Preserving saves you money If you can make seasonal food last longer by preserving it you will be quids in. Especially if that seasonal food is cheap because there is a glut of it at the moment, or it’s in the reduced section. You can preserve food in loads of different ways, the easiest way is to bulk cook a …
Countdown to Cosy – Swap it
What can you swap today? Swapping is a great way to make a little change for the better. Here are some ideas for things to change around. Remember every little thing we do to live more sustainably is good, even though it seems a tiny drop in the ocean. Try a banana instead of a slice of cake Refill a …
Countdown to Cosy – Read it or ditch it
Have you got a stack of things to ‘read later’? It could be anything from recipes to current affairs and if you are anything like me you might have a collection that goes back some years! Are there any that you could read right now? Make a cup of tea, get comfy and do some reading. You might find you …
Countdown to Cosy – Find that draft
It’s good to have a bit of ventilation in our homes but there is no need to live in a wind tunnel! Find the draft! You can find the drafts easily with a candle, match, lighter or a bit of tissue paper and this video shows you how. Get professional help If you live in Bristol the amazing CHEESE …
Have a Buy Nothing Day and make do instead
I used to do my food shop every Monday. I had it down to a fine art, roughly planning what we were going to need for the week then getting totally distracted by the reduced section and replanning it all 🙂 This month I’ve tried going an extra day before doing the food shop. That food for the extra day …
Stop pouring money down the drain. Reuse your ‘grey water’
What is grey water? Grey water is water that has been used to wash something. It is the water from showers, washing dishes, baths, sinks, etc. and it typically makes up between 50-80% of a household’s waste water. (source – https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/tech/greywater-recycling/) Why bother reusing it? Because it costs money and energy to make our water clean enough to drink. If …
Refill a disposable water bottle, save money, help the planet.
You don’t need to spend money on fancy water bottles, although nice stainless steel ones are worth the money because they keep your water cool. Simply re-filling a disposable water bottle a couple of times will save you money and stop the bottle going straight to landfill. Don’t think that one person can do nothing! Many people doing one small …
How easy is it to upcycle a plastic bottle?
If you are an IKEA Family member you might have seen these amazing emails that feature products for £0! That’s right, nothing! IKEA are promoting the Live LAGOM ethos of upcycling and making new things out of old. I’ve been crafting for as long as I remember and the re-purposing ideas really inspired me. I wanted to see how easy …
Craft with Lisa from less-stuff at IKEA’s Learning Lab in Greenwich
Earlier this year I was invited to visit the IKEA store in Greenwich. It is pretty special because it is very sustainable. They use solar power, harvest all their rainwater, use only LED lightbulbs and they let the daylight in. The store has huge and gorgeous windows and a rooftop with wonderful views of the city. For me, the most …
Save money, eat like a king and save food waste with Too Good To Go
Too Good To Go is a free app that saves good food from waste. Anywhere that sells food often has delicious goodies left at the end of the day. Too Good To Go helps you find those tasty treats at a bargain price. You don’t get much of a choice, you get a ‘magic bag’ which could contain anything from …
Top tips for buying secondhand – Guest post by Holly Foat
This guest post is by a Holly Foat who combines bargain hunting with living more sustainably. I’ve been super busy running upcycling workshops away from home so I really appreciate her help writing for less-stuff. Holly also writes for the very brilliant No Serial Number magazine. If you are interested in design and sustainability check it out for articles and …
Celebrate #WaitroseUnpacked with an upcycling craft workshop
Very exciting things are happening this June. The Waitrose store in Botley Road, Oxford has a whole new unpackaged area! Enter #WaitroseUnpacked and you walk into the store to see glorious fresh vegetables totally free of plastic! Walk further back into the store and there are dried goods to put in your own containers and even refillable wine and beer! …