Leading an eco-friendly life in a busy home.

Too busy to think about how to make eco-friendly choices at home? Try these one-step, one-time ideas to live greener, but think a bit less about it.

Leading an eco-friendly life in a busy home.

Modern life certainly comes with its challenges. The climate crisis has thrown another one into the mix, forcing us all to be more aware of what we consume and how we consume it.

 The most simple and cost-efficient way to start living more sustainably is definitely at home. Green living is becoming increasingly important to people across the UK. More and more of us are opting for energy-efficient appliances, environmentally friendly products and low-waste alternatives. 

A lot of households now actively work to lower their carbon footprint and make their way of life that little bit more sustainable. But with the business of life, how can we fit these changes into our daily routines?

How can we be more efficient?

Making your home more sustainable involves making changes that improve the energy efficiency of your property. This means that you waste less energy and save money in the process. 

Sustainable living means you will make the most of the resources you have, reducing your carbon footprint. This can range from the cleaning products you use at home to the energy supplier you choose to power up your home. 

Some of these changes require sustained change, but some are small, one-off things you can do, which will make a big difference. For example, don’t leave the fridge door open, unplug appliances if they are left on standby, and try to purchase as little plastic as possible.

While making these other changes, it might be a good time to switch your energy supplier. If you haven't managed to switch in a while, it's highly likely that you are overpaying for your energy. 

Not only is this a waste of money, but you can also make the switch over to a more green energy supplier with green energy tariffs. 

A green energy supplier means one that provides tariffs with 100% renewable electricity and aims to offset gas usage by investing in green projects.

 Also, you can switch to a tariff that saves you money, like an Economy 10 tariff for your electricity. This is a one-off task, so once you’ve switched you hopefully won’t have to switch again for a while. 

You can be content with the fact that your energy is coming from more renewable sources. If you lead a particularly busy life, switching suppliers is an easy way to be a lot more eco-friendly at home, without having to put in any hard work.

In short, you want to make sure that your gas and electricity come from renewable sources, rather than fossil fuels that are contributing to climate change. 

You won’t have to feel guilty about the energy you use at home, as you know that you’ll be leading a greener life in your safe haven. You can read more about ways to make your home greener on Ofgem’s handy website.

Go reusable.

Like I said, let’s avoid plastic when and where we can. Stop buying zip-top bags, plastic straws and food in a lot of plastic packaging. Let’s start buying alternatives, like beeswax. 

They last for ages, way longer than plastic, and are far better for the environment. Invest in glass tupperwares so you don’t have to throw away single-use plastic bags and boxes all the time.
 All these things you can do one time so you never have to worry about them again.

Consider composting!

If you like gardening, at least make it efficient! Keeping a compost bin means you won’t have to think about throwing food away, which we all know is really bad. 

Keep a compost bin where you can put peels, coffee grounds and other organic waste. If you don’t have a garden, or enough space to keep a compost bin, then you can always give your compost to public gardens or to friends and neighbours who have the resources.

Save water.

Water is one of our most wasted resources. Think about how many times a day you use water - it’s all the time! 

So let’s start thinking about how much water we use and when. Are you an avid tea drinker? Don’t waste water by filling up the kettle more and more every time you make a cuppa.

 
This also wastes so much energy and you’ll see the consequences on your energy bills. Take shorter showers or buy a low-flow shower head; only use the appropriate amount of water when you are boiling food; don’t overwater your lawn and your plants.

Ready to make all these small changes? Of course, you are! No matter how busy you are with life, work, family and friends, you can transform your eco-lifestyle with just a handful of different, more thoughtful choices. 

Things just got easier if you are struggling to pay for your energy bills.
 
Ofgem has just introduced new regulations for energy suppliers to introduce as of the 15th of December 2020. The new regulation’s purpose is to protect customers who are struggling to keep up with their energy bills. Energy suppliers will be obliged to give more time to customers who are struggling to pay their bills this winter.
 
