10 Ways to Save Green by Going Green

Everyone wants to save money and save the planet right?? Unfortunately, sometimes it’s hard to do both. I’ve found 10 simple ways to save green by going green.

For years I’ve been slowly trimming our budget by finding ways to cut monthly expenses. I hadn’t realized just how many changes I had made until this recent pandemic. When everyone was rushing to the store to stock up on supplies, I realized that many of the products others consider necessary, I’ve totally erased from my shopping list!

Even though my original motivation was to cut costs, over the past 5 years I’ve become much more aware of how my daily habits affect the environment and my own personal health. So many healthy habits are actually financially beneficial too!!

Every change I list below to save green by going green does require an initial cost. You will earn your money back on all of them, some faster than others.

10 Ways to Save Green by Going Green:

1) Switch paper towels for cloth rags

Savings: About $14 per year

Paper towels are expensive. The nice ones cost about $2 a roll which can really add up fast. If your house is like mine, messes happen all the time. I would guess that a typical house uses at least 1 roll per month (that’s about 4 paper towels a day). This comes to about $24 dollars a year.

We have 2 types of rags in my house. There are the nicer ones like the dish rags that are used for wiping the counters, cleaning faces after a meal, and cleaning up a quick spill. A decent set of dishcloths have an initial investment of about $20, but should last several years. I estimate a cost of about $10 per year (but that’s probably a little high)

The other type of rags are the single-use rags. These are for pet messes, potty accidents, bacon grease and “destroy the rag” types things. These rags are old cut up t-shirts, clothes the kids have worn out, old towels, or the kitchen rags that have been demoted. They live in a bucket under the sink for easy access. The cost of these rags is $0

*Note- if you are using rags for things like draining bacon grease, you’ll want to be sure they have been washed in fragrance free laundry detergent and no fabric softener. No one wants bacon with a “fresh scent”!

2) Switch soap & shaving cream for a Norwex body cloth

Savings: About $18 the first year, then $25 per year.

Yep. I don’t use soap or shaving cream. In fact, I haven’t for almost 2 years and by now I’m pretty sure someone would have told me if I stink. I use a Norwex body cloth to replace both of these products. Not only does it save me money, but it is also so much better on my skin. You can read more about the Norwex body cloths HERE or order a set HERE.

Not only does the Norwex body cloth replace your soap and shaving cream, but it can also replace most facial cleaning products too. The body cloth removes makeup better than any product I’ve ever used. It is also great at removing face paint! Depending on your skin type, you may still need moisturizer.

Cost break down: Normal washcloth cost about $1.00 each. Soap & body wash probably costs about $10 per year, shaving cream $4.00 per year, makeup remover $10.00 per year. That comes to about $25 per year.

The cost of 1 Norwex body cloth is $7.33. (They are sold in a pack of 3) They come with a 2-year warranty but should last much longer. I’ve been using mine consistently for 3 years now. Read more about them HERE or order one HERE.

3) Switch pads and tampons for a menstrual cup

Savings: About $35 the first year, then about $50 per year

This may be a little TMI (too much information) BUT this has been a HUGE money saver!!! I was terrified to make this switch, but has been one of my best decisions ever. Not only do you eliminate the need to buy pads and tampons, you also eliminate the trash that comes with them and the storage space needed to have them. Another bonus is that when you think you’re about to get your period, you can insert the menstrual cup. This eliminates the fear of being caught off guard.

After reading tons of reviews I decided on the Blossom cup. The initial cost is lower than other brands (about $15) which is great if you’re trying a cup for the first time.

A menstrual cup will pay for itself in two or three periods depending on which type you decide on. Most pads and tampons cost about $0.25 each. A rough estimate would be that you would spend about $4 per cycle, or $50 a year.

The Blossom cup is $15 and claims to last 10 years. That comes to savings of $35 the first year, or $485 over 10 years!!

4) Switch household cleaners for a Norwex Envirocloth

Savings: About $2 the first year, then about $20 per year.

Most people spend about $20 or more per year on cleaning products. Many cleaning products contain harmful chemicals that are harzardous to your health and the environment. If you want to buy “green” cleaning products you’ll easily spend over $20 a year.

There is a better way though! Norwex envirocloths are capable of removing 99% of bacteria from surfaces. One envirocloth can clean just about every surface in your house. They completely replace the need for all-purpose cleaners, window cleaners, and polishes. You can read more about them HERE in a separate post where I do a more detailed cost breakdown. One Envirocloth costs $18.99 and comes with a 2-year warranty. They can last much much longer than 2 years though!

You can order a Norwex envirocloth HERE

5) Switch baking mixes for cooking from scratch

Savings: Let’s just say the yummier and healthier foods are priceless 🙂

Homemade almost always tastes better, are healthier and are often cheaper. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in this category, but I have almost completely stopped buying baking mixes like Bisquick, seasonings blends, cake & brownie mixes etc.

I typically just Google things such as “how to make pancakes from scratch” and make whatever I find. I do have 2 favorite cookbooks though. The first is the classic Better Homes and Gardens cookbook which is perfect for classic recipes. The other is America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook which is awesome for learning the science behind cooking. (Example- how to know when to use baking soda vs. baking powder)

Confession- I do keep at least one cake mix and one brownie mix on hand at all times. These are for those moments when the kids remind at 8pm they need a baked good the next day.

The yearly savings for this are hard to calculate. Your big savings will come from better tasting food that costs less and is healthier to eat.

