In our fast-paced times, things are being exchanged, thrown away, and bought new more and more frequently. However, the way resources are simply wasted puts a great strain on our environment. In the household, there are many ways to act more sustainably. This also saves a lot of money, which is also a good topic in the household, as everything is becoming more and more expensive these days. I have compiled many tips here that benefit the environment; if you follow at least a few of them, you can protect the environment and your wallet as well:
Simple tips to save money in the household and protect the environment
Lid on the pot when cooking
Always put a lid on the pot when cooking; this uses less energy and saves on gas or electricity costs.
Always turn off the light
Always turn off the light in rooms that are rarely used. Furthermore, it makes sense to use LED lamps, as these save additional electricity.
Use residual heat
When cooking and baking, always turn off the oven or stove top before the end of the cooking time; most appliances still show the heat. The dishes will still finish cooking because the heat usually lasts for a long time. This saves energy without any extra effort. This works particularly well with the oven for casseroles and cakes.
Use cloth bags
I now always have at least one cloth bag in my bag. When I buy something, the purchases go into this cloth bag. This saves me money because I don't need to buy additional paper bags, and it protects the environment.
Reuse old jars
Old jars from pickles or jams can be reused very well: be it as lanterns, for storing small items, or for homemade goods. This reduces waste and uses existing resources instead of buying new plastic boxes or packaging.
Defrost the freezer
Yes, I know, this is a tedious task, but even a few millimeters of ice increase electricity consumption significantly. Therefore, you should regularly defrost the ice, which saves significantly on energy costs. In addition, the appliances usually last longer.
Keep electronic devices and mobile phones longer
Unfortunately, our society has become faster and faster at replacing devices. Especially with mobile phones, you can see that they are often replaced after a short time. With some devices, such as certain game consoles, this is even provoked because new versions are constantly coming onto the market and you can sometimes no longer play the old games.
Look out for the environment here, use devices as long as possible, and perhaps have them repaired.
Unplug devices that are not constantly in use
Many devices are always kept connected to the power grid, even though they are not constantly in use. Especially chargers usually remain in the socket out of convenience. These devices draw unnecessary energy even when not in use, and over the year, they cause a larger share of costs.
Freeze bread in slices
Unfortunately, a lot of food is still thrown away. Bread is one of the most common products thrown away. I have gotten into the habit of freezing part of the bread. It is best if you even freeze the rest in slices right away. This way, you have practical slices on hand and can portion it very well if, for example, only one person in the family wants a little bread. Saves costs and helps to reduce food waste.
Tap water instead of plastic bottles
In Austria, tap water has a very high quality and actually makes bottled water unnecessary. Above all, you save yourself the tedious return of deposits for glass or plastic bottles. For the environment, the production of plastic and the mountain of plastic waste are reduced. Besides, you save quite a bit of money if you don't buy extra water in bottles.
Extra tip: Take a water bottle with you when you are on the go
Buy crooked vegetables and save food
Many supermarkets offer imperfectly shaped vegetables for sale. I find it shocking that good vegetables are thrown away just because they don't conform in some way. Because they taste just as good! They are usually even offered cheaper, and you save money as a result.
There are also always offers to save food; it is often offered at a reduced price, or at certain shops, such as at the bakery or in supermarkets, there are leftovers to be picked up in a bag after a certain time so that nothing is thrown away. Saves money and protects the environment. I think that's a great initiative!
Plant-based milk instead of cow's milk
Even though I really like drinking cow's milk, unfortunately, it causes far too much CO2 and water consumption. I can't give it up completely either, but resorting to plant-based milk every now and then helps the environment enormously. Nowadays, there are already wonderful plant-based drinks: oat milk, coconut drinks. Just try them out; even I have found a few that taste really good.
Consume less meat
Meat production unfortunately causes very high CO2 emissions and high water consumption. No one has to give up meat here, but reducing meat consumption a little and eating vegetarian more often helps the environment enormously. Besides, it is also very good for your health not to eat meat all the time. On my page, you will find great vegetarian or even vegan dishes; just try something new, it's worth it!
Reduce disposable cups
Yes, it is easy and somehow cool to just buy a coffee in a disposable cup. But it causes enormous amounts of waste. Either take your own coffee from home in cool to-go cups or, if there is no other way, take your own reusable cups; most of the time, there is even a discount for this in many shops.
Best-before date is not a throw-away date
The best-before date is intended to indicate that the product will definitely retain its specific characteristics until then; please, it is not the date when it suddenly goes bad and must be thrown away. Many products last much longer, and with a smell or taste test, you can always easily find out if it is still edible. Also, specifically purchased products that are offered more cheaply in supermarkets reduce food waste.
Propagate plants yourself
Plants are beautiful and, on top of that, improve the indoor climate. Many plants can be easily propagated yourself. This saves resources and costs. It is also nice to give a self-grown plant as a gift.
Ventilate early in the morning when it is hot
Especially when it is very hot, you should ventilate early in the morning or late in the evening. It only brings more heat into the rooms if you have the windows open all day, and you are more likely to need a fan or air conditioning. If you have them, you should also use blinds or shutters during the day; that protects against strong sunlight.
Do without the car once a week
It often shocks me when I see how many really short distances are covered by car. Especially the drive to the gym by car is something I particularly like, just to then sit on the treadmill or the bike there, but that's just my opinion.
Try to do without the car completely for one whole day; the crazy thing is, that saves hundreds of kilograms of CO2! Take public transport, ride a bike, or walk. Firstly, every bit of movement counts for your health, and the environment will thank you!
Borrow things
You don't always have to buy everything yourself: party decorations, dishes, tools, appliances, scaffolding and ladders, or even clothing can be wonderfully borrowed. Ball gowns or suits can be borrowed well; you usually only need them once or twice a year. For our party, for example, I borrowed party decorations from many friends, which was great: disco ball, CD player, lanterns. Even if certain online shops are very cheap, it saves resources, and I was really happy because I have no idea when I would need 4 disco lights again.
Idea: Clean out your closet and meet up with your friends and exchange things – that is sooo wonderful. I have found so many 'new' pieces that I really like to wear. Saves money and resources and provides a really great afternoon.
Try second hand
Especially with clothing, I find it extreme to always have these new collections that change within weeks. It is really a shame about the resources. Meanwhile, there are many ways to acquire clothing second hand. In Strasshof, there is also the shop Noamoi, where you can acquire really great used things; it is worth taking a look.
Conclusion: Save money and protect the environment
You wouldn't believe how much it makes a difference to pay attention to certain things in your household and to protect the environment – and your wallet. It doesn't have to be all the tips; just pick a few and start with those. Little by little, they will become routine, and you will help to protect our already heavily burdened environment. I think it is very important to also teach our children that resources are precious and that we should not continue to serve this throw-away society.
With many things, you are surprised at how well it works: e.g., you don't always have to buy everything yourself. At our birthday party, I found it great that we could borrow so much, a disco light from my best friend, lanterns from the neighbor, CD player from my dad. Also with clothing, I found it really surprising: we friends all cleaned out our closets, met up one afternoon, and it was sooo nice that many things found a new owner. I, for example, took over a lot from my sister-in-law and from a friend, as we have pretty much the same taste, and I really like wearing the things! Second-hand shops are also excellent because you can buy branded clothes cheaper here. I have also gotten into the habit of always taking a cloth bag with me when shopping, so I save the money for bags and also resources. It is not always just the big changes; many small ones make an enormous difference for our environment and our wallet.
Read also:Â Saving electricity in 2026: Which devices are really secretly driving up costs
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
