The Simple things

It's September now and everyone is back to the usual work and school routine and thoughts of holiday's are put aside for the moment. Still my brain is working overtime with things that I can keep doing to make sure I am not wasting energy, money and time. I too am going to be back on course tomorrow as everyone is back to college I think. So for me I think that routine will need real organisation and discipline. The next few months will be a test as I am sure I will come in the door most evenings exhausted. Will I throw all my hard effort down the drain? I really hope not. So I remind myself that the little things I do will matter.
Dark evenings that arrive around 4.30pm over the coming weeks mean more lights on, and wintry days that continue through the night mean heating, hot dinners that use electricity and gas and ultimately more money!!! So what can I do to help myself and save a few pennies  which will also help the environment? Lets see....

•      ...turn off the lights when I leave a room

I can be as lazy as I can be organised. You know, just pop out of the room for "2 seconds". Leave the light on 'cos "I'll be back in a minute". Then something else comes to mind and I've gone for 10,15, or 20 minutes. I know it may seem like nothing but when I think of it "I'm paying for that!" If someone else was wasting my money I'd be quick enough to let them know about it so I really need to practice what I preach. Do the same with the TV too. Nothing worse than programmes being shown to Mr. Invisible. He certainly hasn't got a wage. If your not watching it, turn it off.

• ...Set the heating on a timer

I'm pretty sure most people do this. Whats the point of having the heating on when your not there. OK so I set mine on for about 15-30 minutes before I get in the door if I'm at work or college. Nice and warm when I get it in, good thinking. However, my times are going to change a little this year so I need to change the timer for each day if arrival times will be different. Again "I'm paying for that" so let's save the extra pennies to go toward a break or a treat next year. Spend 10 minutes figuring out the times you will need the heating on, set it and forget about it. Done! Probably for the whole winter too.

• ...Prepare dinner before hand

This will be a bit of a chore as I intend to get the potatoes peeled and carrots chopped and ready for the next day. Perfect house wife you say? No I'm not, I'm afraid. I'll need to do this as I will be coming back usually at the same time as my husband and if I am late or tired, ultimately this will help as I come in the door, bang on the gas rings and we're on our way. Surely this is just organisation and not necessarily being Eco friendly? Well I'm thinking that by thinking ahead towards dinner each week (as I plan to know what we will be having each night when I go shopping every week) and sorting out portion sizes (of course I wont always get it right) I am hoping to cut down on waste. If the portion is too big, cooked food gets thrown away and it cant go into the compost as it will attract rats! Also by deciding on what we are having in advance maybe I can make dinners that don't always need hours of cooking and using electricity. A good home made soup for four will do the 2 of us for 2 days and only requires a quick reheat. Good for when you just cant wait.

• ...Keep the washing machine to 30 degrees

I always wash at this temperature and never have any problems. Keep it as low as you can and have washing days that everyone knows about so that you dont have to put the machine on more than is needed.

• ...Extra Layers

I love being warm and snug and love the coal fire but keep it to a minimum. We tend to have a fire once a week or when the weather is particularly bad and we are staying put for the day. Makes it worth while. We found a fuel to burn which is basically logs of compacted sawdust and it is fine for burning and has no pollutants. The other great thing about this is that, provided thats all you've burnt, once it has burnt down to ashes, you can collect and save them for the garden. Popping it onto the the soil is really good for the plants. No waste here then. Success!! You can find these in some Super value, Centra or even your local market where I get a big bag full.

Snuggie

Still, it is best to burn as little as possible on the whole so if its cold and I am am home all day I dont want to have the heating on non stop. Simply put on some extra layers.

It doesn't cost anything and if you are on your own, who cares if you look  like the Michelin man, your comfy. I got one of those Snuggies last year and they are just lovely. You can get them from Heatons in Ireland and a few other shops and an they are the business.

Also, just because winter is on the way it doesn't mean that we should all stay locked in. If it's dry then a good walk is going to keep you warm and fit and you can always treat yourself on the way if you pass a coffee shop! Well, Why not? 

Most of these things will only take a second of my time so they will be at the top of my "To Do list". There are so many other things I can mention but lets not get inundated and then give up altogether because there is too much to remember. If I take things step by step, I'm fairly confident that I'll see results step by step too.