6) Switch standard laundry detergent for ultra-concentrated powders

Savings: About $10 per year

Most laundry detergents come in giant plastics containers and are full of filler ingredients. They are also full of chemicals that are harsh on your skin and your clothes.

There are better alternatives!! I had a hard time making this switch. I just couldn’t stomach paying over $20 for a teeeny tiny bag of laundry detergent. How could 1/2 a teaspoon of powder really clean my clothes?? I did finally make the switch though.

A few things you should be prepared for though. Most concentrated powders do not have a smell. This is tough if you are used to the “clean” smell. I have learned that my laundry is clean if I smell nothing.

It may take awhile for your clothes to start feeling clean. If you have been using the typical liquid gew, your clothes are probably filled with soapy junk. It may take a few washes to get all that out and for your clothes to go back normal.

My favorite powder detergent is the Norwex Powder. You can read more about it HERE and see a more detailed cost breakdown. You can purchase the Norwex detergent HERE.

Another product that I have not tried, but has very high reviews on Amazon is Charlie’s Soap which you can purchase HERE.

Cost Breakdown: Most laundry detergents you find in the store cost between $0.03 and $0.20 per load. A typical family of 4 probably does about 4 loads per week for a total of 208 loads a year. Lets take an average cost of $0.10 per load or $20.80 per year for detergent.

The Norwex detergent I use costs $0.05 per load, for a total of $10.4 per year. That’s half the cost!! The savings are even higher if you do more laundry!

Another savings that is hard to calculate is the effect on your clothes. Using a more gentle detergent will prevent your clothes from wearing out as quickly.

A Note about Fabric Softener:

I do not use fabric softener. I use white vinegar instead. You may not save much money, but it is definitely better for your clothes and the environment. The vinegar does not leave a smell behind, and will keep your clothes feeling soft especially if you have hard water.

7) Switch Air Fresheners for essential oils

Savings: Hard to estimate- sorry!

Essential oils are an excellent replacement for air fresheners and deodorizers. Not only do they smell wonderful, but they are also free of harmful chemicals that can cause headaches and other issues.

Many air fresheners come in aerosol containers or plastic packaging which are harmful to the environment. They are also full of chemicals which are harmful to your health, your family’s health and your pet’s health.

I actually have another blog post about all the ways essential oils can save you money. It also goes into detail about my favorite companies and which oils save me the most.

A side note about air fresheners- Clean doesn’t have to have a smell. Sometimes the absence of any smell at all is the best proof your home is clean 🙂

8) Switch paper plates and cups for actual dishes

Savings: About $20 per year

I’m going to assume most of you have dishes, but choose not to use them all the time. I love the convience of paper products, and I’m not saying you need to get rid of them completely, but they are expensive and create a lot of trash.

If you are using paper products for things other large family gatherings, I challenge you to stop. I have found that putting a real plate in the dishwasher really isn’t much harder than putting a paper plate in the trash.

Now, if you have never made the investment of real dishes. You really should. A simple set won’t break the bank. I encourage you to buy a nice set that will last in a basic pattern or color that won’t go out of style. My favorite brand for long-lasting dishes is Corelle. These are the dishes you’ll pass down to your kids when they move out…in fact, I still have some of my Mom’s dishes she gave to me 🙂 Anyone else have a few green flower Corelle pieces??

The savings are difficult to calculate on this one. So much depends on how often you are using paper products. I’m going to underestimate that many families buy 1 large pack of plates and 1 large pack up cups per year which would cost about $20.

*If you are thinking of buying a set of Corelle dishes, check the prices in the store. I have found the prices listed online at places like Amazon and Walmart are much higher.

9) Switch paper napkins for cloth napkins

Savings: About $76 the first year, $96 per year after

Let’s do some math. Bounty napkins typically cost $2.00 for 100. Let’s say you eat 3 meals a day which hopefully means you need a napkin 3 times a day. That would be roughly $2 per person in napkins a month, or $24 a year. If you are a family of 4, that’s $96 for napkins!!! You could buy yourself some pretty fancy cloth napkins at that price!!

A decent set of cloth napkins costs about $20 for a set of 12. They should last several years.

After a meal, our family hangs our napkin on the back of our chair. I typically add the napkins to the laundry a couple times a week depending on how messy everyone has been. 4 napkins per person is plenty.

Yes your beautiful napkins will get stained- but who cares? We have a set of “company” napkins that are kept nice and stain-free, but our everyday napkins are well loved.

*Again- if you are going to switch to cloth napkins, you will probably want to consider a fragrance free laundry detergent.

10) Switch paper straws for stainless steel

Savings: $8 per year after 2 years

We don’t use a lot of straws, but my family does enjoy smoothies and milkshakes and how can you possible have one without a straw?!?!

Plastic straws are actually very cheap, but horrible for the environment. Switching to stainless steel will take awhile to start saving money, but the impact on the environment is huge.

You can get a big pack of 500 straws for $4, but if you are buying straws I’m going to assume you splurge and spend $8 for the good bendy ones. Let’s say your family uses 5 straws per week or 260 per year. It would take 2 years to use up that box of 500.

Stainless steel straws vary in price, but my favorite usually cost about $8 for 20. They should last forever which means you’ll start to save money after year 2.

So how much savings are we talking about?? These simple changes to save green by going green can save you roughly $170 in one year. Each year the savings go up!! $170 isn’t much, but every little bit counts! Don’t forget, the impact on the environment is priceless 🙂

Other post you may enjoy…