Save the Environment and Your Money

People are realizing going green is more than a trend, it’s now a lifestyle. But going green is more than protecting the environment: you can also go green with your wallet. Being more sustainable does not have to be as expensive as some people think. In fact, there are several ways you can save the environment while also saving your money. These changes will reduce your carbon footprint as well as expenses:

1. Buy reusable bags: In some parts of the country, there has been a plastic bag ban in some stores. This is a great environmental move, as plastic bags find themselves out in the open, polluting the earth and endangering animals. If you buy reusable bags, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint, and you can save money by avoiding having to pay 10 cents for each paper bag in some stores.
2. Washable towels instead of paper towels: One of my most recurring expenses is the purchase of paper towels. Instead of paying $5 to $10 every couple of week, buy a few rags to wipe up spills and dry your hands after washing them. This can save you $60 to $120 each year and reduce the amount of trash you have to dispose.
3. Consider alternate transportation: Some people do need cars to get from point A to point B if they live away from places like the store, their jobs or their children’s school. Gas prices are so high, you should consider alternate transportation. There’s public transportation like buses and trains, or you can decide to include some fitness and walk or bike to your destination.
4. Buy a slow cooker: If you’re cooking over a hot stove all day, you’re using gas (or electricity) and you may not feel like cooking and end up buying fast food. If you buy a slow cooker, you’re saving money by cooking at home without spending so much time preparing a meal, as well as saving on the energy used to operate a slow cooker as opposed to your stove.
5. Go paperless: Stamps may not sound expensive when you hear they’re less than a dollar, but when you factor in the cost of printing on multiple sheets of paper, things get more expensive. Have you bank statements and bills sent to your e-mail or available online as opposed to having to get your information in your actual mailbox.
6. Bring a mug: There are many people who have a coffee addiction, and they will go through at least 1 paper cup a day to feed that fix. You don’t have to give up on Starbucks but consider bringing your mug instead. Some places will give you a discount for bringing it in, and you’re saving the environment too.
7. Buy a water filter: The less plastic you use, the better, and the same goes for water bottles. Look for a water filter and a reusable, washable water bottle instead of buying it by the case. You can save hundreds of dollars and keep your plastic from occupying a landfill.

Briana

Briana Myricks is a 20 something freelance writer and blogger. Striving for financial independence as a newlywed, she blogs about young married life at 20 and Engaged.