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Tis the season to be sustainable

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Christmas is a time for giving, but it shouldn’t cost the earth. So here are our top five tips on having a sustainable Christmas and saving the planet while you spread some Christmas cheer.

The gifts
Lists aren’t just for Santa. Choose who you’re buying gifts for and make a list (and check it twice). That way you’ll know exactly what you need to buy and it should also help you avoid last minute panic buying, which can lead to unused and wasted presents.

Gifts don’t have to be bought, and they don’t even need to be material things! Pledges for your time or an activity are a thoughtful alternative and handmade gifts such as food, arts or crafts show a really personal touch. Did someone say “let’s bake gingerbread men…?”

If you do buy a gift, choose to buy local from sustainable companies to reduce the environmental impact of your shopping. It can help support your local community too, as the cash spent and taxes paid stay in your local economy. It’s also more sustainable to stick to one big gift rather than giving lots of little ones – it can reduce waste and as an added bonus you’ll only need to come up with one thoughtful gift idea.

If you’re feeling really charitable (and you think the gift receiver would like it) you could even make a donation to charity on the person’s behalf.

Wrapping paper
And what to wrap your lovely thoughtful gifts in? Eco-friendly wrapping paper of course! Recyclable wrapping paper is better for the environment than many normal rolls, as a lot of them contain non-recyclable elements like foil, glitter or plastic. Equally, brown paper packages tied-up with string can make a beautiful present. Finish off with twigs of eucalyptus tucked under the string and your sustainable pressie is complete!

Pro tip: want to know if your wrapping paper can be recycled or not? Use the scrunch test. Scrunch up the paper in your hand then let it go. If the paper stays scrunched up it can be recycled. But if it unfolds on its own, then it probably contains non-recyclable elements. Boo!

The tree
Up to 8 million Christmas trees are bought every year in this country alone. That’s a lot of trees. Although plastic tress are a good alternative and should last for years, they take a lot of energy to produce and will have to be disposed of in the future.

A sustainable alternative is to rent a tree. Yeah, that’s right – rent your Christmas tree! Loads of garden centres offer a tree-hire service for the festive period and they’ll even pick it up and drop it off to save you the hassle.

Of course, if you want to go one step further, you could use or grow your own. A tree with roots will grow outside and you can use it again next year, reducing the environmental impact and costing you less. Holly, apple, pear, and Japanese maple trees are all good options, although they do take a bit more looking after.

If you do go for a real tree though, just make sure it’s sustainably grown – trees should have either the FSC or Soil Association logo on them. And remember to recycle it when you’re finished. Most local councils have set up recycling points specifically for Christmas trees, or alternatively you can take yours to your nearest recycling centre.

The food
Oh the food! We all love a bit of Christmas dinner. Whether it’s the mouth-watering main or those sumptuous sides, we just can’t get enough. If you’re going down the traditional turkey or meaty route – try to buy organic and free-range, and support your local small-scale farms if possible too.

The Soil Association tell us, “food is the single most important, everyday way for people to reduce their environmental impact.” So we can really make a difference by making sustainable choices, even down to the packaging of the foods we buy. Opt for loose items or those that have little or no plastic packaging to help save the planet.

Plumping for a full-on veggie Christmas dinner is even better for the environment. Vegan nut roasts and brandy butter are delish, and definitely won’t leave you feeling like you’ve missed out.

…and the drink!
Like the food, go organic and locally-sourced with your drinks if you can. Haven’t tried organic wine yet? Well Christmas is as good an excuse as any to give it a go. There are loads of UK vineyards producing tasty tipples, just look out for their organic credentials on the label. Or if you prefer something a little stronger, the UK’s first organic distillery in south-west Wales, Dà Mhìle, has a selection of organic whiskey, brandy and gin. Just remember to enjoy responsibly!

Last but not least
Always find yourself searching the cupboards for enough matching glasses when you’re entertaining at Christmas? Fear not – you can rent some for free from Waitrose! What a time to be alive!

Surviving on a shoestring budget

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It seems a long time ago since your student loan dropped into your new student bank account, and the cupboards were heaving with pasta and baked beans donated by well-meaning family.

