If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint this year, I’m teaching you how to be eco friendly on a budget with these 22 tips! Yes, you can go green and save money at the same time.
I’ve been making small changes to my sustainable lifestyle for about 10 years now. From reducing food waste to watching my water usage more closely, I’ve been making conscious choices that have saved me money.
This post will be incredibly helpful and conclusive because I’m giving you easy tips that I’ve adopted over the last few years – from when I was a college student to now as a busy mom of 2!
In this blog post I’m talking all about how to be eco friendly on a budget!
How To Be More Eco Friendly On A Budget – Tips From My Time In College
By the time I got to my second year in college, I had already started to change my lifestyle to live a more eco conscious lifestyle. Of course, as a broke college student, I had several limitations to what I could accomplish. Most of the sustainable lifestyle choices I was reading about in school required a ton of money I didn’t have at that time. Here are some helpful tips on things I implemented over my time in college with very little money to be eco friendly on a budget.
1. Meal plan
As a second year, I moved into an apartment-style area where I had my own kitchen and I could cook. This was a game changer for me to save money and control what I was eating. Not only could I spend less money (and time) in the dining hall. I could also make a meal stretch! At the start of each week, I would plan out which meals I would eat in the dining hall and which meals I would cook based on my schedule. When eating in the dining hall I tried to stick with small portions to avoid excess food waste.
2. Eat leftovers
Eating leftovers is not only good for the environment, but also good for the wallet. Instead of wasting food and throwing it away, I would save any remaining leftovers from cooking and eat them again. Sometimes I would get crafty and splice together leftovers from multiple meals to make one new meal. Reusing leftovers can take you a long way. The less food we’re placing in the trashcan, the less methane emissions we are creating by having the food sitting in a landfill. Methane is a greenhouse gas contributing to rapid climate change.
3. Reduce meat consumption
Paying more attention to my food was big in college! It was something that I had complete and utter control over and I made as many changes as I could to try to be more eco-friendly on a budget. College was the first time I was able to successfully decrease my meat consumption.
A lot of what I was learning in school as an Environmental Science major helped to propel me in my decision to decrease meat consumption because of the environmental impact of the meat industry. I decided in my second year to cut out all red meat, choosing not to eat beef and pork. I have not had beef or pork since that day. You can learn more about my flexitarian diet and the impact of meat on the environment here.
Related Post: 11 Crazy Helpful Flexitarian Tips To Make Eating Less Meat Way Easier | Spicy Black Bean Burgers
4. Use disposable plates and cups only when necessary (for parties and during exam time).
This one took me several years into my college journey to commit to. It was SO convenient to have disposables. However, I knew I wanted to keep making changes in my lifestyle to reduce my impact on the environment so I started easing away from using disposables.
Eventually, I stopped buying them altogether and instead had 2-4 dishes and cups I would use over and over again. I started realizing that I was saving $5-7 each time I went to the grocery store! As a full adult that doesn’t sound like a lot, but as a college student I was so proud. In addition, once these disposable plates and cups were thrown away I knew they would sit in a landfill and never actually break down.
5. Thrift
Believe it or not, I used to be embarrassed that I liked to thrift. At the time, everyone always bragged about their new items and viewed thrifting as another person’s trash. For a long time, thrifting had a negative connotation associated with it. Now thrifting has a different meaning and is much more socially acceptable.
Can we talk for just a moment about how much money you can save thrifting?! From books to furniture, thrifting is where I started going first and then I would supplement what I couldn’t find with buying new. Thrifting is a great option for money-saving and reusing/repurposing.
How to Be More Eco Friendly On A Budget – Tips From My Single Living After College
6. Meatless Days
At this stage of my life, I was living with my fiance and I actually started to have more meatless days which rolled into meatless weeks, and eventually, I would go months at a time with no meat. I restructured how I thought about food in a way that meat was not the primary focus of my meals.
