How to Make a More Environmentally Friendly Budget

If you are one of those people who are diligent about their monthly budget and enjoys finding ways to improve and perfect it, consider taking a more green approach to what and how you spend as well. There are ways to control your spending and its effects on the environment that won’t add significant costs to your life. With that in mind, below are some ways to make a more environmentally friendly budget. 

Choose a Greener Bank

One of the first things you can do to help improve the environmental friendliness of what you budget and spend is to be more selective with your banking. We are starting to witness a push from the corporate sector (banks included) to be more conscious of how they invest and spend their money. There are some banks that are choosing to channel their considerable funds away from and out of carbon-intensive industries like fossil fuels. Since your money is what the bank uses to make its money, by opting for a greener bank, you can amplify the impact of your spending by leveraging the institutional power of the bank. 

Incorporate Second-Hand Purchases

Buying second-hand is something you can choose to do for a variety of reasons. You might like the vintage aesthetic; you might be looking to save money, or you could be simply trying to cut down on the number of new products you are responsible for creating.

Every time you purchase a new phone instead of a refurbished one or new clothing instead of ones from a second-hand store or website, you are prompting more creation of those products. If you have a disposable income component of your budget that you spend on new consumer goods every month, consider shifting some or all of it over to second-hand purchases. 

Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies might not be that significant to your overall budget, but they add up, and there are some ways of cleaning that are more environmentally friendly than others. There are plenty of DIY cleaning supplies you can make on your own that will cut down on the amount of noxious and harmful chemicals you release back into the environment, from all-purpose cleaner to grease, brass and glass cleaner.

All of the bottles under your sinks could be easily and cheaply replaced by much gentler DIY products that will be better for you and your family, as well as the environment. 

Do More Food Supply Chain Research

The food you choose to eat will dictate a significant portion of your overall carbon footprint. Red meat, dairy products and processed foods, in particular, all come with hefty environmental costs. What it comes down to, in many cases, is the supply chain for each final product.

How were the ingredients sourced? What kind of forestry, fishing, or agricultural practices were involved? Different companies and food products take different approaches to harvesting raw materials, purchasing, managing land, controlling emissions, etcetera and almost all of this information is discoverable online. If you can audit the food you eat in this way, you can make more environmentally conscious food choices. 

Conclusion 

Many people are apathetic when greening their budget because they either don’t know where to start or feel that they are up against such tremendous industrial forces working against them that their actions are largely symbolic.

If everyone chose to do one or all of the above, however, the aggregate impact would not be insignificant, however. What’s more, by setting an example for your friends and family and by being more demanding of the kinds of goods and services you use, you use your purchasing power to pressure the market into changing. 

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