Save money and don’t buy new! Reuse, refurb or recycle to save your cash, be sustainable and reduce waste.
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Written in collaboration with giffgaff
I think most people will agree that waste is a big problem in the UK and want to do something about it.
We recycle plastic, glass, and paper on the kerb (thanks council tax) and do what we can to reduce food waste, but our nation’s love of shopping means more stuff heading home.
Instead of buying new, you can save your money and help save the environment.
But where do you start?
Move over eBay and forget Facebook Marketplace, these are the places you need to be using so you can recycle, refurbish, and reuse.
Toy library
Don’t buy new and get that puzzle your kid will only make once.
Toy libraries work in the same way as a book library. Visit your local toy library, choose what you want to borrow and take the item home on loan. Toys are checked and cleaned before being borrowed again.
Your kids get to play with the toy, learn and develop new skills, and you don’t get to spend as much money.
It doesn’t take long for children to grow out of toys or get bored of them, so a community toy library is a great way to reduce what you buy without your kids missing out.
Refurbished tech
Mobile phones are no longer the luxury they once were. While it’s lovely to watch the odd cat video, we need them to do basic life admin like online banking or keeping up to date with emails from your kids’ school.
But a new phone isn’t necessary. You may not even be able to tell the difference between a new phone and a refurbished phone!
We were sent a refurbished phone from giffgaff and couldn’t tell that if it had been used before. Phones are always checked for any faults and the data gets wiped – it’s like new and comes with a 12-month warranty. To be fair, most of the like new refurbished phones are bought new and returned unused anyway.
The only real difference you’ll notice is how much you’ll save.
Refurbished phones are not tied into any contract, which means you can use any SIM. With giffgaff, look at getting the golden goodybag where you can pay from just £6 a month for data, minutes and texts and you can cancel at any time.
If you’ve got a phone you no longer use, you can recycle it in with giffgaff and make some money back.
Charity shops
I’m not thinking about the standard high street charity shops where you find clothes, books and bric-a-brac.
Consider shopping for stuff for your whole home at a charity furniture warehouse where you can get quality sofas, dining tables or a TV for far cheaper. You may find the furniture lasts longer than newer flat pack!
Locally to us, the YMCA have upcycling centres. Instead of getting standard furniture, you can bag yourself a unique piece of upcycled furniture. The furniture has been created by local young people who are learning a skill; they get work experience, training and can go onto employment.
You may think you’re just getting a cheap piece of pre-loved furniture from charities who offer services like this, but you’re helping younger people, passing on money to charities to help their cause, plus being sustainable too.
Make do and mend cafes
They don’t teach kids like they used to – I fall into that category too! Using YouTube, I’ve been able to change a fuse and sew on a button, but there are many people that just don’t know where to start.
When something breaks, the easiest option might be to throw it out, but you can make do and mend.
There are community repair cafes popping up over the country that give guidance and tips for you to repair your own stuff.
They can teach you to put a patch on clothes, or fix a DVD player or even a computer that has stopped working, plus you can have a cuppa at the same time.
You’ll be able to save money and not have to buy again, as well as stopping unnecessary waste heading to the landfill.
Bike doctors
Your bicycle needs just as much care as a car, as well as a bike MOT check-up can keep it running smoothly and safely.
With the use of bikes likely to increase as the government pushes for us to be greener, there will be more bikes on the road.
To help keep them roadworthy, you’re able to do a lot of maintenance yourself and bike doctors (mechanics) can guide you in the right direction to keep everything working.
From tuning your gears to keeping your tyres pumped, you can pay a bike doctor, but there are free clinics too. Search in your local area or even for a virtual bike doctor service.
For more ways to recycle, refurbish and reuse your stuff, check out the giffgaff hub.
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Scott Nelson says
Hey Naomi, 100% agree, with Christmas around the corner, people need to learn to be more savvy. I grew up with second-hand bikes etc and thought it was fine. My biggest fear this year is that people are going to overspend (as usual), but in 2021 people will find it harder to find employment and pay off that debt.
Naomi Willis says
Hey Scott, this year has been a strange one and I’ve worried for a while that millions will struggle into 2021 (and beyond). I know millions of people have less than £100 in savings, but even the ones who do may soon be spending it to feed themselves as jobs will be going. Christmas is always a tough one and even presence, not presents, may be hard to do as we need to continue social distancing.
Ryan says
Why over spend in the first place? Consenting adults should be role models for their families. I never overspent and always cut my cloth to suit my needs. If people want to go seriously over drawn and in debt then more fool them as nobody is making them do it apart from themselves
Naomi Willis says
It’s great you’ve not been in a place when you’ve needed to overspend.
There are lots of reasons people can overspend – which is a whole blog post of its own – from impulse shopping, mental health issues, not having a budget, underestimating expenses, misuse of credit, and keeping up with the Joneses. And, when someone gets caught into a trap of spending, it’s hard to get out of the mindset. But, people can change their spending habits over time by doing things like keeping a spending diary to understand why they make purchases and limiting access to shopping sites.
Jamie says
Hi Naomi,
I have been using a community larder for tops ups for food , I pay £2 and it really helps me and my kids and helps with waste . I never buy new and get given lots of clothes and nearly new shoes on Facebook and other sites , I only get my clothes from car boots or free sites , I’ve got given some real gems and I always pass on my kids outgrown clothes to others .
Naomi Willis says
We don’t have a community larder near us, but I’ve seen them when we’ve been on staycation. Do you find you’re able to get a full shop from the larder or is it more about getting random ingredients and being inventive?
Angela says
Hi Naomi. Not money making but useful to save things going to landfill and household waste sites is Freecycle. I have offered and received many things in the last few years and it is amazing what people give away or want and how far they will travel. That old camp bed cluttering your shed could be someone else’s dream item. We recently offered our old greenhouse which we bought secondhand several years ago. The people were thrilled as it was still very useful and it was a pity to just dump it. i have seen it now in its new home and looking great.
Freecycle is such a great resource and worth a look by all and no money changes hands. Best wishes.
Naomi Willis says
Thanks Angela – what a great tip!
thara ravishanker says
I love to go to charity shops in my area. There are at least two in my hometown which I have seen as I drive past. It is amazing what you can find on the shelves of any charity shop as well. I have now found all sorts of items.
I love Free cycle additionally. I used to use it. Other good websites on which to find stuff was on Facebook MarketPlace etc. I would try to start there and take it from there. They are excellent resources.
A book swap was common during lockdown. During the first public lockdown there was a book swap at a house not far away. I used to walk to and from it once a week. I fully concur, never buy anything new either. Good reads is another great source of information on books worth reading, so do feel free to take a look.