If you want to live a cheaper or more sustainable lifestyle (or both), there are plenty of online resources and communities that can provide the knowledge to make that possible.
One of those places is Reddit. In the hunt for life-changing, money-saving tips, someone asked the r/Frugal subreddit for examples of the best purchases others have made that they could no longer do without.
The community came alive with suggestions, from quality coffee makers to stop buying from expensive java spots to exercise equipment to avoid costly gym subscriptions.
But others suggested things that hit the crossover space on the cheap-sustainable Venn diagram.
"I bought a heated mattress pad (and a good down comforter/duvet) over a decade ago," one user said. "I don't keep it on overnight — just pre-heat my bed. But I can keep my house almost frigid at night, and I stay warm — it saves me a ton in energy costs."
Avoiding having to run your home heating system overnight to keep your bedroom warm is a great way to cut bills. The heated mattress pad would use a lot less energy than a boiler, and you can remain toasty in your nighttime cocoon until the sun rises.
Despite the rise of sustainable energy, such as solar and wind technology, power plants still rely on oil, coal, and gas to create electricity. These create planet-warming pollution when burned, which traps heat in the atmosphere and causes temperatures to rise — imagine that pollution as the comforter and blanket on your bed. By saving energy, we decrease grid demand and reduce the need to burn dirty fuels.
Another Redditor said, "I would also say glass storage containers for leftovers instead of plastic is totally worth it!"
Plastic isn't ideal for food storage, as it's made from petrochemicals and can leach harmful toxins. When using that plastic in a microwave to reheat food, the potential for contamination increases.
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Under $1K 😎 Glass containers are far better for your health and for the planet. The creation of plastic produces tons of pollution, and since it's tricky to recycle, it often ends up in landfills, where it poses an environmental hazard and can shed microplastics — which have been linked to numerous human organ problems. That plastic could also make it to the ocean, where it will harm aquatic animals and ecosystems.
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The glass storage containers help to avoid this issue, and what's more, you'll be encouraged to save leftover food rather than throw it in the trash. This will avoid waste and help to reduce your grocery bills.
Other suggestions included "souper cubes," which help portion out leftovers for freezing, and swapping a car for an e-bike, which can reduce the need for expensive, polluting gasoline and diesel needed to power internal combustion engine cars.
By speaking to friends and family about sustainable, money-saving hacks, we can help keep the planet cool and stop dollars from draining from our wallets.
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