Thrifty Sustainability Blog

• Homemade Skittles vodka recipe
  This is a really easy recipe that will produce a delicious and colourful rainbow of homemade Skittles vodka. You could make a batch as home-made gifts. Getting into a thrifty mindset, it is a great idea to make and prepare DIY Gifts all year round. Have a little stockpile of beautifully-made, special presents, ready to give ...
• Foraging in Spring – Free food in the wild UK
  Foraging in Spring, for food in the wild, is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem. Start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground, or dangling off a tree in your ...
• How to stop wasting food and start saving money!
  How to stop wasting food There are lots of things that we can do to stop wasting food. By looking at the way that we buy, store and use ingredients, we can reduce food waste and save money! Plan before you shop Before you shop, take a look in the fridge, freezer and cupboards. Do you really know what ...
• Homemade raw bars – no bake recipe!
  Try making these delicious homemade raw bars, with no baking required. Buying raw bars, nutrition bars or energy bars can be very expensive, but if you buy the ingredients in bulk and make them at home, they are actually pretty cheap. Have a go at making this easy recipe to ensure that you have tasty, healthy snacks, ...
• 30 DIY gift ideas
  Christmas is coming, which can be an expensive time of year. Just because it is the season to spend, doesn’t mean you have to! Why not have a go at these thrifty, homemade, DIY gift ideas and save money whilst creating something beautiful. If the slideshow above is not displaying correctly for you, you can visit ...
• Natural home remedies – prevent a cold & boost your immune system
  Try these natural home remedies this winter, they may help to boost your immune system, or help you to recover faster from colds and flu. Traditional over-the-counter treatments and medicine can be quite expensive. You can often achieve the same results for a fraction of the cost by making your own alternative natural remedies. Obviously, these ...
• How to make Homemade Toffee Vodka
  This is a really easy recipe that will produce delicious homemade toffee vodka. You could make a batch as home-made gifts. Getting into a thrifty mindset, it is a great idea to make and prepare DIY Gifts all year round. Have a little stockpile of beautifully-made, special presents, ready to give loved ones, family and friends. ...
• Make it: Caramelised red onion & chilli chutney
  Caramelised red onion and chilli chutney is a great recipe to make this autumn. Once the chutney is sealed in the jars, it will have time to mature to be extra delicious just in time for Christmas. Getting into a thrifty mindset, it is a great idea to make and prepare DIY Gifts all year round. ...
• Foraging in August – free food in the wild UK
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem. Start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground, or dangling off a tree in your local area… ...
• Foraging in July – free food in the wild UK
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem. Start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground, or dangling off a tree in your local area… ...
• Using Solar Power – save money and live sustainably
  Solar power is an important natural resource that we can use more often, as we embrace a thrifty and sustainable lifestyle. You don’t need to know a lot about solar energy to make the most of it and you don’t need to spend a fortune. There are solar panels for every budget – they sell them ...
• Foraging in June – free food in the wild UK
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem. Start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground, or dangling off a tree in your local area… ...
• Home Brew: Elderflower Champagne
  Making Elderflower Champagne is a fantastic way of turning free, foraged ingredients and low-cost store cupboard ingredients, into a few large bottles of actual alcohol. If you are new to making home brew, Elderflower Champagne is a great place to start. This drink is so cheap and easy to make. The result is a delicious, elegant ...
• Foraging in May – Free food in the wild UK
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground, or dangling off a tree in your ...
• What is a Repair Cafe? – Sustainable skills
  What is a Repair Cafe? A repair cafe is a free meeting place, where people can bring along broken possessions to be fixed by a group of local volunteers. The volunteers have experience in repairing all kinds of items from furniture, clothes and bikes to electrical goods. Repair cafes encourage communities to reduce waste and save money ...
• How to make Dandelion Jam
  Dandelion Jam is a really unusual, but delicious treat. It is unlikely to be in your local supermarket or even your local farm shop. The fact that it is hard to get hold of makes this jam a brilliant home-made gift for friends. Try Dandelion Jam on toast or scones, pair it with cream cheese, use ...
• Foraging in April – Free food in the wild – UK
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground, or dangling off a tree in your ...
• Upcycle, reuse & repurpose – Inspirational ideas
  Upcycle, reuse and repurpose unwanted items. Make the most of your rubbish and maybe even make something beautiful. Take a look at these weird and wonderful ideas. Hopefully they will inspire you and help you to look at your rubbish in a whole new light. Just click through each slide using the yellow boxes at the bottom ...
