It seems to be a rule of life that the healthier option is always a little more expensive. Going green with your body might mean buying soy kinds of milk, almond milk, vegetables, and other food items that are a bit more expensive. It seems that organic foods come with a premium. That’s not always the case though – sometimes, the healthy option can be a money saver – especially when it comes to the health of the environment.
Many of us want to live in homes and make the most of our money – but you can get more bang for your buck with your home if you decide to go green. Living a healthier lifestyle can affect your home, the environment and your wallet – in fact, going green could be a great way to save cash in the long run.
It does come at a cost though, green options aren’t always free, but you can improve your house, save money and save the environment if you’ve got a nice starting fund to kick-start an eco-friendly life.
Start in the home: Focus on temperature
How do you get started? Well – with the home. Eco-friendly home improvements are a great way to start. Firstly, invest in insulation and sealed windows. What these do is keep the heat of your home in, so it’s not lost through the walls, roof, and windows. It might cost a fair bit, but it saves heavily. The more heat kept in the house, the less money you’ll actually spend on heating it up. Overworked boilers, fires, and central heating systems are a great way to burn cash and money during the winter – so heat up and keep it in with some insulation.
Also – add a bit of intelligence to your heating, with a smart temperature control system. You can find a bunch of them ready to go, like Nest – that just need installation to your boiler. What this does is allow you to control the temperature of your home from anywhere in the world with your smartphone. This ensures that the boiler is not working when you do not want it to, and it also ensures a bit of efficiency, which is good when it comes to saving money.
Technology like the Nest hub is one way you can save money by avoiding pointless heating, but even without tech, it’s something you should avoid in the first place. If you want more warmth – plant some trees in your garden.
Not only do trees present life into the garden, but they do a number of things. Firstly, they give you a bit of privacy, so you don’t need high fences or walls if you have a tree. Secondly, they act as natural barriers to your home from the environment in the winter, by protecting our homes from the cold winds.
Are you thinking of selling your home soon? Consider the effects of COVID-19 on the real estate market first.
Solar power in the home
One of the best investments you could make in a green home is to power it with green energy. This can be done in a bunch of ways – some quite experimental, but the most common – and best way – is to use solar power.
By installing solar panels from actionsolar.net on your roof to attract the heat and energy of the sun, you might be able to knock a huge amount off your energy bills – and you won’t be using fossil fuels to heat your home The sun does beam its powerful ways right on top of your house; it’d be a shame if all that heat energy weren’t put to use, right? Once more, this is another thing that pays for itself in the long run.
What’s more, if you generate a surplus of electricity, you might be entitled to a Government grant depending on where you live! The energy of the sun can be harnessed in multiple ways, including solar panels.
You can heat your water with the sun via solar hot water options too, ensuring you save a bit on your water bills! he sun can be a real money saver! Who knew? If you’re looking to boost ahead with savings in a green home, look to the skies and use the sun. Just don’t stare at it.
Saving money by being eco-friendly
Living a greener lifestyle could also save you some cash. Now, healthier food options can be expensive – especially compared to quick fix fast-food options, but in the long run, it is simply not true. Not at all.
While a cheap takeout meal might cost you the same as a good batch of ingredients – it’s those ingredients that will give you a number of meals out of them! Buying in bulk, rather than splurging on quick and easy guilty pleasures will ensure you prepare great tasting healthy meals.
Being in a green home is also about eating green – and while the cost might seem high, you’ll save money by avoiding cheap, processed foods that are short-term, and preparing your own food time and time again. What’s more, the health benefits of eating well will stop you spending money on medicine and health!
If you have a green energy supplier – who create and sell energy produced from renewable and sustainable sources, this will help as well – you might save a bit of money, but you’ll also be safe in the knowledge that you are doing your bit for the planet.
A bigger purpose: Helping the planet
Being green isn’t just about saving cash though – in the long run, you’ll earn a bit. We spoke a bit about the value of your home, and going green is only going to get more trendy – especially if countries follow France’s lead and ban fossil fuels in a number of areas. The demand for greener homes will rise, and this is something you can get in on the ground floor of by investing in green improvements for your home.
A green home really is something to aim for. It won’t just save you money, but it will also be a real investment and something that could make you a fair bit of money. What’s more, it’s the right thing to do for your home, and your cash.
This is a great post! Thanks so much for sharing!
Very nice. Your writing style is awesome and blog design is so attractive. I enjoyed watching your post and looking forward to more like this. Good Luck!
Glad to get this feedback and I am enjoying the reads at your site too!
Great post!
Great post! A huge thing that everyone can do to be more green is stop impulse shopping! It saves money, resources and makes you feel all round better! I wrote a post on tips and tricks on how to accomplish that if you are interested!
Interesting article, Philippa, and glad you sent me over there! Nice to connect.
There are thousands of money-saving tips on the internet but only a few were proven to be effective. Here are five tips which I personally follow to save money
I’m running led lights in my flat,heating when I feel I need it….as I’m hardly there ,I guess I’m quite green…
;)
Being green is about saving the planet and you can’t put a price on that. Beautiful with much sense offered here Christy. <3 :)
Debby, thank you for taking the time to leave thoughtful comments here. I recognize you’re busy and I appreciate you <3
Well it’s hard not to read your information goodies Christy. :) <3
Oh shucks! <3
:) :) xx
Eating Organic isn’t as expensive as people think.
