Environment & Money Saving Tips - Part 5
By Christopher Tait

Insulate your home
By getting your walls and loft insulated with environmentally friendly products such as cellulose that is made from recycled newspapers you could be onto huge savings with your energy bill. Up to 20% could be cut off your heating bills. The installation of the insulation will soon pay for itself. Contact your local government body as you may find that there is funding available to help with the initial cost too.

By concentrated products
When buying washing up liquid or fabric detergent buy the concentrated bottles. This will save on packaging that is needed for the larger bottles and also it means that more bottles can be placed onto a single lorry load so less lorries are required to transport the product.

Don't use the Microwave to defrost
Take items that you want to use out of the freezer in plenty of time to allow them to defrost naturally. Don't use the microwave as this uses electricity needlessly. A bit of advance planning with your meals will stop you needing to defrost items in the microwave.

Car share
If you work in a big enough place there are bound to be one or two people that will come from the same direction as you. If so see if you can set up a car sharing pool where you nominate who will drive that week. Even just 2 people car sharing will help the environment and you will notice the difference in your pocket from not having to fill up your tank so often. Also car share when meeting friends on a night or use public transport where possible.

Choose goods with less packaging
Try and get goods that are packed loose, that have less packaging or can be brought as multi-packs. There are obvious advantages to less packaging as it cuts down on not only the cost to you but also the cost to produce and the energy required to produce and ship the desired item. If you buy a bulky item such as a new washing machine you can now request from most suppliers for them to remove the packaging when they deliver the product so that it is sent of to be recycled.

Buy a plant
Next time you think about buying a bunch of flowers for someone ask yourself if they would prefer a plant. Not only does a plant last a lot longer than flowers it can also help to freshen the air in the house. If you do decide to get one choose one from a local supplier that has been grown organically.