Personal Finances

Personal Finances

Don't Fall for Overconsumption

We are constantly bombarded with advertisements and pressure to use shopping as "therapy" despite the evidence that these are increasingly problematic behaviors.

Invest in Efficiency

Sometimes you have to spend money to make or save money. Some of the biggest sources of emissions and pollution are also our biggest living costs. 

Insulation

Heating and cooling are generally the biggest energy users, emitting most of our at-home/non-dietary emissions, while gobbling up a large chunk of cash as our seasons get more intense. By investing in better insulation (for example walls, attics, or multi-paned windows), we drastically reduce our monthly energy needs.

Energy Efficient Appliances

We can reduce both energy and water use by investing in eco-friendly appliances. These can cost a bit more up front, but the long-term benefits include lower future bills and a healthier planet.

Travel

Everyone needs to travel whether it's occasional trips to buy necessities, daily trips to work or school, of even the occassional long-distance adventure. How we choose to travel can have a big impact on both our finances and the environment.

Private vs Public

Private vehicle ownership (cars and pick up trucks for example), are not only a massive waste of resources, and source of pollution, but they're also terrible for your wallet. We're supposed to pay thousands for a the vehicle itself, then yearly maintenance, license fees, insurance, with some places charging extra to drive in certain places and of course our tax money paying for all the damage these vehicles do to our roadways and bridges.

Public transportation on the other hand may charge a fee, but it is generally more efficient (more so when there are more riders and particularly so when public transport is renewably powered), and is almost always more affordable than private vehicle ownership.

How Cars Keep You POOR!

4:47 minute video explaining just a few of the problems with car ownership.

Active Transport vs Passive Transport

Active transport options including walking, bike riding, skateboarding, canoeing, or any other mode that uses your own energy to move. These have been scientifically linked to better health (mental and physical), money saving for movers/increased spending for areas with safer/slower travel routes, reduced crime, reduced pollution, reduced wear on roadways, and stronger/safer communities.

Passive transport tends to cost more than passive options, cause health problems due to increasing sedentary living habits, and creates higher maintenance fees for surrounding communities, meaning higher taxes. When a fast moving road cuts through a community, this can cause irreparable harm both by physically dividing healthy communities, and by increasing health problems from fumes, collisions, as well as noise and light pollution.

Donating for Change

Donate to Those You Trust

This site is packed with organizations from around the world, but we encourage you to always do your research before giving to any organization.

We recommend starting with their own site or other media such as pamphlets or even talking to or working with them yourself if possible to assess their effectiveness and sincerity.

There are also 3rd party resources such as Charity Watch which can give you an idea of the organizations' spending, ethics, and other metrics. Even these can be a little tricky to interoperate, as some major corporations can get a good rating for programs that may be more of a greenwashing scam than doing much good. Other times it may be hard to research an organization bellow a certain size or age.

So dig for evidence and if something feels off, trust your gut!

International

North America

Eco-Friendly Banking & Investing

Cards


Home Loans


Investing


Click the Quiet Activism button and scroll to the Financial Activism section to learn about more eco-friendly financial organizations and the different programs they run.

Leaving a Will

Since we can't take anything of value when we die, one of the best things we can do is to include one or more charities in our final will or even set up a trust.

By donating land, money, or other assets when we die, conservation and other groups can carry on the work we care most about.

Consider donating land to conservation groups, equipment to any group that can use it, while funding can easily be used for education, legal justice, funding clean up projects, and much more.

Europe

Ireland

UK

Offset Your Emissions

Be super cautious about carbon offset scams! Many companies have jumped onto the offset bandwagon without taking the time to ensure their programs are doing more good than harm. There's been a huge lack of oversite in this sector, which has focused heavily on mass reforestation projects which then totally failed, often causing more ecological harm, instead of the promised good. 

For this reason, we've tried to focus on finding carbon offset programs that can remove more emissions than trees (such as bog protection and restoration), or which help communities reduce their emissions in ways that they would have otherwise struggled to pay for on their own. For example solar panels for schools with limited funds. 

Europe

Ireland

UK

Apps & Blockchains

Apps can make tracking our money and environmental or social impact a little easier. 

Blockchains can be used with apps (behind the scenes) to track important data securely, ensuring fair wages and other important goals are fairly and honestly met.

Tools & Trackers

Europe

Airlines


Reviews & Ratings

This section includes reviews, ratings, and some are just sites listing companies according to their impact on the planet. For example the Forest500: List of Companies which are causing driving deforestation, and Cruelty Free Investing which lists companies with and without animal cruelty.

International

North America

USA

Legal Resources

North America

USA


Organizations

International

Asia

Europe

UK

North America

Canada

USA

Connecticut

Grants, Funding, & Reparations

International

Asia

North America

Canada

Oceana

Australia