“In this time we are all in the same position, looking at ways to be efficient with our money.”

Changing your behavior — financial or otherwise — requires small, incremental steps. That’s why were pleased to discover a site that focuses on the little changes you can do in your life that are great for the environment AND your wallet!

Here’s an example:

Take a minute to shut-down the computers in your office each evening after work instead of leaving them on continuously throughout the night.

Making this shift means each computer will run for about 6,500 fewer hours per year, equaling an energy savings of about $95 per computer.

I spoke to the site’s founder, Elizabeth Rogers, about the power of small shifts for big results.

What’s the concept behind ShiftYourHabit.com?

Shift Your Habit is a lifestyle company that focuses on raising awareness of simple environmental behaviors that speak to what’s really on peoples’ minds: their money and their time. I started Shift Your Habit because I’ve come to believe that until now, the environment has been associated with something that was outside of one’s reach. For so long it has been presented in a way that is so broad and almost overwhelming that it became almost not relatable to our everyday world. It wasn’t brought into our homes, our schools, or our grocery stores. My goal is to help people understand that simple shifts of habit they can make in their daily lives can have a positive impact on the planet, while also entailing personal gain, specifically regarding their time and money.

What habits are worth shifting?

Any habit that can save you money time and the planet, is a win win win in my book.

What are some examples of money-saving shifts that are also good for the planet?

We estimated that by using a refillable water bottle instead of buying throwaway ones, an individual can save $250 per year as well 15 pounds of plastic.

An office that sets their copier to automatically print double-sided copies could save close to 70,000 sheets of paper per year—more than eight trees worth—and $720 or more in paper costs. A family that buys in bulk can save up to $500 per year. These larger quantities also mean you won’t have to spend so much time in the supermarket, saving an estimated 14 hours per year. If everyone made this shift, we’d save enough packaging waste to eliminate 1.1 million fewer garbage trailer trips to the landfill per year. These are just a few shifts that we can all make that can lead to a big change for your wallet and the planet.

Dreaming big: what’s the biggest financial shift(s) you’d like to see happen in today’s world?

I’d like to see a shift in our consumer mentality. Now I’m not saying people should quit buying things all together. I’m not that type of environmentalist. But I would like to see us shift our focus away from the cheap and disposable and towards more high quality products that are built to last and that create little or no waste. High quality, long-lasting products might cost a bit more up-front, but they’ll save money in the long run. Take water bottles as an example. If you buy a plastic water bottle from a vending machine, it costs as little as $1.00. You drink it and you toss it. Water bottles are the epitome of cheap and disposable. On the other hand, a single reusable bottle is going to dig a bigger hole in your pocket, with fixed costs of up to $25 for the fancier, eco-friendly varieties. But let’s see what happens over the course of five years if you continue to use your refillable bottle instead of buying one plastic water bottle per day:

Refillable water bottle:
Total Cost after Five Years = $25
Total Waste Generated after Five Years = 0 pounds

Disposable plastic water bottle
Total Cost after Five Years = $1,825
Total Waste Generated after Five Years = 125 pounds

Five-year savings by switching from disposable water bottles to a refillable one: $1,800 and 125 pounds of plastic.

The thing I want people to take home from this example, is that going green isn’t just for rich people and hippies. And if often doesn’t cost money. In fact, simple shifts of habit can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars per year, depending on your lifestyle.

So in my ideal world, I guess I’d have to say that I’d like for people to change their behaviors in ways that both reduce their environmental impact and save them money. Then I’d like to see them use the additional money they have to buy the eco-friendly products they couldn’t afford before.

Geezeo focuses on behavioral changes when it comes to managing money. We are also keen to “do well by doing good”. What are some tips you recommend for making positive changes in one’s life, whether these shifts are financial, environmental, or otherwise?

The tip I recommend most is living life consciously—making choices with a sense of purpose and responsibility, instead of just sleepwalking through an endless chain of small decisions. We can all make healthier and more responsible decisions when it comes to our health, our finances, and our planet. We can also do well for ourselves while doing good for others. For example buying household products that are good for cleaning, but won’t harm your health or the environment does good for you and is a great way to have a healthier household for you family while benefiting the planet. You can save $25 a year as well as millions of chemicals out of your homes and bodies

How can Geezeo members get involved at ShiftYourHabit?

Geezeo is a great tool that helps people with their personal finance. In this time we are all in the same position, looking at ways to be efficient with our money. Shift Your Habit can help motivate and empower Geezeo members to use the shifts as a guide to making a difference in their homes, workplaces and communities with respect to resource use, waste generation, as well as their purchasing and money spending practices. Both Shift Your Habit and Geezeo are about personal empowerment. Every Shift counts.

Well said, Elizabeth! This is a great reminder that we all have the power to make small changes… and every small shift adds up! Read more at their website, or follow them at Twitter @shiftyourhabit.

Further Reading

• Tough Economic Times Call for Being More Open-Minded (0)
• Money. Purpose. Joy. Budgets? (0)
• The ABC’s of Budgeting and Finance : K – O (0)
• 5 Considerations When Opening Your 401(k) (0)
• The ABC’s of Budgeting and Finance : A-E (1)

Tags: Environmentalism, Environmentally friendly, Geezeo, Grocery store, Personal finance, Saving, Total Cost

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 at 9:00 am and is filed under Social/Environmental. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.