Part of a simple living or minimalist lifestyle involves not buying all the latest gadgets or extra stuff that you just don’t need. Over the years I’ve learned to make do with the things that I have to avoid creating unwanted clutter and save money. However, I have found that there are some products that will help you save money and are anything but clutter.
Not only will these products save you money, but as they are reusable items, you’ll also be doing something positive for the environment. That makes these products clutter-free, eco-friendly, and budget-friendly, a win, win, win. I love that most of these are available for easy ordering on Amazon.
So here you go, nine products that will help you save money and the environment!
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1. Amazon Prime
Because most of these products are available on Amazon, I want to list this item first.
As I usually ordered the minimum amount to receive free shipping (which was $25 back then), I avoided investing in Prime for years. However, when my daughter went to college, we found out college students get a free six-month membership to Amazon Prime. We decided to give it a try since it made it easy for her to get the things she needed while away.
I am so glad we did, we have renewed it every year!
Amazon Prime’s key benefit is its free two-day shipping (versus the week plus it took to get items before). There are even many items we get same-day delivery on. This alone saves us a ton of money, — I do the majority of my shopping online.
In addition to the free shipping, we get unlimited movie and TV streaming. You can stream thousands of TV shows and movies using Prime Video. As part of prime we also have unlimited music streaming and the rewards we get for shopping with our Amazon credit card, definitely saves us money.
There are additional benefits including early access to Prime Day, early access to Lightning Deals, free unlimited photo storage with Prime Photos and discounts to whole foods.
Amazon Prime is definitely a product that will help you save money!
Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime here.
2. Roku Streaming Stick
We canceled our cable years ago and I swear we don’t miss it at all. When I think about the amount of money we’ve saved I can’t believe it took us so long to cut the cord.
We bought a Roku, which literally cost half of what we paid for one month of cable. The Roku allows us to stream free movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime. It works with most streaming services.
We do have a Netflix and Hulu subscription as well, but even with that, it’s a fraction of what we paid for cable. Plus now we watch what we want when we want and commercial-free.
Simply plug the Roku stick into the back of your TV and your options are endless. I got my Roko from Walmart but Amazon carries them as well and I’ve heard the firestick basically does the same thing, I just personally have not used the firestick
3. Wool Dryer Balls
Personally, I’m not a fan of store-bought dryer sheets. They typically saturate them with chemicals and perfumes. I so much prefer a natural alternative, especially for something that is so close to our skin.
These wool dryer balls are the perfect alternative.
The primary benefit of wool dryer balls is that it decreases your laundry drying time, meaning your clothes dry faster. They are made from all-natural materials which is a huge benefit over dryer sheets. I’ve also noticed that my clothes are less wrinkled.
Another benefit of using wool dryer balls is you can splash a few drops of essential oil onto them. By splashing a few drops of essential oils onto the wool dryer balls you can make your laundry smell awesome without having to use super chemically ladened dryer sheets to do it!
They are actually very inexpensive and cost me less than the dryer sheets I used to buy from Costco. But you can also make them yourself here’s a DIY tutorial if you want to try making them at home.
Wool Dryer Balls are one of those products that will help you save money and are good for the environment!
4. Reusable Food Storage Containers
When it comes to products that will help you save money and help the environment, this category tops the list! I love that there are many options available. Here are a few of my favorites.
Reusable Snack Bags
Say goodbye to those wasteful plastic bags. These cloth snack bags are an excellent alternative for packing lunches and kids snacks. They are eco-friendly and washable. You can toss them in the wash and use them over and over again.
Beeswax Wraps
If you’re looking for something a little more flexible, but still eco-friendly these beeswax wraps are a good option. You can wrap your lunch in them and use them to store food at home.
You can wrap up cheese, fruit, vegetables, and bread. Cover a bowl or pack a snack. The options are endless!
Stasher Bags
My favorite reusable food storage option is stasher bags. They keep everything fresher longer.
Honestly, I stored half an avocado in one for 3 days and there was almost no browning. After that, I became a die-hard fan. But the real test was when I sliced an apple for my picky child’s lunch. I prepared it the night before and the next day at lunchtime, there was no browning and my child ate the entire apple.
I’ve purchased them from both Amazon and Target.
OXO Produce Keeper
Finally, I swear by the OXO Produce bins. They are a bit pricey in the beginning, but they really have saved me so much money in terms of keeping my produce fresh.
If your good about using up all your produce, you might not need these. However, I’m always so mad at myself when I have to throw produce out, it’s such a waste. My produce lasts so much longer with these and we waste a lot less, which saves tons of money.
5. A Brita Water Filter
I’ve been working diligently to eliminate as much plastic as I can from our home. One of the first things to go was purchasing plastic water bottles and jugs.
To keep having fresh water without the cost of buying water bottles, we now use a Brita Pitcher with a filter in the fridge.
It turns out that it’s a simple solution for saving money. As an added benefit we also feel so much better about doing our part to live more eco-friendly.
If you’re still buying individual plastic water bottles order a Brita water filter. I promise it will pay for itself in no time.
You might want to order a reusable water bottle while you’re at it. I carry a reusable water bottle with me at all times. It helps make sure I’m drinking plenty of water. It also saves me money because it stops me from spending money on a drink if I’m out running around. I just saw this one in the store and fell in love.
6. Straws
Plastic straws are getting harder to find, even Starbucks has stopped using them, which is a good thing. But I’ve noticed a number of places replacing plastic straws with paper ones. I can totally taste the paper and it starts falling apart before I’m even done with my drink.
Stainless steel straws or these silicone ones are a good alternative. You can easily carry them with you when you’re out and about.
However, to be perfectly honest I’ve never found a stainless steel straw that I really like. I don’t like the way they feel on my teeth and there is a bit of a tinny taste.
I use straws at home all the time and have fallen in love with these glass ones. They’re very durable and easy to clean. They are my number one recommendation! Order them here.
7. Reusable Coffee Items
There is no question that making coffee at home saves a small fortune. Even a plain small cup of coffee is $3.00. If you stop and pick up a $3.00 coffee every morning before work that’s a minimum of $15 a week or $60 a month or $720 a year. Ouch! That’s a lot of money.
Making coffee at home is soooo much cheaper. If you have a Kurieg it takes seconds to brew a cup of coffee before you head out the door. To save even more money, I use these refillable K-Cups. If you use a regular coffee pot these reusable coffee filters are a dream.
With each of these options, you’re guaranteed to save a significant amount of money and avoid creating unnecessary waste.
Save money and help the environment by making your coffee at home.
8. Glass Spray Bottles
Most wouldn’t think of glass spray bottles as one of the products that will save you money and help the environment. However, spray bottles have a million uses. I have a few that are just filled with plain water. They’re great for misting plants, getting quick wrinkles out of clothes, or taming the frizzies in your hair.
In addition, they’re perfect for homemade cleaners. You can make your own cleaning supplies for a fraction of store-bought ones. Here are my favorite DIY cleaning recipes.
Of course, glass spray bottles are reusable and so much better for the environment than the single-use plastic bottles store-bought cleaning liquid comes in.
These are the glass spray bottles I use from Amazon, they even come with labels so you can tell them apart.
9. Microfiber Cloths
I stopped purchasing paper towels a while back. But before that, I used to go through so many rolls of paper towels every month? Now I use microfiber cloths. They are awesome and can be used over and over.
When I was at the dollar store I picked up some from the automotive department and they are the best thing I’ve ever used to clean mirrors and windows. Paper towels are expensive, microfiber cloths are a much better alternative!
Now it’s your turn. Tell me about the products that save you money that you love.
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