But what happens when the food donations have run out and you’re deep into the first term?

Follow our handy tips to make sure your budgeting game is on point and avoid that awkward bail-out call home to your parents.

    1. Take the free stuff! It’s not just during Freshers fairs that you’ll be bombarded by people trying to off-load free pizza, USBs, mugs, choc and food vouchers, so take what you can! And did you know that when you reach 19 you may also be able to get free prescriptions, dental care and sight tests by applying to the NHS Low Income Scheme?
    2. Save on your shopping. For longer term savings from a broad range of retailers such as ASOS, Co-op and Pizza Express, get yourself an NUS card. It will cost you £12 for the year, but you’ll benefit from cool discounts and plenty of useful offers.
    3. Keep fit and save on travel costs. It might seem simple but walking or cycling to and from uni will save you heaps of money on expensive bus or train fares, although it will mean you have to get out of bed a bit earlier. If you can’t avoid spending on the trains, then make sure you pick up a student railcard to save a third (during off-peak times).
    4. Three cheers for charity shopping! If you have some time to browse the racks in your local charity shops (and let’s face it, you will definitely have some spare time between lectures), go and grab yourself some bargains. Congratulate yourself on rescuing your unique new wardrobe from the jaws of the local landfill too!
    5. Look after the pennies. Think about saving for something you really want – festival or gig tickets, nights out or trips back home to see your friends. Fill a jar with your spare coins and watch those savings grow into something fabulous!

Sustainable living – small steps to make a big difference

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Sustainability. It’s a bit of a buzz word right now, but for very good reason!

I don’t know about you, but I find it all a bit overwhelming. I wholeheartedly want to do my bit – we all have to if we’re to find a better, more sustainable way of living and reduce the impact we’re having on the planet. But sometimes it all feels like too much effort.

For me, sometimes it feels like I’m fighting a losing battle when I’m sifting through the tonne of packaging I’ve accumulated trying to work out if it can be recycled or not! And I hate that we have all this plastic that can’t be recycled that will go to landfill or might end up poisoning some marine-life thousands of miles away. Can’t we just banish the plastic?!

So I’m determined to up my game!

We all know we need to tackle this together, but what is ‘sustainable living’? The World Wildlife Foundation says that it’s a lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of the Earth’s natural resources by reducing your carbon footprint through changing your methods of transport, energy consumption, and diet.

I’ve given this quite a bit of thought recently and I’ve joined various groups on social media to help with some inspiration. I’ve found local groups can be a fantastic way of learning more and understanding what we can do as a community to be more sustainable. For one, I learnt that we can recycle a lot more in our green bin than I thought, as the rules have changed! So double check your local recycling rules to make sure you’re up to speed!

There are lots of things we can do to make a difference, so here are my top tips:

  • Compost – make your own at home or see if there’s a local scheme.
  • Buy second-hand – clothes, books, toys… anything really! It’s amazing what you can find and with lots of selling sites now available, it’s never been easier. And you can grab a bargain too!
  • Eat less meat – the environmental impact of meat production is well documented, so consider having at least one vegetarian meal a week instead.
  • Use less paper – mop up spills with a re-usable cloth instead of kitchen paper and cancel that unwanted mail through your letterbox.
  • Walk/bike more – as well as the physical and mental wellbeing benefits, by not jumping in the car you’re reducing your carbon footprint and saving money on fuel too! Public transport is also a more sustainable option.
  • Use less water – take a shorter shower or turn the shower off when you’re lathering up! Only do the washing with full loads.
  • Turn off electrical items when not in use – lots of electrics still use energy when not in use, so try unplugging your hairdryer, microwave and phone charger etc. – it’ll also save you money on your electricity bill!
  • Re-usable containers and bags – use a re-fillable water bottle and take a re-usable coffee cup for your morning caffeine fix. Find a zero waste shop and take your own containers along for stocking up on food. And always take re-usable bags with you on shopping trips!
  • Change your lightbulbs – switch to energy-saving LEDs.

It’s that simple! We can all easily make some of these changes and do our bit, so let’s get started!

Less plastic: more life

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Every single piece of plastic ever thrown away is still on this Earth.

