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Switched On To Frugal Living

February 14, 2012 By

I have gone all ‘make do and mend’ lately and have been trying my hardest not to throw things away, not to buy new when I have something which will do just fine and overall to really engage my brain as I go about my day!

 

Getting advice and ideas from other consumers who are thinking along similar lines really inspires me so check out SuperSavvyMe.co.uk for some top tips and opinions which just might appeal… here are three pointers which I have found very useful:

 

  1. In the kitchen make the best out of your food leftovers and try not to waste edible resources. A small portion of casserole may not be enough for you but how about saving it for the kids? Odd bits of veg to clear up – make a Spanish omelette, the end of a block of cheese could flavour a white sauce and perhaps that last couple of slices of dry bread could make breadcrumbs to top fish. Use you imagination – and your recipe books!
  2. When you are cleaning be sparing with chemicals. Opt for eco friendly brands where possible or try out recipes for homemade remedies which can be just as effective. If you simply can’t part with your favourites such as Fairy Liquid then just make the squeeze smaller when you add it to the sink – I bet you won’t be able to tell the difference and the bottle will last longer as well.
  3. Watch your energy consumption. ‘Stand-by’ means ‘on’ for most electrical items so turn them off completely. Turn lights off when you are not in the room and keep doors and windows closed when the central heating is on so you trap the warmth effectively. If your insulation needs attention then now is the time to do it: head outside when it snows and take a look at your roof – melted snow is bad news!
Filed Under: Environmentally Friendly Homes, Featured Products Tagged With: , , ,

Eco car sales increase

February 10, 2012 By

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) in the UK have just released new car sales figures for the month of January 2012. Despite the severe economic conditions, new car sales increased ever so slightly compared with the same period last year.

According to the SMMT figures the purchase of new eco cars also increased compared to January last year, with a rise of 17.6%. Alternatively fuelled cars – that is those that run or something other than just petrol or diesel – now make up 1.6% of the UK market.

The focus for most consumers appears to be saving on fuel costs – whether that’s by buying hybrid cars that were first produced by Japanese car manufacturers Honda and Toyota back in the 1990s or by buying fuel efficient diesels that offer great mileage per gallon. In fact, diesel cars made up 53.7% of the sales in January compared with 50.5% in January 2011.

Although alternative fuel cars are gradually becoming more popular with UK drivers, with the increased purchase of diesels, the motivation tends to be about fuel economy rather than helping to protect the planet.

As has now become almost tradition in the UK, the Ford Fiesta was the most popular selling car in the month of January. Four of the cars in the top ten were superminis.

The Ford Fiesta Econetic with its 1.6 litre diesel engine fits into the green and fuel efficient category as it has low emissions of 95g/km of carbon dioxide and the ability to get 78.5 miles per gallon. Another positive for UK drivers is that the low emissions mean you don’t need to pay any road tax – so that’s yet another saving.

 

Filed Under: Transport Tagged With: , , , ,

The most environmentally friendly Civic 2012

February 1, 2012 By

The best choice for environmentally aware drivers who love driving a Honda Civic is to choose the new honda civic 2012 diesel engine model.

Not only does the diesel engine have the best performance and fuel economy, it also has the lowest emissions of the Honda’s UK range of Civics.

Currently, if you want a Civic, there is no hybrid option in the UK. However, you can choose from three different engines when you buy a Civic 2012, and the diesel comes with a 2.2 i-DTEC engine with 150bhp. It can get from 0-62mph in just over 8 seconds and its top speed is 135 miles per hour.

Unlike the petrol versions, you can pay extra to have a five speed automatic gearbox in the diesel model – otherwise all models have six speed manual transmission gear box as standard.

As for fuel economy, the diesel Honda Civic 2012 can achieve 64-67 miles per gallon and you’ll save on road tax through the lower emissions. The diesel emits 110g/km of CO2, which means road tax is free for the first year and will only cost £20 a year thereafter. The petrol engines (either a 99bhp 1.4 i-VTEC or a 142bhp 1.8 i-VTEC) have emissions of 129g/km and 137g/km.

The diesel’s low emissions are achieved partly through the fact that all the Civic models are equipped with stop start technology – which automatically cuts and restarts the engine when in a traffic queue. Added to that, all models have the ECON button which, when engaged by the driver, allows optimum eco-friendly performance from all the systems within the car.

The new Civic is a more comfortable ride than its predecessor, which some drivers was a little too hard. Honda has also increased legroom for passengers and the boot can hold up to 477 litres – so there’s no denying the Civic’s practicality as a family motor, in terms of internal space and comfort and running costs.

