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It is an alarming fact that our way of life is threatening the future of our planet. Changes need to be made now to protect our environment for our children, and for their children. By making a few simple changes and leading a more sustainable life, we can make a difference.

Make Do and Mend

Don’t be too quick to throw things away if they can be mended. How often have you discarded socks or sheets because they had a hole? Many items can be mended with a few stitches. If items are beyond repair, then try and find an alternative use for them. Torn sheets can be cut up into washcloths or similar. Plastic pots and bottles can be used as planters. Before discarding, ask yourself if items can be reused.

Collect Water

Consider collecting water in the garden. This can be used in the summer months to water the plants. Or consider a more sophisticated water tank from The Water Tank Factory. This would significantly decrease your water consumption.

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Grow Your Own Food

Growing your own fruit and veg will cut down on packaging and transportation costs. It will also cut down on fuel consumption and emissions from these processes. You will also know exactly what is going into your food and how it has been produced. Start small with a few herb pots and tomato plants and gradually expand.

Cut Down on Takeaways

Cutting down on takeaways helps reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and packaging. Cook food yourself when you can. This will also save you money and will benefit your health.

Cut Down on Paper Towels

It’s true that paper towels come in very handy for messes and spills. But it’s surprising how many we get through in the space of a week. Try replacing them with cheap, washable cloths. They do the same job, but they can be washed and used repeatedly.

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Make Your Own Cleaning Products

Rather than buying supermarket cleaning products, make your own. They are just as effective and contain less harmful chemicals. This article will help get you started. Also, read our article on making your home more eco-friendly.

Unplug

Unplug electrical items when they’re not in use. Many items that are plugged in go into standby mode and are still consuming electricity. Save money and resources by unplugging them.

Think Before You Travel

Most modes of transport consume fuel and release emissions into the atmosphere. This includes your car. Is it necessary to take the car to the shops? Can you walk instead? When traveling to work consider car sharing or taking public transport. Dust off your bicycle and put it to good use.

Cut Down on Printing

Cut down on the number of documents you print. Think before printing and ask yourself whether you need a hard copy.

All these little changes accumulate. Over a few weeks or months, they can make a real impact on the environment. Imagine if everyone adopted a more sustainable lifestyle? Many of the suggestions have multiple benefits such as promoting a simpler and healthier way of life. Not everything will be relevant to you and so pick out the tips that will benefit you and your family. There are no excuses. If you want to pass on a habitable planet, then you need to make changes now.

 

As an avid fan of DIY, I think that I have a little bit of knowledge that I can share with the world. Even if the people that know me don’t agree, I know that this post is very important for the DIY lovers out there. Why? It is important because I am about to tackle one of the major aspects of a successful project – preparation. Yes, good preparation is essential if we want to achieve a high standard when we finish the task at hand. But, preparation is not easy, which is why I have compiled a list of the best ways to prepare for your next project.

Gather The Info

Before you start, get all the info with regards to the project at hand. The last thing you want is for an issue to arise from nowhere and you not to have an answer to the problem. If you have all the information you need, you have all the knowledge to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. For your research, head to your laptop and do a Google search. A Google search should give you everything you need, but if it doesn’t ask family and friends. They may have tips and advice that could be essential for the future.

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Make A List

Not every project is going to take five minutes. Some will take a lot longer, and for that you are going to need to remember a lot of info. No one is expecting you to remember everything off the top of your head, which is why you should make a list. List everything from the tools you need to the cost of materials to give you a better indication of what it is going to take to finish the job. And, just as importantly, make a list of all the dangers and hazards that you can predict before you start.

Move Everything Out Of The Way

To attempt a DIY project, you are going to need space to move. If you are cramped and confined when you are tackling a job, you are bound to make mistakes. At the very least, you will find the job hard work, and it will frustrate you to tears. Thankfully, there is a solution. Get a hold of all the items that are not bolted to the floor, or that are too heavy to move, and escort them from the area. Moving big and bulky items away from the zone will give you a lot more freedom to do your thing.

Tidy Up

Don’t wait until the job is over to tidy up – tidy as you go along. Again, mess causes clutter and restricts your space, which makes a DIY task harder to complete. Throwing unnecessary items in the bin, or putting them back where they belong, will unclutter the working area. And, when the job is over, get in touch with cheap rubbish removal services to ensure you home is spotless.

Keep One Extra

DIY will sometimes make you use more than you have. When that happens, it is a problem because you have to waste time sourcing the item. However, if you have one extra with the ‘one extra rule’, you will always be prepared.

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I like to do quite a bit of DIY around the home. And I have a lot of experience from when I first started out. So here are some of my suggestions that will help you with you DIY tasks around the home.

Have the Right Tools

I can’t stress enough how much you need to make sure you have the right tools. When you’re attempting to do tasks you’ve got to have the right stuff to be able to do the work. I worked out all the tools and equipment I would need to do the work I wanted. Then I figured out which ones I already had. After that, it was a case of taking a trip to the hardware store and stocking up. Make sure you do this before you start anything major.

Start off Small

If you’re just getting started on DIY projects I’d recommend starting off small. This is the approach that I took, and it worked out well. You see, small tasks are quicker and easier to complete. So you get through a few of those and build up your confidence gradually. Once you’ve done this you’ll be ready to take on more ambitious tasks. If I had just jumped straight in and tried to do the huge projects first, I’d have been overwhelmed. By starting off small I found it easier to transition, and I suggest you do the same.

Prioritize

The key to successful DIY is to make sure you prioritize things. I made a list of all the work I wanted to do. And then figured out a cost and timeframe for the projects as well. Once you have a clear idea of what you need to do, you can start to focus. If you can order the tasks, so you decide what to do first, you’ll make the process run much smoother. Whatever is the most important thing needs to be addressed first. You also might want to favor the smaller tasks early on as you can get through them quicker.

Hire Experts if Needed

There will be certain DIY tasks that you might want to think about hiring experts for. Some of the tasks will require professional skills to complete. So if you have the money you need to look at bringing in experts. Think about the areas of the home where you might need outside help. I made a decision to bring in a general contractor and roofers because I wanted a professional touch. It might depend on the tasks you want to do. But make sure you do your research, so you know whether you have to bring in experts.

Take Your Time

You need to understand that many DIY projects are going to take time to do correctly. Some will be small tasks that can be completed in a matter of hours. However, the larger, more complex tasks can take weeks or months. I wasn’t prepared for this when I first started out, and I wanted to get everything done right away. But you’ve got to make sure you’re prepared for the fact that it will take a while. The worst thing you can do is rush something. It’s better to make sure it’s done right than to skim over it. So prepare for the fact that some tasks will take a while. Try not to get too frustrated, and always keep your eye on the prize.

As someone who does their fair share of DIY I know how stressful it can be. You need to make sure you are prepared for the tasks at hand. I like to make sure I thoroughly plan any work before I start doing it. This makes the entire process easier and much less chaotic. By following my suggestions you can achieve the same.