Everyone likes to have extra "green" in their pocket, and going green can actually help you pad your wallet or bank account. It might seem like eco-friendly products are more expensive, but many of them are reusable or have cheaper fees for services than traditional options. There is an adjustment period when you start transitioning your home and life to more eco-friendly options, but once you get used to skipping disposable for reusable, you'll be glad you did. So stop wasting money on things that are bad for the environment and start saving money and the planet at the same time!

In Your Home

You don't have to worry about looking up the mortgage refinance rates in your area to pinch that extra buck each month. All you have to know is what you can switch you in your home to make it more environmentally friendly and cheaper in the long run to sustain your standard of living. The first, and easiest, place to start making changes is in the kitchen. Number one is to transition to using more cloth napkins and rags. Paper towels and paper napkins are definitely convenient and don't contribute to your growing pile of laundry, but they also spend the majority of their lives sitting in a landfill or blowing down your street. Cloth napkins also save you the expense of constantly buying paper cleaning products.

The next thing you'll want to look at is cooking from scratch more often. This means buying fresh ingredients instead of a cart full of packaged products. It can help you reduce your plastic usage while also forcing you to eat healthier. If you don't usually cook for yourself, don't be overwhelmed! This is a step you can ease into by starting gradually. Maybe make it a goal to cook one meal a week from scratch. As you get more comfortable cooking for yourself, you can increase how much you cook until all of your meals are prepared without plastic containers.

In Your Life

Lots of people will talk about switching to hybrid car to lessen their carbon footprint, but don't feel like you have to make a huge investment just to start living more eco-friendly. In fact, things as simple as using a library card can make a positive impact! Think of how many books you own and how many you've actually read or want to read again. All of that paper is now sitting wasted on your shelf. With a library card many people can use the same book and thus reduce the amount of paper needed for printing copies. You could also switch to using power strips that have on/off buttons so you're not drawing power from inactive electrical items. This can save the environment and your utility bill!

In case you're interested in going the extra mile in your green living journey, you could even combine composting and gardening and add them into your daily routine. Composting is an excellent way to combat excess organic and paper waste in your home. All of your vegetable shavings, ends, and extras can go directly into your compost box to feed the soil. You'll also need some paper to add the right balance of nutrients to soil. Then, when it's all said and done, you have mineral rich soil perfect for growing flowers, herbs, or vegetables. One extra step you could take in this arena is to install a rain barrel in your yard or on your house and use that for watering plants or even as drinking water.

Going green is easy, and it helps you save money too!