I've been trying to be a more ethical consumer recently. Part of it is probably because I feel guilt tripped into doing so. Organic stuff is so expensive though, or it is round here. Environmentally sound cleaning products and toiletries are also very expensive. It's also bad to shop at supermarkets and small chains charge higher prices.

Apparently we are all meant to care about the environment, which I do, but they don't half make it expensive! I’m not talking about carbon footprint stuff. Here is an example: my local health food shop is a small local chain, and when I'm feeling flush I try and buy stuff from there. One carton of almond milk from there is £2.69, but Tesco are doing an offer on Alpro almond milk and it is currently just £1.00 for the same amount. My local health food (hippy) shop sells an 100% organic natural and cleaner for £5.99 for a bottle! I have also noticed that if I only bought organic food, I wouldn't be able to afford to go and see mates at the weekend etc.

I just bought a load of natural, cruelty free toiletries that don't contain chemicals that harm the environment. I would estimate that I spent around 4-5 times more on these than I would pay for 'normal' stuff. I daren't even tell my fella what they came to suffice to say, the roll on deodorant was over £7.00!

Clearly I need to buck my ideas up and earn more and I feel really guilty about not being able to afford all of this stuff and be ethical! However, I still feel that these prices are taking the piss somewhat.
Has anyone else managed to do this cheaply? I’m in the UK btw, so I might not be able to get hold of some products from the US or Oz.

G'day LesleyPumpshaft.

Blimey, that Almond milk is expensive sunshine. It's around $3 here. I buy rice milk, which is only $2.60-$2.70, though smaller organic stores will usually charge a bit extra for it (roughly $3 upwards).

For cleaning, you can use vinegar diluted with water. Way cheaper than buying organic cleaning products. Add in some essential oil, Eucalyptus for example, and you even get a decent smell from it.

You could also look into making your own soap. It's not that difficult and decent organic soap is just as good as any shampoo product.

Probably the cheapest way is buying through a co-operative. When I was staying in Kingsford Smith Park in Kattomba (the Blue Mountains, just outside of Sydney), there was an awesome co-op that sold pretty much everything that you could require, from fruit and veg to bulk foods and everything in between. Maybe you could get some people together in your area and start a co-op, or even look into buying together in bulk from the source (wholesale prices and all that ).

I will agree though that the prices can appear to be a piss take at times, especially when finances are tight. My advice, don't feel guilty about buying some products cheaper from the supermarkets. Work out what you can reasonably afford to buy from the smaller (local run) businesses and get the rest from the supermarket. Any amount of reducing reliance upon the supermarkets is a step forward and is also reducing your support of the system in place.

Kudos for doing what you're doing.

I use watered down lemon myrtle oil for cleaning with, that's Australian isn't it? I like the smell, but my fella isn't too keen! I do use vinegar sometimes, but I should start using other more environmentally friendly products for cleaning the loo's and bathrooms.

I'll look into making my own soap.

The rice milk over here is also pricey. I have my reservations about soya milk, because I'm not that keen on the taste and I'm confused about whether soya is actually harmful. When I buy soya products I opt for the Alpro brand as they are non-GM. Tbh people in the Far East eat soya and they seem to be ok.

I've found a local place that does local organic fruit and veg boxes, so they are worth a try. I can quite happily live off a staple of beans and pulses, as I love them! My son and fella consider them to be the Devil's food though. So, I can run to buying my lentils and chickpeas from my local health food store as they last for quite a while. I'm not actually vegan or vegetarian, but I eat meat less than once a fortnight, I eat eggs, but not diary (unless hungover and I'll eat anything then!). Maybe buying wholesale could be an option.

Thanks for the advice

Another possible solution is...clean things less regularly. I like to adopt this novel approach, only for ethical reasons obviously.

LesleyPumpshaft wrote:

I AM ALL I AM wrote:

Correction. I was thinking of Oat milk. The almond milk is around $3.50 upwards here.

wake_up_bomb wrote:
"After the third year, the dust doesn't get any worse."

Quentin Crisp.

