Eco-Friendly Ways To Save Money

These days I am always looking for ways to save money and cut our costs because at the end of the day raising a family with inflation spiraling out of control is one of the biggest tasks we have taken on. The fact is everyone is feeling it. The good news is that with the cost of things going up many are looking for natural ways to improve their lives while saving a lot of money. Today I want to share a list of Eco-Friendly ways you can save money around the house to help the planet and your wallet. 

Line dry clothes

Using a clothesline is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint to line dry your clothes. Gas and electric dryers tend to use a lot of energy and wear your clothes down more quickly, setting in stains and forcing you to replace clothing more often.

Using the dryer increases your environmental impact significantly. It is an eco-friendly option that lets the sun and wind dry your clothes, extending their lifespan, removing stains, and reducing your energy costs. In the warm weather months, we opt to line dry as much as we can outside on a laundry line. During the winter we use a drying rack to place freshly washed clothes over heater vents to help dry them and boost the humidity in the home to help keep our home warmer. 

Use dryer balls

In case you decide to use your dryer, try using dryer balls instead of disposable dryer sheets. The reduced static helps to reduce energy usage and can drastically shorten the drying time. You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to make an eco-friendly alternative to disposable dryer sheets.

This is a great way to reduce toxins in our home while helping to increase the efficacy of your dryer to help save money as well. Choose wool dryer balls or even a hard plastic set of dryer balls to help with dryer efficacy. 

Ditch disposables items

It is not difficult to find many disposable items that could be avoided by switching to a reusable option if you take a look at the disposable items you use regularly. Switching to dish clothes and unpaper towels is a great place to start, as is avoiding disposable tableware and straws when not at home. Try hand-made unpaper towels to help reduce your cleaning costs, reduce paper waste, and help small businesses. 

Change your lighting

Most homes have made the switch to LED lighting, but not all of them have switched every lightbulb and fixture. You should consider making the switch to any remaining old-style bulbs or fixtures to LED light fixtures.

Small efforts like these can help you reduce your carbon footprint and lower your energy bill. During the day, open your curtains to let more light into the room rather than using the lights. Using vinyl window film, which also acts as an insulator for your glass, is a great way to maintain your privacy while letting the light in.

Compost

Composting is a great way to stop food waste and yard waste from going to the landfill. Using this method will help you to grow a healthy garden, while reducing your carbon footprint and replenishing depleted soil.

Composting breaks down the chemicals that have been used to treat your food to reduce unwanted chemicals in the environment, making home composting a truly earth-friendly task while saving you money on your garden.

You can compost many things around the home. This can range from grass clippings in the yard to food scraps and even old homework your kids bring home instead of tossing it out. A hot compost pile can break nearly anything organic down quickly. To make it easy try a compost tumbler.

Improve your home insulation

By improving the insulation of your house, you can reduce how much energy it consumes for heating and cooling. As you work to make your home more energy-efficient, you can make this simple change to lower your carbon footprint and to save money.

Insulating your water pipes can help to save energy and water, since you don’t have to let the water run as long to reach temperature when using hot water. Try adding mylar insulation to your attic to help keep your home warmer in the winter and hotter in the summer. 

Switch to a reusable water bottle

Bottled water is a major source of pollution in the ocean and in landfills. Plastc water bottles even when sent to recycling do not see the entire process to becoming something new. The cost of transporting those case of water bottles around the country is high and uses a lot of gas.

Instead try a stainless steal reusable water bottle and a quality home water filter. This may cost more to get started but at the end of the day you will save a lot of money over time.

Buying in bulk

Many families save money by buying in bulk. Compare prices an dloong for great deals in larger packaging. This allow you to enjoy your everyday items while putting less packaging out into the world and reducing the amount of gas needed to transport multiple smaller packages.

Food preservation.

A great eco-friendly way to save money on your garden is to learn how to preserve food without a refrigerator. Not only will you reduce waste by utilizing your garden to its fullest potential, but you will also be helping to reduce your energy usage, allowing you to save money on both food and power. Reduced food waste can help you save money and do your part for the environment. 

Try your hand at canning or dehydrating food. You can even purchase airlocks to make fermenting in mason jars easy. Even if you do not want to learn a new skill you can use meal prep trays to turn leftovers into frozen meals. 

Reduce water usage

Reducing your water usage is a great way to lower your water bill, as well as to help the environment. By switching to a low-flow showerhead, adding aerators to your faucets, and reducing your water usage without doing extra work, you can achieve this. When you aren’t using them, turn off your faucets. Using your cooking water or other greywater to water your plants is another great way to conserve water.

Upgrade your appliances

Upgrade your home appliances with energy-efficient models that consume less energy. You can reduce your energy bill significantly by purchasing energy-efficient air conditioners, refrigerators, and freezers. Many power companies even offer a rebate for upgrading your appliances and turning in the old ones. 

Repair instead of replacing

Rather than replacing a broken item, you should consider having it repaired instead of replacing it. You can often save money and reduce your carbon footprint by repairing many things rather than replacing them as a DIY project. As opposed to throwing something away if it cannot be repaired, you can put it to good use. This is one simple way you can keep trash out of landfills and save money.

Buy items used

Buying used furnishings and clothing for your home can help you save money and reduce waste. It reduces your carbon footprint and saves you money. Buying used is a great strategy on saving on kids’ clothes where they tend to destroy everything really quickly. 

Make your own cleaning supplies

Making your own cleaning supplies is a great way to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals. With everyday items already in your pantry, you can make great eco-friendly cleaners every day that will save you money. With simple pantry staples, you can make most cleaning supplies you need at home. You can add fragrance and take things up a notch by adding in essential oils. 

Try making your own beauty supplies

Making your own bath and body products offers the same benefits as making your own cleaning supplies, such as saving money and choosing healthier ingredients. You can save money by making your own natural soaps, shampoo bars, lotions, and body scrubs at a fraction of the cost, reducing plastic packaging and chemicals.

Reusable period products

One big change you can make that is a major money saver is reusable period products. These can be hand-made cloth pads that help to build a small business while saving you money or try a silicone mensteral cup that helps to make period care easier than ever.