Going vegan, ditching gas, and using eco-friendly products are all ways to help the environment and fight climate change, but they get a bad rep for being expensive. Not all planet-friendly habits cost extra, though – in fact, many can actually cost less than what you’re spending right now. Being environmentally conscious (and friendly!) doesn’t mean spending a fortune. Here are 6 simple tips for how to live a sustainable lifestyle and save money at the same time!
- Eat Plants
- Find Your Fashion
- Make Planet-Friendly Pet Toys
- Be Cool: Carpool
- Shop Like a Tote-al Pro
- BYO…
1. Eat Plants
“What do you mean? Of course I eat fruits and vegetables,” you say defensively. Well, congratulations! You know how to get your oh-so-vital vitamins and other nutrients from natural sources. But do you ever indulge in protein options like tofu, seitan, or tempeh? There are tons of ways to reduce your carbon footprint, and eating less meat is one that’s growing in popularity. But eating a plant-based diet doesn’t have to mean giving up steak, fish, and chicken cold turkey.
For example, by replacing ground meat with Impossible Meat, you will not only enjoy a tasty alternative that you might not even think is vegan, but your chance of biting into hard gristle instead of moist beef is slim to none (have you heard of the vegan McDonald’s, Mr. Charlie’s?). And when it comes to eating sustainably and saving money at the same time, buying grains in bulk, such as lentils, rice, and quinoa, ensures filling nutrient-dense meals for a fraction of the cost. Cha-ching!
2. Find Your Fashion
Fast fashion is plentiful, relatively cheap, and perhaps even trendy… but at a pretty hefty environmental cost. The fashion industry is known to use over a trillion gallons of water each year. Practices such as dyeing pollute tons of water. Mounds of “out-of-season” textiles routinely end up in landfills. And yet, people go shopping all the time for clothing they might never even wear. That is not how to live a sustainable lifestyle.
Some good fashion news? Thrifted finds are what make you stand out in a crowd, and for less moola. Buying secondhand clothing, and selling pieces you don’t use anymore, also allows you to make some money while saving money. Reducing how much you purchase by asking yourself some smart questions like, “Will I actually wear this multiple times?” and upcycling old clothing into brand-new statements can unleash your creativity, all while tapping into your environmentally (and money) conscious side.
3. Make Planet-Friendly Pet Toys
You can spend $89.99 on a new toy for your cat and they’ll still probably only play with the box it came in. Pets aren’t exactly the pickiest of players, so they won’t know or care if they play with old rope or fabric you find laying around the house instead of new, shiny, colorful plastic. Brand-new ropes, balls, and plush playthings don’t have to be expensive either, but if they don’t sell, they’ll end up where all the other waste does, and that is irresponsible in terms of physical landfills and pointless production pollution.
Even if you do want to spoil your furry friend with a new toy (I get it, it’s a little difficult to process recycled plastic by yourself), there are actually quite a few sustainable and affordable options. If you’re liking how to live a sustainable lifestyle so far, you can even go further to make sure your pet stays planet-friendly when it comes to its diet, essential products, and even poop.
4. Be Cool: Carpool
Okay, sure, the fewer cars there are on the road, the less pollution gets in the air. But would you rather hum your favorite song on the radio by yourself, or belt it out (and even bust some moves) with a few friends by your side? Whether you need a designated driver or not, carpooling with friends is one of the fun things you can do to live a sustainable lifestyle, and keep some gas money in your pocket a little longer.
Even if you don’t plan on going somewhere with people you know, using rideshare apps and literally picking the “share ride” option leads to a money-saving and planetary success, and maybe even some interesting stories that will serve as entertainment next weekend when you can brag about and inspire others with how to live a sustainable lifestyle.
5. Shop Like a Tote-al Pro
Going to the store to buy anything usually means using bags at checkout. But over the past couple of years, lots of states have begun charging money for plastic (and even paper) bags. So, you can either pay $.20 per bag, buy a $3 reusable bag along with whatever else you were planning to buy, or you could bring your own tote bags and avoid spending the extra money and filling up the garbage with all that one-time-use waste.
Target, Whole Foods, and a few other stores even deduct money from your bill if you bring your own bags. Talk about how to live a sustainable lifestyle and earn money at the same time!
6. BYO…
Whether you’re taking leftovers home from a restaurant or you’re going to a food-heavy get-together, bringing your own reusable dishes, utensils, and takeout containers will significantly cut down on all the one-time-use plasticware purchased and then thrown in the trash within hours of each other.
True friends won’t think it’s that weird, and if someone says they don’t want to help the environment or save you money, you might want to reconsider their place in your life. See? You can save money, waste, and energy that you might have been putting into bogus relationships all along.
I hope you found these tips for how to live a sustainable lifestyle useful, and intriguing when it comes to saving (and even making some) money! Trying one (or all) of these ideas out, and sharing your favorites with friends, will help keep a little more money in your bank account, a little more waste and pollution out of our landfills, air, and water, and a little more health in your life.
