There is a growing concern over the climate crisis around the world. While we don’t always see a strong focus on saving the planet in the media or in politics, it is an important issue.
There is a huge misconception that to be more sustainable or eco-friendly means you have to spend large amounts of money. Who can blame you? Traditional sustainable living means eating healthy and that can be costly. However, there is a multitude of other ways to be eco-friendly that don’t break the bank, but actually, help you save more money!
No More Shopping Fast Fashion
Nowadays, fast fashion has taken a chokehold of society. People are buying many more products than they used to. Part of this may be due to our consumeristic society, but our clothing quality has also plummeted.
Uneducated shoppers keep buying these seemingly “good deals,” which are actually just lower-quality items. The cost is that they will have to buy a replacement numerous times rather than just once. It is very tempting to buy the cheaper options or to show through Shein or Zara. However, these companies are major environmental polluters and are ripping you off!
If their textile waste, carbon dioxide emission and water pollution are not enough to convince you, many of these companies have unsafe working conditions too. They use child labor, manipulation tactics and are severely underpaying their workers.
Thrift stores are a much more ethical alternative. You can find better quality at a lower cost.
Stop Using The Dryer
The dryer is a money and energy-sucking machine. Cut out that extra cost every time you do your laundry. Take out some clothes pins and hang your clothes out to dry. This is a simple way to start becoming more eco-friendly and save some energy.
You are also lengthening the lifespan of your clothes. Save your favorite sweater and say goodbye to the dryer.
Use Reusable Cleaning Products
Reusable towels are a way more eco-friendly alternative to paper towels. In my freshmen year of college, I was blowing through paper towels. It became a major annoyance every time I had to spend more money on them.
I started focusing on saving money and taking a couple of extra minutes to use a hand towel instead of a paper towel. It was a deeper clean and cost much less money. Lysol wipes are also bad for the environment. They are nonbiodegradable products, and they will just sit in a landfill forever. Using a hand towel will cut down your cleaning product costs and be better for our Earth.
Ditch Traditional Toilet Paper
One of the most awe moments of my college experience was when my roommate taught me what a bidet was. My roommate was an international student and made her case on bidets. Bidets are much more hygienic than traditional toilet paper.
We also found that when not using a bidet, the toilet paper ran out way faster. I understand that some people feel very odd about switching to a bidet. It can be very weird to an American at first, but your overall cleanliness improves. If you are looking for another alternative, bamboo toilet paper exists as well. It is much better for the environment.
Use A Reusable Water Bottle
By far the easiest way to be more sustainable is by using a refillable water bottle. Having one for at home and one in your bag helps eliminate the issue of forgetting one at home.
Plastic water bottles can range from a dollar to a couple of bucks nowadays. So, paying for water is a little ridiculous especially when there are water fountains almost everywhere and you have more affordable water at home you already pay for.
You can also filter your water as well to ensure the water quality is up to par if you are concerned about that. Stay hydrated and financially responsible and use reusable water bottles.
These simple alternatives will help you save money and save the Earth! Do your part in helping the environment and try out one of these easy changes. Saving the Earth does not need to be as costly as you think. You can minimize your footprint today!