Giving every £ a job

[Deleted User]

well done on stopping the personal spend blackcats!  I agree with you re utility spends, always just paid the extra rather than trying to economise.  DH WFH a lot at the minute and I keep asking him to use blankets rather than put the heating on.  He gets particularly moaney when the tumble dryer is on as the pipe thing goes out the window in DC1's room (as we are in this rotten rental) which is opposite the dining room where he works from.  He wants to put the heating on when the window is open (to which I say a firm no!)

savingholmes

I am very conscious of my utility bill and try to limit heating and go round switching things off. 

Blackcats

Queen Jess - your post has made me reflect on some changes I've made already and some yet to be made.  My baby steps include ... swopped liquid soap for block of soap, swopped laundry products (subject to the caveats but better than previous choices), really trying to cut back on food waste, buying more seasonal fruit and veg in less wrapping where possible, using local butcher and fishmonger who use less wrapping as well as supporting local businesses.  Always fun to have a chat with them too.  I've repaired some clothes to give them a new lease of life, more thoughtful with running taps/water use, trying to keep control of energy use.
next year I'd like to try shampoo bars - there's a lot of plastic bottles in my shower cubicle!  However, I don't really know where to look - any suggestions? 

Rebecca and SH - it's a revelation to me how many times I can cut back on wasted gas/electricity usage - I realise I've honestly never bothered before - shocking!   OH is really good about not wasting food and really tight about not being able to throw things away without trying to recycle or repair them but he leaves the house lit up like an airport runway, leaves the front door open as he goes in and out to the car, wears a t shirt and shorts and says he's cold ..... 

angela110660

Well done on all your changes Blackcats - am trying to do a bit more too as have been recycling for years, using Freecycle to dispose of things, switching off things when not in use, and have swapped recently to shampoo and conditioner bars and am very happy with them. Bought them at supermarket and they lather well but I do have fine, shoulder length hair - unsure how people with longer, thicker hair get on with them? Maybe someone else will comment for you. Keep going.

QueenJess

Blackcats said:

OH is really good about not wasting food and really tight about not being able to throw things away without trying to recycle or repair them but he leaves the house lit up like an airport runway, leaves the front door open as he goes in and out to the car, wears a t shirt and shorts and says he's cold ..... 

This made me laugh. My DH shops in expensive places for food, always wants to get the best thing, leaves all the lights on constantly and then complains about how much we seem to need to live on! He hasn’t quite understood that the little things add up..

Shampoo bars seem to depend on hair type and my long hair hasn’t liked any of them so far. I’m going to try Ethique when I finish up what I have. I’ll dig out a useful link all about shampoo bars if I can find it later.

QueenJess

Found that easier than I thought! Here’s the link: https://www.sustainablylazy.com/blog/types-of-shampoo-bar-low-poo

savingholmes

I think I read somewhere that Waitrose do one for £4

CL21

I’ve used a brand called Conchus in the past and highly recommend. It’s a lovely small business based in Devon (I think!) and the shampoo bars and hair rinses are all lovely. I use Beam on my hair. All wrapped in fully recyclable packaging and last ages. 

Blackcats

Thank you for the encouragement Angela - I suppose if we all do our bit then it will accumulate to make some difference.  

Thanks for the link queenjess and cl21.  Of course, I was instantly tempted to buy the lovely products ..... however grown up me has just done a stocktake on all the various bottles of shampoo and conditioners around the house and there's a lot!  Is it just me or does shampoo get used at a different rate to conditioner????  Anyway I've saved the links and I'm looking forward to making that change in 2022.

we went for a lovely walk today around a local lake and spent the last of our "eating out" budget on a delicious brunch.  The coffee shop had some igloo type pods outside which made the occasion extra special.  Bacon, Brie and cranberry sandwich - yum yum.  
 

QueenJess

Blackcats said:

Thanks for the link queenjess and cl21.  Of course, I was instantly tempted to buy the lovely products ..... however grown up me has just done a stocktake on all the various bottles of shampoo and conditioners around the house and there's a lot!  Is it just me or does shampoo get used at a different rate to conditioner????

Nope. I currently have a whole bottle of conditioner and almost no shampoo 🤷‍♀️