Keep the straws from unwanted drink bottles

If you have a drink bottle with an internal straw, when the bottle cracks, leaks or dies, don't throw the straw out! Remove it from the bottle and keep it in your cutlery drawer for whenever you need a straw, or keep a couple in your bag for use when you're out. I keep three in a little cotton bag in my handbag for when we order a drink that would normally come with a disposable straw (milkshakes, iced coffees, spiders, soft drinks). After use, I just give the straw a quick rinse in the restroom sink, or wrap in a serviette, and give a good wash when I get home. A simple way to reduce waste and help the planet!

No more shopping lists with free app

We have eliminated paper shopping lists by using a free app called Our Groceries. You can link the app via entering one email address, so everyone who does the shopping at your house has the up to date grocery list at any time. The best thing is, you can customise the list to be very specific about what you want. There is a paid version of the app but we have been successfully using the free version and love it. No more wasted paper and no more forgetting things as the list is always with us!

Butterflies flutter by with this pest-control solution!

We have been growing our own vegies, with quite some success, however we had a problem with white butterflies laying their eggs and producing green caterpillars which would attack our precious crop! I had heard that these butterflies were territorial so I came up with a brilliant solution to our problem. I made replica white butterflies,(out of waterproof ice-cream container lids) that were the same size as the real ones I then skewered them onto bamboo sticks and placed them in amongst my vegetables. Result: No more butterflies! It really works- I've watched them whilst having my tea break. As they fly over our garden they see there are already several there in our veggie patch, so they fly on over to the neighbours gardens! It sure is a cheaper and more environmentally-friendly solution than any other pest control I've heard of!

Use a savings purse to collect money saved on purchases

I was usually a pretty prudent shopper but was always looking at the money I saved as potential cash for more purchases. This meant that in the long run I didn't really save anything and ended up with a heap of things I didn't really need.

I started taking a 'savings purse' with me to the supermarket when I did my grocery shopping. Instead of buying the product I would normally have bought, I would choose the cheaper alternative. For example, I would purchase the 'home brand' biscuits for $1.00 less. That $1.00 would go into my head as a saving. At the end of that shopping trip I would put any 'savings' into the savings purse. I was stunned. After two weeks of shopping and 'saving' this way, my savings purse contained $100.

I began to use my savings purse in other ways. If I managed to refuel my car with cheaper fuel, I would put the difference in the purse. If I wanted a chocolate bar, and I resisted buying it, I would put that money in my savings purse. Even with those small amounts, the savings became huge. Doing this began to be fun; it was a challenge to find extra ways to put money into my savings purse!

To top it all off, not only was I saving money but, by 'resisting' the sweets and chips so that I could put the money into my purse, I was also eating healthier and losing weight. I am so happy with the results.