Living a more intentional life is easier when you own the space you live in. When you call a hundred percent of the shots, you can take control of everything that goes in, gets consumed, and goes out of your house.
Still, this doesn’t mean that all hope for intentional living is lost when you have no choice as of the moment but to settle for a rented living space. It just means you have to exert more effort if you really want to lead a guilt-free life that leaves almost no impact on the environment.
Here’s how you do it:
- Pick a good location
If you haven’t picked out an apartment or a flat yet, you might want to consciously pick a location that somehow makes it easier for you to live sustainably even as a renter. This includes cities that have a solid waste management programs, states that have bike lanes everywhere, and those that incentivize clean energy options.
Your choice of location might make or break your quest for a more sustainable life. Imagine wanting to recycle all your waste only to find out your city does not have any recycling initiatives.
- Find out if you can change the lightbulbs
One downside to renting is that you normally can’t make huge modifications such as installing solar panels on the roof. Still, you can ask your super if you can make small adjustments such as replacing all lights with LED and power-saving bulbs. This way, you can keep power costs low in your rented flat.
- Subscribe to a solar farm near you
As mentioned earlier, you may not be allowed by your landlord to install solar panels in a rented flat. However, this doesn’t mean using renewable energy is completely impossible for you. There is a way to enjoy solar for renters, such as investing in renewable energy batteries or subscribing to a community solar program near you.
Knowing what renewable energy options you have is imperative for living that intentional, low-impact life you’ve always dreamed about.
- Keep yourself registered
Living an intentional life does not only pertain to being environmentally aware. It also means staying “woke” when it comes to your duty to society. So one of the things you have to update when moving houses is your registration status so that you can vote in the district or city you’re moving into.
- Choose energy-efficient options
Whenever you’re bringing new gadgets or appliances into your rented apartment, make sure to always get the energy-efficient kind. They might cost a bit more than traditional appliances but think of how much you can actually save in the long run if you choose energy-efficient appliances.
While we’re on the topic of energy efficiency, make sure to get a power strip for your flat. Doing so would allow you to easily turn off all appliances without having to check them individually every night before you sleep or before you leave the house. Contrary to what others might claim, modern appliances still carry vampire charges with them, which means they still consume power even when turned off (but plugged in). A power strip will help you get rid of these vampire charges.
- Practice minimalism/essentialism
Living in a rented flat will give you the best opportunity to practice minimalism or essentialism. Both of these lifestyles require you to keep only the things you need while discarding others that are useless or in excess.
It is in consonance with trying to live more intentionally, in that it forces you to think twice or “thrice” before buying a new item to see if you really, really need it in your life, or if it would just accumulate dust and take up space from your already limited apartment area.
Not owning your current house is no reason not to try living more intentional lt will be challenging but it will also be rewarding.
