It struck me recently as I was working on something in the kitchen that what I was doing was actually quite eco-friendly. The funny thing was, I made the actual choice as a budget strategy. So I started thinking, were there other areas of my life where I was being “coincidentally green”?

As it turns out, there were several.  Here are a few of the areas I came up with after just a few minutes of brainstorming.

Fireplace Matches.

Way more eco friendly than the long-handled plastic BBQ grill lighter that has to be replaced every time the fluid runs out.  Bonus? They are easily composted.

Switching from Jar to Pillar Candles.

Skipping the glass containers and placing pillar candles on a reusable platter means less glass to recycle.  Cool perk? They can be way more dramatic.

Solar Tikkis.

Who knew? I saw these at a home box store recently. They even flicker. Very cool.

Scrub Brush at the Kitchen Sink.

A friend of mine turned me on to these. Basically, you keep one by the sink to use as an initial way to get the gunk out of your pots and pans, forks, etc.  This cuts down on the amount of scrub pads and such that you need to buy and dispose of. I still keep a stainless steel one in a container in the freezer for the extra tough stuff. However, it hardly ever needs to be replaced because it doesn’t get used for the messier projects. Got a dishwasher?

Bulk Buying.

The giant spice jars alone are a huge plastic container reduction. Ditto for other liquids and items where buying in bulk results in far less packaging. 

Clothes Shopping on a Budget.

Hitting the thrift stores and yard sales ensures these items won’t be going into a landfill. Bonus? You get to purchase them package-free.

Mailbox Décor.

Poking around the net to find DIY versions of twig wreaths kept me from looking for another plastic based decorative wreath to hang off the post.  Unexpected perk? I actually like the looks of the natural version better.

Following our Dreams.

Writing, studying and working on meaningful projects from home has eliminated a commute. This results in less gas consumed and a great help to the environment.

Dry and Canned Goods.

Any items that can be prepared and stored without a freezer or fridge require less energy. They are also usually lighter to ship. Think chick peas or black turtle beans for example, or canned salmon.

Budget Shopping at the Grocery Store.

Loss leaders are often real food items from the perimeter area of the store. Baking potatoes, broccoli crowns, whole fish to cut into steaks at home . . . all of these things come with minimal packaging.

Unexpected Death of a Septic System.

Those of you who caught my eco-confessions post a while back are familiar with the story. For those of you who didn’t, we had a septic crisis this past winter. Our most affordable “fix it” solution? A self contained composting toilet.  Besides the obvious green connection that composting carries with it, we are using virtually no extra water with the new system. (Or weren’t until the house flooded . . . but that’s a separate post for the near future.) Definitely the greener option, as well as the most affordable one available to us.

These were my coincidentally green experiences. I’m sure you all have your stories to share as well. (And please do!) For more ideas on saving money and the planet at the same time, check out the following Wise Bread posts:

 Looking forward to hearing from you!