Want to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle but don't want to break the bank while trying? Read these top tips to living a green life on a budget!
1. Buy second hand clothing
The fashion industry is resource-intensive,
fast, and wasteful.. Retailers such as Boohoo, Shein, and Primark make high volumes of cheap clothing that contributes to pollution and is continuously discarded and left in landfill.
Buying clothes doesn't have to be damaging to the environment and you don't need to pick expensive eco-friendly retailers.
Buying second hand clothing is a great way to shop eco friendly. Charity shops have heaps of choice in clothing for a fraction of the price. Not only are you buying cheap clothes, you are protecting the environment and donating to charity. I have bought many clothes from charity shops and got cute dresses and jackets from there. Trust me it isn't as "granny" or "old fashioned" as you think. Even old fashioned is on trend now! Give it a go, you won't regret it.
Online companies such as Depop and Vinted are also great ways to buy second hand clothing. You get a wide choice of clothes from your favourite retailers and some haven't even been worn!
Recycle your clothes instead of binning them, donate them to charity or sell them on online retailers such as Depop. You can even swap clothes with friends. My friends always offer me their clothes before getting rid of them.
2. Turn off the switch
Stop leaving lights on when you aren't in the room. Its as simple as that. Turn off lamps, light switches when you aren't using them, unplug electronics that you are not using, use extension leads. This saves energy and saves your monthly bill.
Avoid using the tumble dryer. During the winter its harder to hang your washing on the line, but what's your excuse for summer? Hang your clothes up in the garden, and in the winter, invest in a clothing rack, dry your laundry on it next to a radiator. Less money spent on energy used for a dryer and less energy wasted.
3. Choose frozen foods
Eating sustainably can be expensive as supermarkets can charge a lot for fresh produce. Buying frozen fruit and veg is an easy way to choose plant-based food over meat without the added cost. Frozen food maintains the nutrients, so you aren't missing out on any goodness AND it lasts much longer than fresh produce so you avoid wasting any rotten food.
You can also get other frozen vegetarian foods such as Quorn sausages which I had loads during university and even my meat-eating friends enjoyed! Quorn has lots of variety of vegetarian frozen foods which allows you to reduce your meat intake, shop less and not have to spend a fortune constantly buying fresh products, just for them to go off in a few days.
4. Buy a re-usable water bottle and coffee cup
Instead of wasting money on buying plastic water bottles, buy one water bottle that you can reuse. Additionally, buy a nice coffee cup and bring it to coffee shops so you can put your coffee in your own cup instead of their ones with plastic lids. Not only does it save money it saves plastic waste in landfill. Also you can recycle metal so if you ever wanted to get rid of the bottle, you can recycle it. Finally, there is the added bonus of there being so many cute bottle/cups in different colours and designs and you don't have to spend a fortune for them!
5. Replace normal lightbulbs with CFL's
CFL's are compact fluorescent lightbulbs which are energy saving, they are low cost and eco-friendly. A Huffington post said that CFL's can cut your energy use by 66% compared to traditional lightbulbs which means switching to CFL's would reduce your carbon footprint and your energy bill.
6. Cut down your water use
Take shorter showers, and shower less frequently. It is better for your hair to avoid showering everyday as it can dry the hair out which causes the hair to get greasier more quickly, so having less showers not only saves water it protects your hair.
Another easy hack to reduce water use is to not leave the tap running when brushing your teeth. This may sound stupid but even leaving the tap running for that time can be wasteful and adds up over time. Environmental charity Hubbub stated that turning the tap off when brushing your teeth saves 6 litres of water per minute.
Check for water drips in your toilet or taps because this also wastes water.
Don't over fill the kettle with more water than you need. This not only saves water it saves energy as boiling a full kettle uses a lot of energy.
Fill the sink up when washing up instead of leaving the tap running as this wastes a lot of water. Fill the sink up or use a washing up bowl, wash your least dirty items first and then dirtiest last as this avoids changing the water.
7. Buy a reusable straw
Invest in a reusable straw for when cafes, bars and restaurants give you plastic straws you can opt for your cool reusable one! I have a metal one that I can attach to my keys and take with me everywhere, it comes with a holder and a brush to clean it. You're saving the planet, the straw is cheap and it is cute and a conversation starter!
