17 Eco-Friendly Tricks That Will Save You Time And Money

    Subscribe to digital magazines, repurpose your food scraps, and recycle old clothes to get discounts on the new.

    Emily Shwake
    by Emily Shwake

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Stock up on staples in the bulk food aisle to save money and reduce packaging waste.

    instagram.com, Krysten Peck / buzzfeed.com

    Buying nuts, rice, and dried fruit in the bulk aisle is often cheaper than the packaged section. Plus, you can buy exactly how much you need for the recipe, so you aren't taking up room in the pantry with staples you aren't using. Many stores, like Whole Foods, will allow you to use your own containers — just be sure to ask first!

    2. Bring an empty container with you when eating out, so you can save your leftovers without bringing more plastic home.

    zerowasted.net

    BYOC (Bring Your Own Container) will save you time because you don't have to wait for the food to be packed up (in a styrofoam box and plastic bag!) and money because you can have your leftovers for lunch the next day.

    3. Make your own reusable mop pads if you love to use them but hate how wasteful they are.

    Ashley McGetrick / Via youtube.com

    The Swiffer is a blessing and a curse: it's way easier than using a mop, but it can be absurdly expensive and ridiculously wasteful. Instead, just soak a few pairs of fuzzy socks in watered-down vinegar with a few drops of essential oils and stretch them over the mop head. Throw them in the wash when you're done and re-soak them when it's time to clean. The fact that you aren't using mysterious chemicals in your home is just an added bonus. Learn more here.

    4. Repurpose food scraps that you would otherwise throw away.

    halfbakedharvest.com

    If you're throwing away food scraps, you're denying yourself free flavor-boosters. Bake your potato skins to make a delicious crispy snack, freeze your vegetable peels to make a super simple veggie stock, and turn old wine into a delicious homemade vinegar. Learn more here.

    5. Keep a reusable tote in your handbag or backpack so you're never without one when shopping.

    Cody McIntyre / Via amazon.com

    If you've never left your reusable bags at home, you're some kind of superhuman. These bags are small enough to literally fit in your pocket. If you use a backpack, you can even attach them to a carabiner so they're within reach wherever you go.

    Get a five-pack from Amazon for $13.99.

    6. Wash your dishes with reusable sponges so you don't have to buy a new one every single week.

    amazon.com

    Sorry to tell you this, but sponges are germ-ridden nightmares and should only be used for about a week — and "sanitizing" them in the microwave or boiling water actually makes them more germ-prone. These reusable sponges are machine-washable so you can just toss the dirty sponge into the hamper after a week and replace it with a clean one.

    Get a four-pack from Amazon for $9.95.

    7. Create a capsule wardrobe or dress code to save money on clothes and time getting ready in the morning.

    8. And when you do need to buy something, start by recycling your old clothes at stores that'll give you discounts on new stuff.

    9. Bring a reusable cup to Starbucks to get a 10-cent discount on every purchase.

    10. Remove your makeup with this genuine modern-day miracle.

    buzzfeed.com

    Makeup wipes and cotton pads are not only wasteful, they're greasy, can irritate sensitive skin, and often leave you looking like a raccoon. This towel is crazy cool. It's machine-washable, and is designed so you don't need to use products with it to remove makeup.

    One side is hand-woven into short naps that break up the cosmetics with just water. The longer side exfoliates your skin to leave it completely clean and clear.

    Get a two-pack from Amazon for $11.97.

    11. Keep your food fresh with these beeswax food wraps that you can reuse again and again.

    Hitomi Aihara / Via buzzfeed.com

    Popular opinion: cling wrap is the devil's invention and is irritating to use. All you need to do to make these reusable food wraps is spread grated beeswax and jojoba oil over a small cotton sheet, and melt the wax using a parchment paper-covered iron. Once the wax cools and dries it's ready to use! Rinse the sheets off with cold water when you've finished eating. Learn more here.

    Or get a three-pack of beeswax wraps from Amazon for $18+ (available in three colors).

    12. Subscribe to your favorite magazines digitally so you can still support journalism without throwing away all that paper.

    texture.com

    The Texture app provides digital access to over two hundred magazines, which means you can read the newest issue of your favorite literally anywhere without lugging around a big old catalogue.

    Get it for $9.99/month on Apple, Google Play, or Amazon.

    13. Remove hair with an electric hair remover if you like smooth legs but don't like throwing out all those blades.

    Jazmin / Via amazon.com

    An epilator has a spinning head of tweezer-like blades that pluck out the hairs as they roll along your skin. You never need to replace the head — just give it a rinse after every use and soak it in alcohol every once in a while if you're worried about infection. Epilating has the same benefits of waxing: it leaves your legs incredibly smooth for weeks and actually removes the hair follicles, so it doesn't grow back all stubbly.

    Get the epilator from Amazon for $27.95.

    14. Bring empty beauty product canisters back to sellers like Kiehl's, Lush, and MAC to earn rewards.

    15. If you get a period, try out a menstrual cup so you aren't throwing money in the trash with your tampons and pads.

    amazon.com

    Tampons and pads are hella expensive and have to be changed every four to eight hours, which means they're time-consuming and seriously wasteful. The menstrual cup is reusable, leak-proof, can be worn for up to 12 hours, and is actually way better for maintaining your pH balance (no more yeast infections!). Learn more here.

    Get it from Amazon for $13.95 (available in two sizes and 12 colors).

    16. Learn how to remove stains and make small alterations so you don't have to throw away quite as much clothing.

    Top Knot / BuzzFeed

    You can make your clothing last a heck of a lot longer by just taking really good care of it. Hand-wash your bras to keep them from falling apart, use lemon to get rid of sweat stains, and add vinegar to the wash to prevent your denim from fading. Learn more here.

    17. And think "can I reuse this?" before you toss something in the trash.

    Erin Phraner / Via buzzfeed.com

    Turn empty jars into makeup organizers, old towels into bath mats, cardboard boxes into drawer organizers, and wine corks to make floor protector pads. Why would you buy it when you can make it?!