More often than not, a happy side-effect of adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle is that it saves you money. But what about those instances where the green choice is also the pricier option?
We all know that organic, fairtrade and hand-made items are all more expensive than their more mass produced counterparts, and when it comes to holidays, flying is often the cheapest way to travel, even within the UK. If things are really tight, you might want to opt for 'budget' products sold in supermarkets, including cheaply produced meat. Suddenly, those penny-pinching schemes begin to look a lot less green...
We've compiled a list of ways you can save money while based on our own hectic lives. Read on to find out why frugality really is the greenest option when you put your mind to it.
Cutting down on salt in your diet will do your body a lot of good, but it's surprisingly useful in other walks of life.
Follow the jump for our list of alternative uses for salt, from a magic method of cleaning up cracked eggs, to soothing body treatments. All of these pieces of wisdom will give you a healthier use for this cheap and plentiful substance, and will help you cut down on your use of chemicals at the same time.
With all the scaremongering around CFL bulbs and health, I'm often surprised at how many people don't know the correct way to dispose of CFL bulbs, or deal with broken ones. The procedure is pretty simple, and the chances of anything going horribly wrong virtually zero. So here's a quick reminder on what to do in case of breakage.
The official DEFRA guideline on this matter states that 'although the accidental breakage of a lamp is most unlikely to cause any health problems, it's good practice to minimise any unnecessary exposure to mercury, as well as risk of cuts from glass fragments.' Follow the jump for full instructions on how do go about this.
If you've got a composting bin sitting in your kitchen, you probably have to order regular refills of bokashi to keep it working away on that waste. How would you like to be able to make your own, cutting down on cost and carbon miles? This little video explains how it's really very simple.
As anyone who's ever been a child will know, headlice (or 'nits') are a fact of life that will never go away, probably.
You'll also remember just how vile and pungent that ointment used to treat the problem was. I know I hated it -- which is why I've decided to share with you a remedy you can make yourself for treating headlice. So if you have children and don't want to subject them to those chemical fumes next time the nit nurse comes a-calling, I'm told that this home made cure from Little Green Blog really does work. Here's what you'll need:
Home headlice treatment:
10 mls of neem oil
90 mls of sesame oil
20 drops each of rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, bergamot and geranium essential oils.
Today I found a pattern for making the easiest ever shopping tote bag, so if you don't have one of these already, I suggest you follow the link and give this a try.
An estimated 500 million to 1 trillion plastic bags are used and discarded worldwide, so pick up your needles and do your bit for this global problem. Why not make yours even more eco-friendly by picking some really funky vintage fabric? An Ebay search will quickly bring up some great selections, such as this one here -- simply order a design you like, whip up the bag, and end up with a unique item that'll be the envy of all your friends! Follow the jump to find out what you'll need...
Some people are so good at turning old bits of stuff into desirable objects it makes me want to cry, but for those of us who were born without the sewing gene, here's a great project that's easy as pie, and will make use of an old pillow case.
Amy from Craft Chi made this one out of an old pillow case she found at a thrift store, that was too old and worn to sleep on, but already looked much like an apron! The pattern to follow is here, and in Amy's own words: "There are a lot of pictures so it may seem complicated, but this is honestly the easiest thing I’ve ever made. It would be a great project to introduce kids to sewing because it’s mostly sewing straight lines. I just included a few sewing tips of things I wish I’d known when I first started sewing that I picked up along the way." [Via Crafty Crafty]
More often than not, a happy side-effect of adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle is that it saves you money. But what about those instances where the green choice is also the pricier option? 
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As anyone who's ever been a child will know, headlice (or 'nits') are a fact of life that will never go away, probably. 
Today I found a pattern for making the 
Some people are so good at turning old bits of stuff into desirable objects it makes me want to cry, but for those of us who were born without the sewing gene, here's a great project that's easy as pie, and will make use of an old pillow case. 
