Sometimes eating out is unavoidable – and it’s a nice treat on the occasions when it’s affordable. And those of us who tend to be higher-level coffee drinkers don’t mind the occasional cup of joe from a local coffee shop (luckily the one near my house has organic, trade-free coffee!). An alternative solution to using disposable cups and utensils is to invest in portable, reusable ones!

Morning Coffee

On the mornings when I’m in a hurry out the door and didn’t have time to make coffee, I keep a portable coffee mug in my car just in case. The great thing about it is that it’s easy to take and saves me a little money while not adding to the landfills. (Plus the mugs tend to be a little bigger than your average coffee cup, an added bonus!)

Dinner Time

One of the worst things I see is racks of plastic knives and forks at restaurants in the name of convenience. What works out great for me is picking up a travel utensil kit that comes with spoon, fork, and knife. It fits easily in my purse and they’re easy to wash and go. The same goes for chopsticks, too – I once used to frequent a sushi restaurant that sold chopsticks and would give customers discounts if they used them – a pretty sweet deal!

Water Of Life

Portable water bottles are a must these days. I feel like I’ve had mine forever, and it’s definitely taken its share of a beating, but it’s been my constant buddy. What’s great about it is that I can really keep track of how much water I’ve been drinking during the day. Bottles with filters built in are popping up everywhere now, making for a great investment – and you can drink right out of the tap.