I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite things about being frugal is that it makes you greener as a result. If you purchase less then you consume less. If you reuse items then you waste less.
You’ll save money and be greener if you …
- Switch your light bulbs. There’s a reason that everyone is telling you to do this. It makes a difference. The Home Depot is giving away FREE faucet aerator inserts and CFL lightbulbs.
- Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Skip To My Lou has a great tutorial on sewing them.
- Line-dry your clothes. I’ve already written about this one.
- Grow things. Trees, produce, herbs, whatever you like. Be sure to can the extras!
- Recycle. It just makes sense. Produce less trash and reuse more things simply by setting aside your recyclables.
- Cut your utilities. Well, don’t cut them off, but reduce them. Could you watch your television less? Could your home be slightly cooler in the winter?
- Consider bartering. Trade items or services as opposed to purchasing them.
- Re-evaluate portion sizes. Create useful portions of food, as opposed to cooking for an army in order to feed 3 people.
- Receive and pay bills online. Less paper cluttering your house and no postage.
- Turn things off when you go to bed. Small appliances, computers, televisions – use a power strip. Ever heard of “vampire power?“
- Cook from scratch. The fewer processed and artificial things you purchase (and put in your body), the better.
- Try re-usable bags. Tote bags or reusable grocery bags are great. Not only are you avoiding plastic ones, but the reusable ones are SO much easier to handle. (Ok, so this one doesn’t save you any money … but it is green.)
- Carpool. If you’re going the same place as someone else and you could fit in one car instead of two … well, umm … DO IT. Or, if your family is going somewhere far and could fit in your more fuel efficient vehicle (as opposed to your giant SUV) … well, umm … DO IT.
- Use re-usable containers. Consider refilling the same hand-soap dispenser and purchase a large refill amount, rather than 15 little bottles of the same thing.
- Monitor hot water usage. There are a lot of things that are thoughtless habit; things we do all the time without thinking about them. Become mindful of your habits to see where you can cut things.
What things do you do that are both frugal and green?
Why I do what I do ~ Me – “Please don’t eat things you find under the table.” Niece, while chewing, says “Didn’t do it.”
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Here in PA, using re-usable grocery bags DOES save you money. Most of my local grocery stores credit you $0.03 for every bag you provide, whether it’s a cloth bag or a previously used paper or plastic grocery bag. It’s not much, but on average saves me about $0.60 a week. Add to that the fact that those plastic grocery bags are no longer secretly multiplying in my cabinets and plotting to take over my house, and it’s good enough for me
Kay’s last blog post..The upside to being a girl (sarcasm included)
Excellent list. I’ve got a guest post up at Get Rich Slowly today that discusses the same topic, but with a slightly different spin. http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/04/22/saving-money-and-the-environment-where-green-and-frugal-meet/
I’m going to add this post to my Earth Week round-up list. Nice work.
Great list! Since it has started to get warm here, I’ve also been opening the windows and turning on ceiling fans instead of running the air conditioner.
By doing this, I’ve been able to completely turn off the unit during the day. I could really tell a major difference in my electric bill last month because of doing this.
Amanda’s last blog post..Simple Solutions: Freezing Casseroles
Thank you for all the tips. I was especially happy to find the tutorial on making cloth napkins — something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. If you don’t mind, I’d like to add columnist Tom Friedman’s advice. He wrote that, in addition to changing our light bulbs, we should change our leaders — in other words, vote for representatives committed to green energy and a green economy. I agree!
What awesome tips, thank you!
Elizabeth’s last blog post..He Peed in an Eggshell White Toilet on Display and other Things
Bar soap. Cheaper and it doesn’t come in a big plastic bottle!
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