Once you start earning money or have access to money / finances legitimately that you can spend. So the way you go about expending it can have an impact on the environment, whether positively or negatively. Is it a great idea to buy more cars for yourself just for the fancy? Would it have been better if you got more bicycles and just a car instead? It is possible to be wealthy enough that you could pay for just about anything and not know how much harm you are inflicting on your immediate environment. Going green with your finances is necessary for the well-being of the environment, and here are some ways to do it.
Know the type of businesses your bank invests in
You can actually hurt the environment with your money just by it sitting in your account. You need to know what your bank’s climate change policy is all about. Make sure to stay away from banks that love investing in the fossil fuel sector because the business of fossil fuels is one that harms the environment. Instead, go with an ethical bank whose climate standards fit your decision to go green with your finances. People like to invest a lot these days, and all you need to do is to make sure you are responsible for your environment getting better. Just go green with it.
Buy more bicycles instead of cars
It is said that most wealthy people love to have different types of cars in their garages. While it is good to have a backup plan for when your car is due for service or has some fault, it is also better to reduce the weight on the environment. Going for bicycles which you can sometimes ride even if your car is available for use, will help reduce the pollution that comes from using a car. This carbon monoxide pollution hurts the environment, and more bicycle riding can guide against that.
Go for sustainable products
Products with lower carbon footprints over their lifetime will still do their jobs well. You can go for these products and other energy-efficient products that can easily be fixed. This will not just keep your carbon footprint to a minimum but will also help you save a lot of money from getting replacements.
Go eco-friendly with electronic gadgets purchases
When you buy fairly used electronics or phones, it is more sustainable than buying a new one. It may not be about not being able to get a new one but just for the sake of helping the environment. The advantage here is that you get to save some money going green when you don’t buy a new one. You could also buy a more sophisticated phone that is refurbished instead of a new, less-sophisticated phone probably with the same amount of money. Go for sim-only deals too. Sim-only deals are eco-friendly since you could use several of such SIM cards on the same phone. Buying a refurbished product helps prolong its lifespan, thereby keeping it in use for longer instead of it becoming some electronic waste.
Go for a green broadband deal
For most employees that are working from home, you will need very strong internet connections for your zoom calls. If you operate a smart home and also want to keep your smart home data private, you would be consuming a lot of internet data. Switching to a greener broadband deal will be a good move to help your environment get better. Check which providers cover your area to see whether they are green or not. If they aren’t, some options from green companies are available for you to try out. GreenNet and Green ISP are some examples.
Make use of online banks
Online banks are the best if you really want to go green with your savings and view your personal finance statistics at a glance. Online depository institutions maintain a smaller overhead and carbon footprint. They don’t operate individual branches, and that is a very green move. Online banks will even offer higher yields on your savings.
Go green when investing in real estate
In 2021, there were about 7 million home sales in the U.S., and more people are buying every year. The sad fact is that as more homes are built every year, the environment suffers. If you are already in one that isn’t green, you can go green by refurbishing it. If you are buying one soon, consider a green mortgage. It will get you a lower rate for buying a more energy-efficient home.
Order less food and cook more
Single-use plastics contribute to the predicament of the environment and need to be reduced. However, this can not be possible unless, of course, people reduce their food orders and cook more. Even if you need to have food from an eatery, you should consider going there to eat your food. Cooking more of the food you consume will help you save money apart from the fact that you are also embracing the green culture and protecting the environment.
Switch to green energy
Another way to protect the environment is by making your energy usage eco-friendly. There are so many forms of green energy that you could adopt instead of the regular electricity used almost everywhere on the planet. Solar power is the most common green energy. If you go green with your energy consumption, it will reduce your carbon emissions and even save you some money in the long run.
Final word
If everyone knew the impact of our actions on our ecosystem, there would be a lot of individual changes to the way daily activities are carried out. You need to cultivate discipline also to abide by going green, especially if you have the financial power to get the basic needs that you want. This is because it may not look comfortable at first, and there is a tendency to want to switch to old ways. No matter how much you have to spend and spare, start going green henceforth with your finances.
Author: Bella Clarks
