On Monday I talked about how we can cut back on the amount of food that we waste. The simplest way to do that is to just not have as much on your plate. We often prepare more food than we can actually eat, and it got me thinking about other areas of life where the same situation applies. When I clean my teeth, do I really need to put that much toothpaste on my brush? A pea sized amount has turned out to be quite sufficient. When I wash my hands do I really need to use that much hand wash? I’ve found because it foams up so well it goes a long way.

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This month it emerged that in the UK, a staggering eight billion pounds worth of food goes to waste, which equates to 6.7 million tonnes or a third of our total purchases. Those are scary stats that are echoed in many other countries around the world. This effects us two ways. Firstly, with food prices rising dramatically at the moment, it’s a very good idea to start looking at whether we can be more efficient with what we eat, thus wasting less and saving money. Secondly, all that wasted food typically ends up on landfills thus producing the greenhouse gas methane, on top of all the damage the excess packaging and transporting causes. It’s with all this in mind that I’ve compiled an introductory list of habits you can develop in your life that will help you to stop wasting food so as to save money and be environmentally friendly.

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It’s the new year so that can mean only one thing… sales! With so many companies eager to sell off their Christmas stock (or in the UK at least, recoup lost revenue from the quiet holiday season) there are plenty of bargains on offer. Or are there? It can be a great time to stock up on the basics and buy those goods you’ve been waiting for at a more reasonable price. However it can also be a bad time to buy stuff you don’t really need and spend money needlessly. Fortunately, you can be a smart shopper during the sales and not get caught up in the shopping hype by reading the following guide.

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My primary way of determining value for money, especially when it comes to media like DVDs and music CDs is hours of entertainment vs cost. For example new film DVDs in the UK tend to cost around £16.00 and they tend to last around 2 hours. If you just watch the film once that works out to £8.00 per hour of entertainment. Personally, I watch films only occasionally so to me that is not good value. However I recently bought a boxset for £20.00 which had over 40 hours of viewing time. That worked out to less than a pound per hour I was entertained. Bargain!

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Beware of special offers, price cuts, and bargains. Businesses are there to take your custom, there is always some benefit to them for any bargain they offer. There is a large customer base out there who will be influenced by a 10% off, or a 3-for-2 and miss out on what the real saving to them is. Sometimes they will even buy something just because it’s on special offer. Remember, you might save a bit with special offers but you will save even more by not buying it in the first place. If you need the item, great, you’ve saved yourself a few pounds. Otherwise don’t let all those special offer signs and adverts overrule your frugal decision making.