Teaching environmentally-friendly financial decisions

While adults haven’t exactly done a great job of protecting the planet for future generations, it is still possible to make amends by changing our daily habits to be more eco-friendly and climate-conscious right now.

It’s also critical that we teach our children to do the same, instilling in them the value of living a life that respects mother earth – one that includes making daily choices and decisions that are sustainable and mindful of nature, biodiversity, and the overall health of our communities and planet. After all, future generations will be the ones to inherit all of the challenges that are now manifesting themselves around the world.

Many lessons we can teach our children about living sustainably and thoughtfully are important because they also involve educating them about personal finances, such as spending wisely, being careful about consumption, and consistently following cost-conscious and money-saving behaviours.

Need some motivation to start teaching these important lessons to your children? To assist with this effort, we’ve compiled a list of kid-friendly ways to combine money education and sustainable living.

Shop for used clothing

Learning to consume less is a huge lesson for all of us because the earth’s resources are limited. For the sake of the planet, our consumer culture must evolve. It’s a lesson that can be taught to the youngest of consumers by taking them to stores that sell used items rather than constantly shopping for something new.

The fashion industry is a major source of greenhouse gases and waste. Most people don’t realise that 95% of textiles can be repurposed, but we only recycle 15% of them.

Using hand-me-downs whenever possible is a great way to reduce this type of waste while also saving money.

Purchase used electronics

Millions of phones, laptop computers, cameras, printers, routers, modems, and other electronic devices are discarded yearly, which is bad for the environment. Tell your children that e-waste is a major environmental issue and that producing low-cost electronics necessitates massive amounts of mining and extraction.

Encourage kids to spend their money on a used device, keeping it out of landfills where it harms the environment.

Buying used electronics not only saves money, but it also avoids the unnecessary introduction of a new device into the market. It’s a lesson your children will remember for the rest of their lives.

Teach your children about energy consumption

Not only is the cost of energy skyrocketing due to inflation, but it is also frequently generated with fossil fuels, making this a prime area where you can teach children about changing their daily habits to protect the planet while saving money.

Explain to your children how important it is to turn off lights and electronics when leaving the room.

Encourage quality over quantity

Teaching children to choose quality over quantity is a lesson that applies to everything from clothing to furniture to accessories and home appliances. You can start teaching your children this lesson by modeling the behaviour and explaining your purchasing decisions. The best thing you can do is buy high-quality items that will last longer. You’ll end up saving money in the long run because it won’t have to be replaced as frequently.

Reduce your family’s meat consumption

The production of meat is extremely damaging to the environment. According to a recent scientific assessment published in The Washington Post, the livestock sector and its operations, which include using energy and fertiliser, causing deforestation, and emitting methane, are responsible for 23% of total global warming. The meat industry is doing everything it can to combat climate change and widespread adoption of more environmentally friendly, plant-based diets, but encouraging young eaters to eat less meat (you don’t have to eliminate it entirely from your diet) can be a huge step forward for the planet, your health, and your household finances.

Start a garden

Homegrown produce saves money on grocery shopping and reduces waste associated with single-use plastic packaging of store-bought goods. If you and your children haven’t already jumped on the home gardening bandwagon, now might be a good time to do so to teach your children the important financial and long-term lessons that come with making this lifestyle change.

Teach children how to look after their belongings

Teaching children to care for their belongings and not lose them is a critical, environmentally and financially lesson. Children must understand that when they throw their belongings on the ground or leave them somewhere, it costs the family more money to replace the items and also costs the environment. Children frequently take their jackets, bottles, and lunch bags for granted. Teaching them how to care for these items is a valuable lesson that they will remember for the rest of their lives.