For those on prepayment meters, more time will be given to top-up and additional credit will be given to those customers who need it. A debt repayment plan will also be introduced for all those that are currently behind on paying their bills. Energy suppliers will also reach out to customers that they deem more vulnerable and aid them in setting up this repayment plan.
 
For more details you can read the full article

My top seven frugal tips

Hey readers,

I love a good bargain and trying to save money when I can. 

So, I thought I would share some of the things that have helped me in the past to reduce the cost of my spending and maybe they might help you too :) 

1.  Plan. 

The best money advice I could give you is a plan, set a Budget for an X amount and stick to it. 

Then if you do give yourself an allowance to spend a set amount you don't have the guilt and feel more encouraged to save money as well, win-win.

2.  Supermarket.

To get the best deals at the supermarket timing is key. That is why it is best to aim to visit your supermarket near closing time to get reduced items and in some cases, this can be quite significant with 70% off items because they are close to their sell-by date.

Though don't let this put you off as you can freeze a lot of items.

3.  Receipts. 

You can put your receipts to good use by download Shopprize from an app store and scan your receipts.

 You then can over time exchange the coins into amazon vouchers. It doesn't take that long either. Sadly the app only works on Android at the moment.

4. Post-event.

The best savvy shoppers actually wait until after an occasion such as Halloween or Christmas to get knocked down prices on items and to grab some good bargains.

5. Meal planning. 

To save money on your shopping a good tip would be to plan your meals with what food you have. It is important that to save money you need to stick to your shopping list as this can help with reducing the impulsive buying as you know what food you need. 

This can be of help to reduce food wastage as well and keep on top of what you have got in the cupboards. 

6. Advantage cards.

 Take advantage of the advantage card. If you don't know what an advantage card is it is a store assigned card where you can get discount off products or earn so much money of items you have brought in the store. 

At a later date can exchange the points for money of shopping in the store or online. A couple of my personal favourite advantage cards are Tesco's club card scheme and Boots advantage card and they are nice little earners.

7. Savings.

A healthy habit that you can get into is to save 10p every day in a jar, it soon adds up after a while This helps get you in a habit of saving and before long you can increase the amount if you want.  

Do you have any saving tips that you have found helpful that I haven't mentioned? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Thanks for reading X

My top 25 frugal tips.

Hey readers,

I love to save money and being frugal is something I strive for in my life. So, if you like me and like to save some pounds then check out my top 25 frugal tips below. 

1. Only go to the supermarket twice a week.

2. Don't go to the supermarket when hungry.

3. Swap from branded items to supermarket own branded items.

4. Write a plan for food shopping and stick to it.

5. Use discount sites such as eBay or everything for five pounds.

6. Each week meal plans your meals.

7. Ask yourself before buying do you I really need this.

8. Try cheaper cut meats.

9. Wait 21 days before making a purchase on a big item such a TV. This will give you time to assess whether you need it or not.

10. Use something up before buying something that does the same job.

11. Use trials to get free temporary items such as Amazon Prime and Spotify. 

12. Check out the yellow sticker section of the supermarket, ost stuff is fine if you use it up immediately or freeze it. Saves a small fortune, especially as the supermarket, knocks off a lot when it is about an hour before the supermarket closes. 

13. Before going out buying something specific check out mysupermarket.co.uk to find the best deal. 

14. If you have short journeys such as taking your children to school, ditch the car and walk. 

15. It will do you and your car the world of good. 

16. Buy second hand because it is more environmentally friendly and tends to be of good quality 90% of the time, checks out eBay or Facebook market to find some fab deals. 

17. Use a budget tracker to keep on top of your finances. 

18. Instead of buying a meal deal whilst at work for your lunch takes five to ten minutes the night before to knock up lunch for yourself, you will be saved so much money it is unreal.

19. Instead of buying coffee from coffee shops buy little sachets take them to work. You still get a treat but cuts the cost down a lot.

