The Green Way to Save and Get Free Stuff

As people become more conscious of what they are using and what their consumption means to the planet, they are coming to understand that being earth friendly can also be wallet friendly.

When you attempt to become more earth conscious, you will be amazed at how much money you can save. Plus, you can get free things!

Here are some ways that you can get things for free or save money while you are saving the planet:

Books

One of the most obvious ways to save money and be more earth friendly is with books. If you are a reader you likely have shelves and shelves filled with books that you read once and then never opened again. Many thousands upon thousands of trees are cut down every year just for printing books and magazines.

Try reading your favorites electronically, like as an e-book. This saves the environment and keeps books from collecting dust on your shelves. You could also use online resources, like online references and encyclopedias to do research for school or work.

Magazines

If you love magazines consider starting a local magazine club where each member is responsible to buy one magazine per month. Once you’ve read the magazine you meet up and swap. Magazines often end up in the garbage after they have been read and many people do not even think to recycle them.

Music

Music lovers can do the same thing with eMusic.com or Amazon.com. They can cut down on the plastic use for CD covers and the paper that is used in the covers by buying music online. Often, online music will cost only a fraction of what a brand new CD will cost. Look for places that offer a free trial period and you may find yourself saving even more money.

Local Lending Programs

Lending programs offer a way for people to get all sorts of things that they need while cutting down on the consumption costs of the world we live in. People run out and buy things when they need them and they rarely think about how much they are actually going to use them. That’s how our garages get filled with stuff that we hardly use.

A community lending program allows people to offer up items that they don’t use often in exchange for the ability to borrow things from other people. This can be anything from tools to large equipment (like lawn mowers) to furniture (like rolling cots).

By thinking creatively you can think of many things that you have that you bought to be used only once or only use a couple times a year. Things like these are ideal for lending programs or online swaps. The Internet offers many opportunities for people to save money and make the earth more ecologically friendly by cutting down on our rates of consumption. How do you save money and save the planet at the same time?

Annie is a eco-conscious blogger for Dallas real estate company. Please check out our guide on greening up your home’s value.