The benefits of going green serve many purposes. Going “green” shows respect and care for our mother earth as well as creates a safer, cleaner, more inviting place for us to live for years to come. Most people associate “going green” with spending more money and increased inconvenience. The truth is, going green doesn’t have to be expensive or inconvenient. Here are some ways to go green and also save some green while you’re at it.

1. Reuse

Conserving is green. A lot of people focus heavily on 2 of the 3 R’s, reuse and recycle but you don’t hear many people talking about reducing, the third R. We live in a society that relies heavily on consumerism. We buy! Buy! Buy! As advertisements and other people encourage us to without much thought. The items we go out and buy end up in the trash a short time later. Even if we are donating items (which is awesome and goes in line with “reuse”), they will still inevitably end up in the trash at some point. We could make a huge difference in production waste and pollution as well as the product life cycle ending (the dump) by not buying and demanding in the first place. Get a little comfier using one item for multi-purposes, or buy better quality from the beginning and treat your items well so you aren’t replacing them at a later point (or at least not replacing as much.) Pay attention to what you really need and stop the urge to buy “just to buy.” While you help the environment and our health as a whole (remember less pollution), you will be saving a ton of cash by spending less and getting more out of what you do buy. The money savings will serve as extra motivation to love our earth more.

2. Make Your Own

Make your own soaps, air sprays and general household cleaners with minimal effort and cost. The internet is ripe with awesome all natural DIY recipes for household cleaners and soaps. One of my own favorite tricks is diluting a couple of tablespoons of liquid castile soap with distilled water in a foaming dispenser. For literal pennies on the dollar, you can have your own fast and easy foaming hand soap. Take it a step further and don’t buy the reusable foaming pump. Buy a foaming hand soap on sale and when it runs out, just rinse the bottle and use the foamer bottle to hold your handmade soap moving forward. Castile soap is a great multipurpose item that has so many uses. Just be mindful that not all DIY cleaner recipes are safe or work in the way they promise. Stick to reputable sites and resources when making your concoctions. With a little research and trial and error, you can be rolling in natural products that are better for your health AND some extra dough.

3. Take Up a Fruitful Hobby

Like gardening! While there is some minimal start-up cost (seeds, soil enhancement in some areas, water, gardening beds if you need or want them) they pay you back tenfold. You can create your own small (or large if you have the room) personal organic garden with your favorites. As you get some experience behind you, you will likely be able to grow more effectively and have yourself a great, seasonal garden that produces year round. A small garden doesn’t need a lot of space (some people are able to set up in a window sill) or time invested to be productive. With a small investment, you can save yourself bundles over time and eat healthier at the same time. There is a great waste in corporations transporting produce all over. By having your own producing garden, you can help cut down on the waste and pollution created from this type of transport.

Whatever your way of going green to save green, it doesn’t have to be expensive or inconvenient. Even small things add up to improve the big picture for both the environment and your bank account. Just get creative and get going!