Reduce, reuse, recycle. It is a mantra that many choose to live by, and can be effective for not only being sustainable but reducing your household expenses as well. Are you looking for ways to lower your carbon footprint and also lower your monthly expenses?
Sustainable Ways To Help You Reduce
Here are some great ways to help your family live sustainably, while also reducing the footprint on your bank account!
- Eliminate Plastic Containers
Being sustainable is great, however, being zero waste can be even better! Many options are now available on the organic market Sunshine Coast that can reduce the use of plastic wrapping and containers.
From hand soap is simply a tablet you drop into the water, to stores that encourage you to bring your glass jars for purchasing items, there are many ways you can reduce your waste and help the environment. You can also swap out plastic bottles for stainless steel water bottles to be more environmentally friendly (and save money!).
Plastic packaging is one of the biggest producers of waste, and by reducing the number of items you buy that come in these types of packaging and containers, you can dramatically reduce your waste. These stores and suppliers will charge you less for items, as they do not need to package them, therefore not only reducing your waste by reducing the cost of the products that you buy.
Eliminating plastic containers and wrapping can go a long way to reduce your expenses and be kind to the environment.
- Thrifting and Second Hand Shopping
Thrifting and buying second-hand items is a great way to get the items you want to reduce costs. Rather than immediately heading to the thrift store to buy new items, you can begin by checking online marketplaces and thrift stores for the items you are looking for. Thrift shop items are normally a fraction of the price of buying new, and that is why you should buy second-hand items when they are available. By locating gently used goods and purchasing them rather than brand new, you will see a marked difference in the prices you pay for your family’s necessities.
- Planting a Home Garden
Planting a home garden can be a great way to reduce your food expenses, and provide your family with delicious and nutritious vegetables. Produce can be incredibly expensive, and mass-produced vegetables can often come with pesticides and chemicals. Even if you try to buy only organic items, you will see that their price tag is often much higher than standard fruits and vegetables. Implementing a home garden, where you and your family can grow your vegetables and cooking herbs, can be a great way to lower your expenses.
Not only do home gardens help your bottom line and reduce your reliance on mass-produced items, but it is also a great way to spend quality time with your family, tending to your garden and watching the fruits of your labor grow. It can be a great way to unplug the kids and get them outside, teach responsibility and a sense of pride, knowing that what they are eating for dinner was produced by them from scratch.
A home garden can be a life-changing addition to any home and can allow you to greatly reduce monthly food costs.
- Collecting Rain Water for Gardening Use
If you choose to start a home garden, or if you have flower beds and grass that needs to be watered often, then you can reduce your utility costs by collecting rainwater and using this to water your flowers. While it may seem easy and convenient to simply turn on the hose and water your plants, this round up your water meter, meaning you have to pay for it every month when the utility bills arrive.
If you are trying to reduce your expenses, then using rainwater for your garden and flowers can be a great idea! Simply put water barrels to collect the runoff from your home, rather than allow it to pool or be swept away to the street. While this water is not what you will be drinking, it is more than enough for your garden and plants, allows you to be sustainable, and reduces your monthly hydro costs.
While there are many other ways that you can be sustainable and reduce your expenses, these are some great ways that you can easily start. Every life change starts with one small step, and by making one change you will find that it leads to another and another. No matter what you do to be sustainable, the point is that you start small. So choose one of the convenient options above and start reducing your expenses and increasing your sustainability today.