Frugality Magazine - Frugal Living Tips for Financial Freedom

10 Ways an Eco Friendly Lifestyle Can Save You Money

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Environmentally-friendly ways of living can often seem expensive and inconvenient. Investing in solar panels, electric cars and treble-glazing might pay off eventually, but they’re hardly solutions that the more frugal among us can consider. But don’t think that living on a budget means you need to give up on your eco-friendly credentials…

As it turns out, there are all sorts of ways in which living in tune with the environment can actually save you money too. Here are some of my favorite suggestions…

Step Out of the Consumer Society

One of the most common reasons for financial hardship is simply that we live in a materialistic, consumer society where even school kids are expected to have $800 iPhones.

When you consider not just all the natural resources that go into making these products, but also how much waste we generate when disposing of last year’s technology, it’s easy to see that consumerism isn’t well-aligned with environmentalism.

The funny thing is that stepping away from this consumer society not only frees you from spending unnecessary money on ways to impress your friends, while also helping the environment. Stop shopping, and instead find other more frugal ways to enjoy life and express yourself.

Buy Second Hand

Buying second hand items prevents them from being sent to landfill. They will also, however, help to save you money.

Just looking around me now, virtually all of the books on my shelf have been bought second-hand (for a tiny fraction of their sticker price) while the computer on which I am typing this article was a refurbished model.

What’s more, it’s a top-of-the-range model which cost me less than a so-so computer would do when brand new.

Who could possibly complain about buying a top-level product for less than the price of something far more mid-range?

Sell Unwanted Belongings

If buying second hand products is such a good idea, we do of course need to fuel that marketplace – and that comes from selling your unwanted belongings.

Don’t let them gather dust in your closet, while their value continues to fall. Instead, sell your possessions as soon as you decide you don’t need them any more. In doing so you’ll get the most money possible for them, while helping someone else to save money and benefit the planet.

Shop Local

Over the last decade we’ve all heard about the importance of “food miles” and how shipping products halfway round the world doesn’t do much for the planet. We’re encouraged to buy seasonal produce that is produced locally.

The thing is, that when you’re buying locally you need to spend less money on transportation to go and collect your groceries. This helps to save you money. What’s more, buying local produce also helps to support your local economy.

Go Meat-Free

Meat is expensive – both on your bank account and on the planet. It’s been claimed that it uses three times as many resources to produce a kilo of meat as it does the same weight of grain.

Indeed, meat requires so much land to produce that it is also held up as a major source of deforestation. Endangered rainforest is being felled at an astonishing rate just so cattle-farmers have somewhere to graze their beasts.

And that’s before we even consider the methane produced by commercial cattle farms; a greenhouse gas considered several times more potent than carbon dioxide for it’s climate-changing ability.

All that drain on the planet and it also costs an obscene amount in the supermarket. So why not reduce your meat consumption, saving both the environment and your bank balance into the bargain?

Grow Your Own Food

While farmers are trying to clean up their act, and reduce the environmental harm that large-scale farming does, they’re still a long way off the target. Factory farming involves cutting down hedgerows and other habitats for wildlife. Intensively-farmed monocultures like cereal crops provide very few places in which wild plants and animals can thrive.

Then of course there’s the chemicals – the artificial fertilizers and the pesticides leaching into the water.

No, growing your own food crops at home can shave an astonishing amount off your grocery bill, all while reducing food miles and chemical use. That’s not only healthier for your family, but for the planet too.

Reduce Your Heating Bills

Heating your home can get expensive in the colder months. Fortunately there are all sorts of ways to spend less money on keeping your home warm.

While adding better insulation to your cavity walls and loft are arguably the most effective solutions, there are also a range of more frugal options available. These include using radiator reflectors and adding extra temporary glazing to your windows.

By better utilizing heat in your home you’ll be able to burn less fossil fuels as well as saving money.

Use “Human Power” Rather Than a Car

Some journeys simply can’t be done without a car, but many of the journeys we make could just as easily be done on foot or by bike. So leave your car at home, reduce the amount of fuel that you use, and enjoy the pleasure of cycling down to the post office where you can see so much more of your local area.

Introduce Energy-Saving Appliances

Our homes use ridiculous (and expensive) amounts of electricity. From heating up your water before a bath, to keeping the lights on, we’re constantly burning through money.

These days, however, there are a whole host of appliances that can reduce our energy use. From LED lights, to putting your washing machine on an “eco cycle”, next time you’re replacing anything in your home look for energy-efficient models and over time watch your carbon footprint – and utility bills – fall.

Get Outside

When we stay indoors we’re tempted to use more power. We switch the TV on, surf the web, play a video game or boil the kettle. Getting outside in natural sunlight helps to reduce our carbon footprint and take us away from this “artificial world” of light and warmth that we create. It’s also a whole lot more fun than staying indoors.

So consider how you can enjoy being outdoors more. Dry your clothes in a line – rather than a dryer. Take up hiking, or gardening, or fishing. Make your patio a comfortable place to spend time for as much of the year as possible.

Then turn those electricity switches off and enjoy the savings you’ll experience as a result.

Living an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn't have to cost more. There are all sorts of ways that environmentally-friendly living can save you money. Here are some great ways to spend less and help the planet too.

Richard

Sun-worshipper and obsessive frugality blogger. For loads more money-saving advice come and join us on Facebook.

1 comment

  • I’ve been running a lot instead of taking the car. Saves gas, saves money, and actually saves time. I can combine my workouts with my errands.