Moving to a zero waste lifestyle can save you substantial amounts of money. Read on to find out how!
Bring your own water bottle
Save your money (and the environment!) by bringing your own reusable water bottle with you. By bringing your own, you can avoid the need to purchase water while you are out. This will add up to huge savings!
Stop buying disposables
I used to keep a handy stash of plastic solo cups, paper plates, and plastic cutlery for “just in case”. I thought that having these disposables on hand would make my life simpler. When in fact, I had to drive to the nearest Target to purchase these disposables, then store them until I needed them, then use them, then throw them into my recycling/trash, then wheel my recycling/trash bins to my curb for waste management to pick up, then wheel my bins back from the curb once they were empty, then go to the store to buy them again! Ridiculous. I was literally spending my money (and time!) on something that I was throwing away. So I have switched to reusables and have prevented lots of waste from entering the landfill and/or recycling system.
Enjoy more meals at home
Eating out can often be expensive and usually has some waste associated with it. Opt to eat in, with yummy local ingredients that are good for you and the planet. You will save yourself the gas going to/from the restaurant as well as the bill!
Stop buying things you don’t need
How many times have you purchased something on a whim because you wanted it, not because you needed it? Guilty! (I’m actually waving my hand back and forth, hellloooo! This is me to a T!). When you buy something you don’t need, you are spending your hard earned cash on something that will eventually loose its appeal and you will get rid of it. Think before you purchase something and only buy things you need.
Shop secondhand
If you do decide that you need something, try to find it secondhand. I find that almost everything that I need I can get at some wonderful stores in the Twin Cities, or online via websites like Ebay or ThreadUp. Purchasing items secondhand means they will be significantly cheaper, saving you your hard earned cash. Plus, you won’t be using any new resources for that item, a zero waste win!
Cancel that trash service
By transitioning to a zero waste lifestyle, you might decrease your waste so much that you can eliminate your curbside trash service, saving you even more money! You are a rockstar!