Since I'm doing a major house declutter (See my Declutter challenge), I'm going through a lot of home items I bought when I first moved to Ireland. It's a good opportunity to look back at what I ended up replacing and what stood the test of time. I can also look back at some of my previous purchases and appreciate them better as I'm getting rid of so much. As ethical consumers our goal is to keep our things for as long as we can to avoid overconsumption, and that often means going for quality instead of cheap price. That being said, we don't all have the budget (god knows I don't!) to always go for top quality, and sometimes compromises need to be made. So where should you splurge and where should you save? Let's have a look!
1.BEDDING
This is a bit of a controversial one, and if you had asked me a year ago it wouldn't have been on the list. However a few months ago I took the plunge and invested in Fairtrade organic cotton bed linen from White and Green, and my world was changed. I never ever thought I could love bed sheets so much. They are softer than any bedsheets I've slept in before. I spoke with one of the founders and she was telling me that beyond thread count, what matters is the quality of each thread. Another bedding item I invested in was a silk pillowcase from The Ethical Silk Company. Their silk is soft without being the "slippery" kind which I adore. Silk is better for my natural curls as well as for my skin!
WHERE TO SAVE? I saved big time on my Ikea duvet cover. It's still made by a company I love and support, but only cost about 30€. Since I sleep with a flat sheet, I don't really touch my duvet cover so much and prefer to invest in what is actually in contact with my skin!
2.POTS & PANS
There's nothing worse than fighting to clean a cheap pot where food keeps sticking. It can ruin your recipes and just take up precious extra time. I understand the temptation to go for cheaper options, but for me the effort is not worth it. One good solution to get cheaper good quality pots and pans is to head to TK MAXX (or Winners in Canada). They have great stuff for cheaper and often it comes without packaging.
WHERE TO SAVE? Save on your dining set! I never understood the point of paying so much money for plates when cheap ones work just as well!
3.GOOD KITCHEN KNIVES
In the same spirit as the pots and pans, I hate fighting and I'm cooking. Meal prepping and cooking just gets so much easier with good quality knives. There's no need to splurge on chef knives worth hundreds of dollars, but maybe go one step above the cheapest option in the shop. Good knives make veggie chopping so much easier and meat prepping effortless. And believe me, it's absolutely worth it (little reminder, I'm incredibly lazy).
WHERE TO SAVE? While your knives may matter, your chopping board does not. There are some beautiful fancy ones out there but the truth is you can get cheap ones that will work perfectly fine. For a more eco friendly option, you can use a wooden one which will also avoid using plastic! Super easy and super cheap!
4.YOUR DESK CHAIR
More and more people work from home from time to time, and that means we're spending quite a bit of time working at a desk. Because of this, optimising our work space is so important. Not only for out comfort but also for our health. I think the biggest part of that is investing in a good comfortable desk chair, it makes such a big difference! When I first move to Ireland, I got the cheapest possible chair from Ikea (see photo) and regretted it ever since. It's not comfortable and doesn't roll properly. Because of this I always end up working form my couch or my bed, and let me tell you my back isn't very happy about it. So do yourself a favour, get comfy!
WHERE TO SAVE? Your actual desk! I'm always floored by the fancy desks they sometimes display in stores and by their price tags. I got a super basic table from Ikea also and well... I can't complain. Unless you have very special needs (which is okay too!), I don't think anyone needs to spend a lot of money on a desk.
5.ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES
Saving the bet for last, investing in energy efficient appliances might seem like a lot of money upfront, but they also contribute to reducing your electricity bill. Even if you're buying secondhand, it's always a good idea to check the energy rating of the product you're buying. I'm not a big fan of all the new tech functions on appliances, but I do love that some of them now have an eco mode. They'll save energy wherever possible, which will save you money and help the planet. Win Win!
WHERE TO SAVE? This is a tricky one. I would suggest compromising on small appliances that aren't plugged in all the time. Some items like filter coffee makers or clothes iron aren't that different wether you buy the expensive or cheaper ones. They will last you for years, they just won't have some of the fancy tech add ons.
2 comments
I couldn’t agree more on the pots and pans, when we first moved to Vancouver the place we stayed for a few weeks had awful pans that everything stuck to, it drove us up the wall! Top of our list when we found an apartment was good quality non stick pots and pans
Right!?! I didn’t think I cared until I bought good ones and my world was changed forever haha 🙂