1- BRUSHING YOUR TEETH WITH MARSEILLE SOAP
People have been talking to me about this technique for years, I had even tried it once a while ago without really liking it… And then I said to myself that it’s only idiots who don’t change no opinion! So again, we got started with my boyfriend and it was adopted.
We bought a small piece of Marseille soap scraps from Day by Day 2 months ago and we still have 80% left! Amazing how little you need to properly clean your teeth. A good brushing (because in the end that’s really all that matters) and your teeth will look great!
>> Cost : €0.45 per piece of soap the size of a chocolate bar (sorry, no other comparisons in mind!)
2 – MAKE MY VEGETABLE MILK
This is one of the last recyclable packaging that I bought for the following reason: acute laziness to do it myself. In the end, it takes 5 minutes and it tastes much better, for your health and your wallet. The recipe here .
On average, a bottle of store-bought plant-based milk costs me €2.50 and we consumed at least two per week.
>> Cost : 1 kg of oats at €2.45, you need 200g of oats for 1l of milk = €0.49 per liter
3 – SCHOOL SOAPS FOR WASHING YOUR HANDS
I must admit that I bought these soaps well before my transition to zero waste, just for style, when I bought my apartment 3 years ago. Believe it or not, we have only used 2 soaps for the bathroom and 2 for the kitchen in 3 years. And yet we wash our hands!! It’s our mystery at home, we always hallucinate the economical nature of the thing, it hardly wears out…
>> Cost : €28.10 for 6 soaps (i.e. €4.60 per soap) for 4 years of use for 2!
You just have to buy the special soap dish in addition which costs €20.20 and which has a lifespan…of a lifetime!
4 – DO MY LAUNDRY AND HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS
I have always hallucinated the price of detergents from supermarkets and it has often revolted me. No, but seriously, €12 for 3 liters of ecological detergent? So quite simply when I had the motivation I learned to do it myself and now in 10 minutes it’s done. The detergent recipe here.
It’s the same for the rest of my household products, I simplified and I do it myself.
>> Cost : around €2 to €3 for 1.5 liters of ecological and natural homemade laundry detergent
5 – BUY MY SEASONAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, LOCAL IF POSSIBLE, GROW AND COOK
I’m not going to teach you anything there! Buying seasonal fruits and vegetables is better for your health, the planet, taste and savings. If it’s local, it’s a jackpot!
Succeeding in growing your own food is also a very good tip. No need to have a garden of several hectares. I live in Paris and I still managed to put tomatoes, arugula, basil, mint, chives, thyme, aloe vera and rosemary on my little balcony. Things that are often super expensive!
Finally, cooking remains the best option for eating healthily and saving money.
>> Cost :
– buying in season allows you to save between 20 and 80% of the price
– buying local reduces the bill by 15 to 30%
– fresh basil = €2 per bunch VS Louise basil = €0.50 per bag of seeds
– aloe vera from the organic store = €7 per leaf VS aloe vera from Louise = €14 per plant with 8 leaves
6 – BECOME VEGETARIAN / VEGETALIAN
It is a choice that I made motivated by environmental, ethical and health issues. I do not advise becoming vegetarian or vegan for financial reasons or you will feel frustrated.
However, no longer buying meat, fish, cold meats, etc. has helped reduce the food budget!
>> Cost : €100 to €150 savings per month
7 – PRIVILEGE SECOND HAND PURCHASES AND RENTAL
In a logic of minimalism and preservation of materials, I buy second hand and for certain items I rent ( here with Hylla for example). I buy second-hand clothes, objects, dishes… I rent DIY equipment, clothes and quite simply cars or a Vélib bike if necessary!
>> Cost :
– buying new products second hand allows you to save up to 50% of the in-store price
– buying second-hand products allows you to save up to 95% of the price in store
8 – DON’T BUY BOTTLES OF WATER ANY MORE
That’s something I haven’t done for years because it always seemed absurd to me to buy a “free” natural product, all because supposedly in a toxic plastic bottle it’s better and cleaner for health. So yes, tap water is not drinkable everywhere but there are various very effective filtration solutions: filtration directly on the tap, the ceramic pearls that I use, a filter bottle when traveling, etc.
>> Cost :
– ceramic beads cost €12.90 and last a lifetime
– having a filter bottle for €40 when traveling around the world allowed me to save €416 on plastic water bottles.