Saving money and saving the planet
Small changes to the way you shop and run your household could save you money – and help the environment, too. Here are eight ways that lightening your impact on the planet can be good for your wallet.
Shopping: New Zealanders send 122,547 tonnes of food to landfill each year, or 79kg of edible food per household. Supermarkets often get the blame but households are responsible for the largest proportion of food waste. It’s estimated to cost an average household $563 a year. If you plan your meals more closely, take a shopping list with you to the supermarket and buy only what you need, you’ll save money and waste less food. Waste less water: If you live in
a part of the country that meters water separately, using less will reduce your bill. Cut down your water usage by having shorter showers, installing a low-flow showerhead, not using the hose to water your garden, and turning on the dishwasher or washing machine only when you have a full load.
Re-use containers: Cut down on your plastic use by using reusable containers to purchase bulk food items. Some stores will give you a discount if you provide your own containers – Bin Inn has been offering 5 per cent off. Some cafes offer discounts for those who turn up with a re-usable coffee cup for their takeaway flat whites. Make your own cosmetics:
Blogger Lucy AitkenRead says she’s saved thousands of dollars by giving up store-bought cosmetics. She spends $20 on the ingredients it takes to make products that last months. Statistics New Zealand estimates that in 2016, every person in this country spent $1362 on personal grooming, including haircuts and cosmetics.
AitkenRead lists a number of basics that can be used to create virtually any product: Shea butter,
oils including argan oils and jojoba and rosehip, beeswax, honey, baking soda, coconut oil and essential oils. Waste less electricity:
Electricity is a big bill for many households each month. You can reduce it by replacing your lightbulbs with cheaper-to-run LED lights, unplugging things such as phones when they are charged and turning lights and appliances off when you leave a room. Turning off appliances that are on standby should cut your power bill by 10 per cent. Use your car less and don’t let it idle: It was estimated this week that running a car costs $393,600 over a person’s lifetime. Using other forms of transport could help to cut that bill. If you’re going to leave your car running, not moving, for more than 30 seconds, it’s cheaper to turn it off.
Buy second-hand first: Most charities get more donations of clothes and goods than they can handle and there are lots of bargains to be found in op shops or online, on Trade Me or Facebook buy and sell groups. If you need something, check whether you can get a good-quality second-hand version first.
Save paper: Set your bills to come via email rather than traditional post – some companies will offer a discount for this. Check your investments: If
you have money in managed funds, even if it’s just KiwiSaver, check whether it’s invested in line with your values. Responsible investment managers say that choosing investments with an eye on environmental, social and corporate governance factors should help boost your returns over the long-term.