Save Money, Save the Planet

Friday, December 23, 2011 1:09 PM

One of the things I love most of all about saving money is that it naturally goes hand in hand with being kinder to the environment.  Almost everything you do to save money means you automatically consume less and waste less. Try some of these tips in 2012 and you too will see just how profitable helping the planet can be!

Reduce your consumption.   Make a commitment to only buying essentials – things you can truly not survive without.  By waving goodbye to impulse buys you will be fattening your wallet and helping the planet by consuming less. Leave your cards at home, only carry the money you need each day and always shop with a list.

Lose the landfill.  The best way to get a raw deal at the checkout is to buy goods with lots of packaging. They are expensive, low in nutrition, high in preservatives and terrible for the planet.  Get into the habit of re-using items and refusing packaged goods. Even something as simple as washing your plastic bags or not buying individually wrapped snacks will make a difference.  Before throwing anything out, see if you can get just one more use out of it.

Learn to fixit.  When things break, most people throw them out. But not savvy shoppers; they pull out the tools and fix them! Learning how to fix basic things around your home is one of the best time investments you can make.  Well maintained goods last forever and fixing things is easier than you think.  Look at some of the items you have broken, search online and teach yourself how to maintain them so they won’t break again. Simple things like polishing your shoes, airing out your mattress and servicing your car regularly will all make them last longer and save you big dollars.

Reduce clutter.  A chance to make some money as well as save it!  Wewaste a lot of money on clutter. Give your unwanted/disused goods away to charity or sell them on Trade Me and put the money to better use.  Remember, one person’s trash is another’s treasure!

Don’t waste food.  Food is fast becoming a precious commodity.  We need to do everything we can to ensure nothing is wasted.  You have invested money in the food you have at home, so don’t throw it away!  Using up what you already have on hand, rather than trundling off to the shops can save a fortune on your grocery bill and significantly reduce waste.

Buy in bulk.  There are some great benefits to buying in bulk. Taking advantage of specials and buying in large amounts means you can make some huge long term monetary savings. It also means you can use less packaging and make less trips to the shops too!

Grow your own food.  When you grow your own food you immediately eliminate 25% of your greenhouse gas emissions! So now is the time to learn. The cheapest, healthiest and most eco-friendly food you can eat is the food you grow yourself. You can create a space to grow fruit and vegetables no matter how small your living area. Once you have tried growing and enjoying your own fresh food, nothing else compares!

Eco-friendly cleaning.We don’t need to use harmful, expensive aerosols to keep our homes clean.  Try usinga spray bottle with vinegar, bleach or your ownhome-made detergent. You will save money,the planet and your lungs!  If you want tolearn how to clean on a budget go to:-www.simplesavings.com.au/tipsheets/Cleaning.pdf (www.simplesavings.co.nz/tipsheets/Cleaning.pdf)

Conserve power and water.  The more power we use, themorereliant we may become on non-renewableenergy, which will increase our carbonemissions. Even the smallest change,such as turning a light off makes a big difference to your power bill and reduces greenhouse gases.Sealing off draftsand gaps will make your home easier and cheaper to heat. Switch to energy efficient light bulbs for long term savings and use your microwave to cook where possible, rather than the oven. Turn off that old beer fridge too! Most beer fridges are old and inefficient, costing up to $150 a year to run!

The average washing machine uses 100 litres of water every load. Washing five loads a week equates to 26,000 litres a year – enough to fill 19 fire engines! Only use the washing machine if you have a full load and if it has an eco cycle, use it.