It’s a shocking fact, but plastic is simply unable to decompose fully. That one plastic bottle of water you bought earlier will take up to 450 years to only mostly decompose – it’ll never fully decompose! And it will most likely turn into microscopic plastic pieces, of which there are 51 trillion (269,000 tons) on our planet – that’s over 500 times the number of stars in our galaxy!

What would you prefer to see?

What plastic means to you and the environment
If we carry on using plastic at our current rate, it’ll out-weigh the number of fish in our seas by 2050. The need to take action is clear, and reducing our plastic use right now really could make a difference.

As well as killing 100,000 marine mammals and turtles, and over 1 million sea birds every year, plastic pollution also affects marine plant life. And we rely on these marine plants to produce 70% of the oxygen we breathe. The marine life that does survive often eats the plastic that ends up in our seas. It stays inside them forever, and worryingly a third of all fish now contain traces of plastic. Therefore, there’s a high chance that if you eat fish, you’ve also eaten microscopic pieces of plastic. Maybe some of the same plastic you threw away!

So reducing plastic will be beneficial not only for the planet and the marine life, but also for us, our friends, and our families.

Reducing our plastic waste

  • If you have to use a straw buy a metal or bamboo one.
  • When shopping take re-useable bags with you.
  • Spread the word about the impact plastic is having and encourage others to reduce their plastic usage.
  • If you live near a beach why not head down and do a litter pick. Check out the Marine Conservation Society or Surfers Against Sewage for details of clean ups close to you.
  • Don’t live near the beach? You can still head down to your local park and help pick up rubbish. There are loads of organised litter picks.
  • Join campaigns to help reduce the production of plastic products such as Friends of the Earth or the WWF.
  • Recycle all the plastic you do end up using so it doesn’t stay wasting away on the planet.

The future
As part of the younger generation being told “you don’t know enough to understand our plastic consumption or climate change”, I feel it’s my duty to prove people wrong and help others understand the level of catastrophe we’re facing.

People are often told not to worry, as it’s something for future generations to deal with. But it shouldn’t be like that! It might not affect you in your lifetime, but you can make a significant, immediate difference to help your children, grandchildren or any younger generation to live in a safe, environmentally friendly world.

Life without plastic?

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My desire to go plastic-free in July was inspired by reading into the wider issue of single-use plastics. They’re having a devastating impact on our environment and wildlife, particularly marine life – it shocked me to discover that it’s now estimated 90% of all seabirds have some form of plastic in their stomachs.

I’ve shared my experiences of going plastic-free in my previous blogs, so here are the lessons I’ve learned in going plastic-free in July.

Drowning in plastic
At the beginning of the month the scale of the challenge seemed overwhelming and everywhere I looked, plastic was all around. It was eye-opening to see how much I had in my house and I didn’t really know where to begin, so I decided to take small steps first. I started taking my lunch into work every day and took a re-usable bottle everywhere I went, as well as a bamboo cutlery set. This immediately cut my plastic waste and felt like an easy swap.  

Plastic-free heroes
Once I’d started with the small swaps, I looked into plastic-free alternatives to my everyday essentials and came across some amazing plastic-free companies, like Plastic Freedom and The Kind Store. I was pleased to discover the cosmetics company Lush has a great range of packaging-free cosmetics and toiletries.

I swapped out my kitchen sponge, teabags, makeup remover wipes, body wash, face wash, shampoo and conditioner to plastic-free alternatives. The initial cost was expensive, but as most of these products came in bar form or are re-usable, there should be significant long-term savings.

Food for thought
The first time I went food shopping during plastic-free July was so frustrating. Pretty much all of the fruit and veg is wrapped in some form of plastic. Finding plastic-free alternatives was time-consuming and the whole experience took about half an hour longer than usual. I looked at my trolley and felt like I’d failed!

From the second week onwards it was much easier, I was able to avoid the plastic traps and switched my fruit and veg shopping to our local farm shop – 90% of their fruit and veg is plastic free. The produce is cheaper and tastier too!

The plastic problem
Because plastic is so cheap and easy to manufacture, it’s everywhere you look. I learnt that it’s ok not to be perfect all the time – there are times when you’ll have no choice but to purchase something wrapped in plastic. Don’t be too hard on yourself, making small changes elsewhere all adds up!

