With Author and Environmentalist Zoe Morrison 

Trying to be more eco-friendly is sometimes seen as a big challenge for busy families. It’s hard enough getting everything done in our packed calendars, let alone trying to take action to help the environment. But the truth is, raising awareness in kids of why sustainable living and being kind to our Earth is so important is crucial to ensuring there’s a healthy place for everyone to live, not only now, but in the future. The awesome news is that going greener is not only great for the environment, but it can save money too, which is a fantastic motivator! 

We spoke to environmentalist, blogger and author of Eco Thrifty Living Zoe Morrison, who shared her tips on how to save money and save the environment at the same time. These strategies are simple, achievable, and can make a big difference to the planet and your wallet at the same time! 

3 Ways to Save Money and Save the Environment

1. Make the most of what you have 

2. Don’t waste anything 

3. Live within your means 

1. Make the most of what you have 

It can be easy to become ‘collectors’ rather than ‘users’ -- just take a quick peek at your kid’s room to notice all the toys they no longer play with. Or the old exercise equipment, DVDs, books, and too-tight jeans we have in our homes, all that take up unnecessary space. Most of us have accumulated quite a lot, but we don’t actually use these things. A great way to give back and support sustainable living is to declutter your home by getting rid of what you don’t need. Sell or give away those unused toys, the books you won’t read again, the clothes you don’t wear. If you manage to clear out a space in your garage, you can rent out the empty space for a monthly fee. 

Also, explore ways you can use your own resources to avoid paying to fix a problem. Often we are far more capable than we actually think we are. Maybe you have sewing or painting skills that you can use at home, or perhaps you know someone who can teach you something new! When an appliance breaks, try fixing it instead of buying another one, or if you don’t know how to make your own salad dressing, reach out to someone who can show you how and save money!

Look into what’s available right on your doorstep. It’s easy to spend a lot as a family when you go out, but there are loads of free activities if you search for them. Free museums, markets, festivals, art galleries, sports days, etc. You’ll be amazed at how many activities are offered for free once you seek them out. And remember to pack your lunches in reusable containers so you don’t have the added price tag of a restaurant meal. It’s all about developing an opportunity mindset and making the most of what you have, to save money and help the environment. 

2. Don’t waste anything 

Broaden your consideration of waste and start thinking about not only how you use water, electricity and food, but how you use space too! Think about wasted space in your home and how you could use it more wisely. When it comes to basic utilities, get smart about how you use them so you can help the environment. Keep doors shut in winter, use rugs if you have wood floors, draw the curtains to retain warmth. Conserve energy by thinking about when you use each particular room. For example, if you only use the lounge at night after dinner, then have the radiator off in there until 30 minutes before you enter. 

Get organised and prepared with meal plans too, so you can not only save money, but reduce food waste. Write shopping lists and make a weekly recipe calendar so you buy only exactly what you really need. Get the kids involved and do a “shop your cupboards” run. This means looking at everything you have in the kitchen and using it all up in one meal. This is a great way to save money and be creative too. Kids will love having fun creating recipes with random ingredients! 

3. Live within your means 

We live in a consumerist culture, so it can be a challenge to stick to a budget. It takes some effort to spend less, but once you get into the habit, it can actually be quite fun to find new ways to save money. Try to even out your cash flow through the entire year, so you’re not living paycheck to paycheck. It can be useful to budget monthly by incorporating what you might spend across a year. For example, take the yearly cost of your TV license and divide it into 12 monthly sums, so you know how much that bill is costing you every month. Do this with any expense that’s paid in a yearly chunk, so you can see whether you’re living within your means or not. 

Lowering your consumption in general helps the environment because you’re only consuming what you actually need. Remember too that being thrifty and saving money isn’t about depriving yourself. Rather, it’s about not being distracted by ‘want’, and instead prioritising what you actually need. 

Focusing on ways to help the environment and save money can also lead to useful inventions! There’s so much need for us to change our ways as a society and become more eco-friendly. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to design less wasteful packaging, or invent a product that benefits the environment and helps people save money, like the shampoo bar or the water blade. Use your goal of living within your means to get creative and bring something new to the market! 

We hope these tips help you and your family to save money and be kind to the environment at the same time. These changes can make such a difference, and may even inspire you to influence others to also live a greener life! 

Zoe Morrison writes the award-winning blog www.ecothriftyliving.com all about saving money and the environment. She is also the author of Eco Thrifty Living the book. She can be found on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/EcoThriftyLiving, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram under @ecothrifty. She also runs a friendly Facebook group helping people to reduce their food waste here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/reduceyourfoodwaste