Reducing water consumption 1

Did you know that the average person here in the UK uses around 150 litres of water each day?  

I had to look that one up but I know how much water I use per day in my single person household.  Fifty two litres.  That is my average daily consumption so far in 2026.  So I use about one third as much as the average person.

Back in 2024 I got a smart meter for water.  It's not quite the same as a smart energy meter.  That comes with an in-home display so  can see how much electricity I am using in real time.  For water there's no in-home display but I can go to the Anglian Water website and see how much water I use each day.  

It has made me very aware of my daily consumption.  I have a spreadsheet to help me monitor usage and work out how to cut down.  

I have a wet room rather than a bathroom so I don't take baths.  Instead I take navy showers.

What's a navy shower?    It's water saving technique.  I stand under the shower for 20-30 seconds to get wet then I turn off the water.  I apply soap and shampoo and then turn the shower on again to rinse myself.  The shower is probably running for less than two minutes in total.  And I have a water saving shower head as well.

The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory

I'm a great one for writing things down.  I record my energy usage on a daily basis. I check and note my weight and the number of steps I take.  And I write down every penny I spend.  

Each day I check my bank and credit card accounts and count the money in my purse and work out what has disappeared since yesterday and where it went.  I know a lot of people don't record their spending to this degree but I have found it helpful.  Maybe there will come a day when I trust myself enough not to have to be so "accountable" either.  The only person I am accountable to is me!

Once a month I create an account of all that I have spent and what I have done.  To use fashionable language, I have made myself much more mindful of where the pennies go

Before I retired, I was far less obsessive about it but I realised that I would have to be more careful now that I have a reduced income.  The amazing thing is that I feel as if I have an increased income.  It feels as though I have more money than ever I had!  I go out for lunch several times a month, I have a few mini-breaks each year and yet I never have to worry and I can save for treats or the inevitable rainy days.

Flylady used to have the acronym FACE - Financial Awareness Continually Empowers - maybe she still does.  Knowing what I've got and where what I had went to has certainly empowered me.  And writing it all down makes it even more real. The faintest ink is truly more powerful than the strongest memory.

Cottage cheese

 If there was one everyday item which I used to waste a lot, it was milk.  I know this isn't a problem for most people but in a household of one person who doesn't eat breakfast cereal and drinks her coffee black, it can be difficult.  

I buy UHT milk to use for tea/coffee when guests call unexpectedly.   If I know guests are coming I buy pasteurised milk.  The UHT stuff comes in one litre containers but I can buy just a pint of pasteurised and sometimes even less.  I can manage to use up the remains of a pint but a litre is a lot of milk!

So I make cottage cheese.  Heat the milk to just below boiling point, add a generous squeeze of lemon juice and stir.  The milk will curdle.  (IT IS NOT THE SAME AS LEAVING MILK TO GO OFF!   DO NOT DO THAT!)  Leave it to cool a little then strain it.  I use muslin inside my sieve.  Leave it until all the whey (a colourless liquid) has drained off then put the cheese to chill in a dish in the fridge. The whey can be used in baking.

It does not have the same texture as a commercially produced cottage cheese but it has more flavour.  You may want to add salt.

Small saving

Pasta doesn't take long to cook, but did you know that if you soak it, it will cook even quicker?  Just put dry pasta to soak in water for an hour or two before boiling. It will then only need a couple of minutes of cooking time, because it’s absorbed the water it needs, and only has to heat through.

I find that I can then put it into the pan with the sauce I am making (maybe just chopped tomatoes, pepper and onions) and heat both together.  That way I've saved both time and money.

Keeping it clean!

 

Laundry is the bane of my life.  Largely because of the last three letters D  R  Y.  Washing is fine, drying is the tricky bit!.  

My clothes don't get very soiled but they still need washing if I am to keep my friends.  I use the "mixed fibre" setting on my washing machine a lot.  I save my "dirty" clothes and sort whites and coloureds but beyond that they usually don't get sorted much.  Towels and bedding get a hotter wash sometimes but the rest is OK at 30C or even 20C.  I try and do as much as possible on Sunday to take advantage of cheaper electricity

I try and dry smaller items on the airers.  I put the airers outside when I can but I can't move very quickly if it starts to rain, so often the conservatory has to suffice.  It gets quite warm in there if there is any sunshine.  Sheets go in the drier, at least in the winter, and towels are finished in the drier.  I like fluffy towels.

Free holiday

 

My friend Holly

A couple of years ago I was at a coffee morning when a lady whom I knew slightly was bemoaning the fact that she couldn't find a dog sitter.  We got into conversation and somehow I offered to look after her two dogs.

Two years on I'm still looking after her dog.  Sadly one dog has died but I still look after Holly, a delightful Border Terrier.  I'm now looking after her for the ninth time.

It's no hardship!  The house is in the countryside about eight miles from my home and in a village where I have several friends.  I treat each visit as a holiday.  I don't take any "shoulds", "oughts" and "musts" with me.  I take prepared meals and some sort of project to do, and I just chill.

So it's win:win for my new friend and me.  She can get a dog sitter at very short notice pretty well whenever she wants, and I get free holidays.  

Sam Vines boots

 

You probably know about boot theory: that people in poverty have to buy cheap products that need to be replaced repeatedly, proving more expensive in the long run than higher-priced items.  Put more simply it's buy cheap and you need to buy twice (or even more!).  I am able to set money aside to save me money long term, eg I bought an air fryer and thus save on energy costs, but others can't afford that investment.  

Although I try to be frugal, my frugality is by choice.  I have a fair income (state and occupational pensions) and my needs are modest.  I am aware that there are many who have to choose between heating and eating.  There are parents who go hungry to feed their children.  There are many for whom Christmas is a time to dread.  Frugality is not a choice but a life sentence. 

My frugality is about getting value for money rather than getting the cheapest possible.  It's also about avoiding waste as a matter of principle.  It's about mindfully using my money, possessions, skills and time.  

I take my hat off to those who have far less choices and still live a glorious life.