6 Ways You’re Throwing Money Away by NOT “Going Green”

Have you wanted to cut back on the chemicals in your life, but thought the products were a huge expense? Have you wanted to green up you life, but balked at the price tag? Well don’t despair. Here are six ways you can actually SAVE money by going the natural route. In fact, you’d be throwing your money away by not going green with these ideas!

 This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Read my full disclosure here. 

T-shirt Bags

These reusable bags are made from old t-shirts you probably already have lying around your house. They only take 2 minutes to make! Many stores offer money back on purchases when you use reusable bags and you don’t have to spend $1 on those store bought ones! They’re more durable and washable. I just LOVE ’em!

Get the instructions here.

Bulk Spices

Store bought spices often have extras added to them that you probably aren’t too keen on ingesting. You’re likely eating a bunch of chemicals all in the name of preservatives and “anti-caking agents”. But good grief, the organic options are shockingly pricey! Well, last Thanksgiving, I discovered that many bulk food aisles have spice jars for the scooping! And guess what, they only contain the spice, no extra nasties. And the great thing, I can fill up a jar for pennies! So much cheaper than the prepackage stuff!

Cloth Diapers

Most people know that cloth diapers are a great way to green up your life! Less waste, less contact with scary chemicals like dioxins and sodium polyacrylate. While the upfront cost is daunting, consider asking for them as gifts. We were incredibly blessed to receive 16 diapers before our oldest was born and they’re still going strong as kiddo number two approaches his two year birthday. We’ve saved a boatload! (Thank you friends!)

These are our favorite brand of Cloth Diapers.

Reusable Menstrual Pads and Cup

Alright, this might be a hard sell for some of you. But hear me out! Tampons and pads are full of gross stuff. Not only are these chemicals bad for your health, they can extend the length of your period and make the cramping worse. Seriously, we should sic some hormonal ladies on these manufacturers and demand a change! Anywho, back to the practical. These reusable products also take a bit of money up front, but they last and end up saving you money. Menstrual pads theoretically last for life and menstrual cups can last for ten years! Eliminate chemicals, eliminate waste, and pocket the savings!

This is my favorite Menstrual Cup! Can’t believe I didn’t use one of these till this year!

 

Homemade Cleaner

Did you know you can clean your counters and hard surfaces naturally for just pennies? Two simple ingredients are all you need to revamp your cleaning routine. Add some essential oils to make in anti-bacterial. Some chemicals in common household cleaners exacerbate breathing troubles but this simple cleaner will have you breathing fresh air while staying well within budget.

Get the recipe here.

Homemade Foaming Hand-soap

Most antibacterial soap have a frightening ingredient called Triclosan. It effects muscles abilities to contract at a cellular level (here’s some research). But did you know you can make an antibacterial foaming handsoap with two natural ingredients. (Ok, three if you count water.) Those two ingredients will make enough soap for a household for a good year! That’s a lot of savings and a lot of peace of mind!

Here’s how to make it. 

 

Now that you’ve seen some ways to go green and SAVE money, why not check out the whole series: How to Green Up Your Life WITHOUT Getting Overwhelmed

 

Boasting in Weakness: Sometimes I feel unqualified to write about natural living. But I wouldn’t have made the small changes I’ve have made without the great information I’ve found on other blogs. So while I’ve got a long way to go, I DO want to share what I’ve learned so that it may help others that aren’t as far along on the journey. Please don’t ever feel guilty or less than when you read anything I write. It’s easy to look impressive on a blog. And trust me, I’m not impressive.