Repair, Reuse & Recycle

Before Global warming, before Climate Change, and even before the Wombles of Wimbledon, there was the second world war which inspired Britain’s post-war generation through the necessity to reduce waste, by saving Repairing, Reusing & Recycling.

I have always espoused the benefits of frugal living and living a non-wasteful life, during the first and second world wars this was the way everyone managed, it was driven by necessity but even before the wars throughout the 19th century people on low incomes always had to think in this manner –wasting was never an option and considered a sin, you bought and used only what you needed.

A woman in the 19th century who had been made a widow after the death of her husband, with two young children received a minuscule amount from the state and had to rely partly on charity and her skills to survive. A woman needed to show Ingenuity, being able to generate a small additional income often meant the difference between being able to pay the rent and avoiding hunger for the family. If the rent wasn’t paid this could result in immediate eviction by the landlord onto the street and having to go to the workhouse was the only option; the equivalent of social prison.

So finding additional sources of income was vital, doing the washing, acting as a part-time cook, housemaid, or nanny for a middle or upper-middle-class family. Even baking a few extra loaves of bread each week at home which could then be sold for a few extra pennies helped. In the summer in her garden, she grew vegetables which helped reduce her spending.

This meant the rent could be paid, life for the working class before the war years was one of subsistence and survival. Living within your means and not relying on anyone was a key part of this.

Fortunately, we don’t live in such an extreme manner anymore where the slightest difference in income can throw one into a life of destitution. But we do live in a ‘throw-away society where we have forgotten the importance of reducing waste, recycling, and repairing to help us all live within our means.

In 2021, a family two streets away from where I lived was having major building work done on their house, and in their skip outside were about x30 twelve-foot sections of wooden planks; perfectly fine timber that was destined to be burnt or would end up in a landfill site.

I asked if I could have these sections for a project I was working on to repair a fence in the garden and to make a roof shelter for a garden gazebo frame planned for the spring of 2022; they were more than happy to oblige me. They felt glad their wood wasn’t going to be wasted but recycled thus helping the environment; I had the same feeling and also made a saving on timber.

Below Are Some Ways We Saved Cash In The Old Days:

Grow Your Vegetables

Now is the perfect time to start growing your vegetables. According to research done by Gardens Building Direct, growing your vegetables could save you between £300-£500 per year. Peas, Lettuce, Broad beans, Spring Onions and Tomatoes are all easy to grow and quick to crop within 8-10 weeks of sowing, also try getting your kids involved they’ll enjoy it and learn how important plants are. Also, don’t forget fruit; Strawberries, Raspberries, etc. These are all easy to plant and offer excellent value once planted you’ll get a free crop every year! Last year I bought and planted a Victoria Plum tree and it has now flowered this spring. There is also now hard evidence as to the health benefits of gardening in terms of reducing stress and anxiety.

Cut Down on Heating & Heating Appliances

If single, consider switching the heating off or place the boiler on the lowest setting and then heat only the main room of the house you are living in with a small heater. This saves on heating the whole house or flats unnecessarily. If you do have a family consider turning the heating dial down by two notches this can save you money without a noticeable drop in heat.

Get Cooking

It costs on average five times more to order a takeaway than to cook the equivalent meal at home, according to the Website Forbes. Cooking all your meals from scratch with affordable ingredients not only will save you money but it's also healthier for you as many takeaway meals have high salt, sugar, and fat content.

Time for the Suresh Financial Academy Challenge!

All you need to do is switch out a habit for one of these top tips below and comment below to let the academy know which you are committing to adapt to your lifestyle.

• Cut your hair – or get a friend to do it.
• Save on dishwasher tablets by breaking them in half or better still do not use the dishwasher (especially for small washes) instead do dishes manually; once every two days.
• Don’t fill the kettle to the brim; fill a mug with the amount of water that you need then pour this into the kettle, then boil so you only use the water you need.
• Set and stick to a weekly budget when buying food and small shops of £5-£6 (or less) to help you keep within your budget. So you buy only what you need for 2-3 days, also avoiding waste.
• In your supermarket don’t forget to always look in the reduced section, you’ll almost certainly find something at a great price and be able to try something different.
• Walking short distances to the shops rather than taking the car, not only saves on fuel but is also good for exercise.

Do you have any money-saving tips you could share with us below? Which of those mentioned above are you going to try?



Copyright Suresh Thadani

An Independent Financial Advisor.



See more with @SureshThadaniFinancialAcademy