More and more people are recognizing that the way they live at home can have an impact on the environment, or even their own wallets. While we live in a society that is full of every day conveniences, sometimes it can be beneficial to look at the things that you can do at home to create a more sustainable lifestyle to become more economically and environmentally responsible.

Many clients that we work with now are looking for homes that will allow them to have space for their own gardens, have their own coups for chickens (fresh eggs!), or the ability to have access to local resources that help them also support the community they live in.

The other great benefit of looking for these items in the home is that it can provide you with a greater opportunity to spend more time outdoors, or spend extra time with your kids to teach them how plant a garden or care for an animal.

Here are just a few questions and tips for you to consider if you do have an interest if creating a lifestyle around sustainability.

How can you find a home that allows you to have sustainable living?

What's great is that no matter where you live, there are always ways to help create a more sustainable lifestyle or have a better impact on the environment. For example, switching to LED lightbulbs, turning off lights every time you leave a room, or taking shorter showers are all ways that you can have a positive impact.

If you're looking for other ways, like producing your own food, there's a few other questions you should ask yourself if you are looking to make a move into a new home or if you want to step up your game in your current home.

Is there enough space for a garden? Luckily, if you have a yard, you likely have some room to at least have a small garden. You can create a little oasis in your backyard by making the space to plant your own seasonal veggies. Depending on where you live, you could also plant fruit baring trees. In Minnesota, you definitely can invest in an apple tree and have fresh apples for cider, pie, or just eating on their own in the late summer and fall!

Another thing that we'd recommend checking, even if you have the space, is to see if you will be a part of a home owners association. You will want to check the rules and regulations or contact the board of the association to see if they approve at home gardens before you start digging!

How do I know what I should plant in my garden? If you are going to take the time to plant and care for a garden, the first step will be to consider what you will actually enjoy eating from the garden. If you aren't sure how to care for your plants or what will grow will in the Minnesota earth, you can visit your local gardening center or nursery. There will be experts there that will help you pick plants and tell you how to care for them.

Some of our favorite things that come fresh from local gardens are tomatoes, bell peppers, pumpkins or squash, green beans, and cucumbers. You will also likely have an abundance of veggies. Canning is a great way to save your leftovers and use them for the winter months as well. The USDA has a whole guide on various groups that you can can and how to do it safely. You can find the guide here.

Do you want animals? How do you know what you can have at the home? This can also be a spacial question. You definitely will want plenty of yard space for any outdoor animals. Chickens should have some space to wander about the yard if possible and you will want the space for a coup for them.

Before you rush out to get a chicken to have those fresh eggs every morning, you will need to confirm that your city allows that animal to live on personal property. Each city can vary on the number that you may be allowed to have or may be zoned. You can simply contact your local city hall to reach someone that will be able to advise what is approved for your own property.

If you are able to own other animals, these will be a fantastic resource to know where some of your own meat and poultry products are coming from. It can also be fun for everyone in the family! Just like having a dog or a cat, you can help teach your little ones the responsibility of caring for another living animal and teach them to appreciate gathering some of their own food.

What can you do if you don't have the space or the time?

Are you limited on space? If you live in an apartment or condo, you may not have space available to you to grow your own foods. An easy thing to do that will spice up your cooking and save you some money is to grow an herb garden in a planter or individual pots! You can keep these in a balcony or near a window sill to have fresh herbs whenever you'd like! If you have a deck, you could also try a potted tomato plant if you want to add another veggie to your home growing.

Be sure to also check out if there is a nearby community garden that you could be a part of. These are designed spaces for growing produce and can be a great alternative to using your own space or buying produce consistently at a store.

Don't have the time or space to do some of it on your own? Sourcing from local farmers is a fantastic way to support your community and learn more about what you are consuming. By visiting a farmers market for produce, or sourcing a meat provide that will sell to you directly, you can ask the farmer how they grow or produce their products. Ideally, we search for organic farming and pasture raised animal products.

What are other easy things I can do?

We know that life is busy, or some of the ideas listed above might be a bit extreme to start out with if you are just starting to transition into a more sustainable lifestyle. Here are a few other things you can do that will move you into this lifestyle:

Bring reusable bags with you when you shop
Invest in reusable mugs and water bottles - aim for stainless steel!
Avoid purchasing items wrapped in plastic if possible - i.e. produce that can also be bought individually
LED or CFL lightbulbs at home and turn off the lights when you aren't in a room
Unplug electronics when not in use - this may help your electric bill too...

There are many, many ways that we can help reduce our own footprints on the environment and in many ways, also help save us money in the long run if you are looking for some financial relief.

What are your favorite ways to help the environment? Do you have your own gardening tricks? We'd love to hear them!