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One of the most common things I hear from people who want to go low tox is that they can’t afford it. And I get it, when you look around at everything that needs replacing it can feel overwhelming and expensive.
But here’s what I’ve learned: going low tox doesn’t require spending more money. It requires being smarter about the money you’re already spending, earning back on purchases you’re already making, and making small consistent shifts that add up over time.
This is everything I personally do to fund my low tox lifestyle, and most of it takes less than five minutes to set up.
Earn Money on Purchases You’re Already Making
Upside — Cash Back on Gas, Restaurants, and Convenience Stores
I have personally been using Upside for over five years and it is one of the easiest ways to earn cash back on things you are already buying. Claim an offer before you fill up your gas tank, grab food, or stop at a convenience store, pay normally, and earn cash back automatically. It adds up faster than you’d think when you’re filling up every week. Sign up with my code ASHLEY266737 and we both earn a bonus when you make your first purchase.
Ibotta — Cash Back on Groceries
Ibotta works a little differently, you clip your offers before you shop, then scan your receipt after to earn cash back. It’s particularly useful for groceries and everyday household items. Every dollar you earn back on things you were already buying is a dollar you can put toward a low tox swap. Sign up with my code ghyokqy for a bonus when you get started.
Fetch Rewards — Scan Every Receipt, No Clipping Required
Fetch is one of my favorites because it is the most effortless of all the receipt apps. You don’t clip anything, you don’t have to plan ahead, you just shop and scan your receipt after. Every receipt from almost any store earns points you can redeem for gift cards. I also download games through Fetch and earn extra points for beating levels, which is a genuinely fun way to rack up more rewards without any extra effort. I keep one game downloaded at a time so I’m not spending too much time on my phone, but it adds up. Sign up with my code D4UDY for bonus points on your first receipt.
Swagbucks — Receipts, Games, and More
On the days I can’t find a game I want on Fetch I’ll download one through Swagbucks instead. You can also upload receipts there, take surveys, and earn in several other ways. Same rule applies, one game at a time. Sign up to get started with a bonus.
Credit Card Cash Back — Earn on Bills You’re Already Paying
If you pay your credit card balance in full every month and are careful about not overspending, a cash back credit card is one of the easiest passive earners available. I pay my monthly bills, utilities, subscriptions, anything I can, on my cash back credit card, then pay the credit card immediately from my bills checking account. Same money, same bills, but now I’m earning points on every payment without doing anything extra. The key caveat: this only works if you are disciplined about paying the balance in full every month. Credit card debt is never worth a rewards point.
Ways to Save More Than You Think
Switch Your Phone Service
This one changed our monthly budget significantly and I can’t believe it took me as long as it did. We went from paying over $300 a month for two phones and a watch on a major carrier to paying $68 total on Visible, $39 for my partner’s phone and watch and $29 for mine. Same unlimited service, same phones, same numbers. Everything transferred seamlessly and it works exactly the same as it did before. That is over $230 back in our budget every single month. Sign up through my link here: VISIBLE and get $20 off.
Cut Your Streaming Bill in Half
The average American household pays for four streaming services and spends about $61 per month, and research shows the typical US household subscribes to 4.7 streaming services. If you’re subscribed to all the major platforms at once, your bill could hit $195 a month or $2,338 a year.
Here’s what I do instead: I keep a running list in my notes app of shows and movies I want to watch and which platform they’re on. When we finish whatever we’re currently watching, I figure out what’s next, which platform it’s on, pause or cancel the current service, and switch to that one. You’re watching the same content, just not paying for five platforms simultaneously when you can only watch one at a time anyway.
Do a No Spend Month
This one is optional but genuinely eye-opening. The first time I did a no-spend month I was shocked, I put away $700 in a single month just by buying only what we needed. Groceries, gas, and that was it. No eating out, no clothes, no movies, no wandering through stores just to look (because if I walked around a store I always bought something). Free entertainment only.
That month taught me something I still think about: I had a shopping problem I didn’t know I had. And it changed how I spend to this day. We don’t go to the movies anymore, we have movie nights in bed with our own popcorn, our own bathroom, no strangers, no uncomfortable chairs, and honestly it’s one of my favorite things we do. Everything you save during a no-spend month goes straight into your savings account.
Automate a Dedicated Low Tox Savings Account
Open a high yield savings account specifically for low tox purchases and automate a transfer on payday, even $5 to $25, whatever amount you genuinely won’t notice leaving. Set it up on payday so you never have to think about it. It accumulates quietly in the background and before you know it you have enough for whatever swap is next on your list.
This is actually how I handle all of my savings goals, a separate automated transfer for every category. Vacation fund, holiday shopping, birthdays, all automated on payday so I never have to stress about having the money when I need it. By the time the holidays come around the money is already there. This approach alone removes so much financial anxiety.
Switch to Reusable Products
Some of the best low tox swaps are also the ones that save you money permanently because they eliminate a recurring monthly cost entirely.
Period products are the clearest example. If you have more than one woman in your household the monthly cost of tampons adds up fast. I grew up with a mom and two sisters, four people buying tampons every month for years. Switching to a menstrual disc like Hello Disc, reusable pads like GladRags, or period underwear like Bambody eliminates that cost entirely. One purchase, no more monthly expense, and a genuinely better low tox option at the same time.
Other reusable swaps that save money over time:
- Wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets, one purchase lasts over 1000 loads
- Beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap, reusable, washable, and last for months
- Washable makeup wipes instead of disposable, one set replaces hundreds of single-use wipes
- Glass food containers instead of disposable plastic bags, buy once, use forever
- Stasher silicone bags instead of zip lock bags, dishwasher safe and last for years
Every reusable item you switch to is a product you stop buying month after month. The savings stack up fast.
Use Your Gift Lists
This one is so simple and so underused. Add medium-priced low tox items to your birthday and holiday gift lists. I save up for the most expensive items myself, buy the cheaper ones on my own, and put the medium-priced items on my list for occasions when people want to give me something. People want to buy you gifts anyway, you might as well point them toward something that actually improves your health and your home.
This year I’m adding a non-toxic waffle maker to my list. Kitchen gifts are genuinely my favorite. If you want ideas, check out my Non-Toxic Kitchen Appliance Guide post for inspiration.
Beauty School for Haircuts
This one I learned when my sister was in cosmetology school, you can go to beauty schools and get free or very cheap haircuts because students need real people to practice on. There’s always an instructor present and in all my years of going I never got a bad cut. It was shorter than I expected once but still completely wearable. Every dollar saved on a haircut is a dollar toward something that matters more.
The Most Important Thing
Before any of these tips will stick, you need a solid reason why. A reason that is personal and important to you.
For me it’s my health. After a year of switching things up my quality of life has already improved past what I ever thought was possible for me, and I’m nowhere near done. That progress is what keeps me motivated to keep going, keep saving, keep swapping one thing at a time.
The number one piece of advice you’ll hear in the low tox space is to go one thing at a time. Don’t throw everything out and replace it all at once. Use up what you have and replace it as it runs out with something better. This is not an overnight transformation and it was never supposed to be. Every single swap matters. Every one gets you closer. 🌿
— Ashley
Find all my low tox product recommendations at lowtoxliving.carrd.co
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