Here are some ideas that will save you money and help the planet at the same time!

• Don’t buy bottled water (or bottled drinks in general). So many bottles add up in landfills, and your wallet doesn’t appreciate forking out $30 a case every couple of weeks. That’s a lot of money! If you really can’t stand tap water, just get a filter. Although it still creates waste, it’s a lot better for the environment than bottles.
• Actually, don’t buy disposable things in general. While there are exceptions to this rule, for the most part, buying something more permanent is easier on your checking account and better for the earth. I’m thinking about things like styrofoam cups and plates (don’t get me started on styrofoam…), paper plates, those one-use tupperware containers (what’s the point? just buy a real container!), plastic utensils, etc. You’ll save money and won’t create as much trash.
• Don’t waste paper. Print double sided and see if your teacher will let you single space your essays. This saves a lot of paper. Find out if printers in your school can do double sided, and if so, use that option. Also, use the “fast” or “quick” print setting, and you’ll use less ink!
• Only buy food you know you’ll eat in a reasonable amount of time. Don’t get three pounds of potatoes if you only eat one potato every two weeks…the rest of them will start growing eyes and you’ll get freaked out and throw them away. Wasting food is a bad thing. For one, think about how much work went into producing the food in the first place, all the people who traveled to the food production site, and then getting the food from the site to the store you bought it at. That could potentionally add up to a big carbon footprint (for instance, bananas or oranges from Brazil). Then think about how much money you wasted by not actually eating the food you bought. You could have used that money for either other food you would have eaten, or could be saving it, or you could be using it for textbooks, etc.
• Also, buy local. If you have a farmer’s market, go to it and use it! It’ll probably be cheaper and the food will be super healthy. (At least around here, I know the people I’m buying from don’t use any pesticides or hormones or anything. It’s so awesome!) If you have local shops, like gift shops or locally-owned restaurants, go to them. It’ll help the local economy and it’s usually a pretty good quality, so you’ll get definitely get your money’s worth.

Do you have any other tips? Share them in the comments! I hope these help you to save a little more money — and help you think about what you’re buying and the consequences it might have before you buy it!

About this Contributor: Maria Schwartzman is a senior computer science major with a Spanish minor at a small liberal arts school in Indiana. She’ll be writing a lot about how to save money by living a sustainable lifestyle! Check out her website and then follow her on Twitter.