Eco-friendly ideas to save money

Bloggers know how to save money and be green. We asked them for eco-friendly ideas to save money and help the environment.

Yes, you can still be green on a budget. And if you're sick to the teeth of being told to change your light bulbs to save money and the planet, head to the blogosphere for some innovative advice. We asked some of the top bloggers worldwide for their best credit crunch eco-friendly ideas. And we got some fantastic advice - how about this ...

 

In the kitchen

 

‘For every lb of mince in a recipe add 2 handfuls of oats and loads of chopped/grated veggies, thereby making lb mince stretch to 2lb easily, and saving fuel as well as cooking once, eating twice, maybe three times.' 

Maisie, Therubbishdiet.co.uk

 

Clever cleaning

 

Top your kitchen cupboards with newspapers in order to catch dust and grime. Not only does it save money on cleaning products, it also saves time and effort and re-uses newspapers.

Envweb.blogspot.com

 

Fashion tips

 

'If you're trying to cut down on going out and spending money on clothes then throw a clothes party. Get all your friends to root through their wardrobe and sort out anything they don't wear anymore, bring them along and swap them. You can do the same with shoes, makeup, dvds, books, cds - you name it! A fun cheap night in, and lots of new-to-you clothes to boot!'  

Emily, Greenunion.co.uk

 

Knit your own bags! ‘There are loads of patterns out there, you can make the 'yarn' by cutting up old plastic bags, or old t-shirts if you prefer a cloth option.'

Fi, Fuelled by Tea

 

Make your own bag step-by-step project - click here

 

Beauty advice

 

'When mascara dries up put the tube in a cup of hot water and you can get one more wear out of it.'  

Debra, Greenunion.co.uk

 

Party fun

 

‘Instead of going out for a cocktail, why not plant a "bar garden" and entertain at home? We plant a variety of basils for martinis, mints and lime for mojito's, and passion fruit for tropical drinks. Everyone can pick their herbs to give their cocktail that personal taste. My favorite is a Eureka lemon-drop martini with fresh juice, home made simple syrup and Kettle One Citron vodka - hold the sugar please!

Karen, www.citydirt.net

 

'Collect colourful pages from magazines, newspapers, leaflets, sweet wrappers etc. It is easy to make traditional paper party decorations from these materials and you can quickly learn to make unique and stunning origami-style decorations. All can be recycled after the  party too, so what are you waiting for?! Get crafty!'  

Samantha, Greenunion.co.uk

 

For more great easy-to-make craft ideas, see our craft makes section

 

See more top tips

 

The Rubbish Diet came up with some great tips for us - see them in this eco-friendly ideas section

 

Including great advice from Gill, author of That British Woman blog, who moved to Canada nearly 20 years ago taking all her old copies of Prima with her - she still flicks through them to this very day! Check her blog for tips on how to make laundry detergent and fabric softener.

 

 

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More eco-friendly ideas

 

 

Kim and Aggie's top 10 natural cleaning tips

 

Why eating in season is better for you

 

Real-life homes - the eco house