These Eco Friendly Ideas Will Help You Save Money

One thing we learned in 2020 was that we tend to waste a lot of money on irrelevant things.

In these unsettling times, with pay cuts affecting almost all of us by a minimum of 40%, it has become high time to make our living more sustainable. So why not go the extra mile to make it more sustainable and eco friendly?

With climate change being told to us through various environmental groups and with the coming heatwave while we are stuck inside.

It has become imminent that we need to do our part to make our way more sustainable and eco-friendly. The Motive is to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.

This, in turn, will make our future a better place and be a relief on our present wallets as it will help save energy, money and most important resources.

There are entire books written by prominent authors who can guide you towards your goal.

You can choose any particular way to help make your living more sustainable in the short and long run. Here are a few eco-friendly ways to make your life more sustainable.

1. Grow indigenous plants which are more suitable to the soil and climate thus requiring fewer fertilizers and won't take much of your time as the exotic ones do. You can even try making your own organic compost consisting of leftover vegetable waste and what-not. This means less garbage will be used as landfill and will also help your plant get more nutrients.
2. Avoid using paper towels to wipe household goods. Instead, use cotton cloths as they are more long-lasting and completely washable. If paper towels are to be used, then make sure they are made from bamboo as bamboo takes only 5 years to mature.
3. Use reusable grocery bags made of cotton or jute to buy groceries and what-not. Each year, we use an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags, which causes a lot of avoidable waste. Using reusable grocery bags is a simple way to cut down on the habit without missing out on convenience. Some grocery stores even offer their own branded bags which are eco friendly and reusable. However, make sure you don’t hoard them as that will lead to another issue.
4. Try using Rechargeable batteries as they take less space and save money in the long run. Most batteries are made up of a variety of chemicals, some of which are extremely toxic and can cause soil and water pollution thus aren't a great thing to throw into landfills.
5. Harvesting Rainwater is beneficial as you can use that water to water your plants or wash your vehicles and whatnot. Plus it will make sure your water bill gets reduced significantly.
6. Check for leaks from toilets, faucets, taps and shower-heads. All you need is a wrench and remember little drops make mighty oceans and no one wants to pay for the ocean which is being wasted by the leak.
7. Remember to walk where you can. This will help reduce pollution and will help lighten the strain on your fuel budget. It will also help you become healthier and fit.
8. Replace your standard light bulbs and tube lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFLs, as these can effectively use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than the standard ones. LEDs are up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting options.  95% of the energy in LEDs is converted into light and only 5% is wasted as heat. They also use much less power, which reduces the demand on power plants and decreases the accompanying greenhouse gas emissions.
9. Plan your fuel usage, cook with pans covered with lids. It can help to save energy, save money and emit fewer gases into the air.
10. Even though recycling programs exist, 91% of the water bottles we use every year wind up in a landfill. And we use about a million per minute.so instead of throwing those plastic pet bottles, reuse them as potting containers to grow saplings, herbs and certain vegetables.
11. If you absolutely need disposable cutlery, why not grab some that are compostable? There are many alternatives available, especially in India, like banana leaves and leaf made containers, which are completely biodegradable. And if that doesn’t suit your needs there are many alternatives available online which are made of compostable materials.
12. When you want to furnish your home or your office, go for furniture made from cane or bamboo. They are rustic, sturdy and 100% eco-friendly. Wide range of finished products are available in the market and buying these items promotes rural employment opportunities and craftsmanship. It is a win-win-win.
13. Produce Biogas at home. If you have good space around you, use the food waste to produce biogas instead of throwing it in the sewage. This biogas can be used for household cooking and the slurry produced by the digester can be used as a fertilizer for the home garden.  You can reduce your dependency on the LPG cylinders, save on transport of cylinders. Totally reducing the impact on the environment.