Sustainable Changes Which Have Been Saving Me Money
Like most people, I’m trying to make sustainable changes to my everyday life to help the environment. But I’m also doing some of them to save money. The idea of buying items to then reuse and not throw away into landfills all the time is worth the initial expenditure. Here are some sustainable changes which have been saving me money.
Reusable cotton pads
This was one of the first things I did in my sustainable changes as I was buying so many cotton pads. Using up 2-3 each morning and each evening was causing me to go through so many packs of cotton pads. At some points, I was using 2 packets of cotton pads a month. Not only was it costing me £3-4 but it was producing a lot of waste.
I now have two sets of reusable cotton pads which I bought on Amazon which have worked great. Mine have been washed a lot of times and they still come out soft so I know they’re going to last quite a while.
Sustainable changes- Reusable sandwich bags and snack bags
Another change I made quite early was using reusable sandwich and snack bags. With Luke taking rolls to work every day and me taking various snacks we were going through a lot of tin foil. Not only was it super wasteful as we were going through rolls in just a few weeks. But it was costing so much money to get decent stuff.
For Luke’s sandwiches, I picked up this Roll’eat bag as you can seal it up to any size, it’s wipe-clean and can be put in the wash. And then I got this Roll’eat snack bag to use for popcorn, nuts and other snacks. They’re so easy to use and saves us constantly using non-recyclable stuff.
There are loads more eco-friendly kitchen swaps you can make.
Taking totes bags everywhere with me
Some places are now charging 20p a bag and while it doesn’t seem like much it all adds up. Especially when you go food shopping and end up spending £1 a time on bags! Now in honesty, this change has more been a sustainable change than a huge money saver as I’ve spent a fair bit on cool tote bags over the years. But they last really well and it’s so much easier to fill them up when you go shopping to not use carrier bags.
I have some in my car for whenever I do my food shop. And one in various bags for when I’m out and about so I always have one on hand.
Sustainable changes I want to make
I know there’s so much more I could be doing, but I’m making small steps as I go. Some of the things I want to try are:
- Support more companies that use plastic-free e-commerce packaging
- Menstrual cup to reduce the use of tampons and pads
- Recycle my old Apple products and other electronics that I no longer use
- When my plastic Tupperware starts dying I want to invest in glass Tupperware which is more sustainable and will last longer than buying more plastic
- Change to organic cleaning products when what I have runs out
- Get more reusable baking liners to reduce baking paper use
- Shampoo bars when I run out of my current shampoo’s
Have you made any sustainable changes to your routine?
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24 responses to “Sustainable Changes Which Have Been Saving Me Money”
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All About Me
Rhian Westbury
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What good ideas to try and make a difference to the environment and save money in the process! I don’t use many cotton wool pads, but if I do start wanting to use more I think I will try your tip!
We’ve been recycling glass, paper and cans here for years now. I did just get some reusable bags, single use plastic is being banned here now.
I want to get better with single use plastics x
This is a great article Rhian. I have made small changes like the reusable wraps instead of cling film and will look into the cotton pads once mine finishes. It helps the wallet and environment which is a winner
Some really good ideas, I tried the menstrual cup and absolutely hated it, so that is a current no from me, but I am using cotton pad alternatives x
Great ideas! I carry tote bags around with me now because it is better for the environment and becuase I saw a lot of money. I might give the other ideas a go too!
I make my own reusable face pads for removing makeup etc. And I never knew you could get reusable baking sheet liners, will have to look out for these
They’re so good, and nothing sticks to them! x
Apart from the sandwich bags I have the rest too, I have reuseable cotton pads made from bamboo sticks and they are just the best and cost effective.
Bamboo cotton pads are the best! x
Little changes at a time can really help not to overwhelm. I always reuse bags and have invsted in strong ones to last me ages.
Yeah small changes have been easier to keep up with and not overwhelm and fall short x
Some great changes that can easily add up when you think over the course of a few months. Keeping tote bags in my bag is always something I have with me, not only saving money and the environment but last longer than store plastic bags.
Thankfully I am in control of my money and feel very positive when it comes to my finances and sustainability – small steps is a great place to start as it can become overwhelming and it is long-lasting change that is needed with sustainability not reactions x
These are some really great changes, we have made loads over the last year, but still know that there is a way for us to go.
We are trying to live more eco-friendly for the past few months. It’s hard to adjust at first but my family slowly came to develop the habit. We have been using glass containers and bring eco-bags instead of using plastic.
Here in New York, we’ve recently ha to transition to reusable bags for when we go grocery shopping. I have plans of recycling more items when we move back home. Your post has inspired me to work on being more sustainable.
I have a car boot full of carrier bags and use reusable sandwich bags for our lunchboxes
I love to see people making positive changes! I have made quite a lot of changes so far including all the things you have listed here. Another good one for you to look into washing powder, the washing gel I was using had chemicals in it which were harmful to aquatic life and I had no idea!
Ohh definitely, I want to try some more eco ways of washing clothes x
I highly recommend a menstrual cup, or even period underwear if you budget can afford the more expensive options (£25+) (a whole lot more worthy of the money than the cheap ones IMO). Some great ideas I can use here too, thanks 🙂
I really want to give it a go as I hate the waste with pads and tampons. And as I have the implant I’m not regular so I never know when it’s going to happen so never know when to buy stuff x
Some fabulous tips here and I applaud you for making these sustainable changes. I have made many of this and hope to continue on my journey, one step at a time
Some great tips here, thanks for sharing. It has been while since I stopped using plastic bags.