Filed Under: Transport Tagged With: , , ,

Get set for twitching

January 24, 2012 By

Twitching used to be one of Britain’s biggest pastimes until tweeting came along! In case you’re not familiar with the phrase, twitching is British terminology for “the pursuit of a previously-located rare bird.”

 

Bird watching in the UK has witnessed a comeback in recent years, thanks to the popularity of the BBC’s Autumn and Spring Watch which began in 2005. Bill Oddie, of The Goodies fame, won over the nation because of his comical banter with fellow presenter Kate Humble, during the first four years of the show, and really encouraged the British population to get involved first hand in nature watching. Oddie quit the programme in 2009, but the show is still going strong.

 

Many people have started feeding birds in their gardens and others have gone out exploring their local area to see what species they can spot.

 

If you’re going out bird watching during the winter, you need to wrap up well. It isn’t the kind of activity you can run around to keep warm – any sudden movements and you’ll scare off the birds. So, it’s important to layer up and make sure you can preserve your core body warmth.

 

As well as putting on base layers and middle insulating layers, you’ll need a waterproof shell to protect you from the elements. The North Face stocks a huge range of jackets and these come in the brightest to the most subdued colours. Twitchers generally pick the darker hues, so they don’t stand out against the background and give the birds cause to take flight.

 

You’ll also need a hat, a good pair of thermal gloves and thermal socks to protect your extremities.

 

As well exploring local nature trails, many people go bird watching at one of the Wildlife and Wetland Trust nature reserves that can be found across Britain – there are currently nine in the UK and Ireland.

Filed Under: Wildlife Tagged With: , ,

Organic beauty

January 23, 2012 By

When you’ve turned out your kitchen cupboards and removed anything that isn’t organic, you automatically begin to feel a lot healthier. The same goes for switching to an eco brand of washing up liquid, washing powder and loo cleaner.  Everything you consume is less damaging to the planet, and that’s got to be a good thing.

The step that people sometimes are slower to change is to make sure what they put on their body is organic, too. This goes for skincare products and shampoos, as well as the clothes that you wear.

A quick search online will bring you thousands of natural beauty tips – including recipes for homemade facials and moisturising creams. All you need to do is make sure that the basic ingredients you start out with are organic, and preferably locally sourced.

Some of the most well-known cosmetic brands in the UK are now organic – like amarya, naturismo and mypure. They’re stocked on the high street and are also sold through the internet. You’ll also often find homemade and organic beauty products at the market – check the labels to make sure these are legit, though. Look out for organic accreditation by groups like the Soil Association.

If you’re not sure where to start or which brands are best, have a look at the SuperSavvyMe website to look at some product reviews. The site covers beauty and haircare products as well as household products, too. You can also become a member of the Savvy Circle and get to do your own product reviews on free samples.

Using natural ingredients on your skin is bound to be better for you than using chemicals, and your skin will soon begin to look better because of the change you’ve made.

Filed Under: Featured Products Tagged With: , , , ,

Get rid of your car free of charge for charity

January 19, 2012 By

More and more of us are going green in our motoring choices.

Although the sales of eco cars are still relatively trifling when compared with conventionally fuelled cars, they are still growing like Topsy in percentage terms. Specifically, that percentage is running at somewhere around two per cent in the UK today – but it’s clearly going to go a lot higher if the kind of electrical and hybrid cars being paraded around the world’s major motor shows are anything to go by.

So, great, you’ve decided to go green and to trade in your old banger for that shiny new hybrid car that will ease your environmental conscience. So what do you do next?

No doubt the dealer will offer you what seems an attractive price for your old car. But wait; next ask him or her what the price for her new car would be if you decided not to trade in your banger? Now substitute the real ‘cash’ deal saving difference from the price you were being offered for the trade-in and hey presto, you have the real trade-in price.

If that amount is too small to bother about – and/or if you really want to put the money to worthwhile use, then why not consider getting in touch with Giveacar?

Giveacar will collect your car from anywhere in the UK free of charge. The organisation will then see what value they can realise from the car in whatever way they can – and then give that money to charities. Giveacar also makes sure the old car is disposed of in a way which is best for the environment.

Giveacar is a social enterprise (a business run for charitable purposes). In the last few years, it has raised well over £350k for 500 charities. The thought that your old banger is going to a good cause may ease its parting!

Filed Under: Transport Tagged With: , , , ,

Honda’s environmental vision

December 23, 2011 By

Honda, the Japanese motor manufacturer, is seen as one of the pioneers of green motoring technology. The company has an environmental vision to realise “the joy and freedom of mobility and a sustainable society where people can enjoy life”.

