Many people hesitate to go zero waste because they think it is an expensive lifestyle. But no, it’s more of saving money. If you are really committed, going zero waste is the best way to save money.

Money is a precious resource for humans. And there is a particular limit to how much you can spend. You can’t spend more than what you have. Or else you’ll be in serious debt. Or in the red in your books. But more often than not. It’s easier to spend than to earn money. After all the work, it’s easy to feel like you must enjoy the money you earned.

But if you want to buy your needs, you also need to think of savings. You cannot buy a house without a downpayment. Nor can you get a car, or go on vacations without enough money. Also, you need to save up for emergencies. Such emergencies include serious illnesses and job loss. Sure, you can charge your expenses to your credit card. But wouldn’t it be better to spend your own money and not worry about owing someone? In short, no worries about exorbitant interest rates.

The best way to think of saving money is to set it aside for important times. You don’t lose money when you save. Rather, it’ll be there when you need it. Above all, know what you NEED. To really save, you need to choose how you spend money. Live below – not above – your means. If you have problems with saving, you need a drastic lifestyle change. For instance, one effective way to change your lifestyle and save money is to move to a zero waste lifestyle.

What is Zero Waste?

It’s quite simple! Zero waste means that it’s the type of “lifestyle” wherein we lessen the waste we produce by recycling, reusing, or composting them. For some, this can sound quite a handful but let me tell you, it’s one of the best decisions you’ll ever make! Not only is it good for you but also for the environment! But today, we’re not here to talk about how it can help the environment but rather how it can help you in saving money! So remember! Zero waste means to lessen waste, specifically household
waste! Household waste includes wasted money from misspending.

Going zero waste can be very important to you and others because it can bring more awareness of the things you do with your trash and more mindful of how you spend your budget. It’s both a mix and match with going less but saving more!

Given that we live in a linear economy, zero wasters need to skip convenience and look for sustainability in what they buy.

How Living Zero Waste Saves You Money

1. Helps with spending bans

The best way to save money is to not spend any. Spending or shopping bans are popular money-saving measures whether to pay off debt fast or to prepare for a large purchase or emergency. For example, there are no-spend months, no-spend days, and more. But most people find it difficult to fulfill spending bans. The rush of dopamine with a new purchase is just too hard to resist. Modern culture just enables so much consumption without any thought.

Going zero waste means that you need to cut off on all the excess purchases for the things you don’t necessarily need. By going zero waste, you get to know what your limits are when you’re spending your money. And you also get to avoid all those things
you don’t even need and those unnecessary purchases from your life.

You can also limit yourself to the right spending. You don’t have to necessarily spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to buy the things you don’t even need or get to use. To go zero waste can let you think through on how you spend your money, it makes you more “smart” with the things you spend on.

2. Upcycling

One of the great things in deciding to go zero waste is that not only does it cut off on your expenses but also helps you in finding new ways to make use of the things left out in your home. There are several ways to upcycle the “old” things to make them useful again. You can look it up on YouTube which has over thousands of videos about DIY or upcycling the things in your own home!

You can try to turn your old clothes into new bags, floor mats, and all kinds of new things! Use those old bottles or containers in your home into flower pots, store use, or something. There are so many things you can do with your trash, just think about it before you throw them away. Upcycling is one step to having a more “greener” and cleaner environment!

Learning how to recycle can cut back on your spending twice as much! You can now have more money to spend on other things!

3. Bulk buying = more savings

Buying in bulk drives up the savings potential of any purchase. You get more when you pay attention to the cost per unit, rather than the obvious price tag. You also save on all the wasteful wrappers and packaging of individually-sized portions. Most importantly, you take control of how you consume.

Whether it’s food, soaps, and all those other things you usually find in the grocery, it’s a very good idea to buy in bulk. It can actually save you money and time by just buying groceries for a set time period.

Just think about it! You lessen the usage of gas for your car or paying for public transportation by going to the grocery, you actually save time by just going for a set time period, and you actually save money when you buy in bulk!

Try to buy bulk for the goods you regularly use as much as possible because it can save you as much money and you get the product you bought for at just the right price!

3. Healthy Eating

When you choose to go zero waste, you choose mostly natural and whole foods such as grains, vegetables, fruits and meats. And the best way to get them zero waste is to buy them from public or farmer’s markets and bulk bins . Buying from these markets are good especially when most of them don’t use plastic packaging which is bad for the environment. We also get to reduce our processed food consumption which is chockful of preservatives or chemicals.

Most zero waste influencers even encourage to have a plant based diet to ensure less food waste as possible. However if you do have food waste, you can actually use that as compost for your garden. It’s a win-win situation for you and the environment!

Spending more on wholesome and plant-based foods will be great in the long run because you get to have a healthy diet! You don’t have to worry about the cost of getting sick and often save money on the much more healthy things.

3. You buy less = more contentment

We live in a world where we are encouraged to buy, buy, and buy to our heart’s content. But the sense of contentment gets lost with every purchase. There are new trends to follow, new things to try, and new things pushed onto us every day. So it is all too easy to fall onto the overflowing pit of consumption.

Yet it’s not our stuff that should define our contentment in life. Rather, it should be how they are useful and whether they bring value to our life at all. Going zero waste would greatly help in guiding you to see what really makes you content. You buy less. You learn to value what you have before throwing it away.

Learn to love and make the most out of the things you do have. Maximizing the use of every single thing you own will save you the most money!

Don’t just spend your money here and there, learn how you can use it on other important things!

Conclusion

Going zero waste is not easy. It is a drastic lifestyle change that demands outmost commitment. But it is also fulfilling. It offers a lot of benefits, none the least financial. If you want to save money, then go zero waste. If you want to spend your money on what’s really important to you, go zero waste. Living zero waste will save you money by showing you how and where it’s best to spend your money on.

By going zero waste, you are actually helping yourself and your money by saving it! It can take some time getting used to but I guarantee it will be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make in your life! One of the tenets of zero waste lifestyle is to make sure that nothing is wasted, especially your hard-earned money.

Money is very important so we need to learn how to save it!