Plastic-free for the future
Although plastic-free July is over, I intend to continue with my journey. Going plastic-free has been eye-opening and the amount of waste, as well as plastic we produce as a household has reduced dramatically. This challenge has made me realise that even if we all make small swaps such as switching to a re-usable coffee cup and refusing plastic straws, the impact we can make as a collective is huge.

Doing something drastic, cutting the plastic

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According to Surfers against Sewage (SAS), plastic pollution can now be found on every beach in the world, from busy tourist beaches to uninhabited, tropical islands. Whilst this is a worrying statistic, making even the smallest change to your single-use plastic consumption can reduce your plastic footprint significantly. I’m now two weeks into my plastic-free July challenge and I’m starting to get into my stride!

Monday 8 July
It’s my first full week back at work since my holiday and I’m definitely feeling the Monday blues! Just like last week, I pack myself lunch and take my (many) re-usable containers into work with me. I make my first tea of the day – I’ve switched to a loose leaf tea as I was shocked to discover that most teabags contain some form of plastic. As an avid tea-drinker, that adds up to a lot of plastic waste over time!

Tuesday 9 July
As I’m starting to use up some of my regular household items I’m looking into plastic-free alternatives. After doing my research I discover that although the initial outlay is often pricey, the sustainable alternative should last me longer and the re-fills are often cheaper. I’ve made an order from an online plastic-free shop called Plastic Freedom and I’m excited to unpack washable kitchen sponges, organic cotton produce bags, washable cotton rounds to take my makeup off and plastic-free cleaning products.

Wednesday 10 July
Today I get the chance to try out my new cleaning products! I purchased a few glass spray bottles and fill these with lukewarm water, then add the concentrated cleaning solution. I shake the spray bottle thoroughly and my anti-bac cleaner dissolves completely into the water, making it completely zero waste! On testing, my plastic-free cleaner does the job nicely and as an added bonus it smells incredible!

Thursday 11 July
At lunchtime I sit down to listen to my audio book and tuck into my homemade salad of chickpeas, sundried tomatoes and olives (all salvaged from last night’s dinner). Not only is my lunch delicious, it also cuts down on unwanted packaging and is saving me money too – a definite win in my eyes!

Friday 12 July
Food shopping has been the hardest area to go plastic free. I’m making changes by shopping for all our fruit and veg at a local farm shop rather than a supermarket and trying to buy items in cans or glass wherever possible, as these are easier to recycle. Buying meat plastic-free has been pretty much impossible unless I go to the butchers (unfortunately we don’t have one locally), so all my meals have been meat-free this week.

Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July
My husband and I have a quiet weekend at home, so living plastic free is relatively easy! I take a trip into town to stock up on some bubble bars and bath bombs from Lush (my favourite treat!). I bring my own bags and the staff in store put my purchases in small paper bags. They go in a bowl in our bedroom, which makes the room smell amazing and means we don’t need air fresheners or room sprays anymore!

What started off as a challenge that felt almost overwhelming, is starting to become quite enjoyable. And researching the plastic pollution problem has only spurred me on to continue to make as many changes as I can.

How’s your plastic free July going?

Drowning in plastic – my plastic free July challenge

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After seeing both the recent BBC documentary the War on Plastic and Blue Planet, I’ve been horrified to see the impact that single use plastics are having on the environment and on wildlife. A particular statistic that shocked me was that in the UK we throw away around 16.5 billion pieces of single-use plastic cutlery every year.

To me this seems like an unbelievable amount and it’s inspired me to try and give up as much single-use plastic as I can.

Whilst researching the plastic-free / zero waste movement online I came across Plastic Free July – a global movement encouraging people to refuse single-use plastics throughout the month of July – and I decided to give it a go!

Although living completely plastic free is probably a step too far for me right now, I’m aiming to reduce the amount of single-use plastic I buy and use over the month of July and I’ll be sharing my journey here – read on to find out how I got on.