20. Shop for season stuff when it is at the end and being reduced, e.g Christmas items in January at knocked down prices.

21. Sometimes, when you are out and about in clothing shops you can forget how much stuff you own. That is why it is good to have a list of all the items you own and refresh your mind when out and about.

22. Rotate your wardrobe so clothes at the back get a chance to be seen and worn instead of instantly going for the easiest items to get hold of in the morning.

23. Check out your local library where there is an array of books and magazines you can read for free.

24. Check out websites like Groupon for cheap family days out.

25. When buying items online use Topcashback to get cashback for buying items on certain websites.

What are your favourite frugal tips? I love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Cheers for reading X 

50 things to do on a no spend weekend.

Hey readers,

If you haven't heard of no spend weekend it is basically what it says in the name where you set the challenge of the weekend to not spend a penny other then going for a wee ;). 

There are several different noes spend challenges ranging from one day, weekend, a whole month and if your feeling a brave a whole year (hats of to you people who have achieved a no spend for a whole year not sure I could stick it out that long). 

The idea of the no spend is to stop you from spending money basically automatic times and it really does make you stop and think about your consumptions. It also reminds life doesn't always have to be about money. You can also save money and get you thinking in that frameset. 

In this post, I have put down 50 ideas of things you can do on a no spend.
Jo

1) Organise and plan your future money. 

2) Volunteer your time.

3) Watch movies.

4) Help your kid/s with their homework.

5) Start a blog.

6) Try geocaching.

7) Try a board game.

8) Draw and paint. 

9) Make greeting cards.

10) Visit local free museums.

11) Read.

12) Visit a park.

13) Clean the house.

14) Do some baking.

15) Cook something new.

16) Spend some quality time with a partner. 

17) Assess your goals.

18) Start a diary.

19) Catch up on the news.

20) Colour in.

21) Read.

22) Sleep. 

23) Make a to-do list. 

24) Have a bath.

25) Organise your wardrobe.

26) Sell stuff on eBay.

27) Teach yourself origami.

28) Watch a ted talk. 

29) Go for a walk. 

30) Go to the library.

31) Write a  letter to a friend from far away.

32) Make a vision board.

33) Go for a picnic. 

34) People watch.

35) Listen to some podcasts. 

36) Play Pokemon Go.

37) Stargaze.

38) Cloud watching. 

39) Scrapbooking. 

40) Host a dinner party.

41) Attend a free community festival. 

42) Practice yoga.

43) Have a cup of coffee and relax.

44) Think about ways to earn extra income. 

45) Go fly a kite.

46) Collect rocks, paint them and hide them for someone else to find. 

47) Reorganise cd/DVD collection. 

48) Declutter your wardrobe. 

49) Check out trending videos on youtube. 

50) Built a fort with the kids. 

What free activities do you like to do? I love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

7 ways to save on your energy bill this winter.

Hey readers,

Looking for easy ways to reduce your electric bill during this winter period then look no further as I have some top tips on how to do so!

1. Appliances

One of the most useful habits to get into is turning off standby applicants around the home when you are not using them. Ok, it does not save you loads but it can save you between £80 to £100 a year,  every little helps.

2. Temperature. 

In the UK two-thirds of the electricity used is on heating up our home from heating water to keeping our rooms warm. It is recommended to reduce room temperature by 1 degree and it is not a big difference. If you are feeling chilly but on a jumper or drink a hot drink to warm up. Also, another tip is to turn off the heating when you are sleeping as you don't need as you cosy under the quilt and are asleep so are you really going to notice the heating?

3. Light bulbs. 

Now to start with swapping traditional incandescent light bulbs can be pricy however in the long term it is an investment as you reduce your electricity bill. This is because the more modern light bulbs such as halogen incandescents, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and light-emitting diodes (LEDs)  use less energy,  therefore worth paying for as you save money and the modern light bulbs last longer overall.

