One nice thing about going green is that there are many ways you can save money at the same time. We want to do the right thing for the planet, but with all the demands on our own time and money, there is only so much that most of us realistically can do. So when we can both save some money and do something that benefits the world, it’s a good combination. Some of these things may save you some time, while others may take a little more time, especially when you are setting them up.The four things I will write about here are: drive less, buy less new clothing, swap out your incandescent light bulbs for fluorescent ones, and use more basic food supplies in your cooking.

[1] Swap your old incandescent light bulbs for fluorescent ones. This will admittedly cost you something at first but over time you will be using less energy and thus paying smaller electric bills. If you can’t afford to swap them all at once, you could buy one each time you do a major shopping.

[2] Buy less new clothing. That could save you a bundle. The environmental cost of cotton, for example, is hefty — it is usually grown with a lot of pesticides. But whatever fabric is used, there are effects of manufacturing, dying, transportation, packaging, and more. A lot of clothing comes from overseas, which makes the transportation cost worth noting. If you consider what clothing you really need to buy, see if you can get it used or organic. If you do need to buy something new, get good quality that will last.

[3] Drive less. Driving costs you gas plus something on upkeep of your vehicle. Consider what errands you can combine. Carpool or use public transportation to get to work if possible. Walk or bike anywhere within a short distance of where you live. How short should the distance be before you get out the car? Well, that will depend on the weather, how walkable the route is, your health, and even what you happen to feel like at any given moment. We have city-dwelling friends who live without owning cars at all!

[4] Use more basic food supplies in your cooking. Not only are you paying a real premium for packaged foods, the amount of time it takes to cook from scratch really isn’t that much more. You can do a bunch of cooking all at once on the weekend or some evening, so you have things to grab for dinner when you get home. Packaged foods are less healthy for you, as a general thing. You’re helping the environment by not causing all the packaging to be created and transported, and also by not requiring the manufacturing process of the food.

Of course, there are many other things of this sort that you could do that would be beneficial to both your pocketbook and to the earth. Just choose one that appeals to you and start with it!