First-time buyer reveals how she saved £1,000s for a deposit by going eco-friendly
Charlie Allen, a 24-year-old from Worthing, tries to cut down on plastic waste which has resulted in her savings thousands over the past few years
ONE savvy first-time buyer has saved several thousand pounds to put towards her house deposit all thanks to her eco-friendly lifestyle.
Charlie Allen, an engineer and business analyst from Worthing in West Sussex, was inspired to start cutting down on using plastic after watching a documentary.
But her actions to save the planet have also helped her purse-strings.
"Trying to produce zero waste is all about the simple changes you can make without it affecting the quality of your life," she told The Sun.
"And when you minimise your waste, you then end up buying less and cutting your costs as a result."
So how does cutting back on plastic waste enable her to save so much money?
Firstly, the 24-year-old, who lives with her boyfriend, tackles the household shop.
"I have an allotment, so most of our fruit and veg comes from there - and herbs too," she added.
"And before we had an allotment we grew potatoes in pots on the patio."
Her allotment costs £40 a year but she says the annual fee is more than made back from the savings made by not buying fresh fruit and vegetables, which can be pricey.
For example, a bag of courgette seeds cost her 75p, which resulted in 20 to 30 courgettes. A packet of three courgettes in Tesco costs 69p alone - or £20.70 for 30.
She also shops at two specialist stores in neighbouring Brighton where you can fill up on loose goods and cleaning products using your own Tupperware containers.
How Charlie reduces waste
CHARLIE lists her favourite sites for waste reducing ideas:
- website – "This is also helpful for day-to-day tips and ideas."
- website and app - "This site has a location tool, which shows you where you can fill up your water bottle for free."
- – "This is really good to get tips from for reducing waste on a day-to-day point of view."
- hashtag on Instagram - "Follow this hashtag and it will give you a selection of Instagrammers and blogs to check out, all with different ideas.
One of these shops, Wastenot gives you rougly a 10p discount when you take your own containers, according to Charlie.
In the other, called HISBE, a 500ml bottle of shampoo and shower gel costs about £2. Charlie said this is less than the Sanex brand the couple previously used.
Charlie also saves by ditching disposable items.
"I don’t buy disposable paper tissues – I use toilet roll, which unlike tissues can be flushed down the toilet, or hankies that can be washed," she said.
"My mum still buys tissues but they’re quite expensive given they’re disposable items, and if you have a cold, you go through them quite quickly."
Clingfilm, sandwich bags and tin foil are other household items where money is no longer going down the drain.
These typically cost a couple of quid per item but it adds up when you're buying them on a regular basis.
"If I'm making sandwiches I’ll put them in a reusable beeswax wrap that my Mum got me for Christmas. And in the fridge we use Tupperware containers for leftovers.
"Then, when I'm cooking I use non-stick pans and a non-stick reusable matt – I’ve had mine for three or four years now."
Charlie also loves a second-hand bargain and saved hundreds kitting out her new flat this way.
"Look on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and in charity shops and vintage stores before buying anything. Reusing items is the number one easiest way to save the planet and it saves so much money.
"Our flat was completely unfurnished and I don’t think we bought anything new for it other than a clock - and we paid a fraction of the price for many items.
"The bed cost just £30 and we picked up a brand new memory foam mattress for £40. Our washing machine cost £30 - as did the sofa. And our dining table we nabbed for free.
"You have to be savvy but you can save hundreds of pounds compared to buying brand new."
But it's not just about cutting waste and saving money around the home. Charlie said it's also about being prepared when you're out and about.
Here's how to cut the cost of your grocery shop
SAVING on your shop can make a big difference to your wallet. Here are some tips from Hannah Maundrell, editor of Money.co.uk, about how you can cut the cost of your shopping bills:
- Write yourself a list – Only buy items that you need. If it isn’t on your list, don’t put it in the trolley
- Create a budget – Work out a weekly budget for your food shopping
- Never shop hungry – You are far more likely to buy more food if your tummy is rumbling
- Don’t buy pre-chopped veggies or fruit – The extra charged for chopping can be eye watering
- Use social media – Follow your favourite retailers to find out about the latest deals
- Be disloyal – You may want to go to different stores to find the best bargains
- Check the small print – It’s always worth checking the price per kg/lb/litre when comparing offers so you’re making a like for like decision as a bigger box won’t necessarily mean you get more
- Use your loyalty cards – Don’t be afraid to sign up to them all. They all work slightly differently – work out what bonus suits you better and remember to trade in your points for additional rewards
"When I went to an airport I realised I could take a metal water bottle rather than buying and throwing away plastic bottles - there are always places that will fill it up free.
"Plus, I always have a canvas reusable bag on me, which means I save on shops' plastic bag fees."
Since October 2015, all large shops in England have to charge 5p for all single-use plastic carrier bags by law.
Bottles of water, meanwhile, can cost anything from about 50p to a few pounds depending on the brand and the retailer.
In conclusion, Charlie said: "Making all these small changes all adds up. I was able to save several thousand of pounds over the last couple of years to put towards a deposit for a house."
And Charlie isn't the only one interested in going green.
A poll commissioned for this week's found that four-in-five Britons (80 per cent) admit that they are concerned about the amount of single-use plastics generated in the UK.
Popular money news
In recent months, retailers and businesses across the UK have been working to reduce their use of plastic.
Only this week, beer company Carlsberg has come up with a sticky solution to using plastic six-pack rings and wrapping.
Meanwhile, M&;S has ditched plastic in favour of wooden cutlery and Costa has promised to recycle as many coffee cups as it sells by 2020.
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