How to Live Eco on Your Budget
We all look for ways to help the environment and some may think that it takes tons of money to live a more sustainable lifestyle. But that what most people get wrong and then think they can do nothing at all. In this article I will lay out ways to live more sustainable on different budgets .
1: No Money
One of the most impactful things you can do is to shop less. Instead shop your closest, ask friends and family to lend you pieces. Check out our deep dive on [why fast fashion is so bad for the environment] to lean more on how your shopping choices make a massive impact on the environment.
Or you could try walking or biking more, to places like grocery stores, school, and work. Did you know that the average car emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, there are approximately 298 million cars on the road today that is 1.37 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide released annually. That’s why we need more people out of cars. If you just walked to a few places a week you would dramatically reduce your carbon footprint.
2: low to medium
We live in a world where most of our grid is ran by fossil fuels and coal releasing a ton at carbon emissions into our atmosphere. To reduce electric use set your ac to around 72-75 degrees during the hotter months, replace old lights with LEDs they take less energy and stay cooler.
Shop at your local small business. If you don’t know where your small businesses are ask your neighbors on Nextdoor. In most places your small businesses will be located near your downtown area. You may be wondering why does shopping small make a difference. It comes down to a few things sourcing, local economy, and quality. Most small businesses source their goods locally or they are hand made. When we give to small shops we keep our money locally, helping our local economy, lastly small shops care about quality over quantity.
3: large budget
When we have a large budget we can focus on more impactful things such as transportation, energy, and overall lifestyle. Let’s talk about transportation, and you probably are thinking “EV”. EVs are great and all but is not a perfect solution, but let me tell you what is, public transportation, sidewalks, and protected bike lanes. If you can donate to a local green transit project and, get out there, show people it’s not weird to walk, bike, or take public transit. You will be making a massive shift towards a greener world.
Energy is a huge topic in sustainable living, solar panels are one of the best options to lower your carbon footprint. When we take energy from the sun instead of fossil fuels we make systematic change. First off you don’t just help yourself but you also make your part of the grid a little more greener.
Overall any of these steps help and you should never feel obligated to do things that are not obtainable for you and your lifestyle. Just know that if you take just one of these things you are doing good. If you want more tips on how to live more sustainable and want eco news sign up for our news letter or just come back to avenelzine.com
photos: Isaiah Cozens
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