Monday 1 July
I’m currently on holiday in Zante and as we aren’t doing much today except for sitting by the pool I’m able to make a good start on going plastic-free during July. I can get free water from the bar and the smoothie I order arrives in a glass mason jar. We have lunch in the hotel’s restaurant, meaning we avoid plastic cutlery, and I remember to ask the bartender not to give me a straw, so not a bad start all in all!

Tuesday 2 July
Today we travel home from Zante and although I try my best, the wheels come off today. We have a mid-day flight, so the morning flies by in a haze of packing, but before we leave the hotel we have one last glass of water and then travel over to the airport.

Zante airport is tiny, with a couple of cafes dotted around and not much else. I manage to buy a sandwich and ask them to put it in a paper bag, which they do for me, but getting water that isn’t bottled from here on out is impossible as the tap water isn’t drinkable in Zante. I buy a large bottle of water for myself and my husband to share and hope this option is a bit better than buying individual bottles – we take this on the plane and try and make it last as long as possible. By the time the food trolley comes around, I’m starving – but there aren’t any plastic-free options so I give in and order a sandwich (feeling surprisingly guilty as I do).

Wednesday 3 July
I’m back at work and back to reality! I have a s’well re-usable bottle in the cupboard at home, so I pour in some water from the fridge and add a few ice cubes to keep it nice and cold. I also bought a set of re-usable stainless steel straws so I pop one of these in my work bag.

We go out for lunch and although I’m well-prepared with my reusable straw, the place we go to for lunch provides paper ones! I’m struggling to find snacks that aren’t wrapped in plastic, so on the way back to the office I go into a local grocery store and pick up some loose fruit.

Thursday 4 July
Today I decide to bring in my own lunch. For most of this year I’ve been buying lunch out every day which is not only an expensive habit to have, but it’s made me think about how wasteful it is. I pack myself a nice healthy lunch in my reusable, stainless steel lunchbox and I can use the cutlery at work so I don’t need to bring a knife and fork with me.

My snacks today are an apple, an orange and a packet of crisps. The individually packaged crisps are an issue, so I decide to buy a large bag of crisps in my next food shop and divide it into portions, rather than buying a multipack, to cut down on packaging. Plastic-free packaged crisps seem pretty much impossible to find!

Friday 5 July
I have the same lunch as yesterday, so I put it all in a re-usable tote bag and take it along to work with me. In the evening, I go out for dinner with a friend and order a mocktail, but it comes with what appears to be a plastic straw. –I speak to the barman and he explains the straws are actually made entirely from cornstarch, which means they look like plastic but are completely biodegradable and they dispose of them amongst their food waste. I enjoy my mocktail even more!

Saturday 6 July and Sunday 7 July
It’s finally the weekend! We have a double helping of BBQ’s and I have a feeling that navigating this plastic-free is going to be a bit of a nightmare! On Saturday we have a hog-roast so I’m able to refuse a plate and eat my bun without the need for cutlery or a plastic plate.  We go to a family BBQ on Sunday and I feel slightly awkward asking for a proper plate and knife and fork rather than the paper plates on offer, but my sister in law gladly obliges. This gets me talking about the challenge with the family and I think I’ve now got a few of them on board too!

This first week hasn’t been without it’s challenges, however the small swaps such as bringing my lunch in, carrying everything in a re-usable bag and bringing my own cutlery with me have helped make a big impact already. I’m starting to plan how I’m going to tackle the food shop next week – I’ll let you know how I get on!

Not so fantastic plastic

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Ever since the first plastic was created by Alexander Parkes in 1862, its use has sky-rocketed – with common household items such as bottles, shopping bags and wet wipes now being relied on for daily use.

Our over-reliance on plastic and its devastating impact on the environment is now making global headlines – and reducing plastic use is one of the biggest challenges we currently face. Although positive changes have been made, I feel there’s still a lot more to do.

How exactly does plastic impact the environment?
Many plastic products contain harmful chemicals that can transfer or leak from the plastic by a process called leaching. Leaching contaminates soil and groundwater, killing fish and undersea species in oceans. And plastics release greenhouse gases when they’re produced or burnt – leading to global warming. So it’s fair to say plastics have a particularly damaging impact on the environment!