Below is the link of the one I bought but you can get different colours and ones for £5 or two for £8
8. Use rechargeable batteries
Invest in rechargeable batteries for remotes, gadgets, lights etc instead of buying new batteries continuously that end up wasted in landfill. It will save you money on buying new batteries that don't last very long. The initial payment of a charger may not seem worth it but it is only around £8 and the battery packs range around £6 and last for months. You will save so much money, it is worth the small initial investment.
9. Make your own cleaning products
Cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that are harmful for the planet and come in plastic bottles, so why not make your own? It is cheaper and eco friendly. Ditch your paper towels for cleaning and drying and use cloths or rip up old clothes instead.
10. Bring your own bag
Stop wasting money on bags instore, it may only seem like a few pennies but it adds up and it not only costs you, it costs the environment! The world uses over 500 billion plastic bags a year meaning over 1 million plastic bags end up in landfill EVERY MINUTE. Even the ocean and sea life are being impacted with 88% of plastic waste ending up in the sea surface.
Choosing canvas bags and bags for life is easy! You can have cute, personal designs and colours and save money on constantly buying and wasting bags. Choose cute over waste.
11. Switch to a green energy provider
I am with Octopus energy, and their customer service is great and they use 100% green energy! They were even voted supplier of the year by Which! Switching to a green energy provider will reduce your carbon footprint but also save your monthly bills as providers such as British Gas and E.ON are way more costly. You can save up to £240 compared to the big providers. Going green doesn't have to be expensive!
12. Use a menstrual cup
Buy a menstrual cup. Many people turn their nose up to this idea and if I am honest I am a bit hesitant too BUT many girls including my sister has made the switch from tampons and pads to a menstrual cup. It is better for the environment and saves money on buying lots of sanitary products every month. My sister even said after a short adjustment period, she found it more comfortable and cleaner than using traditional sanitary products and has the added financial benefit and satisfaction that she is being eco friendly.
13. Invest in a reusable razor
Quit using disposable razors and plastic razors. They're wasteful and not worth the money. I buy my razors from Estrid and I have not regretted the switch. The quality is amazing, shaving is so smooth and the price is really reasonable. I got the starter kit which comes with a wall mount, metal razor handle and two blades for just £7.95 and then I picked the every third month option where they will send me four new blades every 3 months for just £9.95. This may seem pricier than a disposable razor, however £9.95 for 4 razors over three months works out cheaper than replacing bad quality razors every week. Reduce your plastic waste, save money and enjoy a smoother cleaner shave. Plus they come in cute colours, I 100% recommend!
14. Use FreeCycle
Free cycle is a private non-profit organisation that provides a platform for people to give away unwanted products to recycle them and prevent waste ending up in landfill. All the products are free and so is the membership so you can receive products for free and give away your unwanted goods. This saves you money and reduces damaging waste.
Thanks for reading, I hope these tips helped you and we can work towards making small changes to become more environmentally friendly!
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12 Comments
Wow! This was really helpful, appreciate the knowledge ☺️
ReplyDeleteGreat, easy, quick tips which I think any one of us can make to do their bit towards a greener planet 👍🏼
ReplyDeleteUseful ideas. Things we can all do without much effort.. healthier planet and healthier budget.. what not to like 👍🏽
ReplyDeleteKeep them coming.
Really helpful and important tips for helping our planet. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIf everyone thought about their lifestyle and brought these ideas into practice, even one or two of them, together it would make a difference.
Great ideas. Every little change helps .
ReplyDeleteExcellent tips. Already do a few of those but it's always good to learn a few more!
ReplyDeleteGood tips. Good reminder to myself that small changes made by me can help.
ReplyDeleteThanks some great little reminders for everyone to stop and think how they can play a small part to change the environment we live in , As consumers maybe stop for a few seconds to decide whether or not we really need to use a product that possible may be harmful to the environment and is there another option more sustainable and eco friendly. Keep the ideas coming.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant ideas, I have been recycling for a few years now .good to know a few more Tips it all helps to save our Emviorment and our Planet
ReplyDeleteLots of great ideas, thank you for this!
ReplyDeleteVery helpful and insightful ideas, will definitely try them, thank you👍
ReplyDeleteYou are really great, excellent girl!
ReplyDelete