eco thrifty living – Homegrown and Foraged

I’ve been following Zoe Morrisons’ blog, Eco Thrifty Living for a few years and know she has some great tips to share. So I was pleased to have the chance to review Zoe’s new book: Eco Thrifty Living – Save Money, Save the Environment and Live the Life You Want.

Zoe has a friendly and easy to read writing style – as I read a lot for my work I admit I don’t often read a book when I get home, but I sped through an electronic version of the book in a couple of evenings after dinner. The book is split into manageable chunks focussing on different areas of the home and different events and activities you might spend money on – so you can easily focus in on a particular area, or refer back to it again later. There are different options for ways to reduce waste and save money in each area so you can pick the ways that will work for you, and I particularly like the way each section ends with a challenge and advice on how to take things further.

If you are starting to focus on ways to help the environment and save money, this is a great introduction.

The book is currently available to download in Kindle version via Amazon: Eco Thrifty Living – The Book: (note this is not an affiliate link) . Printed copies are also now available – ideal if you want to gift a copy.

I caught up with Zoe to ask her a few questions about the book and her experiences:

1) Hi Zoe, you’ve been writing a successful blog about eco thrifty living for a while now. What prompted you to turn it into a book?

I have always wanted to write a book ever since I was a kid. The thought of actually writing one was really overwhelming though so it took me a long time to convince myself to follow through on my childhood dream!

2) Which of the changes suggested in the book did you find easiest to implement?

There are so many changes it is difficult to pick! There was one challenge that I took on that surprised me though. I found that not buying anything new for myself for 10 months was actually really easy! Read more about my challenge here: https://ecothriftyliving.com/2013/11/my-year-of-eco-challenges-challenge-3.html I do buy things now, but with a different mindset to my previous one. In the book I suggest taking on a similar challenge.

3) And which was the most challenging?

There were some changes I wanted to make that didn’t work for me – mainly in relation to cleaning and bathroom products. There are also some eco changes I haven’t even attempted yet. I’m still taking things one step at a time and doing what works for me and I recommend that approach. I think trying to take it all on at once it can feel difficult and overwhelming. Making one small change at a time that sticks is better than trying to do too much and then giving it all up.

4) You mention a few things in the book that you managed to find for free. What is your favourite free find?

We have had some great free finds, including clothes, scooters, a trampoline, a bookshelf and more. One of my favourites is a tent we got given via Freecycle. It is a really large canvas tent with heavy poles and it’s straight out of the 70’s. A bit faded now, but in its day it was bright orange! It has three bedroom sections and a front room that you can stand up in. I love it – is perfect for my family of 4. You can read more about it here: https://ecothriftyliving.com/2015/06/introducing-caspar-friendly-tent-and.html

5) If you could give someone new to trying to live an eco friendly life without spending a lot of money just one tip, what would it be?

My one tip would be to read my book! It is filled with ideas for how to be eco friendly without spending much money. It covers how to be eco-thrifty in a variety of areas including in the kitchen, the bathroom, getting fit, clothes, stuff, kids and more!

Thanks Zoe – great advice.

The free tent, which looks amazing – reminds me of a camping holidays in France as a teenager.