4.  Wrap up. 

This next tip is obvious but a lot of people walk around there home in a t-shirt and shorts in December and wonder why they are cold, they don't think about it and turn the heating on. However, you can easily warm yourself up to by adding additional layers and for example, soft fluffy bootie slippers are brilliant at keeping you warm. Finally, don't forget the hot water bottle to keep close by to feel all cosy without having turn the heating on you soon be warmed up lovely.

5. Washing. 

Washing your clothes at a lower temperature will save you some money when you turn your temperature to 30c as you are using less energy to do the washload. 

6. Leaks.

It is a good idea during the colder periods to check your windows and doors for leaks as this can cause your home to get colder and use more energy to hit up which will, in turn, will mean your energy bill will rise. 

Making sure that you put draught-proof tape around windowsills is a good idea along with using door draughts that you put at the bottom of the door to block heat.

7. Curtains.

During the darker evenings is a good idea to get in the habit of closing your curtains as this will help keep the warmth in the room and reduce the need for whacking the heat up. 

What ways help you reduce your energy bill during the winter period? I love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Cheers for reading X 

8 Ways to save money this autumn.

Hey readers,

As we are now in autumn and it won't be long before Christmas you may be thinking of ways to save money. 

 Well, I have complied with 8 ways to save money during autumn. Let's go...

1. Pumpkin items. 

In the UK over recent years the sense and flavour of pumpkin spice has gotten very popular. You can be sure to find pumpkin flavoured pastries, coffees, hand wash, and candles to name a few. 

Everywhere you turn it feels like something has pumpkin in it. The thing with pumpkin spice being a hype is that it has risen the cost of products to premium prices. Therefore meaning you will have to pay more because it is in-demand what with the influence social media has. 

You don't need everything in pumpkin spice, your world won't stop just be sensible with your consumption and remember don't be fooled by social media who want you to buy pumpkin spice.  

2. Seasonal foods. 

Buying seasonal food can save you money because food that is produced closer to home is cheaper because it cost less to produce and transport to the supermarket. 

Keep on track of what fruit and vegetables are in season as it is normally cheaper compared to out of season foods. 

3. Do I need that?

When shopping it can be easy to impulsively and buy stuff that you may deep down not need. 

A tip I love and use often is asking yourself do I really need that? Once you use this it does get easy and it is amazing how much you don't actually buy because you really think about whether you need something or not. 

4. Christmas shopping.

I know it is not Christmas yet but it is a good time to start Christmas shopping. There are a lot of deals slowly coming out such as Tesco toys half-price sale and B & M sale where you can buy x2 toys for £16. So now is the grab a good deal. 

5. Review your energy bill. 

Now is the time to check if you are paying the right amount on your energy bill. Have a check around to see what company has the best deal. During the colder period, energy companies known for at times to raise their prices due to the high demand. 

6. Cancel gym membership. 

You don't have to be at the gym to get fit, you can go autumn walks or do exercise at home. You will save so much when your not tied down to a gym.

7. Autumn sales. 

Autumn sales are the best time to get stuff for a good price. Remember though don't buy if you don't need it. 

8. Draught proofing.

Autumn is the time to make sure that your home is draught-proof as this can keep your home warm and also save money on your energy bill.

 All you need to for a simple effective way is to get draught strip and place it in the gap between the window/door and opening so it is sealed to stop any draught coming through. 

 It has been said that if you draught-proof your doors and windows you can save £20 a year. 

Another tip is to have thick curtains to keep the warmth in as well. 

There is also the option of buying draught excluders where you simply put at the bottom of the door to stop the draught coming into the room. 

What way do you like to save money during the autumn season? I love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Cheers for reading X 

10 reasons to do a staycation.

Hey readers, 

Have you heard of this buzzword that is flying around called staycation if not it then the term means to choose to stay where you live or travel in your own country as appose to going on holiday abroad. Down below I have given 10 reasons why you should consider a staycation. 

1  Greener. 

Opting to chose to have a staycation is greenery because you are not traveling by airplane can contribute to the air emissions and using more than 4 months of driving just in one flight. 

