• Make the most of opportunities to recycle by cutting up old shirts to make dusters and cleaning cloths so you don’t need to buy synthetic ones.
• Mix one cup of salt, one cup of baking soda and quarter cup of cream of tartar to make an effective natural drain cleaner that won’t harm the environment.
• Do less ironing! If you hang them up to dry as soon as they’re washed, sheets, table cloths and pyjamas don’t need to be pressed.
• Always make sure the filter on your tumble dryer is clean as this will use less energy, and sort fabrics by type when drying. Lighter synthetics will need less time than heavy cottons, saving power. Better still, hang items on the washing line outside.
• Bicarbonate of soda is a great surface cleaner and shifts stubborn odours; simply sprinkle a little on a damp cloth. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant which is brilliant at cutting through greasy residues, and can be combined with lemon juice for a lovely citrus smell. Fragrant essential oils such as lavender and clove are natural antiseptics and good at clearing moulds and fungi in the bathroom. Natural beeswax and olive oil are excellent furniture cleaners. However, if time is tight there are a range of natural cleaning products that can help you beat the dirt.

Researchers have found that cloudy apple juice contains twice as many health boosting antioxidants as clear juice.

These antioxidants, called polyphenols, are also found in red wine, berries and green tea and protect against heart disease.

The key to planning and creating healthy meals on a limited budget is good forward planning and solid nutritional knowledge.

1. Always do a shopping list: Shopping without a sense of what you need – and don’t need – opens you up to all manner of temptation, and most of those tempting foods are not nutritious. In addition, picking up all those extra items can easily blow your food budget and leave you without the funds to plan those healthy, nutritious meals. A good trick is to keep a note pad near the table or refrigerator. Having the notepad within easy reach makes it easy to keep track of the foods you need to stock up on.
2. Never shop when you are hungry: The old advice to never shop when you are hungry is definitely true. Shopping when you are hungry is a sure way to give in to temptation, bust the food budget, and stock up on all the wrong foods.
3. Replace meat with pulses: Eating less meat and more beans and lentils is a good way to save money on your food budget while still getting the protein you and your family need. Eliminating meat also reduces your saturated fat intake. Try experimenting with some vegetarian recipes for interesting ways to use these non-meat alternatives.
4. Stock up on staples: One trick is to keep the refrigerator and the pantry well stocked with staple foods. Essential staple foods, such as wholemeal flour, rice, and pasta may often be on special offer. Stocking up on these essentials when prices are low is a great way to stretch any food budget. Keeping a good supply of staples on hand will avoid unnecessary trips to the shops. When staples such as bread, wholemeal flour, peanut butter, tinned organic beans, tinned organic tomatoes etc. are on offer be sure to stock up.
5. Stock up on fruits and veggies: Fruit and vegetables (excluding exotic / imported ones) are surprisingly cheap. An average piece of fruit costs less than most bars of chocolate or a bag of crisps – and provides more in the way of nourishment for fewer calories. Always best to choose fresh fruit and vegetables in season, not only are they cheaper they will also be most flavoursome and at their best. Markets also tend to be cheaper than supermarkets. Alternatively opt for supermarket branded tinned or frozen fruit and vegetables.