You’re not just wasting food — you’re throwing money in the trash.

This week I’m joined by returning guest Chelsey Schmuland, and we’re digging into one of the most overlooked ways to save money on groceries: reducing food waste.

Chelsey is the maker behind Hive to Home, where she creates handmade beeswax wraps as a reusable alternative to plastic food storage. She’s also a grocery budgeting queen and food rescue enthusiast.

We talk about how much food we’re actually wasting (and what that costs), how food rescue apps can dramatically transform your grocery budget, and why proper storage makes a bigger difference than you might think.

If you’re trying to spend less, waste less, and make your kitchen work better for you — this episode is packed with strategies you can start using right away.

Takeaways

• Food waste is one of the fastest ways to lose money on groceries — often without realizing it
• Food rescue is a practical way to cut your grocery bill
• Proper storage — especially breathable storage — helps food last longer
• Beeswax wraps are a reusable, plastic-free way to keep food fresh
• Planning for leftovers and using scraps can stretch your groceries budget
• Strategies on how to (re)use and store almost everything
• Composting helps close the loop — but keeping food in use is the goal

One Small Shift

Before you shop this week, check the reduced section or a food rescue app first — and build one meal around what you find.

Connect with Chelsey

Website

Instagram

Resources

A Beginner’s Guide to a Sustainable Kitchen (use code PODCAST20)

11 Ways to Reuse Food Scraps

How to Prevent Food Waste with Kids

How to Use Beeswax Wraps (and Keep Food Fresh Without Plastic)

Flashfood (use code is SUST7K8EA for $5 off)

Too Good to Go

Odd Bunch

Souper Cubes

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

Spring is when the birds get loud again. You hear them before you see them — in the morning, in the trees, and in the background of your day.

If you’ve ever thought about getting into birding, this is a really natural place to start — right outside your door.

In this episode, we’re talking about how to start birding in your own backyard, how to identify common birds by sight and sound, what’s happening during nesting season, and how to support birds in ways that genuinely help.

There’s a lot of advice out there this time of year — and not all of it is as helpful as it sounds. So we’ll also walk through what to avoid, common bird hazards in suburban spaces, and simple ways to support backyard biodiversity and habitat.

Takeaways

• How to start birding right in your own backyard
• Why birdsong supports mental well-being
• How to identify birds by sight and sound (using Merlin Bird ID)
• What citizen science is — and how to take part
• A look inside Project NestWatch and nesting season
• How to join the Great Backyard Bird Count
• Why common nesting materials (like yarn and dryer lint) can harm birds
• What birds actually need: habitat, not materials
• Common bird hazards (windows, cats, habitat loss)
• Simple ways to support backyard biodiversity

One Small Shift
Leave your earphones at home for one walk this week and just listen. Learn to identify one bird by sound and tell me who it is!

Resources:

Safe Nesting Materials for Birds (blog post)

Merlin Bird ID
Birds Canada - Project NestWatch

Birds Canada - SwiftWatch

Great Backyard Bird Count

Wild Birds Unlimited

Feather Friendly

Related Episodes:

Ep. 18: Connecting Communities Through Green Spaces with Carolyn Scotchmer

Ep. 20: Wildlife Conservation, Birding, and Finding Hope in Nature with Matt Howard

Ep. 25: Redefining Sustainable Living — From Zero Waste to Real-World Resilience

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

What does sustainable living actually look like in the suburbs — in places designed around cars, convenience, and big box shopping?

Laura Newton is the founder of The Kind Matter Company, a Canadian eco-boutique and refill store focused on low waste living, eco friendly products, and non-toxic household essentials. What began as a personal search for safer products after her daughter developed severe allergies has grown into a retail business built around making sustainable living more accessible for everyday families.

Kind Matter now has multiple locations across Ontario, including a flagship store in Mississauga’s Heartland Town Centre — a typical suburban shopping plaza where refillable products, Canadian brands, and plastic-free options sit alongside everyday errands.

This conversation explores how refill stores and low waste shopping fit into suburban life, what customers are actually looking for, and how eco friendly products become part of real, everyday routines — without requiring a complete lifestyle overhaul.

Takeaways

• Why accessibility is one of the biggest barriers to sustainable living and low waste living
• What customers are most curious — and hesitant — about when they first encounter refill stores and refill systems
• Why cleaning products are often the gateway into refilling and eco friendly home swaps
• How placing refill shops inside suburban shopping plazas changes everyday shopping habits
• The role Canadian and women-owned brands play in Kind Matter’s product curation
• The importance of community-focused sustainability and local shopping in suburban areas

Connect With Laura

The Kind Matter Company

Terra Greenhouses

Products Mentioned

Birch Babe

Cheekbone Beauty

The Bare Home

Notice Hair Co. (see in store)

Routine Cream (see in store)

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Connect With Me

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Shop

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Support the Show

Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.