Happy Earth Day! Going green goes beyond what you put in your shopping cart. It can show up in your bank account, your investment portfolio and even in the size of your home. Today, we're taking a look at what sustainability actually costs — and saves — across your financial life.
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How Americans are going green
✉️ $1 to $3 ✉️
Banks may charge a small cost, typically $1 to $3 per month, for mailing paper statements, per Alliant Credit Union. Go paperless and switch to electronic statements to avoid the monthly fee.
🏦 1 in 3 🏦
Consumers are catching on and ditching paper in their banking. One in three U.S. adults didn't write a single check in the past year, and that number jumps to 46% for Gen Z, according to a 2025 State of Banking Report by Drive Research.
📈 88% 📈
Many are invested in saving the environment (literally). Eighty-eight percent of investors globally say they're interested in sustainable investing, according to a survey conducted by Dynata / Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing.
🌱 4% 🌱
Younger investors today are OK with giving up about 4% of their investment returns to support environmental causes, which is pretty aligned with older investors, who said they'd sacrifice up to around 3%, per research published in the Harvard Business Review.
🚗 $870 🚗
EV drivers who charge at home spend an estimated $58 a month on fuel, compared to $131 a month for gas-powered vehicles, based on a national average of $3.86 per gallon and 30 MPG, according to Kiplinger. That's a difference of $876 a year. EVs tend to run cheaper on maintenance, but their batteries can be pricey to replace and insurance premiums are higher.
🏠 $400 to $1,500 🏠
The average monthly mortgage payment crossed $2,000 for the first time, climbing to $2,005 in the fourth quarter of last year, per Realtor.com. Tiny home owners, however, typically spend about $400 to $1,500 a month on lot rent, utilities and insurance, per industry data. And the planet benefits, too. Heating a traditional home generates about 8,000 pounds of CO2 a year, compared to just 558 pounds for a tiny home.
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