Lifestyle Earth-Loving, Money-Saving Tips for Seniors 8/7/2023 | By Kari Smith Reasons for saving money vary, from living on a fixed income to saving money for something special, or providing financially for your children or grandchildren after your passing. These money-saving tips for seniors can help – while also benefiting the earth. So if you value providing a healthy world for your children and grandchildren, these ideas do double duty. Frugality as a way of life began for me as a child in a family of seven. Only one parent worked, and that was a blue-collar job. Clothes were almost always hand-me downs, meals were sometimes sparse and frequently prepared from foods harvested from the garden or purchased on sale, and extracurricular activities were few and far between. As an adult, frugality has carried me through many stages of life – times when money was tight, when I was saving for a goal, and when planning for the future. Frugality has allowed me to choose career paths that I love over less desirable career choices with better pay. Saving money has served me well. No matter the reasons, there are always new ways to learn and save money. Here, we explore earth-loving, money-saving tips for seniors, specifically at home. Money-saving tips: The old is new again! Consider those products that you use daily. Often, those are single-use items such as paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, wipes, plastic food storage bags, and trash bags. Replacing single-use consumables saves money and the earth. When thoughtfully making the change from single-use to reusable products, it is truly staggering to realize the number of products that are used once, then thrown away. Landfills cause major environmental problems, from emitting methane and carbon dioxide into the air to leaching pollutants into the surrounding land. They can also damage personal health and property value and give off odor, smoke, noise, and bugs and contaminate the water supply. In addition to the single-use product itself, consider the energy that was expended to produce it and to get the product from production to consumer. And then consider the plastic that was used to package it. Plastic seemed so perfect when it was introduced, but it has caused major problems, from harming human health to endangering marine ecosystems. More than 8 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s. Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down, and less than 10% has been recycled. Once released into the environment, it breaks down into microplastics, which have been found in human blood, potentially disrupting our immune and endocrine systems, damaging organs, increasing cancer risk, and affecting pregnancy outcomes. Contemporary environmentally friendly single-use products are more like what our grandparents used – in a good way! Paper towels vs. dishcloths and rags We reach for paper towels rather than a cloth because they are easier. After wiping a mess, we drop the paper towel in the trash can. We don’t have to think about rinsing the washcloth, wringing it out, then later washing, drying, and folding it. Even reading that whole process maybe seems a lot – but it’s truly not that much extra work once it becomes a habit. Concerned about drying your hands with a drying towel instead a paper towel for hygiene reasons? Keep two different towels out – one for drying hands, and one for drying dishes, and only use the hand towel on freshly washed, clean hands. Consider using bleachable washcloths and towels that can be dropped into a covered hamper until a full load of reusable household products is ready to wash. Paper vs. cloth napkins We use paper napkins for convenience, as with paper towels. Consider “classing up” your meal by using good old-fashioned cloth napkins instead. If you don’t soil the napkin during your meal, leave it for use again at your next meal. You’ll only be out the initial purchase of cloth napkins – or just use the ones you already have and only use at holidays. Decorative napkin rings add even more class to the use of cloth napkins. Toilet paper vs. … reusable wipes?! This one may blow your mind, but here goes … For those truly committed to saving the environment and reducing consumables, consider using reusable toilet paper (cloth, actually) or bidet towels. Sounds crazy, but during the pandemic, when people were hoarding toilet paper and it was hard to find, I was shown an ad on a social media site for reusable toilet wipes. Although the thought at first was shocking, I had used cloth diapers on my kids, and I realized that it wasn’t any different. The wipes are typically cotton flannel rectangles around 4” x 12”, and sometimes have snaps on each end so that they can be rolled after washing. After using, store in a covered trash can or bag by your toilet and add white vinegar to your wash load. Even though I only use them for “less messy” bathroom trips, I have reduced my family’s toilet paper usages by more than 75%. Trash bag tips Ready to take out the garbage? Only if that trash bag is completely full, I say. Worried about your trash smelling? Keep a plastic grocery bag in the freezer and add “stinky trash” like chicken bones, meat wrappers, etc. as you use them. Right before trash pickup or going to the dump, add the frozen bag to your trash. Organic trash, such as vegetable and fruit peels, can go into a covered compost bucket, for garden use. If not, add them to your “stinky trash” in your freezer if you anticipate odors before you can remove them from your home. If you use trash can liners in small trash cans, simply empty the trash from the liners into your larger trash can before taking out, and reuse the liner if it’s not soiled. Food storage options You can find several ways to store leftovers besides plastic wrap or bags, including reusable storage containers such as Pyrex covered glass sets. Consider replacing food storage bags with silicone versions, which can be purchased in snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon sizes, just like their plastic counterparts. They are washable and reusable and can replace up to 400 plastic bags each. You can also use Bee’s Wrap storage wrap, made of beeswax and cotton. Although reusable replacements for single-use products may be more expensive up front, consider the number of times the reusable item will be used as compared to the single-use products. It quickly becomes clear that these money-saving tips will help you save the Earth as well. Read More Kari Smith Kari Smith is a frequent contributor to Seniors Guide, helping to keep those in the senior industry informed and up-to-date. She's a Virginia native whose love of writing began as a songwriter recording her own music. In addition to teaching music and performing in the Richmond area, Kari also enjoys riding horses and farming.