Eco-nomical

I was going to do a blog series on environmental hot topics but decided in our current climate and in light of all we have been through over the last few years (having just emerged from a worldwide pandemic) we probably could all use some good news. Or at least something helpful to deal with the problems we already know about! 

I had a think and due to the current cost of living increase I’m going to be doing a blog series on how to live more sustainably and save money. In other words - how to be ‘eco-nomical’.

For many people I talk to about being more environmentally friendly, this is one of their first thoughts, “but isn’t it more expensive?”.

Money can be such a huge obstacle for so many of the changes we want to make in life -especially when a “better life” is presented to us as more expensive. Often this isn’t the whole truth.

I’ll be honest with you, not all eco-friendly alternatives are cheap or cost effective.

I recon there are two reasons for this. Firstly, some things do just cost more because of the quality and care that has gone into making them in an environmentally friendly way. On the whole we probably don’t appreciate the true cost of things. So much of what we use daily is mass produced then sold to us for cheap. While the cost may be low on our end - something, or someone, further down the line is paying the price.

The second reason some things cost more is because greedy companies are taking advantage of the increasing demand for more sustainable products. These companies are charging more for their products not because it cost them more to make, or because they have put a lot of work into improving their practices, but just because they can market it as a niche product and get away with charging more.

So please be wary. Don’t get caught out at your local supermarket by the latest “eco this” or “green that”. If greenwashing is something that is worrying you, and you want to know more, check out my other series Green-empowering.

All this being said there are many ways to save money and make good choices for the environment!

Here are my top tips:

• Don’t impulse buy

• Be intentional in your consumption and spending

• Do your research! Find out the facts

• Go old school

• Celebrate new cost-effective innovations

• Let go of harmful practices

I will be going into more detail on each of these over the coming weeks and as always I’m here to help. I have done quite a bit of research myself and will be sharing my findings with you.

Let me reassure you that there really are eco-friendly alternatives that will save you money. There are also loads that, while not necessarily cheaper, will not cost more than you are already spending.

I’m looking forward to diving into some strategies, along with a whole bunch of practical examples, on how we can help the environment and our wallets at the same time!