• Foraging in March – Free food in the wild
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground, or dangling off a tree in your ...
• Grow your own – Planting & Picking calendar
  Growing your own fruit and vegetables can be so rewarding, as we discovered in this previous post – Why grow your own fruit and vegetables. Different vegetables need to be planted and picked at different times throughout the year. Planting at the correct time ensures that you get the best quality and quantity of veg from ...
• Foraging in February – free food in the wild
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground or dangling off a tree in your ...
• Lemons – multi-talented, powerful… cheap!
  Lemons, often only chosen in the supermarket as a companion to gin & tonic or perhaps for squeezing over a piece of fish, but this cheeky little fruit has so much more to offer as you embrace a thrifty and sustainable lifestyle. Ahh, the humble lemon, look closer and you will discover, not only that it ...
• Free education – learn for free
  Reasons to learn for free What will inspire you to learn for free? Here are just a few suggestions: If you are unemployed and want to make your CV stand out from the crowd – taking a free online course will give you an edge, it will make employers notice you. It will also boost your self-esteem ...
• Foraging in January – Free food in the wild
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground or dangling off a tree in your ...
• Why grow your own fruit and vegetables?
  Grow your own If you are looking for ways to save money and to live a more self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle, why not grow your own food, it’s a great place to start. Planting, nurturing, growing, picking, preparing and then eating your own food can be an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding experience. Whether you are growing food in ...
• Foraging in December – Free food in the wild
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground or dangling off a tree in your ...
• Make it for Christmas: Tomato & Apple Chutney
  Tomato & Apple Chutney is a great recipe to have a go at in October/early November as the fruits are in season and once the chutney is sealed in the jars, it will have time to mature to be extra-delicious just in time for Christmas. Getting into a thrifty mindset, it is a good idea to ...
• Foraging in November – free food in the wild
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground or dangling off a tree in your ...
• Why are carrier bags 5p now? – Explanation & alternatives to save you money
  You have probably noticed by now, that most shops in the UK are charging 5p per carrier bag at the checkouts. It’s caused some confusion and has caused more than a few cross words over the last couple of weeks, at tills across the country. Lets take a look at why carrier bags now cost ...
• Make it: DIY Gift Ideas – 3D embellished glass jars
  Getting into a thrifty mindset, it is a great idea to make and prepare DIY Gifts all year round so that you have a little stockpile of beautifully home-made, special presents – ready to give to your loved ones, family and friends. Making your own gifts can also save you a small fortune at Christmas. ...
• Foraging in October – Free food in the wild
  Foraging for food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground or dangling off a tree in your ...
• Switch energy providers to save money
  As you start to get into a Thrifty Sustainability mindset, you will cut back on your energy usage to save money, and to help our environment. It is also worth checking that you aren’t paying too much for your energy with your current energy provider. Can you switch energy providers to save money on your ...
• How to make a budget & save money
  Making a budget gives you a clear understanding of your finances. Some people get into all sorts of trouble with debt, simply because they spend more than they earn. Working out exactly how much money you have coming in and how much is going out each month, will give you control over your finances. Once ...
• Make it: Sloe Gin
  Making Sloe Gin is one of the most rewarding pastimes in September/October. Scroll down for a delicious sloe gin recipe. If you are lucky, and there is an early crop of Sloes, you will have time to make lots of little gift-sized bottles of home-made sloe gin, to give away to friends and family at Christmas… ...
• Foraging in September – Free food in the wild
  Foraging for free food in the wild is a fantastic way to bulk out your meals for free. It’s also great exercise, great for connecting with nature and great for boosting your self-esteem as you start to discover the wealth of free food that’s just poking out of the ground or dangling off a tree in ...
• Cheap food – approved clearance food
  How can we save up to 70% on the weekly shop & help the environment at the same time? Make use of the cheap food that is available for everyone, if you only know where to buy it. In the UK we throw away a tremendous (and disgustingly wasteful) amount of food and drink each year ...
• Make it: Home made pizza
  Let’s face it, pizza is the food of the Gods and you’re thinking… no way can I make a pizza that tastes as sublime as my usual take-away favourite. Well, not only can you make your own perfect, divine, exquisitely delicious pizza, but you’ll have the added satisfaction of knowing that you’ve saved yourself a ...
• Switch it off / Smarter use of energy
  Did you know that appliances still eat up power when they’re on standby and every time you remember to switch them off, you save pennies on your electricity bill, which over the year will add up to pounds. If you are not using your TV, Laptop, Cooker, phone charger etc – don’t leave them plugged ...