If your goal is to become someone who considers their carbon footprint in their spending, then it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. The problem? Sometimes, eco-friendly approaches aren’t as frugal as we’d like, so we’re stuck between our monetary goals and morals. Here are five ways you can avoid that and be both frugal and environmentally friendly.
1. Reusing Takeout Containers
We’d never suggest that eating out all the time is worth the money, but we’d also never suggest that anyone could resist ordering takeout for their entire life. Since you’re bound to crack anyway, you might as well wash out the takeout containers and use them as Tupperware!
It’s eco-friendly and saves you a lot while keeping your food fresher for longer. Be careful with this tip: it doesn’t mean just keep ordering takeout to fill up all your kitchen cabinets!
2. Learn To Sew
Sewing isn’t nearly as challenging to learn as you imagine, and it can revitalize some of your favorite clothes, sparing them from the donation bins. And while there’s nothing wrong with donating clothes, people typically buy new clothes to replace the ones they donate, adding to one of our biggest problems on the planet: fast fashion.
Teach yourself to sew and hang on to your favorite clothes until you’re ready to say goodbye. And when you are, remember to donate and buy your replacement from a consignment store!
3. Make Gradual Changes
Things like single-use plastics seem much cheaper initially, but they’re often much more expensive than eco-friendly options in the long run. Even if you can’t commit to buying reusable containers at first, you can slowly swap things out so you avoid shocking your budget.
If you really want to be more eco-conscious, you’ll probably have to make these changes eventually, but it’s perfectly okay to do so incrementally. Some eco-conscious investments can be extremely costly upfront. Still, they’ll be worth it if you’re serious about considering your carbon footprint in what you purchase.
4. Focus on Energy Savings
Using less energy or investing in energy-saving technology is excellent for the planet and your wallet. You don’t necessarily need to spend money to save on energy costs; something as simple as unplugging your electronics when you aren’t using them or turning down your thermostat.
However, some investments can make this significantly more manageable. A good example is a smart thermostat, something you can adjust from your phone to help you save on your energy expenses.
5. Use Other Means of Transportation
The era of everyone owning cars is still very much in swing, and some people need to own a car as a part of their lifestyle. But very few people need cars to get absolutely everywhere. Many destinations are walkable, especially if you live in a city.
Public transportation and biking are also significantly cheaper and better for the environment. There’s nothing wrong with driving if you have to, but there are so many other options that are just better for those who want to save money.
