Saving money is not just about watching your bank account; it can also be about saving our planet. There are better ways to save extra money rather than cutting coupons and watching price tags. These ways include recycling, supporting eco-friendly companies, and investing in areas that reduce carbon footprints or that increase sustainable community wealth.  If you want to increase your savings while helping create a better future, consider how your money is used, what it funds, and how to invest so that you have greener choices in the future.

Use It Up

The disposable culture is falling out of favor, and many people want products that come in recyclable packaging or that last longer. Recyclable packaging reduces wastes in landfills and, if it is paper packaging, it can be a great source of compostable material for the backyard compost bin. Gardening is one activity that saves money at the grocery store, but can be an expensive hobby if you use too many bought containers or need to buy compost. If you start to buy items with reusable containers that double as seed starter pots or container gardens, you save money and also grow more food in your home. Consider multiple uses for every item purchased at a store and use it until your use it up or it wears out (including the packaging).

Shop Green

If you don’t want to engage a full-blown victory garden, you can still find ways to shop that encourages eco-friendly activities to flourish in your community. You can shop at local farmers’ markets to save money and support local vendors. Even paying a little extra for a green product, like dishwashing soap or cleaners, pays off if the product does twice the job or lasts longer – and you’re supporting a green company also!  Don’t think big ticket items can’t be green either.  Items like carpets and laminate flooring can now be made from recyclable materials and last a very long time. Considering the lifespan of a product and the cost you pay upfront may be well worth the amount saved long-term.

Invest in the Environment

Want to see more eco-friendly options in the future? They won’t happen if we don’t invest in them. That can mean looking at companies that are willing to put ecological-friendly options in their day-to-day practices and investing in their stock.  Instead of saving in a savings account that gets little interest, consider putting that money into green companies with innovative technologies. It can end up paying off more than just a standard bank account, if you make a good stock pick. By putting your savings to work through investing, you not only put that money aside for the future, but you also influence a better tomorrow.

Can you think of other ways to save green while saving the planet?