Saving Money & Wasting Less

Lesson 2: Let's go shopping

The four Rs for saving money and the Earth

The four Rs can save you a lot of money if you learn to practice them every day, and they will also help to save the Earth by reducing garbage and wasteful use of resources. The four Rs form the pillar of environmental movements, and are:

• Reduce
• Re-use
• Repair
• Recycle

Follow them in descending order with everything you think about buying, and you will save money and the Earth in the process.

Reduce the amount you buy and use, especially those items that you don't really need or want. If you're regularly throwing food or other items away, reduce the amount you buy in the first place. If you don't need it, don't buy it.

Reduce the amount you use of regular items such as toothpaste, shampoo, detergents and so on. Use half your usual amount and see if that works just as well. It probably does.

If you use plastic bags, consider buying some sturdy reusable bags and refusing plastic bags when you shop. You don't need plastic bags at all. We've been brainwashed into thinking that we have to wrap garbage in plastic before putting it in the bin. It isn't true. You can wash items and wrap them in paper, and kitchen tidy bins can be washed out and bleached. They don't need liners any more now than they did before plastic bags were invented. Yes, it takes a bit more effort, but if you learn to simplify your life following the suggestions in this course, you will find you have more time anyway. And you will be doing your bit to reduce the scourge of plastic bags.

Re-use items if possible, rather than throwing them away. Use zip-lock bags, for example, and wash them out, rather than using plastic cling wrap for food storage. Products often have uses their manufacturer never thought of. Before you throw something out, ask yourself if it could have another use?

Repair goods if they're broken. Unfortunately, manufacturers are making more and more items non-repairable, and are encouraging us to consider everything disposable. We live in an incredibly wasteful 'throw-away' society, but it doesn't have to be this way. If something breaks, try to repair it or get it fixed. It is much better to do so than it is to throw the item away and buy a new one. Usually, but not always, it will be cheaper to have the item repaired, but it is almost always better for the environment. When buying a new gadget, ask if it's repairable, and if possible, don't buy it if it isn't. If enough people demand repairable goods, manufacturers will have to change.

Recycle whatever you can. Some countries make this process easy these days, but if your area does not have a decent recycling service, why not write and ask for one? You can recycle green waste in compost or a worm farm (which we will look at in a later lesson), and most places have recycling centres. There are also lots of creative ways to recycle all kinds of materials. (See Creative recycling ideas).

Replace an item only if you can't do any of the four Rs. And think about it before you replace it. Saving money and the Earth is about stopping running on auto-pilot and beginning to think about what you do and how you live. Ask yourself if you really needed the thing in the first place? Do you really need a new electric toothbrush, for example? How hard is it to brush your teeth? How many televisions do you need in your house? How many gadgets?

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