5 Easy Ways To Live Cheaper And More Sustainably

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When it comes to sustainability it is important to try and incorporate easy aspects into our daily lives. Long term sustainability is about finding things that fit into your life versus trying to do it all at once.

Finding ways to incorporate sustainability can help protect our planet as well as save you money. So here are five easy ways to live cheaper and more sustainably:

1. Reduce Your Energy Use

By reducing your energy usage you can achieve a more sustainable lifestyle as well as save money on your energy bill. The less energy you use, the less money you will spend, and the less energy is needed to run your home.

To help reduce your energy use you can be sure to turn off lights when you do not need them, unplug your electronic devices and power strips when not using them, and buy energy efficient light bulbs and appliances.

If your current appliances are working just fine, we do not recommend going out and buying brand new ones. The environmental impact of throwing away perfectly good appliances and buying brand new ones is arguably more detrimental. So keep what you have until it’s time to replace. Then buy more sustainable energy efficient appliances.

Other ways to reduce energy use is to optimize natural light in your home instead of turning on your lights. You can also line dry your clothes, either indoors or outdoors, in an effort to reduce the number of times you use your clothes dryer.

When washing your clothing be sure to fill the washer up fully, the less loads done the less energy used. Washing your clothes in tap cold water also saves energy as your water heater doesn’t have to heat up the water before filling the washing machine.

2. Reduce Your Water Use

Depending on where you live you may be more accustomed to water restrictions and use bans. Water is an extremely precious resource, especially clean water. By reducing your water usage you will not only be positively impacting the planet but also reducing your water bill each month.

Some easy ways to reduce your water use include:

Taking shorter showers. The average American takes an eight minute shower which uses on average over 16 gallons of water (1). You can see how that quickly adds up!
Be quick to fix any leaks. Leaking faucets and pipes can not only use unnecessary amounts of water, rack up your water bill, but also be disastrous to your home. Leaky faucets and pipes can cause mold and damage to your home. So be sure to fix them as soon as possible.
Install water efficient or “low-flow” shower heads and toilets. Older shower heads and toilets used a lot more water than modern appliances. The EPA estimates that low flow toilets can reduce the average family’s toilet water consumption by 20-60%, which can be upwards of 13,000 gallons of water a year (2).
Collect rainwater. You can collect rainwater in a rain barrel which is designed specifically for this or even by placing a bucket outside your home. This rain water can then be used to water your plants in your garden. Be sure to use your collected water every day. Leaving standing water will attract mosquitos so be sure to use it promptly before they have a change to make it their home and breed more mosquitos.
Do laundry with a full load. Always be sure to fill your washing machine fully before doing a load of wash. This reduces the amount of water used. It also reduces your time washing multiple loads of laundry. And be sure to use tap cold water.

3. Eat Local and Seasonal Foods

Choosing to eat local and seasonal foods helps reduce the carbon footprint of your food, as well as supports local farmers. Purchasing locally grown foods means that that food doesn’t have to travel as far to get to you. This in turn reduces transportation emissions.

Eating locally grown food also is an easy way to eat foods that are in season. Seasonal foods also tend to be cheaper than out-of-season foods, which ultimately helps your wallet. Out-of-season foods also mean that to get to you they were likely shipped from even further, adding even more emissions and environmental impact.

4. Reduce Your Waste

Waste is a huge problem all over the world, but especially in the United States. The average person in the US generates 4.9 pounds of trash every single day (3). That is 1,788.5 pounds of trash each year! Meaning a family of four generates over 7,000 pounds of trash every year. That's a ton of trash.

Reducing your waste is extremely important. Especially when you factor in that it takes over half a millennium for some plastics to break down (4).

To start reducing your waste you can begin by reducing your use of single-use plastics. These are plastic water bottles, straws, plastic grocery bags, etc. Instead use a reusable water bottle, metal or paper compostable straws, and a reusable grocery bag. To get more ideas on the cost effectiveness of reusing and reusable products be sure to check out our blog post on 3 Ways To Not Break The Bank and Stay On Budget While Being Sustainable.

Reducing your waste can also come in the form of not throwing things in the trash that do not need to be there. Composting is a great way to keep food scrapes out of the landfill. A backyard compost bin can allow you to keep vegetables, fruits, and egg shells out of the trash. This can save you money from having to buy compost for your gardens every year when now you are simply making your own.

A municipal composting facility run by your town/city or privately owned can allow you to compost much more, such as meats, dairy, and kitchen paper products. Some towns even have a composting service that is completely free to participate and/or allow those who participate to take compost for free.

5. Use Alternative Transportation

When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, many people initially think of transportation be it cars, planes, or trucks. Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States (5).

Using alternative transportation can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative transportation can include walking, biking, or taking public transportation. These activities not only cut emissions but also reduce the impact to your wallet. You can save money on gas and car maintenance if you end up using your car less.

While walking, biking, and using public transportation is a great option it is not always possible in the US. Across much of our country many destinations are greatly spread out. If that’s the case, carpooling and driving a fuel-efficient car also reduces greenhouse gas emissions while positively impacting your wallet.

Choosing to live a more sustainable life doesn't have to be expensive or hard. As you can see there are some easy ways to live more sustainably while not hurting your wallet. From reducing your energy and water usage, eating local and seasonal foods, reducing your waste, and using alternative transportation, you can live cheaper and more sustainably while also helping to keep our planet healthy.

Above all though, thinking about the ways that you can become more sustainable is vitally important. We don’t need everyone to be perfect environmentalists, rather if everyone did their best and were imperfect environmentalists the world would be much better off.

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