Saving the environment and the bank
At a time when it's fashionable to be vegetarian or vegan, people are also becoming more and more "environmentally conscious," with #trashfree and #zerowastehome becoming a common hashtag on both Instagram and Twitter.
In this post, I will not only be advising it, but showing how the benefits aren't just one sided. By recycling, being more energy efficient and caring about the environment, you can actually save money!
Besides the standard "switch lights off when you leave a room," I shall be giving you some more specific examples that you might have never before considered.
See what you can change and save...
1. Close all curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows
Admittedly, those with double glazed windows won't have as big a problem, but it's still a good idea. "Drawing the blinds at dusk can reduce heat loss by 13-14 per cent and curtains from 15-17 per cent."
This was found by scientists experimenting these "heat-escape rumours," on a model house. Read the article by clicking here
This isn't to say that you NEED to get double glazed windows, after all this is a money saving blog, however, consider closing your curtains at dusk if not maybe buying some fabric draught excluders?
2. NEVER leave appliances on stand-by
More than 90% of households leave TVs on standby regularly as well as other tech.
Upon completing a "Powering the nation" study, the Energy Saving Trust found that between 9-16% of electricity consumed in homes is used to power appliances on standby.
In figures? This means that on an electricity bill of £500, £45-£80 could've been saved had you just taken the extra step and switched appliances off.
3. Avoid using plug-in air fresheners
We might love the smell and be tempted by their adverts, but in fact, it's a much better idea to use stand-alone ones as plug-in ones waste a lot of electricity, especially as we never switch them off!
Air Wick products and Febreze products are very expensive so if you want to save even more money, incense does the trick or if you're an "extreme cheapskate," than you can make your air freshener!
This will benefit you more than just financially. Their packaging is often non-recyclable and even though they often imply that you'll "breathe happy," they are packed with chemicals! So go do yourself a favour ey?
Just in case you were wondering, I've put my favourite recipe below. Don't worry, it's completely non-hazardous and uses only natural ingredients)
Ingredients:
Steps:
Fill your reusable spray bottle with the water and witch hazel.
Add your chosen essential oils and cover with the spray nozzle.
Shake a few times and then spray to your liking!
Source: don'tmesswithmama.com
4. Don't leave water running
This can apply to shaving etc. to but particularly with washing up. If you do wash up by hand rather than tempting towards the dishwasher, I salute you, however, are you still saving as much as you can?
Rather than leave the tap running, fill a bowl with warm water to save water because a tap left running for ten minutes alone can waste up to nearly 100 litres of water.
5. Buy a flask
If you're a regular Costa-goer then it might be a good idea to invest in a flask which you can use instead of those plastic cups. In terms of the environment, this is a severe problem! According to a BBC article published 5 days ago (you can read it here) Britons chuck hundreds of thousands of coffee cups in the recycling, only now, it has been discovered that they're not in fact recyclable!
Don't worry though, I have kept my promise, and insist there are benefits for you too. Forgetting the environment for a second (how selfish to say so), investing in a flask can be useful and money saving for you too.
Let me give you an example. Instead of going out of the office to buy one during your break, you'll have only had to put the kettle on (with only the exact amount of water needed of course) that morning and put the coffee in your flask to have hot tea or coffee for the duration of the day.
6. Reuse
Why don't you try and reuse products or toys that might have met their day? A sock has a hole in it? Turn it into a sock monster? Spare wallpaper? Turn it into crafts (examples here)?
Be imaginative with your materials, perhaps you can save money by making them into cute little crafts or donating them to charity shops for them to be reused.
Websites like Pinterest or Instagram can give you inspiration or tutorials to great DIY projects. Anyone for some occupational therapy?
Look how cute this is? Making space in the wardrobe AND making memories. I've also seen some parents turning old school uniforms into teddies for their children. Adorable!
7. Plan
Plan for what? As boring as it sounds, planning your meals ahead can save you an awful lot of time in the evenings and on your grocery shopping because by planning, you'll have a better idea of quantities and save money!
For busy or big families, it's easy to just buy in bulk and assume "it'll all get eaten," however, according to statistics by East Reading Yorkshire Council, every year, the average household throws away £424 worth of food, that's ASTOUNDING! So next time why not have a thought for the week ahead?
As much as I hate ending on the number 7, I don't want to bore you any longer. If you'd like to know more, I'd be happy to do another post in future or just google some ideas, there are thousands out there.
Good luck and join the quest for a better Earth!
The Frugal Teen