Being thrifty became popular again with this most recent recession. Not for any environmental reasons, but because people had to.

But it’s kind of nice to think about how being thrifty also means you’re likely having less of an impact on the environment.

Some people are concerned, of course, that the new popularity of being thrifty is going to slow the economic recovery. And I would imagine they’re right. But I can’t help but feel that’s a good thing some ways.

Just think about how much your average American tends to waste. It’s quite a bit.

If less is wasted because we’re buying less, that’s going to be generally good for the environment.

It’s not perfect. Sometimes the cheapest items aren’t the best for the environment. But there are an awful lot of environmentally friendly products out there that make good sense for people who are really only interested in being thrifty, as they save money over time and on a short enough scale to be interesting.