For example micro-greens at the supermarket are $3.50
a punnet, where at the farmers market they are .80c, &
even cheaper if you buy them by the pound. In any store
you pay a premium for boxed & prepared foods. So if you
make a meal plan, you can spend much less by preparing
your meals, freezing some for later when you had a busy
day & don’t feel like cooking. It is crazy how much more
expensive is to buy fruit & veg pre-chopped (usually 3x more)
(we are looking at you WHOLE FOODS) the Farmers Market
is your friend! Supermarkets ship in produce from 1/2 way
around the world, so it will never be as fresh as local produce.
Similarly, solar might be a large investment upfront, but over
the course of years it more than pays for itself. People tend
to look at the short term rather than the long game. Just like
a $4 cup of coffee a day is nearly $1,400 per year! It is always
shocking watching people line up for their morning coffee fix,
when they could just as easily buy a machine for $100 & have
hot fresh coffee every morning for a fraction of the cost. The
corporate coffee establishments don’t even buy Fair Trade which
is shocking more people don’t boycott these unethical practices.
I think the reason people are voluntarily paying more for many things is because (at least for the younger generation) they are often living day to day, rather than looking farther ahead the way our parents often did. Like you said in your other comment, the youngsters are avoiding the hamster wheel. So the result of living for today (which by the way is in many ways a great way to be as you maximize the now) can be to buy that $4 coffee rather than thinking about buying a machine that costs more now but turns out to be cheaper in the long run for coffee drinking. Ah, life, right! Sometimes we really need to step back and re-evaluate our habits and whether they’re the best for us, mentally, environmentally, physically, and spiritually.
Your point does make sense. Having grown up in
Europe fridges are about 1/4th the size of a standard
US fridge, so inevitably you go to the market every 3
days or so, & food doesn’t have all the preservatives.
You are lucky if food lasts a week, & bread starts to
mold after about 3/4 days, there is no such thing as
wonder bread or bread that stays “fresh” for a month.
Luckily tea comes standard with an English breakfast.
Great advice, need of the hour!
Let’s do our part for the environment :) :)
You highlight some really great points in your article, Christy. I’m always thinking when I’m buying my fruits and vegetables that I will be saving money on taking medicine in the future. I would absolutely love to have solar panels, I’m just hoping one day I can get them. The heat of Texas summers are tremendous. Excellent article, I enjoyed reading it. :-D
Yes, I hope for solar panels one day too! Great that you’re altering your diet in favor of relying on pills xx Hugs
Great information! Thank you! ;-)
Michael, I appreciate you! Let’s keep being green :)
Such a great Thinking….”GO GREEN”
Excellent post, Chris…. You provide solid, good advice…. I think we all can make a difference… the major difference comes when everyone does something to help…. a little grain, right?. John Fioravanti (above) is quite right as to certain alternative methods being still quite expensive… But, that will eventually change… let´s hope we can embrace certain “eco- friendly” methods soon, so that it results in a better environment…. Hugs xx
PS: I forgot to say that I love the image you have chosen for this post! :D <3
Awe thanks Aqui for your support (from the writing to the chosen image) and glad you are embracing the eco-friendly way (within our financial abilities, of course). HUGS <3 Have a nice rest of your week, hun :)
This is an interesting post, Christy. If a person can’t afford the solar panels or the Nest-type devices, you can start, as Teagan suggests, by not being wasteful. I was thinking about heating and cooling my home with a geo-thermal system, but the cost is very high. Going green is a great idea, but it’s pretty expensive, depending on what you do. Thanks for this helpful article!
Oh wow, geo-thermal… hopefully the price will go down soon. I suppose we do our best within our means. Thanks John :)
We need to think big picture, environmentally and financially.
True. Go green, within our means.
So much of being “green” is simply not being wasteful. Here, people have become wasteful and don’t even realize it, so caught up in the quest for status… Lovely post, Christy. Great big hug. :mrgreen:
Ug, status. Like walking around with those Starbucks cups.. I look deeper when I form relationships.. Thanks Teagan and hugging back (green love) <3
Great one!
You know, I was thinking about the other side of “Going green” which could be getting far from an unhealthy lifestyle as much as possible by NOT spend our money for that …
It’s the cheaper way I guess!!!
I suppose that could depend on where you live… and what season you buy the fruits and veggies, as fresher ones are usually more expensive in the off-season ;) But I know what you were getting at. Thanks for being here!
Sure, my pleasure
It’s always good to read from you
Such a great post.. 👍
Thank you for the sound advice. Being as green as possible is important to me. And allow me share one of my tips: instead of fabric softener, I use vinegar. It softens the water and your laundry, and it keeps the washing machine clean as well. No need to worry about your clothes smelling of vinegar either, they won’t!
Oh that’s a great tip, Elisabeth! Thank you for sharing it and for the supportive words. I’m glad you’re embracing the eco-friendly lifestyle too and hope you enjoy its many rewards xx
Really!?— I´ll have to try it… Thank you Elisabeth fo sharing that tip! :) xx
I’ll try it as well!
Great adwise. Thanks a lot 🙏💕
Hi Nina :) Nice to see you <3
Thanks you to Christy 💕