At the moment we can’t seem to escape the doom and gloom of the economic downturn and predicted recession. With soaring oil and food prices one positive that may well come out of the situation is that people will curb their spending which will in turn lead to a cut in consumption and less wastage of resources.

Living a green lifestyle and saving money in my view has always gone hand in hand so I have picked 7 ways you can cut your carbon footprint and your budget at the same time.

1.Buy ‘preloved’

Find your nearest furniture reuse centre, tip shop, car boot sale or local charity shops and get your hands onsome great preloved bargains. Buying clothes, books, cds, furniture and household items second hand is a great way of recycling and saving money.

2.Ditch your motor and join a car club

Car clubs are growing in popularity and schemes exist mainly in bigger cities down south, although hopefully it won’t be long before they spread nationwide. If you are a city dweller, ditching your car and joining a car club can save you literally thousands of pounds a year. It is estimated that for every member that joins a car club they reduce their car usage by 50%

3.Work from home

Working from home not only saves you time and money it’s often greener too. Cutting transport time and petrol costs are the main benefits but there are many more reasons why its greener to work from home.

4.Grow your own food
Growing your own fruit, veg and herbs not only saves you money but also reduces food miles and waste packaging. I love gardening myself and find it a great way to relax, breathe in the fresh air and unwind after a hard days work.

5.Cycle to save money

Cycling to work or nipping into town on your bike has so many benefits. Parking is free, it’s great exercise, zero emmissions, cheap as chips and fun to boot. If you don’t have a bicycle, post a message on your local freecycle group or check out your nearest tip shop for a preloved one

6.Embrace the Downshifting Movement

Downshifting is about slowing down your pace of life and finding a better worklife balance. This means embracing living with less and leading a simpler cheaper, greener and happier life. Perfect for those of you out there wanting to save cash. To learn more about the movement visit the downshifting website and for some easy downshifting tips to get you started visit this link.

7. Plan a weekly menu

Even Gordon Brown has warned us about the amount of food we waste and it is estimated that an average household throws away a staggering £420 worth of food every year. Plan your meals for the week, make a shopping list and stick to it when out shopping. Check out the Love food, hate waste campaign for more ideas.

If anyone has any other ideas or tips for ways of saving money and being green I’d love to hear them.

Kate

GreenFinder