Save Money, Save The Planet With These Eco-Friendly Swaps

We’re all sharing this planet we live on. And if everyone does their part, we can make sure that there is something left for future generations to enjoy, long after we are gone. What’s more: In addition to doing something good for the planet, eco-friendly swaps may even save you money. Like, a lot of money over the long-term. Keep reading for seven eco-friendly tradeoffs that will reduce your carbon footprint and may even save you some hard-earned cash in the process!

Reusable Q-Tips

LastSwab has a reusable Q-Tip that will run you about $12, which is the price of roughly three boxes of single use Q-Tips. This investment could save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars of the course of the next 30 years. And think how much less waste will end up in a landfill as the result of just one simple substitution. It’s really a win/win situation!

Reusable Shopping Bags

Reusable shopping bags won’t save you money everywhere. But with states like Oregon, California, and others charging a fee for every single use bag, you have the potential to save (based on where you live) and the opportunity to reduce the waste you create. Landfills across the country are full of single-use bags. This is a simple change to make and it makes a huge difference over time.

Cloth Napkins

Sure, paper towels are convenient, but investing in some heavy-duty cloth towels will save you significantly over time and will help you to be less wasteful without exerting much effort. Just like with making the switch to reusable Q-Tips, you are not only saving the environment, you are also saving yourself a great deal of money in the long run.

Replace Saran Wrap and Tinfoil with Tupperware

Tinfoil and Saran Wrap are handy for leftovers but so is Tupperware. Opting for reusable containers to store your uneaten food in will translate to savings over time and you can, once again, feel good about the fact that you are doing your part to reduce waste and save some money while you’re doing it! Hooray!

Switch to a Reusable Coffee Cup

If you drink a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop every day, that’s 1,825 disposable cups that wind up in a landfill every five years. If you get your coffee someplace like Starbucks that offers a ten-cent discount when you bring your own cup, that’s a savings of $182.50 over that same five-year period. This is yet another opportunity to go green and save a little green in the process!

Refillable Cleaning Products

I am a huge fan of Truman’s. Their starter kit includes just about all the household cleaners you could ever need and durable, reusable bottles that you simply drop a refill canister in to when you run out. This reduces your plastic waste exponentially and is much cheaper and more conservation-focused than heading to the store to buy a new bottle of glass cleaner or bathroom spray every time you run out. Truman’s products work very well and their commitment to the environment is really commendable.

French Press Coffee

If you brew your coffee using a filter, you are creating a ton of paper waste that cannot be recycled and the cost of filters quickly adds up. Opting to switch to a French Press will get you what nearly any coffee connoisseur will tell you is a superior cup of joe and the only waste is the grounds, which are 100% compostable. This is another big win/win.

Also, make sure to check out our article on tons of other ideas to save money.

What are some of the ways you work to reduce your carbon footprint and save a little cash in the process? I’d love to know. Please tell me in the comments section below!