WASTE NOT WANT NOT!

I was born in the mid-’80s, so most of my childhood was spent in the ’90s, a time in which I remember a distinct uncoolness surrounding anything to do with second-hand items or thriftiness. I certainly remember the feeling that if your parents bought a second-hand car, you were not worth speaking to in the playground.

Thankfully, due to what can only be miraculous intervention, times have turned around. Second-hand items are now trendy and are labelled vintage for extra appeal. ‘Recycle’, ‘upcycle’, ‘reuse’ and ‘reduce’ are all buzz words most of us now use every day. With a keener interest in the natural environment and the challenges our planet currently faces, the vast majority of us are looking at ways to reduce our impact and ‘up’ our frugality.

Some weeks my vegetable patch, fridge and store cupboard work in streamlined partnership, producing delicious meals