How to combine saving money and the planet

Mixing the pleasant with the useful, you can simultaneously take care of your budget and the environment

How to combine saving money and the planet. Source: unsplash.com

We used to live in an age of food additives and artificial foods, and it is not a big secret that healthy and eco-friendly goods usually cost more. It also applies not only for the food we eat, but also for almost everything we consume.

On April 22, Earth Day, PaySpace Magazine would like to share our musings on how to reduce people’s impact on the environment and how to consume less. That can save your budget, and significantly reduce the harm we bring to Mother Nature.

Reusable mindset

Have you ever wondered how many plastic bottles are consumed every day/month/year? According to statistics, more than 480B plastic bottles were sold in 2016 worldwide. And more than half of these bottles are not recycled. Why don’t people just refill a bottle? If you don’t want to reuse a disposable bottle once again, you can buy a reusable one. Not to mention that filtered water can save you a lot of money. It depends on the country you live in, but approximately you pay 5-10 times more for a litre of bottled water compared to the same quantity of filtered. ?The same situation is with the plastic bags here. Around 1T plastic bags are used annually worldwide. It is not so hard to refuse these bags, and buy a hand/hobo/bucket/drawstring bag. Thus you would use plastic bags only when absolutely necessary.

More than half of sold plastic bottles are not recycled. Source: unsplash.com

Same goes for a quite expensive coffee habit. No less than 500B plastic cups are used every day all around the world. Use porcelain cups in cafes and buy one for your home (if you still don’t have one). At the same time, think about how much you spend on coffee. Home-made coffee would cost you $0.35-$0.55 for a cup (plus electricity bill, of course), while an average cup of coffee outside costs $3-$5. We’ll leave basic maths for you.

Second hand

Such apps as eBay, Letgo, and tons of similar ones made it easier to buy second-hand clothes. Source: shutterstock.com

Apparently, there are not so many people who want to go shopping in cheap/budget (sometimes dirty) second-hand stores. But we live in the digital era, and such apps as eBay, Letgo, and tons of similar ones made it easier (and safer) to buy second-hand clothes, and even more. You can find almost anything you want there, from used furniture and cars to clothes and somehow discounted household chemicals. And if you have never tried this option – then just give it a go.

Home cooking

Nowadays everybody is so busy, and this is reasonable since the city lifestyle makes the rules. In rural areas people live at a slower pace, but if you live in a big city, sometimes you don’t have time to cook something, hence take home-made lunch with you. Meals on the go (if not on the run) are getting more and more popular, and have planted deep roots in our everyday lives. Sandwiches, hot dogs, wok to go, salads, and other similar meals are usually in plastic or paper packaging. Cooking at home and taking lunch in reusable (see point 1) boxes, such as Tupperware, would save you a considerable amount of money and reduce the harm to the environment. Therefore, if you are able to handle some time management, you could save $5-$10 (an average lunch price) each day, hence $100-$200 monthly.

Cooking at home would save you a considerable amount of money and reduce the harm to the environment. Source: unsplash.com

Ugly doesn’t mean non-usable

Did you know that at least third of fruit and vegetables are thrown out as waste, because they look malformed or are the wrong size? However, it doesn’t mean they are unfit for human consumption. Fortunately, multiple supermarkets have changed the way they sell such kinds of perishables, and formed lower prices for them. Thus, you can kill two birds with one stone: reduce wastage of relevant products, and save money, after all.

Банан не плохой. Он просто одинокий. Спаси банан. Будь человеком. pic.twitter.com/0uohGcSkBl

— Артём Дерягин (@DerArto) 10 января 2019 г.

This is a good example of how it works in real life in Russia (hashtag #savebabana). It says that usually, people don’t buy a banana that was detached from a “banana cluster” because they think there is something wrong with it. The truth is, there is nothing wrong with those bananas, they are just lonely.

Fascinating farming

Having a garden would considerably ease the process. Source: unsplash.com

This option is not suitable for everybody. Nevertheless, you may find some time to read more about growing your own produce. Obviously, having a garden would considerably ease the process, but a lot of people are already enjoying growing lettuce, parsley, dill, cucumbers, carrots, lemons, tomatoes, and many more indoors. You can find a lot about the ways to implement this on the internet, particularly multiple related well-detailed YouTube videos which will come in handy. ?Just don’t forget to place shoots/seeds next to a sunny window.

Consider cycling

Cycling is a good answer when it comes to saving up and reducing emissions. Source: shutterstock.com

We don’t know which country you live in, but you can count up how much money you spend on public transport (or even gas for your car) each month. Cycling is a good answer when it comes to saving up and reducing emissions, consequently impacting on the environment. Walking or cycling (especially the latter) isn’t always an option, particularly when it is cold outside, or pouring rain takes over. There are not always sunny days, but the weather is not always unfavorable either.

Bulbs

You can significantly save if you switch to LED bulbs. Join the bright side!

You can significantly save if you switch to LED bulbs. Source: unsplash.com

Use your gadgets for longer

Really, changing your old gadget just because a new one enters the market is nothing but following the latest trends and major tech companies dictatorship. Following the herd mentality just to show off the latest fancy flagship device is at the very least unreasonable. Mobile phone/tablet/laptop manufacturers invent more and more gimmicks to ensnare the consumer society. Before upgrading your current device, think twice about whether it is really worth it. Again, it is about your personal budget and saving the planet from needless and harmful plastics and metals.

SEE ALSO:?How to develop healthy spending habits: the best ways to save up