Top 10 eco-friendly ways to save money

Many of us can see the snowball effect of climate change and the injustice between all species.
Many of us want to do the best but it can be proving difficult to make changes for the whole family as not everyone is yet on board to change.

Also, even if not mentioned here, try to stop paying for single-use products (especially plastics) as you simply just pay money for it and throw in the bin so soon after. That is literally just throwing away your money and destroying the Earth and your future (money and eco-wise) in the process of it. Which really does not sound so wise or smart.

I have collected a few easy (and money smart) ideas which should make most the people happy to switch and all should be as painless as possible to accomplish. All ideas should really provide you with a higher quality of life.

If you like this article then TOP 10 Game-changing Eco-friendly Products and How to be more eco-friendly ( TOP beginners tips) should be helpful, too.

1) While using your dishwasher, select a more toxic-free dishwasher tablet, cut it in half and use half a tablet at each time (you save money, stay away from toxic brands and pollute less of your water system).
TIP: only scrape off your plates, do not rinse them.
TIP2: this tip also works with hand soap. Split it in half to make it last longer.

2) Switch to a green energy provider (It has never been easier to switch your contracts as so many websites make it very seamless - switching to a green energy provider will help save you money but also the Earth).

3) Collect your cold shower water. In some homes, especially in the early morning, it can take some time for the shower water to be warm. Have a clean bucket / big pot near-by and collect all the cold water. You can use it for many items from watering your plants, cooking with it, flushing with it, brushing your teeth with it or giving it to your dog as drinking water.
TIP: also take shorter showers and keep a little longer ones only for very special occasions.
TIP2: finish off your shower with cold water as that will fire up your body to be more active during the day will giving you a better mood and immune system.

4) Cook your favorite meals in batches and freeze them in smaller portions. That way there will not be any food waste and anyone can have their favorite meals in minutes.
TIP: freeze the portions in upcycled glass jars. They stack nicely in the freezer, do not leech any microplastics to your meal and you can just remove the lid and place directly to the microwave and heat up/defrost and use as a container for meals out and about.

5) Shop pre-owned. There are often items we long for but they are simply too expensive to splurge on (even if we could afford it we can simply not justify it).  If you know any of your family members are longing for a product, look in the pre-owned market for it) make sure it is in a good condition so they are happy). This way you will have items you really dreamed about and you will only purchase items that have already been created in the past.
TIP: make sure you care for your items well so they last ages and stay away from,,in fashion items,, and buy classic, quality, timeless pieces that suit your personality, frame and tone.

6) Invest in high-quality reusable grooming and hygiene products (for example: a menstural cup, washable pads, reusable cotton rounds a glass file for women and electric shaver or steel razor for men).

7) Grow and freeze your own herbs - start growing herbs (you can request seeds or seedlings from a friend to make it as cheap and eco-friendly as possible. It is very easy to grow them, anyone with a window can do it. Also, if you have a compost the soil is for free, or ask a friend or colleague with a compost for soil if you wish.
TIP: do not overwater the herbs and do not water on top of the soil but place your herb pots in a tray and fill the tray with water. This way the herbs will thrive and grow better.
TIP2: This is also true with your aloe vera which has so many skin and air purifying benefits
and also just keeps on growing with very little effort and is always prepared to aid your skin during a break-out or burn.

8) Air dry your clothes. If you are lucky and you have a garden, then the smell of your air-dried clothes will be heavenly. But also clothes dried indoors provide many benefits, you save from buying a dryer (or repurchasing in the future), you save a lot of energy, you clothes will last longer as air-drying is much more gentle on them and if you hang it nicely you also do not have to iron any of your clothes as they will dry nice and wrinkle-free (office shirts might be the only exception).

9) Stop buying gifts for people. Often, we feel obligated to purchase gifts if it is the person's birthday, house warming party or a special occasion. Often these gifts will fill a nice first time-impression of happiness and gratitude which of course is very nice but will often not provide long term happiness.
Give your time, experiences and non-perishable edible items. You can find all my favorite gift ideas in my post here: Best eco-friendly gift ideas .

10) Visit your nearest library (or find the best one in your area/commute). Did you know that museums borrow out the most random yet practical things? From language courses to cooking trays, museum passes, fishing poles, children's costume clothes, power tools, musical instruments and of course books, magazines, and student's books. What are you waiting for? Sign up at your nearest library today!

And at last: Make the whole journey fun. Engage all and make it more like a competition, to see who is the most frugal, eco-friendly and smart and praise a lot for every idea and change, small or big.
Do not criticize if someone makes a wrong desition but talk to them about how it could be improved for the future. Also, if someone is not ready yet to think too eco-friendly try to motivate them in the topic they listen to. For example, highlight that they can save money, that they can actually afford the more expensive things in shopping pre-woned and so on. Set goals, challenges and make it fun!

Which ideas were your favourites?
Do you think you could share with us any other amazing ideas, too?

You could like these posts as well: 

Which is the most sustainable plant-based milk? + benefits + oat milk recipe

How to be more eco-friendly (minimalist TOP beginners tips)

Thank you for visiting :)