With the world losing its forest cover, glaciers melting, and some animal species becoming extinct, going green and living a sustainable lifestyle is a popular trend. Leading a sustainable lifestyle will not only help our planet, but it will also save you money. Here is how to save money by living a sustainable lifestyle.
- Recycling. You have probably heard about recycling, or you also recycle some things in your life. However, people still throw out items that should be recycled. According to studies, people trash about eighty percent of glass that should be recycled, and only nine percent of plastic is disposed of properly. You can change this by recycling things at home. You can save money by using recycling bins and reducing bag costs.
- Electricity. How many times do you forget to switch off the lights when you leave for work? Leaving your computer on adds to your electricity bill and this costs a lot over time. Research shows that Americans use around twenty percent of the country’s energy and waste around seventy percent. Most of this wastage is due to leaving home appliances and other electronics on while you are away.
- Composting. If you are a gardener, start composting. Composting can save you money that you use on fertilizers and dispose of waste. If you have enough compost, you will not need to buy fertilizer, and you will need fewer trash bags. You can add leaves and yard clippings to your compost to add to your savings.
- Use cloth diapers. If you have a child, you can reduce the waste created by disposable diapers by re-using cloth diapers. Cloth diapers will save you a lot of money and also reduce your garbage. A baby goes through around 7,000 diapers. This may cost you a lot of money, but cloth diapers are cheap, and they last long. The laundry cost may increase, but the savings outweigh this cost.
- Replace your Toilet. If your toilet was manufactured in the 1980s, it uses an average of 15 gallons of water per flush. Replacing your old toilet with a modern one can save you up to $140 in your annual water bill. While the upfront cost may be high, it will eventually save you money and water. Some companies may also offer rebates when you replace your old toilet with a modern one.
- Line-dry your clothes. Get a drying rack or a clothesline to save both money and electricity. You have probably noticed that most dryers come with an Energy-Star rating because they use a lot of power. If you use an apartment dryer, you have to spend money every time you wash your clothes. A cloth line is cheaper and easy to maintain. Your clothes will also have enough air that keeps them smelling good. You will have to ensure that you do not install your line under a tree that is home to many birds.
You can also check this soap saver bag article to learn how you can make your bathroom plastic-free.
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