One of my New Year Resolutions is to be a bit more self sufficient and less wasteful this coming year. This (hopefully) will cover everything from doing more recycling, making homemade instead of preprepared (pies etc) and growing a few veg, if Dizzy doesn't dig them up :rolleyes:

It would be great to hear what you all do in these areas or if there are any web sites you know of that could get me going in the right direction. We don't have a lot of space that isn't used by the dogs/kids but are willing to give almost anything a go if it is environmentally friendly and maybe saves us a few quid too ;)

Hi Wishfairy
can't recommend any sites etc.....but our New Year resolution is to quit smoking - again !!!!   and stick to it this time :D
With the money we save, we're joining the health club nearby, instead of chucking it towards lung cancer etc......
Really determined this time !!
If memory serves, I think Loreli was trying to quit a while back too ??
We got an allotment this summer - something for us all to do as a family, and for Christmas dinner we had our own home grown cabbage's and turnips.  And they were gorgeous!!! :)  Better than the supermarket one's and best of all, they were the reaps of our hard work and nurturing :)
If you don't have the land at home, do you have any allotments nearby that you could take on??

:) We both gave up smoking last year and saved a fortune :)

It also means we seem to have more time in the day as we don't keep stopping for a fag break and we notice when a smoker walks past us in the street Ade can smell it if I've been to visit a smoking friend so I'd never be able to sneak one though I can't say I've never been tempted! :rolleyes: Add to that the return of your taste buds so you use less salt on food etc (another health benefit) and it HAS to be a good idea... but it's not easy and I miss my smokes :(

I'd love to have the willpower to go to an allotment and grow my own food but I know what I'm like and I'd end up walking the dog instead ;) Might give tomatoes and strawberries a go though :P

I was a forty a day smoker & gave it up 8yrs ago & i still have days when I would love a smoke. Don't know where I got the time to smoke that amount of ciggies .Stiil miss it after all these years.
Good luck to all who are going to stop in the new year. My friend is going to be one of you so I will be giving her plenty encouragement.

Jean

I'll let you into a little secret Wishfairy, it was only inthe summer that I went there everyday  
Left it to my other half the rest of the time.....too cold, wet and muddy for me to get my lovely, manicured nails dirty then   hehehe
It's an excellent way of getting a tan, and keeping fit and toned in the summer, and the beauty is, if your furbaby is wellbehaved, you can take them with you too.....a nice walk there and back afterwards, kills all birds with the one stone lol.  Dogs getting walked, you're doing something environmentally friendly, and you're all keeping fit at the same time, doing something together as a family (that is if the kids want to do it too).  We had our boys always wanting to bring their friends with us...and as they say "many hands make light work" lol :D

Hate to say it tho'.....we still had to stop work for many numerous tab breaks  :(    but not next summer.  I'm looking forward to being able to breathe properly, and taste again.

Jean,,,you must have saved a fortune quitting after 40 a day

Here is an http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/at3ex5w5qkxa/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=;action=logout allotment forum which should give you a bit of advice!

Jesse

Why aren't the links working anymore?

Heaven knows, sometimes mine do, sometimes not and for no apparent reason. Makes life interesting. :D

Kath

I did quit smoking and relapsed and quit again, and Im still quitted. Poor SB has had a relapse but the January bills will soon fix that! My self sufficiency is limited to recycling newspapers and clothes via the banks, using bicarbonate of soda and lemons to clean the house, re-using carrier bags & containers and walking everywhere. We also make cakes, proper meals from scratch and our own seasonal decorations. Ive never been able to grow my own veg despite years of trying and now I have a dog, the gardening takes back seat. Oh and switching off lights, using the longlife bulbs, save energy save the planet etc. Kids are always hearing " Switch the lights OFF and stop killing the Polar Bears!" :D

My kids are into their recycling too and the oldest will tell people off for dropping litter He doesn't just tell them off he gives them full blown lectures on the dangers to animals and the environment ;)

Good for him :D
Lea :)

Pleased to hear you're still off the ciggies I wondered how you were doing. Hope it wasn't too hard at xmas to stay off it. Wishing you all the best in 2004 & hope santa was good to you

Jean

Well done Lorelei for managing to stay quit...that's excellent!!!! :)  Bladdy good for you !!

We also recycle our bottles, papers and clothes etc, but the kids are forever chucking ALL rubbish into the recycle bin cos they're too lazy to go 2 steps further into the rubbish bin
And I'm often to be heard shouting, "Switch these lights off, it's like Blackpool illuminations in here"...and no,they never listen.

:D Just found out we can switch to wind generated electric at no extra cost and without changing suppliers :D  Feel like a hippy again ;)

Well done Wishfairy, that's very commendable. Hubby and I also intend to be more environmentally friendly this year - we already recycle glass but are also going for paper and tin. Also only going to use Ecover products rather than bleach etc, and eat more seasonal veggies (to cut down on veggie transporting costs!). I already walk everywhere or use public transport, but hubby could do with reducing his car use.

Keep me posted on your progress :)

Jo

I've been watching that programme called River Cottage with that bloke who set himself the task of becoming self sufficient.  You might find some ideas there, I know there is a book floating about somewhere maybe on amazon.

Let me know when your first batch of homebrew is available :D

Clair

As soon as I saw the title of this topic, I shouted Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.  He does have a website www.rivercottage.net but his books are excellent.  The River Cottage Cookbook is the first one fo the tv series. I would certainly recommend it.

Helen

:) I loved the series and he always seemed to eat so well :P

I might well drop a few heavy hints about the book too ;)

I save food cans, bottles etc for recycling and we've now got a council "green" bin for waste paper that collects once a month. I grow veg and make compost (I use my old nappy bucket in the kitchen till I take it outside as it keeps the smell in. :D )  All the old nappy liners I had left, I used like garden fleece to cover seed trays, perfect size and they keep the seedlings warm. We grow fruit and freeze most of it which lasts us over the winter and following spring.

Nice pictures from calenders and birthday cards are cut to become notecards, gift tags etc. Supermarket carrier bags for lining waste bins. Old towels are cut up for face cloths, cleaning cloths, dog towels etc. Old duvets cut up and sewn round make good dog duvets. Covers for them out of old duvet covers or curtains.

Instead of having loads of cleaning products (expensive and toxic for us and the environment) I mostly use good old fashioned stuff like washing soda and also use tea tree and lavender. I hardly ever use bleach now.

I wish I'd done all this when my boys were small and especially used terry nappies, when I think of all the disposable nappies I used I feel ashamed! One of the worst offenders though is Ahem....womens "sanitary products"  The bleaching process is bad for the environment, bad for womens health and then they get flushed out to sea where they endanger wildlife (not to mention swimmers  YUK!) and they're expensive too. :(


These all have ideas for recycling.
http://www.recyclingconsortium.org.uk/

http://www.rethinkrubbish.com/home/

http://www.aboutorganics.co.uk

It's great that you're doing this Wishfairy, it doesn't take  much effort to get into a routine of recycling etc. and it's well worth it. 

Kath.

Thanks for all the ideas and encouragement and I'll certainly check out those web sites.

Hubby suggested running the computer off an exercise bike but had to rethink as I'd probably die of exaustion!

Kindly suggest that you go on the computer while he rides the bike. ;) :D

Hi W/Fairy, here`s a link & you`ll find other links for tips & ideas, it`s USA but still OK :)

http://www.gardensalive.com/index.asp?bhcd2=1072860370

Christine Spain.