On Saturday I did my weekly grocery shop, however there were a couple of things I needed at my local green grocer. Now today being Sunday I had some free time on my hands so instead of just getting in the car like I normally would, I decided to walk.
There are three main reasons why I decided to walk to the fresh market today and these three reasons are also why I will continue to do this as often as I can.
First of all, walking is free! By choosing to walk, I didn’t use my car which meant there was no general wear and tear, I didn’t clock any kilometers nor did I use any petrol (which is expensive at the moment). Now, the green grocer isn’t far (about a 10 minute walk each way) and even though the distance to drive is negligible, if I walk short distances instead of driving over a long period of time that actually equates to a significant saving in general wear and tear on my car as well as fuel costs.
Secondly, It’s good exercise. I genuinely enjoy walking and it’s a lovely day today, walking to the green grocer not only saved me money but also got me out of the house and into the fresh air. Along with this I had a very pleasant 20 minute walk. This was perfectly doable owing to the fact I only needed a couple of items and they weren’t heavy or cumbersome to carry home.
Last but certainly not least, going for a walk was a form of free entertainment. It’s one of the things I love most about walking. There are so many things to see, observe and enjoy without spending a cent. It gives me a chance to practice mindfulness and living in the moment, enjoying my surroundings and doing some general people watching.
These three reasons for walking to the shops instead of driving will keep me walking there as often as I can. I find sometimes it’s almost second nature to get straight in the car as soon as I need to go somewhere. I find I almost need to evaluate situations more frequently to see if walking is a better alternative to driving. Now if I was needing to do my weekly shop, I would have driven as carrying all those groceries home would have been far too heavy, or if I was needing to go somewhere that was say more than 15-20 minutes away driving perhaps would have been a better option. But as long as it’s not far to go and the weather is good sometimes walking is definitely the way to go.
If you are able to save money and get fit at the same time, what’s not to love?
What small steps do you take to save a few dollars here and there?
This is Minimalism 