Changing habits to meet changing society

I think it's bordering on obsessive when people are so concerned about others bathing habits.

I would struggle without my tumble dryer. I live in a dip and my washing rarely dries on the line

As a public transport user, I really wish that more people would take a daily bath or shower?

I've never smelled anything other than cigarettes in others, and I've used buses for the whole of my life.

Really? It’s worse on the late afternoon buses when people are coming home from work, but I often smell BO on passengers.

I caught a bus a couple of weeks ago that was full of football fans - about 80% of the passengers - and it was beyond whiffy. I was pleased to get off.

Well, they'd probably got all smelly and excited about the match.

Hetty58

I'd already made drastic changes, many years ago. The difference I've noticed is that my friends and family no longer laugh and joke about my frugal, planet friendly - and miserly habits!

merlotgran, only the rich and reckless have their heating on.

Not totally true about only the rich and reckless have the heating on. I have very bad arthritis in my hands feet and knees and if I get cold, I can barely move. Sitting with a blanket around me is not enough so my heating it set at a minimum of 18 degrees and if it dips below that it comes on. Once I have put on an extra layer, if I still feel cold and my arthritis is hurting, then I turn the heating on as other wise I would be unable to sleep because of the pain.

I will have to try to find other ways of economising once my fixed term energy package ends, probably by reducing my food and petrol bills.

There are lots of people like me who need to have the heating on based on the weather rather than the time of year - especially those of us living in more northern areas.

Personal change helps but it's the big changes that governments could enforce that would make the real difference and I'm not convinced our politicians with their short focus on getting re-elected will ever do much.

MissAdventure ??

MissA, in good ol Sarf London we often have people on the buses who smell of - how can I put this- ‘different’ smoke - I sometimes consider livening things up by sitting next to them to see if I can get a second hand high!?

Galaxy

I think the thought of people not travelling to other countries quite frightening to be honest. I think there would be some interesting unintended consequences to that.

Yes, I'm inclined to agree. Gaining no firsthand knowledge of other cultures leads to people like my brother who has never been abroad and still thinks pasta (for example) is "foreign muck". Talk about narrow-minded and thoroughly bigoted. And yes, of course he voted for Brexit - his actual words were, "They need us more than we need them." I didn't know where to start with that one!

Miss Adventure - great post you made me cry with laughter!!! A cheerful start to the day.

My dd1 buys virtually everything 2nd had - her own clothes, furniture, etc. Charity shops, Gumtree, FreeCycle, etc. She finds some fantastic bargains - really good quality stuff.

Virtually all her children’s clothes are hand me downs from friends, and she passes theirs on likewise. Recently passed on a lot of Gds’s clothes and toys, inc. a bike, to a little Ukrainian boy who’s moved in down the road.

Having said that, she did get a bit annoyed with me recently, when I wanted to buy a specific new item for a Gdd’s birthday - one she’d specifically asked for.
Sorry, dd, but for a birthday, 2nd hand just isn’t quite the same as a brand new one in a box with all the bits.

I haven't read every post so apologies if others have already said this: dishwashers are more energy efficient than washing up at the sink. You can find this info if you Google it i.e. dishwasher versus hand wash. The Which report confirms that "Our tests show even the least water-efficient dishwasher still only uses half the amount of water compared to hand-washing" and "The most water efficient full-size dishwasher uses almost 10 times less water to wash the same amount of dishes as washing them by hand."
I never run my dishwasher unless it's absolutely full.

Pepper59

People don't use tumble driers properly. Ive had one for years and didn't have big bills. I only use it really for bedding and towels. I always line dry things first.

Exactly what I do Pepper59. I would never tumble dry straight from the washing machine, but I do love fluffy towels

All the things previously mention, plus growing my own fruit and veg, and about to reseted my lawn with clover, when we put a new shed in the base was hardcore, eco grids then pea shingle, no concrete

I’m a fan of charity shops, second hand and sites like Freecycle. I’m really grateful to all those who buy things new and pass them on. What would we all do if no one bought new?

My son buys most of his clothes from charity shops, Mollygo and he much prefers the affluent areas where he can get good quality, hardly or never worn items. So many have the price label still dangling!

Cutting down on the ironing. It's only shirts and pillowcases now. All washing dried on the line outside or on the landing. We don't have a car now, but the one I got rid of was 21 years old, and still going strong.

I do everything else.

The thing I do need to tackle is food waste.

Buy British meat and dairy..our grasslandd sequestors as much carbon as any rainforest etc

We are trying to do everything on the list!
I’ve not been in an aeroplane for 4 years so that will cut down on my personal carbon footprint.
In the next few weeks we a getting rid of our second car.
I rarely use the tumble dryer,only when desperate now.I do have a dishwasher which is used daily, they say it takes less water and heat than doing it after each meal in the sick,that’s what I choose to believe!

We do most of the above. Never had a tumble dryer or dish washer. I hate food waste. I even crisp up potatoes peelings in the oven to make little tasty snacks. I put them in when I have the oven on for something else.

Trying to cut out single use plastic,.
recycle as much as I can.
Buses are a nightmare so sadly still use the car a lot! But we use it for helping 2 of my DD out as one heavily pregnant and other still learning, so its not frivolous jaunts!
Line dry as much as I can and use heated Lakeland drying wrack too but sadly sometimes the dryer is on (3 DGC children here two of whom are under 5!)
Foreign travel- sadly I love travelling so wont be stopping! But we do go by train when or ferry when we can.
Baths/showers. Kids every other day, their mum is a nurse so its daily after shift for her, me a bath once a week as a treat and a shower twice with washes in between. Like many others baths were a once a week affair when I was growing up! My DD’s are all super critical of this as I did the same with them! and they claim it was unhygienic ?
Barely if ever put heating on.

Rameses, research has shown that less water is used in a dishwasher than washing up by hand. Surprisingly it is greener and has the added benefit that it can wash in higher temperatures so is more hygienic. I have a tumble dryer, which is useful in the winter as I have very little radiator space and I like to dry towels in it as they come out fluffier.
I have used eBay and charity shops for years. Much of our furniture is second hand. I have long thought that someone setting up home on a limited budget could almost completely furnish their house and buy crockery and utensils from charity shops. We try our best.

I don't have a dishwasher or a tumble drier. The 7 minute daily shower is a necessity. It keeps my skin in good condition. It stops bacterial growth on the skin. It washes away germs picked up on skin. It's important to stop old lady smells.