If you’re making an effort to be more environmentally conscious, you probably already know that frugality and sustainability often go hand in hand. Wasting less usually means saving more, so by embarking on a more eco-friendly lifestyle, you’re probably greening your finances too. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t extra opportunities to be green in your financial life.
Here are?five tips for greening your finances ? the planet and your wallet will thank you!
Go Paperless
Going paperless?may seem obvious, but it’s the number one piece of eco-friendly financial advice for a reason. By opting out of paper bank statements, bills and other financial communications, you’ll save a whole lotta trees because of the envelopes, paper and stamps necessary to pay via snail mail. Have paperless statements emailed to you, and pay your bills with your bank’s mobile banking app.
Use Apps to Pay People Back
If you go out for dinner with friends or family (or owe them money for any reason), pay them back with an app like PayPal or Venmo, rather than using paper-intensive checks and cash.
Use an Affiliate Credit Card or Donation Program
Charities like the?The Nature Conservancy and The Sierra Club offer branded credit cards that donate a portion of your proceeds to the causes they support. Another option is to use a service like Amazon Smile. By selecting a charity ahead of time, you can designate that a portion of every order you place through Amazon Smile will be donated to the charity of your choice. However, there’s a caveat with the latter option… (keep reading).
Shop Brick and Mortar
Although Amazon Smile is great for the instances where you absolutely need to order online, it’s not the greenest way to shop, as Amazon often uses a lot of unnecessary packaging that’s horrible for the environment. Shop Amazon Smile when absolutely necessary, but otherwise, go to brick and mortar stores that offer products with as little packaging as possible.
Related: Ways to Reuse Shipping Boxes
Invest in Green Stocks
Finally, show your support for sustainable initiatives by investing in socially responsible investments. These kinds of options?are stocks and mutual funds that back sustainability-focused companies and initiatives.
Related Articles:
5 Ways to Green Your Diet and Save Money
10 Best Foods to Buy in Bulk to Save Money
10 Tips for the Thermostat: Your Key to Savings
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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