Go Green Save Money
Many of us are looking for ways to go green and save money in the process. The great thing is that
the two aspirations usually go hand in hand together.
The ultimate aim of going green is to cut consumption and reduce waste. This naturally reduces
expenditure and will save you money. There are many easy ways to do both without requiring too
much time and effort.
In the Home
Look at strategies such as growing your own fruit and vegetables at home. You don’t need a big
garden – a patio will do just fine if you deck it out with vertical grow bags and hanging baskets.
Growing your own means that you save money on expensive supermarket bills, ensure that you’re
eating organic food and save food miles in the process as no transportation is involved.
Start reusing and recycling too. If you collect waste in recycling bags, you’ll quickly get a sense of
where you can cut down and you may wish to start lobbying supermarkets to reduce the packaging
waste they force you to take home. Many people are turning instead to local farmers’ markets which
pack food in paper bags rather than endless layers of plastic.
Once you get the recycling bug, you’ll find it quite fascinating and there are plenty of online forums
where you can get ideas and tips on how to recycle and reuse more. If you have kids, get them
involved as part of a family project, as they tend to be far more knowledgeable and educated about
green issues.
Look at ways to use less energy. You’ll rapidly see an impact on your domestic bills in this area. Start
drying clothes outside on the line rather than in the tumble dryer. Use less water for washing and
making cups of tea – just boil what you need. Stop driving everywhere and start walking to local
destinations. You’ll save a fortune in petrol and will be able to cancel your gym subscription as well.
A New Career?
As well as implementing green strategies into your life, you may find that a growing interest in green
living takes you towards a new career. The green sector is growing rapidly and it is predicted to
continue to perform extremely strongly over the next decade. Many savvy individuals are positioning
themselves now to take advantage of this and be part of the eco-friendly movement. It’s worth
noting that many of the green-sector jobs are more interesting and highly paid than equivalent
sectors.
There are many opportunities for renewable energy jobs, carbon consultancy roles, education
positions, green project engineers, researchers, scientists and plenty more. So why not consider
taking a part-time course or Open University degree to develop new skills and gain qualifications in
the fields that will help you to find work in these new sectors?
Once you start looking for ideas to be greener and save money in the process, you’ll find all sorts
of inspiration and groups to join. This means that you can also become more involved in your
community, which is another unexpectedly rewarding part of the simpler, more environmentally
friendly lifestyle.
Franki is a freelance writer and blogger who enjoys sharing her knowledge about a variety of topics,
from careers and business to travel and food. She currently writes on behalf of En-spiral.