According to an article by the National Library of Medicine “Globally, animal products provide only 18% of our calories but use 83% of our farmland and are responsible for 56% of GHG emissions from the food sector” (source).
Decreasing my meat consumption helped me stay more fit, helped me save money in the grocery store, and helped me decrease my carbon footprint.
7. Stop Buying Bottled water
Bottled water is not only expensive, it also contributes to plastic pollution! Of all the plastics produced in the world, half of that production is single-use plastics. This means after using these items just once we throw them away (source). Once thrown away, these products take hundreds of years to break down. Instead, I begahttps://www.unep.org/interactives/beat-plastic-pollution/n using my reusable water bottle more consistently. I also added a water filter to my faucet. If you’re concerned about the tap water from your sink, using a water filter is a completely safe and more cost-effective way to save money.
8. Stop (Limit) Buying Paper Towels
Growing up paper towels with that girl in the kitchen. We used them for absolutely everything. At the time that I decided to stop buying paper towels, I was shopping at BJ’s. I remember they were $20 for the pack and I said to myself “This is the last $20 Bounty will get from me”. I refused to buy paper towels again. Not only are they single-use items that have a significant impact on forests, they’re also not necessary. Instead of paper towels, I use towels, Skoy cloths, and rags from old t-shirts. For dinner, I use tea towels to wipe my hands. I wash them and reuse them over and over again.
9. Stop (Limit) Buying Aluminum Foil
Aside from barbeque season during the summer, I stopped buying aluminum foil. While every household is different, aluminum foil was such an unnecessary purchase for me. If I find myself needing to line a baking dish, I’ll use these silicone baking sheets. Honestly, since investing in Caraway kitchenware and bakeware, I haven’t found the need to use foil. My items slide right out of the pan and clean easily.
10. Stop (Limit) Buying Ziplock Bags
Plastic zip bags are so incredibly overused and so incredibly wasteful. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by using reusable containers instead of plastic zip bags. I used to purchase them to take my lunches and snacks with me to work, but quickly realized how this money adds up! I was throwing away bags that only held a sandwich in them for 4 hours! Once I made the switch I started using containers I already had at home. Eventually, with kids and daily lunches, I invested in really good Tupperware to last us a while.
11. Reduce Buying Fast Fashion
From the harsh chemicals used in the clothing to the nonethical labor used to make the clothing, reducing my fast fashion purchases made a big difference in how I spent my money. I was finding that I would have to rebuy items over and over because they were so cheap and the quality was so poor that they would often rip, tear, and fade quickly.
Instead, I am more thoughtful and intentional about what I purchase and where I purchase it from. I’ve still found that I can get great pieces at thrift stores for less than half the price. In addition, by slowing down and not purchasing every trend pushed out by fast fashion vendors, I’ve been able to find styles that better resonate with me.
12. Use Cold Water In Washing Machines
Did you know that temperature is a large factor when considering the carbon footprint of washing? As temperature increases so does the amount of energy it takes to heat the water. Similarly, as the temperature increase so does the cost of your utility bill. That means you can use the same amount of water on cold as on hot, but you would still be paying more for the hot water and using more emissions as well.
Unless specifically stated on the tag, I almost always wash my clothes on cold and it makes a noticeable difference on my bill!
13. Attend Clothing Swaps
Whether you host a clothing swap or a toy swap, involving your community in exchanging items before you purchase new is always a great way to be eco friendly on a budget. Remember the 3 R’s? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle? If you can’t reduce, the next best thing is always to reuse. What may no longer be useful for one person can be exactly what another person needs. One of my favorite items to swap with others is baby items! Kids grow so fast and most of the time the items you’ve bought are still in excellent condition and perfect to pass down to others. My first stash of cloth diapers was swapped with me by a friend!
