One of the unintended consequences of my frugal lifestyle is that I’ve become a bit more eco-friendly.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m a green, tree-hugging hippie, but I’ve made some progress… particularly when it comes to my consumption of stuff.  I’m buying less, saving more, and making do with what I have.

So when I was asked if I wanted to review Madeleine Somerville’s new book, All You Need is Less: The Eco-Friendly Guide to Guilt-Free Green Living and Stress-Free Simplicity, I was very interested.  My main goal has always been to save money, but as I get older (and wiser?), the thought of leaving the planet to my grandkids in at least a semi-decent shape is appealing to me.

All  You Need Is Less was the perfect read for me as I work on the concept of saving money AND living green.

Somervile, a popular eco-blogger from Canada, writes in a fun and engaging way.  From teaching you how to get over “I-forgot-my-reusable-bags-again” guilt to how to actually remember to bring those reusable bags, you’ll find yourself smiling, nodding your head, and taking notes.

What I especially like about the book is that it doesn’t get into the lecture of why you should be more eco-friendly.  You’re not swamped by guilt-inducing statistics or uncomfortable lectures.  Instead, you get good, solid tips and advice on easy and affordable things that you can do at your own pace.  She gives you permission to decide what works best for you and your family without chastising you for ruining the planet.

She reminds us that buying eco-friendly products is not the same as being eco-friendly.  We hear the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but as Somerville points out, we’re not very good about reducing.  Part of being kinder to the environment, is the idea that we don’t really need all this stuff.

Somerville writes, “You become a good person not because of what you buy, but because of what you do.”

I loved that this book was full of inspiration – including recipes for the budget-conscious and earth-friendly readers.  The book more than pays for itself just based on the easy-to-follow recipes for household cleaners and homemade beauty products.

All You Need Is Less is an engaging and entertaining must-read for anyone interested in living a more eco-friendly lifestyle while living on a budget.

While Viva Editions did provide me with a review copy of this book, the opinions expressed here are 100 percent my own and were not edited by the publisher, author(s), or their affiliates.  This post also contains affiliate links which help support this blog at no additional cost to you.  Please read my full disclosure policy for more information.