Back in 2006, Honda announced its voluntary aim to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions from its cars, motorbikes and power equipment products by ten per cent before the end of 2010, when compared with year 2000 levels. That goal was achieved and a new target is to reduce CO2 emissions of the same product lines in use by 30 per cent, again starting from year 2000 levels.

As part of its environmental vision, the motor sports engineering facility of Honda Performance Development has installed solar panel technology in Santa Clarita, California. The CIGS’ 100kW, 800 cell thin film panels will supply power to different areas of the building.  They will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 tonnes each year.

And every new car that Honda brings out seems to have improved fuel efficiency and better environmental credentials. The new honda civic 2012 is available in seven different models and each has improved fuel efficiency compared to previous generations. Of all the Civic 2012 models, the Natural Gas is the greenest – indeed it even won Green Car of the Year 2012 at the LA Auto Show. As a power source for an internal combustion engine, natural gas produces 25 per cent fewer carbon dioxide emissions than petrol.

At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda revealed two electric concept cars – the Micro Commuter which is a three-seater urban electric car and the Honda EV-ster – a compact electric sports car that could have a range of 100 miles from a single charge. The focus of the Honda concept cars at the Tokyo Motor Show was clearly on improving Honda’s environmentally-friendly offerings, but, in fact, the latest reports are that the Honda EV-ster production version will be petrol-powered.

So, while Honda strives to produce the greenest cars it can and reduce the CO2 emissions of its facilities, it’s still on the journey to its greener vision rather than having arrived at its destination.

Filed Under: Transport Tagged With: , , ,

Six Walks in the Fictional Woods

December 14, 2011 By

Six Walks in the Fictional Woods Umberto Eco

Filed Under: Featured Products Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Electric vehicles in a jam

December 14, 2011 By

Governments around the world have been trying to encourage their driving populations to go electric on the road, but even with tax incentives, there has been a lukewarm reception of the idea.

There are three main reasons for this:

Cost

Electric vehicles are still more expensive than conventional cars fuelled by petrol or diesel because of the cost of their battery packs.  However, pricing for batteries is improving as they are produced on a larger scale, and will continue to get better.

Charging

Many people are put off the idea of buying an EV as they fear being left stranded somewhere when their battery runs out of charge. This is a legitimate concern as the range of an electric vehicle is quite low on average, apart from the Tesla Roadster which has a range of 245 miles.

However, this concern is being dealt with by national governments which are investing in the infrastructure required to set up public charging point networks, placing the charging points in car parks and service stations. The UK’s scheme is called Plugged-In Places.

Alternatives

While people can see the environmentally-friendly attraction of using electric vehicles, there are more practical alternatives already available – such as hybrid vehicles.  Manufacturers like Honda and Toyota led the way in green motoring with the launch of hybrid vehicles in the late 1990s.  Hybrids are good on fuel economy and emissions levels, while giving flexibility to the driver, as you can always top up the fuel tank at any fuel station, meaning there’s no ‘range anxiety’.

However, it doesn’t look like the EV industry is dead – it is growing gradually.  The US government has put US$2.4 billion aside to develop the industry and similarly, China has pledged US$15 billion. President Obama wants to see more than one million EVs on US roads by 2035. Other countries continue to offer tax incentives and rebates to those people buying electric vehicles.

Filed Under: Transport Tagged With: , , , ,

Organic packed lunch

December 8, 2011 By

It can often be difficult deciding what to make for your daily packed lunch, but don’t be afraid of the idea of an organic packed lunch. It’s the same as a normal packed lunch, but it is just so much tastier and incalculably better for the planet when you decide to buy organic.

If it is a sandwich you’re after, then purchase some organic bread. It contains organic products and there are an endless amount of healthy sandwich fillings to help you fill the bread with something tasty. Go for organic spreads such as butter, jam, honey, and mayonnaise, which is actually available without egg for vegans.

You can also purchase organic biscuits and cakes or, if you’re not so fond of buying them, then you can make your own if you have a spare afternoon on your hands at the weekend. There are plenty of supermarkets which stock organic ingredients that are necessary for baking, so don’t despair. Organic fruit is much tastier than anything most shops have to offer, so always take at least one fruit item with you as a packed lunch. You should also take some organic juice; both the fruit and juice are a great way of getting your all-important 5 a day!

There are also organic soups available in certain supermarkets or, if you prefer to make your own, purchase organic vegetables and use them for your soup, and whenever you make a roast save the stock for making soup.

Organic pasta is also available. You could try adding some organic cheese to it, along with a glug of olive oil. You will certainly taste the difference. Finally, if you want some snacks in your packed lunch, organic potato crisps and chocolate is most definitely the way forward for all the family.

Filed Under: Organic Foods Tagged With: , ,
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