Has you savings account $ grown since going Green?

Question

Has you savings account $$ grown since going Green?

Answer 1

I have spent more money going green, buying organic food, organic clothing, switching my taps to low flow, buying a compost bin, and buying a hybrid car.  I didn't go green to save money, only to save the planet.

Answer 2

#l how can anyone's 'saving's account' grown with the interest rate the way it is.............

#2 am I saving money by going green? heck if I know, I've always done it, honestly I have . . .

I hope it works for others........................if they had done it in the past, perhaps this question would not exist., right?

Answer 3

Yes, almost all of my green efforts have saved me money. I use less energy and have recouped the cost of powerstrips and bulbs. I have fired my lawn service and in 2 months recouped the cost of my electric mower, not to mention I now have worms in my yard again. I eat more fresh local produce, so my grocery bill is down, less going out to eat and less packaged food. I buy less in general. I won't be buying back to school supplies, because I've gathered them in one location and have discovered we have all that we need. After counting the number of shirts, pants and shorts in my sons dresser, I see no need to add to that number. It is greener to use what you have than to go buy an organic item.

Answer 4

Nope, hasn't shrunk either.

I've spent money saved buying more plants for my yard.

Answer 5

Mine has due to NOT going green.

Answer 6

This is a very interesting question.

First we are not "going green," because it is the new trend.  I've lived this way for a VERY long time (over 20 years).  My husband and I strive to be as completely independent as possible.  It just so happens that producing ones own food, raising our own livestock, shoping at thrift stores, producing our own wood (for the woodstove), building a strawbale house, ect all happen to be "new" trendy green ideas.  We do them because we value being independent.  It's just a great bonus that it also happens to be good for nature.

So because we value our independence we keep investing money back into our home, farm, livestock, and family, instead of putting it into the bank.

Right at this moment in time, our two years worth of food storage seem a lot safer bet than the Stock Market, or banks.  A lot better return.

Just because our savings account is not growing, does not mean our wealth is not growing.  Also of course we have true wealth.  You see, the only true wealth is biological wealth.  Land, crops, livestock.  

What matters most in life?

Air

Water

Food

Shelter

Family

So by owning the land, buildings, crops, orchards, livestock, pond, and woodlot, we are able to provide everything our family needs.

We will have owned the farm in Washington 5 years this October.  Yet the farm will be half paid off.  We will be trying to pay the other half off next year.  

We invest in quality tools, and household goods.  Like my wheat mill, to stone grind our wheat into flour.  The price of a good loaf of bread at the store has gone up to $4 a loaf, almost $5 at times.  Yet I can still make higher quality, and tasting bread at home, for just $.10 cents a loaf, because we invested in all the tools it takes to make bread truely from scratch.

So just because our bank account does not grow, does not mean we are not better off.  The house has a brand new 30 year roof.

The goats and sheep (over 100 of them) are about to have a shelter twice the size built for them before winter.  There will also be 800 gallon water troughs installed to capture rainwater from the new metal roof on the barn.

Wise people put their money to work for them, earning a return for them.  Quiet frankly I've found very little that pays a better return on initial investment than food storage.  Fifty pound sacks of white flour I purchased for $5 each, now sell for $40 each.  Cans of tuna, I purchased by the case of 48 cans, at $.25 cents a can now sell for $.69 cents a can.  There are endless examples of those kind of savings in our food storage.  

With the kind of money we save by being frugal, we do things like purchase a bulldozer, or more fencing to divide pastures.

So, no, our savings have not grown, but we are GREATLY better off, and much wealthier by re-investing our money into our permaculture farm.  Fruit trees to be planted this Autumn (biological wealth)!

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

P.S. The more we invest into being independent (or "going green") the less money we find we have to earn.  Soon all three of us should be working from the farm.  We are going to be living multi-generationally.  My mother figured our by doing this, she would be able to drop her income earning needs by at least 3/4ths, and all of us will still be better off, and actually have more money.