Author: admin

Ways to Save the Planet and Spend Less

by admin

There is so much in the news about the fact that we should all be thinking about being greener. Although there are those that feel that things have been exaggerated or that governments and big businesses should be the ones that take the lead, there are many others that feel that everything that individuals do will add up and make a difference and that we should each be doing things to help. One barrier for many people is the cost though. You might feel that you will need to take on credit to make all of the changes necessary, but there are things that you could do which will actually save you money or not cost anything at all.

Recycle properly

Many of us will recycle some things but it is important that we recycle as well as we can. If we pit items in the wrong recycling bins or put items in there that cannot be recycled then we will risk contaminating correctly recycled items that are in there. Make sure that you are clear on what you can and cannot recycle. There will be items that are collected kerbside and your council website will have details on what you can put in there. If you are unsure you can get in touch with them and find out more. It does take time to do this but it will soon become easy and a quick habit.

Use less electricity and gas

Many of us are in the habit of doing things which use unnecessary amounts of electricity and gas. Perhaps we have our heating higher than necessary or leave it on when we are out. We might use the oven when we could use a grill or leave a mobile devise charger plugged in when we do not need it. We might leave computers on when we are not using them or televisions and things on stand by overnight or most of the time. By making small changes and switching things off when not in use we could save quite a bit of money as it will all add up.

Use less water

If you are on a water meter then you will pay for all of the water that you use. This means that it could save you a lot of money if you cut down your water usage. You may already be careful with using a hose or washing the car as well as cutting down on baths and having short showers instead, but there are other things you can do. Repair dripping taps, do not leave the tap running when brushing teeth, only put on the washing machine when you have a full load, do not wash up under a running tap but use a bowl of water and when cooking do not put water than necessary over your boiled vegetables. All of these small things will add up and not only will you be saving water but you will be saving money as well.

Buy less take away food and drink

Buying take away food such as breakfast bars, premade salads, ready meals, snack bars, bottled fizzy drinks, cups of coffee and things like this are very convenient and a normal part of many people’s day. However, all of these items will have a wrapper and these are normally plastic and not able to be recycled. By making your own sandwich or meal, carrying water in a reusable bottle or taking a flask of coffee with you, you will not only save money but you will also reduce the amount of waste that you produce.

Use the car less

Every time we drive the car it does not just cost us fuel but it creates wear and tear which can mean that the car will need servicing and repairing more often. There is also the pollution and emissions which cause problems for the environment. So, by walking or cycling to places that you would normally use the car for, you will be helping. Perhaps by doing a selection of things in one car journey, such as picking up groceries on your way home from work rather than making a separate journey later in the evening.

Buy second hand

If you buy items second-hand they will normally be cheaper than if you buy them new. Not only will you be saving money you will also be reducing the demand for new items and reducing the amount of things that are manufactured. This will use less resources and be beneficial to the planet. People have different attitudes to buying things second-hand. Some people have no choice and so are happy with it but others feel they do not want to own items that others have owned. However, you can start by buying items that can be easily cleaned which should remove any worries about others owning them. Some people are happier with things like books and jigsaws where they are not wearing or eating off the items, but some are happy with anything.

Tips on Being Healthy on a Budget

by admin

Many of us would like to be a lot healthier but it can feel like the cost is holding us back. However, there are things that we can do that might save money and make us healthier or at least not cost us any extra.

Fitness

Many of us will take out a gym membership or join sports clubs when we decide that we would like to be fitter. Although this could help us to get healthier it will very much depend on whether we go to the gym or attend the clubs regularly. Even if we do, it might be just as useful to excuse without these. It is possible to do a lot of exercise with minimal cost. You can exercise at home using household objects instead of weights and you can go out walking or running, do stretches and resistance training without the need for a gym. You may be able to find videos online which you can use to help you with your techniques. Sometimes it is the need to have someone motivating you that will make all of the difference. This can be achieved by working out regularly with a friend or family member. If one of you is not so keen on that particular day to exercise, then the other may be able to encourage them.

Eating out

Eating out is something which many people enjoy. However, it is normally very difficult to find a healthy meal when you eat out. Often food is fried or have indulgent sauces and there is always the temptation to overeat and have a pudding as well. It can be very much cheaper to cook at home compared with the cost of eating out and you will be able to control the food you are eating and make sure that you have healthy options. If you do want to eat out then search for a place to eat at that provides healthy options or share plates with others so that you do not have to eat a whole portion. Sometimes it might be possible to substitute some of the food the meal comes with, such as swapping chips for new potatoes or swapping cauliflower cheese for boiled vegetables. It is also worth thinking about portion sizes and seeing if there is a smaller sized meal or a children’s menu that you could choose to keep the price and portion size down.

Takeaway Food

Buying takeaway food can be so easy but it is expensive. You can get takeaway food for all meals of the day as well as snacks, so whether it is a breakfast bar, sandwich or pizza, it is so easy to grab something and pay more than necessary for it. If we make the equivalent foods for ourselves then we will find that they are very much cheaper. We can also make healthier versions which will be better for us as well.

Supermarkets

Shopping at a cheaper supermarket does not mean that we have to have less healthy food. It is best to cook all meals from scratch so that we know exactly what is going into them. The price of unprocessed food such as fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meat and fish does vary between supermarkets, but if you are making your own flavourings and sauces it should not matter whether they taste that different. Often the flavour will be the same anyway and the quality. For example, a carrot will not really differ, unless you want a speciality type of some sort, so you may as well pay less money for it.

So, you can see that there are a lot of ways that we can spend less and become healthier. By exercising more at home and buying less processed food, cutting own on eating out and takeaway foods, a lot of savings can be made. It can also be worth considering whether you can cut down the amount that you eat, perhaps by reducing your portion size or cutting out snacks which will save money as well. Many of us spend more on this sort of thing than we realise and by noting down what we are buying and how much it is costing us, we could find that we will be able to reduce what we are spending by a significant amount of money. It can be very easy to be tempted by expensive superfoods or to buy items that are on special offer that we do not really need to buy. It is therefore wise to stick to a shopping list and make sure that we are sticking to a budget for food so that we only spend that we can afford. This will mean that we can avoid having to get a loan to pay for our groceries and can use money to buy other things that we want.