This should be a major concern to all of us as inhabitants of the planet, but the simple steps listed below can help us to take action and reduce the impact on our environment right now:

Quick and easy plastic-free lifestyle changes:

  • Use reusable shopping bags – these are generally quite low cost and can be reused many times, so on top of being plastic free they have less impact on the environment. Plastic bags are bought 160,000 times every day, so helping to reduce their use could have a major impact.
  • Stop buying single-use bottled water – plastic bottles are one of the main causes of plastic waste, and we can all easily help by simply buying a stainless steel or bamboo reusable bottle instead.
  • Give up plastic straws – one person uses approximately 130 plastic straws every single year. Saying no to plastic straws is an important step towards being plastic free, but going straw-free would be even better in my opinion.
  • Use wooden cutlery – when you’re out and about try to choose wood over plastic – they’re stronger than plastic forks which always end up breaking before the end of the meal too!

Try starting with these small steps – it shouldn’t be a huge change to your lifestyle, but could help in the fight to massively reduce plastic use around the globe.

Festival Survival Guide

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You bought your ticket months ago, and you’ve been looking forward to it ever since. There are even rumours the sun might make an appearance!

The start of summer means the start of music festival season. So whether you’re getting geared up for Glasto, ready for Reading, or teed up for TRNSMT, here are our top tips to ensure you get the most out of your festival weekend.

Supplies
If you’re buying a tent specifically for a festival we’d recommend getting one that’s light and easy to pitch. Festival campsites can often be a long walk from the car park, so something that’s light to carry will make life easier. The same goes for your sleeping bag and carry mat, light and durable are best. And make sure your sleeping bag is warm, as despite the day time temperature it can get chilly at night! Also, a trolley can be a huge help for transporting your stuff from car to site, particularly heavier items like food and drink.

And if you can manage a camping chair, then take one along – it’s always good to have somewhere to sit, especially if it gets a bit muddy on the campsite.

As well as your essentials mentioned above, make sure you take:

  • toilet roll
  • a portable phone charger
  • a torch
  • a towel
  • (plastic free) baby wipes & anti-bac hand gel
  • refillable water bottle

Most of these are self-explanatory, but the baby wipes can be a hygiene godsend if there are no shower facilities available. And make sure you take any medicines you might need with you too.

Drinking (and eating)
Festivals are a great place to let your hair down and enjoy yourself. But one thing we’ve learned (through experience) is the importance of staying hydrated and drinking lots of water, especially if it’s a warm weekend. Of course we’re not saying you shouldn’t drink alcohol, but just make sure you pace yourself. You don’t want to peak too early and end up in your bed before the headline act has even started.

Try breaking up the alcoholic drinks with a bottle of water or two. You’re more likely to last the distance this way. And make sure you eat plenty while you’re there too. Think about what you’d eat at home and try to eat just as much while you’re at a festival. Gone are the days of only terrible burgers and awful fast food at festivals (mostly). The majority of sites now serve-up some tasty treats, so check them out and make sure you ‘line your stomach’ with something to soak up the alcohol.

What to wear
Our top tip is to take clothes you don’t mind getting ruined. Of course we all want to look good, but comfort and practicality win out when it comes to festivals, as the unpredictable weather can often leave you wet and muddy! With that in mind, make sure you dress for the weather – waterproofs or sun cream if required. And given you’re likely to be on your feet all day, comfortable footwear is a must!

While you’re there
We wouldn’t recommend planning every minute of your weekend and every single act you want to see, as things can crop up and plans can change. But having a loose idea of what you want to do can help everyone in your group know what you’re doing and what stage to go to. Agree on a meeting point if you get split up so you know where to head if you get separated.

But most of all, have fun and enjoy yourself – festivals can be some of the best weekends of the year, so make the most of it!

Ten ways to save money on your food shopping

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If you’re a foodie like me, you’ll always be thinking about your next meal; I’m talking about thinking about what you’re having for dinner whilst eating your meal deal at your desk over lunchtime.

