Go Green to save Green

It’s no coincidence that most frugal people are environmentally conscious, and vice versa. Frugal lifestyle choices tend to be environmentally friendly choices. What a win - win.. for your pocketbook and the planet. It’s almost impossible to be concerned about the environment without taking actions that lessen your own impact on the enviro.. Ah grasshopper, the circle of life, it’s all connected . True frugality is not just about saving money, although that’s often the most noticeable benefit and the reason people initially “go frugal.” To me frugality involves reusing whatever I can. Frugality also involves turning the water off when I brush my teeth, doing most of my laundry in cold water, hanging it up to dry, keeping my thermostat turned down, combining my errands to save on gas, keeping lights off if at all possible, and using fluorescent light bulbs whenever I can. By doing these things both my purse and the planet can hopefully see a “darker shade of green”.

So how easy is it to improve the environment and your bottom line simultaneously? Here are ten frugal changes you can make that also benefit the environment.

1. Use homemade cleansers rather than commercial preparations: Commercial cleansers are overpriced, over packaged, and full of harsh chemicals. There are very few cleaning projects that baking soda, vinegar, and water cannot handle. These ingredients are inexpensive and easy on the environment. Recipes are widely available online and in books about frugality.

2. Switch to cloth whenever possible: Reusable cloth napkins, diapers, and cleaning rags are all kinder to the environment than disposable. Cloth creates less waste and requires fewer resources to manufacture than disposable or paper products. Cloth items are also less expensive over the life of the item than their disposable counterparts. Take reusable cloth bags to the store.

3. Buy used whenever possible: Buying used from yard sales, thrift shops, and consignment stores means that no additional resources went into making your item, and you’ve prevented the used item from ending up in a landfill prematurely. Used items are generally much less expensive than new, saving you money. Want to take this one step further? Borrow or rent items rather than buying when possible. Organize a neighborhood tool or craft supply swap, visit your local library and borrow books, or rent movies and games rather than buying. You’re helping the environment by using existing items, and you’re saving yourself even more money by not buying. Can you say “Goodwill”? Pun intended!

4. Use Mother Nature’s free utilities: If you’re allowed to have a clothesline, get one and use it. Let the sun dry your clothes for free. Even if you can’t have a clothesline, indoor drying racks work just as well. Use nature to your advantage in other ways. Open your windows for air rather than cranking up the AC. In the winter, open your blinds to get some free heat. Collect rainwater and use it for watering your garden and flowers. You’ll be using fewer resources and lowering your utility bills in the process.

5. Take up “>gardening, but don’t use commercial pesticides or fertilizers: Growing some of your own food will save you money and result in healthier, less processed food. You’ll save even more money by composting for fertilizer and using natural pest control techniques, such as introducing repelling insects and plants into your garden. These methods are both frugal (almost free, even) and environmentally friendly.

6. Consume fewer resources: There are many ways to conserve electricity, water, natural gas, and gasoline. Simply turning off unused lights and checking for leaky faucets are good places to start with electricity and water. Driving the speed limit and maintaining your car are simple ways to save fuel. Check online, in books about frugality, and with your utility for more conservation ideas. Each idea you implement not only conserves more resources, but saves you more money as well.

7. Innkeeper’s Tip: Learn to cook from scratch: You’ll eat healthier without all the preservatives, and homemade foods are much less expensive than processed foods. The guests appreciate it too ! And think of all the packaging you’ll keep out of the landfills if you cut down your use of over packaged, individually wrapped foods.

And Time is on your side, for 51 more things you can do to save the environment