guys to get around 🙂
Heather says
October 19, 2013 at 11:26 amI do or have done all but the last three. Not seeing a doctor is not something I will ever do. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia that requires monthly trips to the hospital for medication as well as other medicines I take for pain and my asthma.
Funny seeing how I have no problems using my cloth pads but the idea of family cloth freaks me out. I think it is gross. Maybe not for pee, but for poop, no thanks.
Angela M says
October 22, 2013 at 8:14 pmI have always know I was “crunchy”, but thank you for putting it into list form to absolutely prove that I am. 🙂
Julie says
October 23, 2013 at 3:59 amI have to say I’m pretty crunchy. I don’t do #1 as I make my own and have for 10 or more years. I never heard of the cups till I didn’t need them. I think I would have gone for them though. I am not sure about the cloth’s. I know that no one in my house would like it but if times got too tough……I’ve got lot’s of spare rags hanging around.
Ginger says
October 23, 2013 at 10:06 amOnce you’re washing cloth diapers, throwing some family cloth into each load is no big deal, but I have no idea what I’ll do once we’re out of the diaper stage! Oh, and I think all but two apply to me, we don’t get a newspaper and rarely get a phone book, and right now little one is too little for school, but she will likely go to public school (we’re moving to an area with an awesome school district).
Kendra says
October 23, 2013 at 6:58 pmYeah, I really agree on just tossing in with diapers, hubby is just a bit weird over it 🙂
Bible Babe says
November 1, 2013 at 1:30 pmYou have me pretty well pegged in several of these. I use newspaper and old phonebook pages to drain fried foods on (learned it in Korea and it works well), I make ‘family cloths’ from old tshirts, repupose, recycle just about everything, and make many of my cleaning products. I work a food co-op with a friend for much of our produce (prayin I cn have a garden this spring), and I have many cloth grocery bags. Love the blog!
Kendra says
November 1, 2013 at 1:40 pmI use newspaper and phonebook pages from other things, but I don’t know that I would want it touching my food…. it’s a thought though 🙂
And gardens are awesome! We only have room for a small one, so I am very thankful for a mom and grandparents who plant way too much!