Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An eco-friendly mother says ditching the family car and making her own cleaning products could save you £5,700 a year.
Eff Coral, 30, sold her vehicle in July 2022 to help reduce her carbon footprint - and clawed back £350 a month in the process.
She also embarked on a zero waste lifestyle three years ago, which she estimates saves her another £130 per month.
Eff and partner Andres Kristofferson, 30, slashed their plastic waste by investing in shampoo bars, making their own cleaning products and using toothpaste tablets.
The mother-of-one, from Uppsala, Sweden, also tries to buy secondhand clothes and reusable nappies for her daughter, Olivia, two, whenever she can.
Eff, who is the owner of a zero waste business, said: “I remember looking at all the plastic bottles in my shower one day and just thinking it was awful.
“Now I’m conscious to try and have a zero waste lifestyle. I buy all secondhand for my daughter, which is also so much cheaper.
“We decided to sell our car and now uses bikes to get round which has saved us £350 a month.
“We refill all our food and use toothpaste tablets and shampoo bars. It is about balance though, as if Olivia or I do want to buy something new, we won’t restrict ourselves.
“It’s about doing what we can.”
Eff also makes more of her own food to keep her waste and living costs down.
She said: “I try and cook with as little waste as possible. I use reusable coffee filters and tea bags and don’t buy any cleaning products anymore.
“Instead I use white vinegar and baking soda to clean.”
Eff says she and her family try to be as waste-free as possible but still maintain a manageable balance.
She added: “On the whole I live a minimalist lifestyle and we buy secondhand and reduce our waste where we can.
“I think a lot of people think being zero waste is expensive, but it’s saved us money.
“It might cost more to buy alternative house products in the first place but they last so much longer that it ends up being cheaper.
“We’ve halved our monthly budget on household and food products.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments