How to Save Money While Going Green

Sometimes, it can feel like living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle is something you can only do if you have a lot of money to spend. Most organic food costs more, and a greener car can also be a more expensive car. Then there are all the products out there to help you live more sustainably. In fact, the first step in going green is to consume less of everything. You can actually save money by living in a way that is friendlier to the planet.

Mindful Living

We live in a fast, disposable society with a lot of waste. We’re often in a hurry and don’t have time to consider what our options may be. If you make your life more manageable, you won’t need to use as many convenience products, which tend to be wasteful. Sustainability starts with thinking about what isn’t sustainable in your own life. What can you simplify or cut? This might mean saying no to activities you really don’t enjoy but feel you should participate in. It might mean taking a little longer to get to work because you are cycling or walking instead of driving. It could also mean simplifying your finances. For example, perhaps you have a lot of bills coming in at different times. Do you really need all those streaming services? Could you roll all your credit card balances onto one low-interest card? What are your options for refinancing your student loans? This can lower your monthly interest rate and ultimately lead to paying less in the long-run.

Homemade Solutions

It turns out that in many cases, the old way of doing things was better, at least in terms of living a greener lifestyle. Line drying your clothes as well as washing them in cold water can save energy. Instead of buying commercial cleaning products that are full of chemicals, trying making your own at home with such everyday ingredients as vinegar and baking soda. Compost your organic waste. Collect rainwater to water your plants. When your clothes wear out, turn them into cleaning rags instead of using paper towels or other disposable items. Cook with unprocessed products that have little or no packaging.

Easy Solutions

Some money-saving green solutions are easy things you can do that your parents probably nagged you about when you were a kid, and as is the case with so many things, it turns out they were right. You know to turn off lights when you aren’t using them, but you might not have thought about plugging electronics into power strips that you can simply turn off when you aren’t using them. This is helpful because this equipment tends to keep on using power even in the off position. You might not be able to afford a hybrid vehicle, but you’ll get better fuel efficiency if you maintain the air pressure in your tires and keep them rotated regularly. If you have a little bit of money to throw at sustainability, you can save money over the long term with low-flow showerheads, sink water aerators, and a programmable thermostat.