Does Living Green Save You Money?
March 30, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under Eco Simplicity
In a word, YES!
Not sure if you know this, but while I do write on other topics, my main interest is green living. It’s what I write about most of the time, what I think about almost all the time, and in my opinion, green living can be applied to almost anything, including finances and your budget.
Here are two green living ideas that can save you money each day:
1. Using cloth over paper whenever possible: Using cloth napkins, cloths for cleaning, and cloth handkerchiefs is a great way to save cash and the environment.
Example:
Set of basic cloth napkins for a week for a family of four = about $70-100 (note that if you go the thrift store route, you could score cloth napkins for a song; I’m talking $15 for a week’s worth of napkins).
Basic paper napkins for a week for a family of four = about$8.37 BUT that’s also around $435 per year, where as the cloth napkins are a one-time purchase that can last years. So if your cloth napkins last only two years, you still save around $700. Cut out paper towels for cloth and we’re talking HUGE savings.
2. Make your own cleaners vs. buying new household cleaners: This can save you money in two ways. One, ingredients for homemade cleaners are way cheaper and go further than store bought bottles of cleaners. Two, many store bought cleaners are toxic, and who knows if you’ll end up sick and with doctors bills due to the cleaners?
Example:
One bottle of say, store bought toxic tub and tile cleaner is about $6. Or you could buy a bottle of tub and tile cleaner that’s safer, but still around the same price – $6. Either way, if you buy a bottle every two months that’s about $36 a year. NOT counting all the other cleaning products you buy.
If instead, you buy a big box of store brand baking soda for $2, and use that (sprinkle in your tub, scrub with water), you’ll save a lot. One large box of baking soda usually lasts me about four months or more, and I use it for tubs, toilets, sinks, and more. You save about $30 per year IF all you count is the tub cleaner. If you make all your own homemade cleaners you’ll save tons more.
Learn how to make 25 Safe, Non-toxic, Homemade Cleaning Supplies.
If you’re interested in other ways that living green can actually save you green you might want to subscribe to the Thrifty Mommy news feed (it’s totally free!). From time to time, I’ll post other green saving tips.
How are you living green and saving money? Let me know in the comments…
[image via stock.xchng]
Dollar stores are another great place to find cloth napkins. My mom was in Dollar Tree one day and she found me a set of 4 cloth napkins for only $1. You just never know what you’ll find in that store.
Wow, that’s a great idea! Never thought of the dollar store…
I use old bedsheets that have torn and just cut then hem the edges.
Old bedsheets is thrifty too!
Making your own laundry detergent most liquid recipes make ~320 loads for 12 dollars. It is grey water so you could even water your lawn with it. Better yet my second batch of detergent costs only 3.30 cents because I had alreacy invested in the supplies.
Also baby wipes, I dont know the exact amount but it is aleast 1/10 the cost and my baby hasn’t had diaper rash since we switched!
You are so right, sister! That’s what I write about, too — so many times saving money and living green go hand in hand.
“Basic paper napkins for a week for a family of four = about$8.37″
Wow, that is really high for napkins! Are they using 3 packs a week? Where exactly did you get this number? Our family of three goes through one package of Dixie paper napkins about once a month and the cost is about $2.50 a pack. My daughter uses A LOT of napkins and not just for meal time. I myself am also guilty of using a lot of napkins at dinner time. I agree that you can save money by using cloth napkins, but please be realistic when it comes to the cost of paper napkins.
@Paige – I didn’t make up some random price, I used the price I found on Amazon, figured in one napkin per family member (4 members) per meal, although most families I know who use paper often use more than one per meal. $2.50 is super cheap for a pack of napkins – how big is it? Do you guys eat all your meals at home? You can get paper napkins cheaper than on amazon though – I picked a mid-range price. Also paper costs more over time because while I didn’t give an exact number, my family has cloth napkins that we’ve been using for over four years. Once we use them to death, we use them for cleaning instead of paper towels. So the savings add up.
I find lots of cloth napkins on clearance at WalMart. Not only do I use them instead of paper napkins, I use them to make new pillow covers for my couch. They are already the perfect size. I just stuff then with my old pillows. I can change the look of my living room for a few bucks, and I never have to buy new pillows!
I have been using cloth napkins for about 12 years. You can find fabric for cheap on the clearance tables at the fabric store. A couple of hems and you’re set. I have a whole drawer.
And yes, I think being green has saved us a ton of money.
You have fairly accurately described the way my family lived when I was a kid in Kentucky. I, for one have NO INTENTION of EVER going back to that. Thanks, but no thanks! I’ll keep my brand-name cleaners and paper towels.
@ Jennifer- Yep, we eat every meal at home. We sometimes eat out once a week for dinner. The last pack of paper napkins I bought at Walmart were Mardi Gras brand and they cost $1.74 for 250. I want to switch to cloth, but am having a hard time forking out the initial money to get started.
Easy eco-friendly ideas to help you spring clean and spring green your home this season. However, if making your own cleaners isn’t for you, using these products instead of the traditional more toxic products might be a happy medium.