How To Be More Eco Friendly On A Budget – My Current Tips While Married With Kids
14. Continue to get better at meal planning
Now that I’m married with kids, I’ve gotten very good at my meal planning. At the beginning of each week, I will plan out the meals for the week. I consider work schedules and after-school practices when I make the meals for the week so I can be realistic about how much I’m cooking.
For example, I’m not making lasagna on a day I have to go into the office and my son has baseball practice. I use that list to shop for groceries and then add in the staples (eggs, milk, etc.). This helps me not only reduce how much I’m spending on groceries but also reduce food waste because I’m only buying what I have planned to cook for that week according to those exact meals.
15. Visit Farmers Markets
While some say farmer’s markets can be more expensive, I’ve had the opposite experience! Our local farmers market typically has cheaper fresh produce that is often organic and locally grown. I’ve enjoyed incorporating our farmer’s markets visits into our weekly weekend routine. I bring my own bags and again, only shop for items that I need for that week.
16. Avoid juice boxes
Juice boxes are single-use items that are not recyclable. In addition, juice boxes tend to be less healthy and high in sugar. To be more eco friendly on a budget, we avoid buying juice boxes. My kids most often drink plant-based milk in the morning and water from their reusable water bottles throughout the day. Juice and juice boxes are often for special occasions or parties! In this way I’m not only saving money, but I’m also instilling healthy habits.
17. Shop for groceries online instead of a grocery store
This is one of my my helpful tips for how to be more eco friendly on a budget! Grocery shop online instead of a grocery store. It doesn’t fail – every time I grocery shop in person, I walk out of the store with more shopping bags and less money than I intended. I forget items more easily because I get distracted and I buy items I don’t really need. Now that I have kids, this is even more true because they’re constantly finding new things they want to try while at the grocery store.
Instead, I save money and reduce how much food I’m purchasing and wasting by shopping for my groceries online. I can shop for exactly what I’ve written down on my list and make sure that I’m staying in budget. There is no surprise price when I get to the register. I can see my total as I add each item to the cart and make decisions based on that. I’ve heard some people feel odd about letting other people pick their produce and while that is a valid point, my experience with various stores over the last few years has overwhelmingly been more positive than negative.
18. Bring reusable bags
Remembering your shopping bags helps you not only reduce how much you buy but also often saves you money. If your state is like mine and has not installed a plastic bag tax yet, you still might get money off your total for bringing your shopping bags. While the amount of money you save is dismal, it’s still a saving. In addition, you’re making a more conscious choice by reducing plastic waste. If you happen to forget to bring your reusable bags, make sure to reuse your plastic shopping bags!
19. Be conscious of water use
A few years we had some yard work done and were watering our lawn to help the plants and grass establish. When I saw my water bill I IMMEDIATELY shut off the sprinklers. From that point on I realized that something as simple as irrigation not only wastes a lot of water but also has a significant impact on our bill. Instead, we fixed the well to our house and used our well when we needed to irrigate! I also started setting my plant pots in the rain and putting buckets out to collect rainwater for watering.
20. Take shorter showers
Along with being conscious of my water use included taking shorter showers. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for a nice long “everything shower”, but that is not necessary daily. Instead, I keep my showers to under 10 minutes. This seems to be the perfect amount of time for me to maintain my hygiene and be conscious of my water usage which helps me stay eco friendly on a budget. Again, keep temperature in mind! The hotter the water, the more energy and the more expensive.
21. Teach family members about energy bills
My children are young so I don’t go into much detail when it comes to teaching them about energy bills. What I do make sure to explain to them is that electricity makes our home work – it gives us lights, and hot water, and makes YouTube work on the TV. All of that costs money and uses resources from the Earth. If we’re not using our electricity, we have to make sure to turn it off so we can help the Earth and save money.
22. Join A Buy Nothing Group
I finally joined a Facebook group for my community that focuses on swapping, donating, and buying nothing. Buy Nothing groups are so incredible to help you be more eco friendly on a budget because most often you’re buying nothing!
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about how to be eco friendly on a budget!
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