2. Stress.

Of course, opting to stay in your own country means less stress with not having travel, going somewhere that is foreign speaking and trying to communicate and generally navigating around a country that you are not familiar with. It is so much easy staying local because you know where you are and less stress travellin. 

3. Local attractions. 

Staying locally is a fantastic opportunity to check out somewhere new that you haven't been locally and it also helps local businesses as your putting the money into the local economy which will benefit businesses and services greatly. 

4. No plan. 

If you stay locally where you are familiar then you don't have to plan ahead. You can be spontaneous and it won't take a long time to get there as you are more likely to know where you are going.

5. Save money.

Because you can save money on staying locally you don't have to pay for accommodation, travel flights and the like means it is a great chance to save some money which is always a winner.

6. Tourist. 

You don't have to go anywhere special to be a tourist as you can be your own tourist in your own city and check out what the local attractions are. You may even surprise yourself by finding something new that you haven't heard or tried out yet. 

7. Relaxing. 

When you stay local it means your relaxed as you have less stress from traveling to another country, For instance, you don't have to wait in massive ques, or finding your way to your hotel in a new country. It all adds to additional stress whereas staying in your home or traveling not far means you can relax and have not much to worry about compared to somewhere new or in a different country where it is different to what you are used to. 

8. Time.

 You don't have to go long holidays it can be a day out because even though holidays are meant to be relaxing going away say for two weeks is a long time it can be exhausting doing things constantly where if your at home you can relax more and not feel as much pressure to constantly go, go, go. 

9. Packing.

Of course one the best elements of a staycation is not having to pack and make sure that your suitcase is the right weight with all the things you need.

10. Family/friends. 

Having a staycation means it allows you to incorporate if you wish to see friends and family.

What do you think about a staycation? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Cheers for reading X 

6 places to find cheap books.

Hey readers,

I love reading and I'm always looking for cheap ways of getting books or buying them. It can be a struggle but there's no need to spend a fortune on buying books if you look in the right places you will find cheap ways of getting your hands on books. Let me tell you some of the places you can try that have been successful for me in finding cheap books below.

1. Local library.

The most obvious place to start for looking for books is the local library, as they have a wide selection of different types of books you can take out on loan and are free. I have taking out loads of books on loan so you have to return them in the past from for my library. It has been so helpful in saving me money going to my library as there is so much choice for instance recipe books, craft books for kids and fiction books to lose myself in.

2. Second-hand shops.

As good as the library is for a wide selection of books sometimes the library does not have the title in. That is why it's good to check out the local charity shop to see if there are pre-loved books that you want but you can't find anywhere else. The books from charity shops are cheap and cheerful and normally absolutely fine to read at a low cost. Also after I finished a book that I bought from the charity shop I normally give it to my local library so that someone else can enjoy it and share the love through that way.

3. eBay / Amazon.

Online there are plenty of places that sell cheap books compared to say Waterstones and two of the most popular sites are eBay and Amazon. I'm not sure if you are aware but not only does Amazon sell brand spanking new books they also sell used books, so do check that option out as well because you can get somebody else with that way. Likewise, with eBay, they sell cheaper books especially ones that are a bit rarer at a reasonable cost.

4. E-reader.

Another option is to download an e-reader app so you don't have to spend loads on an e-reader and you can find cheap eBooks through the e-reader app itself.

5. Comparison sites.

To find the best book deal price check out this brilliant website called Best Book Price which compares the cheapest place to get a book. Some of the types compared are eBay, Amazon WHSmith and various other book internet sites that you can buy books from.

6. The Works.

The Works is another good shop where you can buy books from, whether it be fiction or nonfiction. They also do regular book deals such as 6 fiction books for £10 or 10 children books for £10. Another great feature is that you can order books online or pick them up in a store. Which I prefer to look in the shop as you can physically touch them and see all the books together to choose from.

Cheers for reading X