All of us are facing some kind of threat to our disposable income, whether it’s from salary freezes, shop price inflation, or facing new costs such as having a baby. You might think that, in order to maintain your household budget, you’d have to compromise some of your principles – and many families have probably done so by using fewer big-brand products, for example.
But if you’re committed to protecting the environment, you might not realise that doing so can actually be good for your budget, and many eco-friendly measures come with a substantial financial reward.
Cutting Down on Waste
The most obvious link between helping the environment and saving money is simply to reduce the amount of waste you produce. We’re talking here about anything that you pay for but do not use, from the electricity that goes into your gadgets while they are on standby, to the food that goes into your bin uneaten.
Anything you end up sending to landfill is a particularly good place to focus on your waste-reducing efforts, but even items you recycle can be worth taking a fresh look at.
For instance, it’s typically cheaper to buy a refill pack of coffee than it is to buy a new glass jar – so if you’re throwing away a lot of glass, check whether you might be able to buy some of the contents in a carton or pouch instead.
Adding to Your Eco-Earnings
There are actually several ways in which the environment can not only save you money, but add an extra income stream to your household budget. Check whether there are paid recycling points in your area – the metal cans you’ve been giving to the council for free each week might be worth money if you trade them in at a local scrap yard. You can also recycle clothes for money via the internet, a convenient way to help the environment, free up some much-needed wardrobe space, and add a little extra to your bank balance too.
If you’re creative, think of further ways to make money from scrap; artists who live close to the sea, for example, often sell works made out of scavenged shells and driftwood, and you could come up with an approach such as this to make an even greater rate of return out of recycled and found items.
You Have the Power
Finally, carry out an energy audit on your home to work out where you are wasting money on the different forms of mains power that you use. Poor insulation, equipment left on standby, and wasteful habits like having the heating on in rooms you are not using, or with the windows open, all waste energy – with a direct cost to both you and the environment.
‘Resource efficiency’, in terms of making sure all of the electricity, gas and water that you use is actually needed, keeps your meters from ticking round quite so fast, and that can only be a good thing for your pocket and for the climate as a whole.