The frustrating thing is how expensive food shopping seems to have become. This got me thinking about how we can save money on the food we love and how not to waste it:

    1. Write a shopping list and stick to it. If you have a list, you’re less likely to stray away to buy those unnecessary sweets and treats that you don’t really need, which brings me onto my next point;
    2. Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach. If you’re hungry while walking up and down the aisles and something tasty catches you’re eye that you don’t need, then you’re more likely to buy it.
    3. Avoid ‘snack pack’ sizes. They work out more expensive and you actually get less. You’re just paying for the additional packaging.
    4. Buy in bulk the items you use most. Just make sure you get dry items with the longer shelf life.
    5. Cooked a little bit too much? Save the rest for lunch the next day in a plastic container or freeze it to save it for later.
    6. Buy fresh fruit and veg that isn’t pre-packaged. Not only will you be saving the environment, but you’ll be saving money too as it’s cheaper to buy loose items instead. Buy frozen veg as it will last longer and it is as good as the fresh stuff for overall nutritional value!
    7. Check the reduced aisle. The food in that section with the coloured sticker hasn’t gone off – the supermarkets just want to sell it before it does. If you know you won’t eat it straight away, freeze it for a later date!
    8. Buy supermarket own value brands. A lot of the time you’re paying for the fancy packaging but the actual content is the same. Why not try switching and see if there’s a difference in taste?
    9. Plan your meals. If you plan your meals in advance, you will only need to buy what you need rather than deciding on the day and spending more than you should.
    10. Use loyalty points. If the supermarket of your choice has a point’s scheme, don’t forget to swipe your card each time and you can watch the points grow and convert to vouchers you can use for a nice treat.

Switch onto saving

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You might think this is a repeat of all of the information out there already, but understanding the importance of saving is something to learn sooner, rather than later.

The difference between starting paying in from age 25 or waiting until you are 35 could have a notable impact on your pension savings.

Yes, there are always going to be things you’d prefer to spend your money on, but starting as early as you can and staying in your workplace pension should have a significant impact on the type of retirement you’ll be able to enjoy in the future.

Bottom line, the longer you wait to contribute to your retirement savings, the more expensive it’ll be to catch up. The difference between starting paying in from age 25 or waiting until you’re 35 could have a notable impact on your pension savings.

Here are some things you could miss out on if you delay in saving:

  • Tax relief – you’ll miss out on tax relief on your pension contributions, which basically equates to ‘free money’ from the Government (depending on what your tax rate is).
  • A helping hand from your employer – however much you pay in from your own pocket, your employer will make monthly payments into your pension savings too.
  • Seeing your money grow (or not!) – your overall contribution is invested in a fund with a provider or investment company and it is designed to work for you, so it can make its own money. Remember that with any investments, your money could go down as well as up and is not always guaranteed, so take this into consideration.

You should also think about . . .

  • The money might run out sooner than you predicted (but not if you buy a guaranteed income for life!) – if you retire with a small pension pot and expect to live on a high income, or you live to a ripe old age, your money might not last.
  • The State Pension might not be enough to rely on – you will only get this if you have made the qualifying amount of National Insurance contributions. Even so, by the time you retire, it might not be enough to live on alone, so you’ll need your own pension savings to help bridge the gap.
  • You may have to retire earlier than planned – hopefully this won’t happen, but you may fall ill, or have to leave your job to care for a loved one. So it’s really important that you have enough money to survive on if this happens.

It’s a tough message to take in, but saving a little bit each month counts. Good luck!

‘Twas the night before Christmas

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‘Twas the night before Christmas, and a time to reflect

On a year of big spending, but savings neglect.
The stockings were stuffed with all kinds of treats
From trinkets and baubles to delectable sweets.
The fam would be happy for Christmas Day present
But what of the future, and what of retirement?

With so much expense in everyday living
It’s tough to make plans for my future wellbeing –
With bills and my kids and a new loft extension
There isn’t much left to save more in my pension.
But just one percent could make some difference
And ease my reliance on State Pension assistance.

This year my bonus dissolved in a flash
On a weekend away and a cartload of trash.
Maybe next year I should stash it away
Into a pension for my future ‘one day’.
My Company pays in and so can I
Government tax relief will also apply.

It’s never too late to invest in yourself,
And start looking after your financial health.
Think not of the now and money misspent
Instead try to find that elusive percent.
You might suffer now a little resentment
But you’ll gift the ‘old you’ the best kind of present.