I thought we could celebrate Zero Waste Week with an appropriate giveaway. Zoe Morrison, the woman behind the excellent Eco Thrifty Living blog, has published her first book. I have two copies up for grabs so read on to find out more about the book and how you could be in with a chance of winning this Zero Waste Week giveaway!
Eco Thrifty Living: Save Money, Save the Environment and Live the Life you Want
I love this book as it mirrors my philosophy on life. We all have too much stuff, spend too much money on stuff, work too hard to buy more stuff, and does any of it make us any happier? At the same time, we are staring a climate crisis in the face and using more resources than our planet can sustain.
Zoe shows you how you can actually save money by living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. You don’t have to spend a fortune on so-called eco-friendly products (some of which are a lot of expensive green hype). Instead, you can make small and simple changes that will have a positive impact, both on your bank balance and the planet.
The book is broken down into the following chapters:
1# Reduce your kitchen waste
How to spend less on food and waste less of it. For example, meal plan and write a shopping list.
2# Stuff, stuff and more stuff!
Thinking about the environmental impact of producing and transporting the items we own, why leave half of it sitting unused in the back of a dusty cupboard? Zoe has lots of suggestions for making the most of what we have in order to buy less. You can even make money from your old stuff.
3# Sustainable fashion
This is a hot top with Oxfam’s #SecondHandSeptember all over the news and social media. Zoe outlines the issues with some of the fabrics used to make our clothing to our health and the environment, the impact on workers and how to avoid some of these negative impacts and save money when you choose new items.
Buying second hand and donating are a crucial part of a sustainable fashion philosophy.
4# Clean and green
How to choose greener options for house cleaning that are also lighter on your pocket. Use up the huge numbers of products sold to you by the marketers and exchange them for good, old fashioned alternatives such as bicarbonate of soda, citric acid and white vinegar.
They do work, as I explained in my blog post on plastic free cleaning.
5# In the bathroom
We put a lot of chemicals on our bodies in our aim for more glossy hair, whiter teeth and wrinkle free skin. But do they work and are they harmful?
Zoe gives you useful ideas for a more eco-friendly approach to keeping clean and beautiful whilst saving money too.
6# Have fun on an eco-budget
You can have fun without buying more stuff and without spending a fortune on expensive days out. Zoe gives a ton of ideas for free days out and activities, how to get discounts and other sources of free entertainment.
7# Special occasions
Special occasions can be a source of financial stress and create a lot of unnecessary waste. Just think of your average kid’s birthday party and the expensive party bags full of plastic toys destined for the bin. Not to mention Christmas!
Zoe explains how to plan and budget for special occasions, how to save money on them and how to reduce the waste associated with them.
8# Reduce your energy costs
We all know you can save money on your energy bills, but how many of us actually do it? You can insulate, upgrade to smart technology and look at how much you appliances cost to run.
Using less energy around the home will clearly have a positive impact on your finances.
9# Get fit for less
As Petra said in her recent guest post Frugal fitness: why you don’t have to spend a fortune to get fit, there are loads of ways to improve your health and fitness that don’t involve an expensive gym club membership.
Zoe has a wealth of ideas from using your local parks, wild swimming, free online exercise classes to making use of the exercise equipment you (probably) already own.
10# Kids
If we are lucky enough to have children, we know that you can spend a small fortune on clothing, feeding, educating and entertaining them! This book contains hundreds of ideas to look after your kids well whilst keeping waste and expense to a minimum.
11# Gardening
How to create an abundant and productive garden with very little money. From swapping tools and seeds, to taking cuttings and upcycling garden furniture, Zoe has it covered.
This is a great introduction to the subject of reducing waste, minimising your impact on the environment and saving money without feeling that you are missing out.
How to take part in my Zero Waste Week giveaway
To take part in the Zero Waste Week giveaway, please head over to my Instagram page, follow my Shoestring Cottage account and then comment on the post about Zoe’s book. I will choose two winners at random and message you on Instagram to request your address details.
If you don’t win, you can always buy a copy via Amazon
You have two weeks to enter. The deadline is Wednesday 18th September 2019. Good luck!
This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission, so many thanks if you do!
Fiona jk42 says
I try my best to be eco-friendly, but would like to know how to do more. Thanks for the giveaway.