3 ways to go green with your finances

Every year since 1970, people all over the world have celebrated Earth Day. Many use this day of environmental stewardship to pick up trash, plant trees or recycle. Contrary to what Kermit the Frog sang, it can be easy being green – and you can do it with your finances! Here are three ways to make your money a little, well, greener.

Participate in a shred-a-thon

Safely and securely dispose of your documents in a giant paper shredder at a local shred-a-thon. At Desert Financial’s 2023 shred-a-thon events, 11.82 tons of paper went through the shredders instead of into landfills, saving an estimated 63 trees, 599 gallons of oil, 6,324 hours of electricity and 18,948 gallons of water. 

Go paperless with eStatements

Unlike paper statements, eStatements can be accessed 24/7 in Online Banking or our mobile app, have no risk of getting lost in the mail, are available to you sooner than mailed statements and can be easily printed if you want a paper version. Best of all, you’ll be saving trees! One environmental company¹ estimated people saved approximately 2,000 tons of paper annually by switching to electronic statements – equivalent to 48,000 trees!

Here’s how to enroll in eStatements with Desert Financial:

1.    Log in to Online Banking.
2.    Select My Accounts (located under More in the mobile app) then Statements & Documents.
3.    Click the Enroll Now button. 
4.    On the Consent to Electronic Delivery of Information acknowledgment, select the account you want to enroll, enter your email address and click Agree. 

Create a savings fund for energy-efficient appliances or additions

Switching to more energy-efficient appliances or additions not only saves energy; it can help save money in the long run, too. According to the Environmental Protection Agency,² ENERGY STAR®-certified appliances can save hundreds of dollars every year, adding up to big savings over the life of the appliances. But getting high-performance windows, smart thermostats, solar panels, high-efficiency water heaters and other energy-saving features is an investment. Starting a “green” savings account just for these things can help you build the savings you need to turn your home into a more energy-efficient abode. 

By creating a savings account for “green” appliances, switching to eStatements and participating in a shred-a-thon, you’ll be doing good things for the Earth and your finances.