LPS you could try a small hand held steamer to do some of the cleaning, then you only need water, perhaps some vinegar added as IAAIA mentioned.

Water and steam are always the least 'chemically' way to clean things if you can figure out how.

Personally my WC is in the bathroom, which is an entire wet area ofc, and i have and extendable showerhead ...so guess how it gets cleaned

Better and cleaner than any chemicals, turn the hot water on now and then, put away anything that can get water damaged and give it a blast.

Baking soda can also clean stuff when mixed with water.

If your loo is a separate room, if its a wettable area (tiled etc) you can add a t-junction or similar to the water pipe that feeds the loo, and add a small bathroom style hose and showerhead/nozzle to that, and simply hose things off.

(best example i could find at short notice) : lifeisrealgood.com/wordpress/wp-content/.../2010/01/bidet_7.jpg

You may have to add a drainhole to the room so that water will run outside, you can simply drill a small one inch or so hole in the wall where the floor meets the wall, i have seen this done in other houses. Keep it plugged so mice etc cant get in when its not needed.

Then the whole loo and room can get hosed down with a bit of pressure, and use a long handled floor squeegee to push any water that spills outside the loo towards the drain hole.

I tend to do what others have already suggested, Lesley. I'm mean as arse-holes so you won't find me paying any more than a couple of quid for anything, least of all cleaning stuff.

Bicarb is a god-send, as is white vinegar for glass and mirrors and just as a general disinfectant. Borax is also great, if you can find it 'in-store' these days.

Worked perfectly well for our predecessors long before commercial cleaners became available.

The only 'treat' I allow myself these days is some Flash bleach spray, and only because it saves me some elbow grease.

sometimes i just piss outside.

batou wrote:
It should be encouraged actually where possible.

especially for males.

I do when i can also...it saves on water too.

novum wrote:
I've been told I'm not aloud to do so, as per the terms of my tenancy agreement. Especially not from my window on the first floor.

they only say that because once you mark it, its yours.

Ab Origine wrote:
Yep is why i added 'where possible' ...im aware there are many a situation where one cant, like when living in flats/apartments.

But for those with their own yard there is no excuse.

(unless its real cold out)

novum wrote:
I never said I don't do it, just been told I shouldn't.

Piddle in your compost bin if you have one because it helps the right bacterias to develop that will break down the stuff in there to enrich your soil.

As I've said many times before, put a couple of drops of teatree oil in the water you're cleaning with - it's a naturally potent anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral (and was used quite quietly in British hospitals in recent years to combat the superbugs), has no nasty side-effects and the human body never develops resistance to it (as it does with stuff like anti-biotics). You'll either like the smell or you won't - I love it.

Teatree and lemon mrytle are great Gilly, I use them for wiping down stuff in the kitchen and mopping the floors. Sometimes I use the old Flash cleaner is things are mucky though!

I'm already employing the 'do less cleaning' method wub and Abs. I wish I could be a domestic goddess type, but cleaning and housework bring me no joy at all frankly. Quentin Crisp imparted many pearls of wisdom during his time here on Earth!

Novum, I would love a wet room. My bathroom is not set up for that sort of thing, but I've recently been thinking about a small hand held steam cleaner

Batou, I occasionally piss outside, but it tends to be when I'm out having a walk and get caught short. It's quite liberating, I've considered getting a Shewee. They look neat!

Thanks for the recipes IAAIA.

If you feel 'creative' it#s a good idea to get some bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and vinegar.......these 3 items clean anything

for your body use seasalt mushed up in an avacodo as a body wash and skin lotion.

you can use eggs or beer to wash your hair

Thanks for the ideas Dawnbreak, although avocado is one my faves, so rubbing it on my skin would be a criminal waste of it's creamy goodness

I have lemons, vinegar and bicarb. It won't cause a fizzy explosion if I mix it all together will it?

LesleyPumpshaft wrote:

well it will fizz but it smells nice


I think when the ingredigents work together, dirt eating enzeymes are activated which is why they are good for cleaning


I use them on kitchen worktops as I don't like the thought of chemically stuff (flash with freebreeze) on the area I prepare food