6 environment-friendly ways to save money

Saving money feels good, and doing your bit to help save the environment feels even better! Being more mindful of the things we consume, waste or discard can help us protect the earth, whilst also saving us some extra money.

Here are 6 sustainable habits you could adopt today to help save money and the environment! It’s a win-win situation.

Buy second-hand 

Shopping of any sort is pretty much inevitable, but we can make better shopping decisions to save us some money, and be conscious of the environment. 

Whether it’s clothes, furniture, old electronics, or anything of that sort, buying second-hand items will not only save you a lot of money, it will also help the environment by reusing items and reducing wastage. 

With the likes of Depop, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace, you’re bound to find the item you want for a fraction of the price, had you bought it brand new! 
 

Buy a reusable water bottle/coffee cup

You can drastically reduce the amount of waste and money you spend by buying a reusable water bottle or coffee cup. We can easily end up spending hundreds every year on bottled water and coffees, especially if we’re buying them every time we’re out or on our lunch breaks. By buying a reusable water bottle or coffee cup, you’ll be able to save some extra money, and not have to worry about harming the environment at all the same time!

Walk more

Whether you own a car or simply love a good Uber ride, try walking more often, where possible, or finding the cheapest alternative to commute such as investing in a bike or scooter. After all, walking is free (and who doesn’t love free stuff), but it will also reduce your carbon footprint, keep you active, and save you money!

Meal prep

Meal prepping won’t just save you time, it’ll also save you money and reduce your food wastage. When you meal prep whilst you’re on the go, it helps to reduce packaging wastage as you won’t have to order food or buy packaged goods since you can prep your meals in reusable containers. 

Unplug & Switch off 

It sounds obvious, but a lot of us tend to forget! Unplug and switch off things that consume electricity when you’re no longer using them. This will keep your energy consumption, and those electricity bills low. The lower the better for our wallet and environment, of course!

Think before you buy 

Impulse spending can be an expensive habit, and often leads to excessive wastage on items that won’t get used frequently (or ever). Before splurging on something non-essential, try the 30-day rule where you don’t buy the item for 30-days to give you time to think about the purchase. During that time, more often than not you’ll realise you probably don’t need it or, may have even forgotten about it. Just taking the time to think before spending can make all the difference!

These are just a few of the many things you could start doing today to begin more sustainable habits that will help your finances and our planet in the long run. It’s the little things that add up to help make our planet a better place!