Eco-Friendly Home Tips to Save Money as a Newlywed

It’s the new year, and we all want to start out on the right foot. But – I dare say – that life affords many opportunities for a fresh start. Having a baby, getting married – in fact, EVERY single day starts with a chance to do better. I want to encourage you to start your life together by being more conscious, so here are a few eco-friendly home tips that I personally try to practice.

This post is done in partnership with Grove Collaborative, which I wholeheartedly believe in – my mom does, too! Affiliate links are scattered throughout. I promise I genuinely love their company, the products, and the excitement of receiving useful household supplies each month. You will too!

Are you ready to have an eco-friendly home? I hope so!

Trying to live a globally-minded life can be difficult – especially if you are trying to get your family on board at a later date, like me. My husband and I have been married for 24 years, and I am trying to make changes slowly. Some stick and some don’t, but I try to do all that I personally can. That’s why I think it is a great idea to start out as a newlywed trying to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, so here are a few easy tips to help the environment while saving a bit of money, too!

Eco-Friendly Home Tips

Compost and Recycle

When it comes to trash, our society is a huge culprit of being wasteful. You see pictures of trash in the ocean, overflowing landfills, and waste transported to other countries to deal with. Crazy! It’s a global problem, but doing our part can help out. I try to recycle all that I can – glass, metal, paper, and especially plastic.

When it comes to biodegradable scraps, I try to compost them (not in the most traditional way as I basically toss them into a certain section of my yard, ha!) or use the garbage disposal. Even thinking about recycling and composting can make you more aware of how much trash you are actually generating. It’s probably more than you think!

Buy Reusable Bottles

Since I am in charge of recycling, I literally get so sick of crushing one-use water bottles and hauling them to the recycling center. So, for Christmas, each of my family members received their own high-quality water bottle. I invested in ones that were functional, durable, yet also good-looking to ensure that they would get used.

I also have a water filter in my fridge so that my family can be sure that they are getting better water than comes from the tap. That is a big positive move that our family made for 2019. Yay!

Use Cleaning Concentrates

Speaking of recycling, think of all of the plastics that are wasted on cleaning products. We really need to get back into repurposing our things. One great way to do that is to use cleaning concentrates and a reusable bottle. I happen to personally love the ones at Grove. A tad of concentrate can be placed in the cute, glass bottle – just fill it the rest of the way with water, and you are good to go! It’s amazing how much of our cleaning agents are water (which is what you are paying for when you buy them any other way!).

Save Water

I’m not just talking about not letting the water run when you brush your teeth, but shorter showers are what my family needs. I take really short showers (which to me is about 5 minutes), and I am trying to get my family to be a bit more conscious about how much time they spend just standing in the warm, running water.

Tame That Dishwasher

I am SO thankful for modern conveniences, such as the dishwasher. But one of my eco-friendly tips is to use it a bit differently. I never prewash my dishes (yikes) before I put them in the dishwasher. If they need a cleaning, I just use the pre-rinse cycle so that they can get sprayed off all at once.

Unless I am gone, I hardly ever let my dishwasher go through the drying cycle. I just pop the dishwasher open once it is finished washing and let nature do its work in the form of evaporation. It works wonders!

Buy Thrifted Items

When it comes to furnishing your home, buying used items is something that I adore. I would much rather head to the consignment shop, thrift store, or even yard sales to find what I need. The thrill of the hunt is great! Besides, someone else’s castoffs (hello, Craigslist!) can be your treasure, and it is a fun way to save money while filling your home with unique items.

Be Conscious With Electricity

Unplug electronics. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Be careful with the thermostat, and use clothing to regulate your temperature instead of always turning the heat or air conditioning up. These are great eco-friendly home tips that will save money in the long run.

I truly do believe in Grove!

They have a fabulous line of eco-friendly products, and you can get their Cleaning Concentrates Bundle FREE! Purchase $20 worth of items on their site, and you receive: