International Downshifting Week Sat 19-Fri 25th April

[Zo Zo]

Downshifting Week runs from Saturday 19th - Friday 25th April 2008, and aims to inspire individuals, companies, children and schools to live simpler, happier lives and be kinder to the environment at the same time. Suggestions include very practical ideas such as eliminating non-essential purchases, cook a meal from local and seasonal ingredients, or finding alternatives to the TV for an evening. Find out more at http://www.downshiftingweek.com/

So geeks, how do you feel about downshifting? Would you be interested in doing it? And if you are interested in doing it, what changes do you think you could make personally, to your own lifestyle?

 

[Martigirl]

Well that is interesting I have been subconsciously doing this for about 12 months now.

Before I was a serial shopper with quite a big problem

I now try very hard only to buy what I need.

Now even more because of setting up my own small business I try where possible to support other small local businesses.


I have just found after a long search a great local butchers. I buy my eggs from the local community farm (always have done tho), If I take the kids for lunch I try the local coffe shop where I now know the owners.

I also use a fairly local farmers market.

I know it's not a lot but I am trying.

Hubby is the recycling king we have the most recycling boxes in the street it is embarrassing every 2 weeks.

 

[Zo Zo]

Well that is interesting I have been subconsciously doing this for about 12 months now.

Before I was a serial shopper with quite a big problem

I now try very hard only to buy what I need. That is fantastic.. I'm not saying I'm perfect but just stopping to think, 'do I really need that?' before buying something, can really stop you buying it. Martyn Lewis (Money Saving Expert) has a mantra, something along the lines of, will I use it? do I need it? can I buy it cheaper somewhere else?

Now even more because of setting up my own small business I try where possible to support other small local businesses. That's great, and although it's often indirect, what goes around comes around!

I have just found after a long search a great local butchers. I buy my eggs from the local community farm (always have done tho), If I take the kids for lunch I try the local coffe shop where I now know the owners.

I also use a fairly local farmers market. Many farmers markets operate on the principle that they only sell products sourced within 20 miles, so that is really helping to cut down food miles

I know it's not a lot but I am trying. It's fantastic Angela! And in actual fact you are probably doing a lot more, without even realising it :hug:

Hubby is the recycling king we have the most recycling boxes in the street it is embarrassing every 2 weeks.

Lol, I'm the recycling queen in my street! But how difficult is it?

Thank you for your input honey xx

 

[Ruth Mills]

We're trying to do that more at this end too; clutter busting is something we really need to do here, so am in the process of flogging stuff on eBay that we don't need, or giving it away on Freecycle. Am also trying to sort the finances out so that we're not paying out for things unnecessarily. And the moneysavingexpert.com site is brill for that - have already saved about £8 per month by getting cheaper boiler insurance, and I reckon we'll be able to save about £25 per month by switching to cheaper mortgage life insurance...

I always try and find work close to home too; there's nothing worse than wasting 2 or 3 hours a day commuting, as well as all the extra CO2 that means kicking out and money gone down the toilet on diesel for the car...

Alas we have a huge mortgage though, so not much chance of any serious downshifting for a while...

 

[Susie H]

Since the verm em I mean my lovely children moved out, Paul and I have down shifted a lot, we have one car that is only used for the absolute essential journeys ie Paul having a bad day and can't make the shop on foot. We use public transport for all our trips to town and day trips to MK etc. We fill half a rubish bag a week and recycle all our paper, tin and plastic and always use the bottle bank and have a composter in the garden, washing up water waters my plants, the washing machine is turned down to 30 degree's and if the oven is turned on I make sure its full, ie roast dinner on one shelf, pud or cake on another and tomorrow's pie on the top. We use low energy bulbs everywhere, turned the heating down by 3 degree's so the only thing left is the tv and internet and I'm so not giving that up:lol:

 

[Zo Zo]

We're trying to do that more at this end too; clutter busting is something we really need to do here, so am in the process of flogging stuff on eBay that we don't need, or giving it away on Freecycle. Am also trying to sort the finances out so that we're not paying out for things unnecessarily. And the moneysavingexpert.com site is brill for that - have already saved about £8 per month by getting cheaper boiler insurance, and I reckon we'll be able to save about £25 per month by switching to cheaper mortgage life insurance...

I always try and find work close to home too; there's nothing worse than wasting 2 or 3 hours a day commuting, as well as all the extra CO2 that means kicking out and money gone down the toilet on diesel for the car...

Alas we have a huge mortgage though, so not much chance of any serious downshifting for a while...

It's all good Ruth :hug: I have just taken out British Gas homecare insurance after an expensive boiler repair and I chose to pay £9 pm less and have a £50 excess. Because I can still have 2 callouts per year (hopefully I'll have none!) and still be quids in.

As for 'serious' downshifting, yes, I totally understand where you're coming from! I don't expect many of us could do that! And also, it's good to have a balance, for example, I could buy a house outright, but not in a good catchment area, so my choice is to have a mortgage.

 

[Zo Zo]

Since the verm em I mean my lovely children moved out, Paul and I have down shifted a lot, we have one car that is only used for the absolute essential journeys ie Paul having a bad day and can't make the shop on foot. We use public transport for all our trips to town and day trips to MK etc. We fill half a rubish bag a week and recycle all our paper, tin and plastic and always use the bottle bank and have a composter in the garden, washing up water waters my plants, the washing machine is turned down to 30 degree's and if the oven is turned on I make sure its full, ie roast dinner on one shelf, pud or cake on another and tomorrow's pie on the top. We use low energy bulbs everywhere, turned the heating down by 3 degree's so the only thing left is the tv and internet and I'm so not giving that up:lol:

A woman after my own heart... and the best thing is, it's all common sense! :hug:

 

[JackieMc]

Oooh - I hadn't heard of International Downshifting Week! We plan to 'downshift' as much as we can when Sean retires in a couple of years (Early Retirement, before he kicks me!!), we hope to move to a place with a little land so we can grow as much of our own food as possible and also try some alternative/supplementary energy sources. Meanwhile we recycle everything we can, I still grow a few veg each year in our tiny garden and I'm soon to become the proud owner of a few chickens so they'll be providing us (and the neighbours) with eggs - that will cut down a 40 minute trip to the farm every week (CO2 emissions etc and a few food miles!), they sell the best eggs I've ever tasted but that will soon change when I get my chooks! We compost everything we can too. We make do with one car between us also, which, when I first moved over to Ireland I thought would be impossible - having to share a car!!!! Shock..... Horror...... But it's amazing what you can get used to.

I'm trying to think what extra thing I can do especially for this week - I'm sure I'll think of something!

Jackie

 

[Zo Zo]

I've had an idea of something small I can change. I've decided that, with the exception of my beauty room, I am going to replace all the liquid soaps in my house for bars of soap. So... four sinks, four less plastic bottles every few weeks

I have chooks Jackie, they're fun!