Being Environmentally Friendly on a Budget

With all the gloomy warnings from climate scientists about the issue of climate change and environmental protection, it can be hard to know what to do to help. This is particularly true when you’re on a budget. However, being more environmentally friendly could even save you money! Read on to discover how… 

Food & Drink

A great place to start with becoming more environmentally friendly is by altering your grocery shop slightly each week. Firstly, bring your own bag – not only does this save you money, but it also reduces plastic waste.

What you buy also has a big impact on the planet. Try reducing the amount of meat you buy and incorporate some more vegetarian or vegan meals into your week. By doing this, you decrease your carbon footprint, as the consumption of meat contributes heavily to greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. On top of this, meat is expensive – so it’s kinder to your budget too! 

Another product that you could steer away from is bottled water. Bottled water is expensive, and it also comes with a big plastic price. If you’re adverse to drinking tap water, consider investing in a water filter to make sure your water is fresh and healthy. Head over to our deals page to grab yourself a bargain on homeware products which will make your life more environmentally sustainable! Also, if you want to know more about how to recycle your plastic, check out this blog with tips to increase your recycling. 

Reducing your food waste can also help you reduce your environmental impact. Food waste is a big problem, so by planning your meals each week, you can significantly reduce the amount of food you buy that goes to waste. This is because if you know exactly what you intend to cook, you won’t buy surplus ingredients, which also eat into your budget!

Reduce Energy

Without trying to state the obvious, turning appliances off reduces your energy use – saving your money and the planet. But, we don’t just mean switching the appliance off. If you can, turn it off at the plug socket, otherwise it continues to leak energy. This is called ‘standby energy loss’, which is like watching your dollars fly out of an open window!

Another common energy guzzler is a tumble dryer. It’s a quick way to dry your clothes, but also a super expensive one. Consider investing in an airer or a clothes horse to dry your clothes. Not only does this save you money by reducing your energy bill, but it also reduces the damage and wear done to your clothes. Doing this is great, as both energy use and the textiles industry can do harm to the environment, so by reducing your consumption of both, you’re doing double the amount of good! Another great thing to remember, is that these days, clothes don’t need to be washed at a high temperature, a lot of detergents can now clean your clothes just as well at a lower temperature. 

How we light our homes is also an opportunity to save some money and be more environmentally friendly. These days, you can buy lightbulbs which are more energy efficient and last way longer than their old-fashioned counterparts! So, when a lightbulb needs replacing, consider switching to an energy-saving bulb instead. 

Be sure to check out our cashback tab to purchase products like airers and energy-saving lightbulbs that can help you be more environmentally conscious and earn you cashback! 

Donate

Giving your items a second life is a fantastic way to be more environmentally friendly, as it means someone else doesn’t need to buy a new product, and can instead extend the working life of your old stuff! So, when you have something that you just don’t need any more, do good by giving it to charity. If you want to make some money for yourself, you can also sell your items with a garage sale, or through an online marketplace.

There are also some fantastic charities who use monetary donations to invest in making a more sustainable future. So, if you’re feeling in the giving mood, you can cash out your Qmee rewards to charity!