Installing insulation, getting solar panels, putting in low-flow shower heads: sometimes it feels like we have to choose between saving money and saving the environment.
Luckily, that’s not entirely true. Here are seven great ways to save money and the planet.
Turn the thermostat down.
For every 1° C you turn your thermostat down, you could save up to 10% on your heating bill. So if you typically keep your home heated to 21° C, you can turn it down to 20° C without feeling too cold, and that could save you a nice chunk of change when your energy bill comes through.
You can also save energy – and money – by turning off the radiators that are in rooms that aren’t being used.
Cook – or prep – food in the microwave.
Microwaves use less energy than ovens and hobs, and they cook food more quickly, too. Less energy used over a shorter period will drastically cut your energy bills, and it will reduce the amount of carbon released. We’ve written before about great meals you can cook in your microwave, but if that seems like too much for you, you can always pre-bake potatoes, parboil veg or cook meat halfway, and finish everything off on the hob or in the oven.
Turn your old clothes into new items.
This tip will require a little googling, but there are countless tutorials online showing you how to turn your old clothes into new, cool items. You can turn old skirts into handbags, a jumper into a cushion, a vest into a girl’s dress and much, much more. Simply type “turn a [whatever old item of clothing you have] into” and let the autosuggest feature show you some of the more popular crafting tutorials. You’ll have loads of new stuff, all for the cost of thread and perhaps some other accessories, and you will keep your old clothes out of landfills.
Kill off vampire electrics.
You won’t need a stake to kill off your vampire electrics. All you really need is to unplug them, turn off the outlet or use a ‘smart’ power strip that cuts the flow of electricity off to your appliances when you’ve turned them on standby. Standby wastes tonnes of energy, and by cutting off the supply of electricity to appliances that go on standby, you can save loads of energy and money. All it takes is a little extra effort to either turn off the electricity or go out and get a smart strip.
Eat meatless once a week.
Meat is delicious, but it is also expensive. It costs a lot of money to raise a cow, sheep or even fish, and in the process, a lot of carbon is released into the atmosphere. You can save money by eating a vegetarian meal once a week, and if you use more fresh veggies, you’ll cut down on packaging waste, too. If you have carnivores in your family, try bulking out the meal with beans, cheese or eggs. They are protein heavy and should be able to fill the stomach of even the hungriest teen.
See if you can get it from a charity shop or a website first.
If you need to buy new appliances, furniture or other big ticket items, check out eBay, Gumtree, Freecycle or charity shop websites. They all have really nice furniture and appliances, often for much, much less than retail shops. You can get nice, brand-name items, often for less than £50, and you prevent people from throwing their perfectly good things away.
Charity shops like the British Heart Foundation even give the appliances donated to them full inspections, guaranteeing their safety and longevity. Plus, you can put your old appliances or furniture on those sites, so you aren’t sending your own stuff to landfill.
Use materials like newspaper or festive fabric to wrap gifts.
If you really want to have a green Christmas, try using paper that you usually recycle or fabric. Wrapping gifts in newspaper saves money on wrapping paper, and though you will have to invest in fabric initially, you can reuse it year after year, which will save money in the long run. And since it’s never been more popular to hand make things, your presents will look trendy and chic.
If you do just a few of these seven tips, you’ll be able to save money and the planet with ease.
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