Summer hacks to save you money

Love a life hack? Love saving money? Take a look at these 10 ideas, and you'll be helping the environment too!

1) Cold hot water bottles

Feeling the heat? No need to buy a fan for every room. Try a hot water bottle... yes really! But instead of filling it with boiling water, fill it with cold water from the tap and leave in the freezer for a while. You can put this in your bed an hour before you go to sleep for a cooler night’s sleep, use it as a back rest, or even slip it under your laptop to keep it from overheating. 

2) Say yes to the white shirt

We all own a white shirt, right? Hold the urge to buy a light summer jacket, try your shirt instead – this protects you from the sun, keeps you cool and goes with everything! Try it over a vest with jeans, or have it loose as a cardigan with sleeves rolled, or over swimwear – it’s a multi trick pony.

3) Propagate your plants

Get more plants, for free! Create a new plant from a parent plant! This could look like anything from taking a cutting from the leaf to grafting, stem cutting in water or compost, layering, seed sowing or replanting plantlets. Summer’s a great time to give it a grow.

4) DIY Cleaning Products

Save cash and find out exactly what's in your cleaning products. DIY natural cleaning methods are your answer. Think vinegar all-purpose cleaner (mix one part water, one part vinegar and use as a spray), baking soda oven cleaner (make a paste out of 3 parts baking soda, 1 part water) and try microwaving a bowl of water with lemon juice to loosen stains and remove odours in your microwave.

5) Give old fruit a new life

Freeze fruit and veg that is about to go off and use as ice cubes in drinks. You can put frozen grapes in wine, fruit like berries and apples in cocktails, frozen cucumber in Gin, or for non-alcoholic drinkers, frozen lemon in Coca-Cola or Elderflower! Keep your drink chilled without diluting it as a melting ice cube would. You’re welcome.

6) Get Your Cycle on

Did you know 50% of the journeys we make are less than 2 miles? Switching out short trips in the car for walking or cycling is a win for the environment, your budget, your health (cycling exposes you to less air pollution than driving) and your mood! Cycling in the sun? Yes please!

7) Shop (or swap) your own wardrobe

Feeling the pressure to buy new this summer? 80% of 16-24 year olds have lost track of what’s in their wardrobe (easily done), but it means there’s probably some forgotten gems hiding in there! So dig around, rediscover, restyle, repair and rewear – or host a clothes swap with your pals.

8) Switch bank accounts

Your money can do amazing things, without you needing to spend any of it! Moving your money away from banks that finance fossil fuels and into banks that support green investments can have a massive impact. And it’s a 5 min job. No brainer.

9) Try a Use Up Day

Go all out for dinner in with a fridge forage meal. Ingredients go off quicker in the heat, so try setting a day that gives you the chance to use up all those odds and ends from your last food shop. Kimchi spaghetti anyone?

10) Eat seasonal and local

Eating seasonally means eating ingredients that are naturally in harvest at that time, and eating local means eating things that are grown closer to you. It's cheaper because we don't need as many resources to grow them, things grown out of season often need powerful fertilisers, or energy guzzling green houses. They also haven't travelled as far, so the transport and storage costs are lower! Even better, seasonal veg is tastier and healthier because they are naturally ripened, and their flavours and nutrients fully developed.