I’m trying really hard to reduce my waste at the moment, and I’m quite proud of my progress. Things like this take time, practice and patience, so I’m not expecting to go zero waste overnight (being ‘zero waste’ is virtually impossible anyway), but doing bits and bobs wherever possible ends up with significant results. And who doesn’t love saving a bit of money where they can? For me, saving money and reducing waste go hand in hand, here are some of the reasons why:
1. Reusuable menstrual products
By now, we’re all aware of how much I bloody love my menstrual cup (pun most definitely intended), and that’s for a number of reasons. You can read a blog post about the advantages of using a menstrual cup here. It’s no secret that for people with wombs, menstruation can be an unfairly costly time.
Despite the initial cost (usually about 20), a menstrual cup is one of the cheapest options for menstrual products as they last for around 10 years. When you put that into context with single use pads and tampons, there’s not really much competition.
If you find that you don’t get on with a menstrual cup, or you don’t think it’s for you for whatever reason, you can use reusable pads. These pads you use as you would a disposable one, except after use you can wash
2. Take your food on the road with you
As much as we may all love a meal deal, the amount of packaging and the prices are something I think we all agree could and should be reduced. If you buy a meal deal as lunch every or most days, then you’’ be shelling out nearly £20 a week.
By making your own packed lunches, you can have a wider variety of meals, ensure you're getting the nutrients you need as well as the amount of packaging you use (whether it's plastic or not). I usually have leftovers or make extra portions of a meal to use later on.
By making your own packed lunches, you can have a wider variety of meals, ensure you're getting the nutrients you need as well as the amount of packaging you use (whether it's plastic or not). I usually have leftovers or make extra portions of a meal to use later on.
3. Travel mugs
We all know about the infamous plastic-lined takeaway coffee cup, they’ve been all over the news and environmental campaigns, and for good reason. There are many ways a resuable travel mug can save you some cash. For example, most chain coffee shops now do discounts or other deals if you bring in your own travel mug to use.
Costa: 25p
Pret a Manger: 50p
Starbucks: 25p
Greggs: 20p
Caffe Nero: double stamps on your loyalty card, meaning you have to buy 4/5 drinks to get one for free instead of 9.
But you don’t need to go out to buy your hot drinks. It may sound obvious (and kind of similar to my last point), but making your morning coffee at home rather than buying one out will mean that you save a lot of money. Let’s be honest, an average of £2 for a cup of tea (without the discount) is absolutely ridiculous when you can make one for pennies instead.
4. Second-hand clothing
Whilst ethical clothing can be much pricier than more wasteful alternatives, buying clothes second-hand definitely doesn’t need to be expensive. There’s nothing better than finding something amazing from a charity shop for a couple of quid – that’s where I’ve found some of my favourite items of clothing – and by doing so you’re not contributing to a linear economy, and helping a good cause whilst doing so.
5. The nature of reuse!
By focusing on using items in the long term, rather than throwing them out for a day. It’s just common sense really – replacing less means we spend less. Whether it’s containers you repurpose or old rags made into reusuable cotton wool pads or even a well-used library card, there are so many ways to cut down on spending by reusing rather than dumping.
What are your low-waste tips and tricks for saving money?
If you liked this post you might like: 5 Ways to Reduce Waste
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