Is Your Money Green?

It’s budget season! For many congregations and organizations, the last quarter of the year is when members of the community pledge their financial support for the coming year. This is also a great time for us to individually review our spending and plan our household budget for next year. 

It is often said if you want to know what is important to someone, just look at their financial statements. Would I be embarrassed to share how much of my income I spent at restaurants or on streaming services? It can be quite humbling to review a year of bank and credit card statements, but it is an important task. In order for our spending to reflect what we deem most important, we must be intentional. 

While housing is the largest category (25-30%) of most household budgets, there are ways to save money in other categories. Transportation costs (10-15%) can be reduced by walking, biking, carpooling, mass transit, and purchasing electric vehicles when we can. Our grocery budget (10-15%) can be reduced by growing food, participating in a community garden,  and eating less meat (learn more). And we can reduce our utility bills (5-10%) by taking energy efficiency measures. Just by changing our habits (turning off lights, turning up/down the thermostat, taking shorter showers, etc) we can save money. When we install programmable thermostats and LED lightbuilds, and add insulation and weather stripping, we can save even more (learn more). 

“Waste not – want not,” my grandmother always said. We are called to steward our financial resources well, to not be wasteful, and to be charitable. In addition to giving to our faith communities, it is important to support creation care and climate organizations with our time, talents, and finances. 

But, it is not simply how we save money, what we buy, or what charities we support that is important as we green our finances. The financial institutions we support through banking, credit cards, and investing also have great impacts. 

Since 2015, JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley accounted for over $1.8 trillion in support of the fossil fuels industry. Knowing that 4.2 million people die each year from air pollution from fossil fuels alone, with up to 400,000 additional deaths from climate change, it is immoral to support these banks. Fortunately, there are over 20 Green Banks in the US and that number is growing, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments are readily available.

I am not a banking or investment expert. I am not certified in anything financial, however I will share with you what I do, and encourage you to learn more about your credit card companies, financial institutions, and investment companies, and make changes.

• I  bank at a local Credit Union as there is not a green bank in my area. 
• I use a green credit card. Learn more here.
• My personal investing and retirement are now ESGs.

Perhaps one of the most important things that I have learned as I take steps to green my finances is to ask questions until I understand. I was not educated about finances or investing, but people employed by financial institutions are happy to help. So, do some research, and ask questions. 

Aligning my money with my faith is ongoing work. This is the perfect time to evaluate how your climate values are reflected in your finances. Start by reflecting on this past year’s spending, and then make a plan to “green” your money.

Learn more about Greening Finances at One Home One Future.

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Additional Resources:

Apply Now: American Climate Leadership Awards 2026

Join the Campaign: One Home One Future

Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Children and Youth Report 2023

Blessed Tomorrow Resources

Blessed Tomorrow – Ambassador Training

ValuesAdvisor.org helps individuals and organizations find trusted financial advisors who align investments with values.

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About the Author:
Rev. Carol Devine, Director of Blessed Tomorrow