Leading a sustainable lifestyle can mean considerable monthly savings. Here are 12 simple ways that saving the planet will help you save money.
In recent years, as climate change becomes an increasingly pressing issue and one that is becoming harder to ignore, many of us have become more mindful about the impact our everyday actions have on the health of the planet.
Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of people striving to live a more sustainable lifestyle, and a growing awareness of how reducing our individual carbon footprint is paramount to a healthy eco-system.
Adopting a sustainable lifestyle creates a positive feedback loop. Living more sustainably often means being more resourceful. This resourcefulness results in us spending less, which enables us to reconsider how much time we spend working, potentially freeing up more time to do the things we really want to be doing… like living more sustainably!
Not only is living sustainably better for the planet (and ourselves), it’s also great for our back pockets.
With this in mind, we’ve put together 12 simple ways that saving the planet will also help you save money.
12 ways saving the planet will help you save money
1. Refuse/reduce/reuse/recycle
The first step to living sustainably is to refuse what you do not need. So dialling down on buying fast fashion, homewares and electronic gadgets will keep your hard-earned money right where it should be – in a high interest savings account, instead of in the pockets of big business.
2. Say yes to second-hand
If you do need to make purchases, opting for second-hand is always considerably cheaper than buying items brand new.
Upcycling items around your house can also help you avoid forking out your cash. Old cloths can be used for cleaning, everyday objects can be upcycled to make cute indoor planters, so-called “rubbish” can be transformed into craft projects for kids, and you can even use old fabric to make your own face masks.
3. Clean the low tox way
Making your own cleaning products with a mix of vinegar, baking soda and and infusing with a few sprigs of lavender, rosemary or citrus peel will save you a mint compared to buying supermarket products like window cleaner, floor cleaner, bleach, etc.
Try our delicious smelling DIY citrus cleaner recipe or our apple scrap vinegar recipe, which not only boasts multiple culinary and medicinal uses, it’s also effective as a household general purpose cleaner.
4. Simplify your beauty routine
Simplifying your beauty routine and DIYing some of your own beauty products will mean you’ll dodge problematic chemicals like parabens and phthalates, as well as the hefty costs of mainstream cosmetics and skin care products.
Try our recipes for homemade deodorant, toothpaste, body scrub, shampoo, shaving soap and gardener’s hand scrub.
5. Opt for reusables over single-use
Opting for reusable kitchen items like cloth towels over paper towels, beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap, DIY greaseproof paper over baking sheets, and going bin liner free will also save you a considerable amount of cash in the long run.
6. Ferment some food
Fermenting your own radishes, pickles, kimchi, nukazuke, kombucha and kefir will save you a pretty penny.
Consider that the average jar of (organic) pickles can be upwards of $20. Now compare that with $2-$3 worth of cucumbers, salt, garlic and herbs (or even less if they’re from your own garden), and you’ve pocketed at least $15 by making your own.
7. Cook from scratch
Likewise, baking or making staples like mayonnaise, bread, crackers, pasta and pasta sauce, dips, and even dairy staples like butter, ice cream and yoghurt will help keep your weekly grocery bills down.
8. Grow your own
Growing your own herbs, fruit and vegetables will dramatically reduce your overall shopping bill and will be saving the planet by cutting down on the food miles – and thus carbon emissions – the food you eat produces.
9. Borrow don’t buy
Heading to your local library to borrow books will help you avoid dropping $30 on the latest “must-read” from a big chain bookstore. Or you could consider starting your own street library.
10. Conserve energy
Reaching for a warmer jumper over turning up the thermostat will keep your monthly energy bills in check and help you save money. Or you could look at installing a wood fire heater.
11. Switch off
Similarly, washing your clothing every second wear (or more), switching off lights when you’re not in the room and turning off appliances at the wall will keep your household’s energy use down as well as your bills.
12. Hop on your bike
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the cost savings of biking everywhere versus driving, when you take into account petrol, registration, insurance and tolls.
As you can see, saving the planet can mean saving a considerably chunk of change – win/win!
