Going green isn’t always easy, but if it can save you money and the environment at the same time, there’s no reason not to. Maybe you’ve been trying to be environmentally friendly for a while; reducing your waste, recycling and being more conscious of the products you buy are all great ways to do your part.

Here are the products!

The savings I’ve calculated for each item are based on average usage for these products in America. The blue hyperlinks will take you to each product!

1. Reusable Food Storage Wraps – alternative to plastic wrap. Save $14/yr (at 1000sf used per year)

2. Reusable Paper Towels – made from bamboo, they are machine washable up to 120+ times and can be composted. Save $156/yr on average ($1.50 per roll with 2 rolls per week of disposable paper towels)

3. Washing Machine Laundry Balls – replace traditional laundry detergent. Save $78/yr (7 loads of laundry per week at $.19/ load). Considering most people use way too much detergent per load, this number could be doubled.

4. Wool Dryer Balls – never buy another fabric softener sheet. Save $26/yr ($.10/ load of fabric softener and $.05/ load of dryer sheets.

5. Washable Sandwich Bags – replace zip-lock bags with this reusable option. Save $38/yr ($.07 at 540 plastic zip-lock bags per year). You could also just store the same food items in glass storage containers with lids.

6. Makeup Remover Cloth – no more disposable face wipes or bottles of makeup remover. Save $88/yr ($6.00 each for a package of 25 makeup remover wipes).

7. Steam mop with washable heads – Save $44/yr ($.30 at 144 cleanings per year with a swiffer mop).

8. Reusable k-cups – refillable with loose coffee grounds and dishwasher safe. Save $600/yr ($750/yr for k-cups vs $150/yr for bagged coffee grounds if you drink 1.5 cups of coffee a day).

9. Reusable coffee filters – if you are using a standard coffee pot, Save $37/yr and stop using paper filters.

10. Reusable Baby Food Pouches – stop buying expensive applesauce and yogurt pouches for the kids. Buy in bulk or make your own purées and refill these dishwasher safe options. With pouches of applesauce being $.53/oz vs a jar of applesauce at $.12/oz you could Save $192/yr on average per child.

11. Water Bottle – Save $167/yr per person ($1 each at 167 average bottles of water per year).

12. Period Panties or menstrual cups – some celebrities swear by these ultra absorbing washable underwear that eliminate the need for uncomfortable maxi pads and tampons. Save $61/yr.

13. Cloth Diapers – there are also swim diapers that are made of fabric. Save $$650/yr.

14. Reusable Toilet Paper Wipes – use in place of toilet paper and baby wipes. They also eliminate chafing, skin tearing and tiny paper particles clinging to your skin. Save $240/yr.

15. Q-tips – ditch the traditional cotton q-tips. Reusable ones are actually better at removing ear wax anyway. Save $6/yr per person.

16. Kleenex – good old fashioned handkerchiefs are less abrasive on the nose and the environment. Save $43/yr.

17. Straws – using disposable straws is so easy to avoid. Save $8/yr and switch to reusable straws.

18. Rechargeable batteries – with kids in the house, we go through batteries by the dozen. This is a huge money saver, and you will never run out of batteries. Save $8/yr per person for an average of 10 batteries used.

19. Kitchen sponge or dish scrubber – not only will you save money on disposable sponges/scrubbers, but these silicone versions are antibacterial, dishwasher safe and have no odor! Save $15/yr.

20. Disposable plates, cups and utensils – use real dinnerware or at least an eco friendly alternative to paper plates and plastic cups and cutlery. Save $30/yr per person.

21. Reusable disinfecting wipes – make your own Lysol wipes by placing them in a container with cleaning mix. (just mix 2TBS white vinegar and 1/2TBS dish soap with 1 cup of water and add cloth wipes). Save $46/yr ($3.79 per month for Lysol wipes).

22. LED light bulbs – save $4/yr per light bulb, on average, compared to incandescent. Save $120/yr.

So how much money can you save?

Just by making a few simple changes, you can save $2630 every year! With that kind of extra cash on hand, you could take a much deserved vacation!

Year total savings: $2630

Not every item on the list will apply to you. Some are only for people with children or coffee drinkers or women, and so on. But these savings are based on one individual, meaning a family could save double or even triple this amount. These are also averages, so if you’re one of those people that uses a half cup of tide every time you do laundry, you will likely save more than the average!

Want to take it a step further?

Check out this article “15 “Attainable” Ways to Reduce your Waste and Save Money Now!;“. There are some great ideas to get you closer to a zero waste lifestyle.

Any other items I should add to my list? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below!