Did you know that living a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t have to be expensive? There are many ways you can actually go green and save money rather than spending more! With these small changes, you can start reducing your carbon footprint, feel better about your contribution to the environment, and be more educated on how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle. Read on to hear about my 26 ways to go green and save money.
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How To Go Green and Save Money With Food
Buy a water filter and water bottle. Buy a Brita filter or equivalent so that you can stop buying packaged water. Invest in a high quality water bottle for when you go out from a company that focuses on sustainability such as S’well. You can check them out here!
If you have to buy bottled water, collect your plastic bottles and donate them to a beverage container recycling center if you have one–they can pay 10 cents a bottle in some states!
Buy reusable grocery bags. I always try and keep a couple grocery bags in my trunk. And if you’re living in a state that charges you for plastic grocery bags, you’ll be saving the environment and that plastic grocery bag fee as well!
Shop local whenever you can. Google your local farmer’s market and check them out! Many times, fresh and local produce will actually be cheaper than produce you find in stores.
Eat less meat. Raising livestock contributes tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. One study from the University of Chicago says that each meat eater is responsible for 1.5 more tons of greenhouse gases than a vegan per year! Try to curb your meat consumption by eating one or more less days of meat per week. Some great alternatives are fish and eggs!
How To Go Green and Save Money At Home
Replace your lightbulbs with LED lights. LED lights use more than 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last much longer. Check out reusable LED lightbulbs here.
Buy smart lights. Smart lights are a great way to turn off your lights when you forgot and are away. They’re easy to install and usually come with a user friendly application that lets you turn on/off your lights from anywhere with internet. Check out the ones I use here!
Unplug your appliances when you aren’t using them. Unplugging your smaller appliances can help you save up to $200 a year and also protects you against power surges.
Install outdoor solar lights. If you live in a sunny area, solar lights are a great way to conserve energy and save money. You’ll be using less electricity and helping the environment while you save on the costs. The one that I use is here and is motion activated as well!
Use reusable plastic bags to store food. Reusable plastic bags not only help reduce your plastic usage but they also save you money in the long run! Check out some great reusable storage bags here.
How To Go Green and Save Money At Work
Carpool, bus, or ride a bike for your commute. Talk to your coworkers and see if there’s anyone interested in carpooling with you. Look up the local transit system and see if bussing is viable. Or if you live close enough, take a bike!
You can also use Waze Carpool to offer rides along your commute and get paid while you’re at it. If you don’t have a car, you can use it to find someone to give you a ride for much cheaper than an Uber or Lyft. Get $10 for your first ride(s) with my referral code CHLOEAm4nx and link here.
Pack your lunch and use reusable containers and silverware. Eating out every day adds up. While camaraderie with your coworkers is important, try to meal prep and pack your lunches a couple times a week and bring your own silverware as well!
Bring your own coffee mug. Using paper or styrofoam cups every day for your coffee/drinks creates tons of waste! Bring your own coffee mug or bottle and reduce your carbon footprint. Getting a nice, insulated YETI mug will last you forever, check it out!
Turn your computer completely off rather than putting it to sleep. So many people only put their computer to sleep when they leave the office. This drains a ton of power. Try and turn it completely off before you leave for the night if you can.
Use the hand dryer instead of the paper towels. While many companies offer both options in their bathrooms, it’s much more eco-friendly to use the hand dryer!
How To Go Green and Save Money With Your Garden
Collect used, undrinkable water to water the plants. Collect the water used to boil your vegetables or pasta and water your garden with it. You’ll save money on your water bill and water the plants while you’re at it.
Start a compost pile. By starting a compost pile, you can reduce waste and use less chemically based fertilizers. You can use biodegradable bags like the ones found here so that you can toss them directly into your backyard compost bin.
Get a manual reel mower. I actually read about this very recently and can’t wait to use one when I get my own lawn! This is cheaper than a gas mower and helps you go green by not using gas. It also gives your class an extremely clean cut so it’s a win-win.
Grow your own produce. Growing your own food will ensure that it’s fresh. You’ll also learn some new skills and save money on produce while doing it! Here’s my favorite book for gardening beginners.
How To Go Green and Save Money With Clothing
Sell your used clothing. Sell your used clothings on online platforms such as Poshmark. I have a great tutorial for it here!
Go thrifting. Clothing manufacturing is one of the biggest culprits of greenhouse gas creation. Experts estimate that fast fashion manufacturing alone accounts for 10 percent of annual global emissions. If you’re feeling really adventurous, learn how to thrift flip and create your own clothing with your own sewing machine.
Air dry your clothing. Air drying your clothing will save you from 24 to 72 cents for each load and will reduce your carbon footprint by using less electricity.
How To Go Green and Save Money With Your Lifestyle
Air dry your hair! I’ve ditched my hair dryer since high school and haven’t gone back since. Shower earlier or shower at night so that you won’t feel the rush to dry your hair. Air drying your hair is eco-friendly and your hair will thank you for it. 🙂
Use eco-friendly cleaning products. Look for items with sustainable sourced materials and biodegradable packaging. Check out Biokleen Natural All Purpose Cleaner. It’s eco-friendly, plant-based, and has no artificial preservatives, fragrances, or colors. And it’s actually cheaper than my usual 409 cleaner!
Use OhmConnect to save the environment and earn money. OhmConnect will notify you whenever your area has times of high power usage. When there’s high power usage, “peaker” power plants will be turned on, which are powered mostly by fossil fuels, bad for the environment, and expensive for the utility companies. Learn more about OhmConnect by reading my OhmConnect review!
If your utility provider is PG&E (California), SCE (California), SDG&E (California), Smart Meter Texas (Texas), or Toronto Hydro (Ontario, Canada), you can earn cash back from OhmConnect. These utility companies will pay you for minimizing your power usage during these hours. Learn more about it and earn $25 when you sign up with my link here!
How To Go Green and Save Money With Your Finances
Set up direct deposit. When you set up direct deposit, you’re saving paper and work for yourself on having to deposit your checks. You can even get a $225 signing bonus when you open a new account with Chase and set up direct deposit!
Use online banking. This will save you time and gas as you won’t have to drive to the bank every time to deposit cash/checks or manage something with your account.
Summary
Becoming eco-friendly doesn’t have to be expensive. There are plenty of ways to go green and save money or even make money while you’re at it. Make sure to share these tips with your family and friends so that we can all start going green together! Which one of these will you implement today? Comment below!
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Hello, I’m Chloe! I’m the primary author of Off Hour Hustle. Currently, I work as a software engineer, sell products through eBay, Etsy, and OfferUp, have 26+ credit cards, and am always working to diversify my income streams. In my spare time, I enjoy climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.