Reduce, reuse, and recycle with Money Matters' Dan Bebbington
This week's Money Matters News article from Dan Bebbington covers his top tips for cutting down costs whilst also helping the environment.
I am a real advocate of reusing and recycling, and with the rising costs to living and the global climate crisis, it also makes financial and environmental sense.
In my work, we often support people who struggle to afford essential furniture to make their house a home, but this need not cost the earth!
I am a member of Freegle and Trash Nothing, and every day sees a host of items being gifted - from sofa’s to fridges, to plants and gardening equipment. Most items do need to be collected, so it makes sense to join a site local to you.
Along with ‘Offers’, the sites also allow you post ‘Wants’….and its really interesting to see what people need – from old mobile phone chargers to plants for a new garden.
I was able to get a free greenhouse for my garden last year, and after then posting a ‘Want’ on Freegle, I collected some bricks from another person to build the base – and later thanked him with some tomato plants once my greenhouse was up and running!
The thing I love about these sites is that it’s a real community, and you meet like-minded people who hate waste and want to keep items out of landfill.
We are also proud to have Reviive as part of The Wrekin Housing Group. They have stores in Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Ludlow, along with an online store. They sell great quality, pre-loved furniture and appliances at very low prices. You can pick up some really unusual or quirky things that you won’t find on the high street. Customers of the Wrekin Housing Group are also entitled to a 30% discount (just take along ID and proof of your tenancy), and Reviive can offer delivery for a small charge.
Reviive pride themselves on stopping waste going into landfill, and last year prevented nearly 300 tons of household items from going to the tip. Check out their current sales at www.reviive.co.uk.
Sites like Facebook Marketplace are also great places to find bargains, and some areas have their own local Facebook sites set up to gift items within a local community. The community page where I live is great for passing on children clothes and toys for free. Larger towns often have furniture stores run by national charities that also offer great value for money.
Older furniture can easily be upcycled with a pot of paint and some imagination, and you will end up the proud owner of a ‘one-off’ to adorn your home.
In these difficult economic times, we all need to be mindful of our money, and if we can also be kind to the environment by reusing second hand items, it’s a win-win!
5th May 2022