It’s been three months since we received our goodies from Ikea. Our specially selected items arrived in January to help our family live more sustainably, aka #liveLAGOM. And now it’s time to reflect and see if they’ve helped make any positive changes.
The good bits….
Everything has slotted nicely into our home, with nearly every item serving a very specific purpose, so i’m certain we made the right decisions with product choices. Our water saving RINGSKAR tap has made life so much better in the kitchen. Now we have a tap that not only looks pretty sexy, it also works. Isn’t it weird how long you put up with something that doesn’t work and what a difference it makes when it’s finally put right?
The NJUTA bathrobes have been on every day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, meaning we could have the heating switched off slightly earlier in the evening and coming on slightly later the next day.
One of the biggest successes has been the WERNA blackout curtains. I have to admit, I didn’t think these would work so well. They’re not lined at all, but bloody hell, they really do block out the light. Really good value. I also think the bedroom has felt warmer since they have been in there… not sure if that’s psychological, but either way, i’m happy.
The BILLY bookcase and SPRUTT unit have solved the annoying storage issues we had. The SPRUTT unit, being metal has also turned out to be a great magnetic board too. Great for plonking notes onto.
Our SKANKA frying pan has certainly improved our cooking. I now get all of my seabass on the plate instead of leaving half of it stuck to the pan. And we use less oil too, so double win. Our old pan went to the recycling. Adios.
The enormous SKOLD sheepskin has also kept me cosy and warm through this very cold winter we’ve had, moving around several rooms in the house. A good investment indeed.
The not so good bits…
We did purchase the LADDA battery charging unit, but alas, since Charlie’s been in full time childcare, we’ve actually not needed any batteries, a-hem. It will come into use soon i’m sure.
I’m afraid to say we’ve struggled with some of the LED bulbs. The E28 sized bulbs don’t seem to have caused any issue, but some of the E14 bulbs we’ve had to remove because of the buzzing noise. It was pretty audible. Not so bad in a room with the TV on etc.. but in my bedside lamp, it wasn’t working out. So now i’ve got a few LED bulbs sitting somewhere in a drawer. Not ideal.
Have you seen a difference in money, time, consumption, well-being?
Well I have, but again, I don’t know if i’m looking for it. So I asked my OH to check our energy usage. And here’s what it said:
It’s definitely gone down.
So that’s a good sign no? Especially when we weren’t able to update ALL of our lightbulbs to LED due to “the buzz.”
We have a water meter too, so after a quick squizz to see if our water saving RINGSKAR kitchen tap had made any difference, here’s what we found…
Cubic meters for the first quarter in 2015 = 34
Cubic meters for the first quarter in 2016 = 30
Now, that doesn’t sound life changing, but that’s over a 10% reduction in water use and all we’ve done is fit a new kitchen tap. That, and be more vigilant with turning them off, using the quick flush on the loo and using the eco setting on the dishwasher 90% of the time. We’ve also been educating our son about water use too, he’s even taken to having showers instead of baths. Which he loves by the way.
Just look what just one cubic meter of water looks like:
Southwest Water
And we saved four. That’s the equivalent of 52 baths! Pretty happy with that.
Overall, I have seen some positive changes in our household so far. I have been much more aware (and guilt ridden) when I have thrown away food. That’s something we still haven’t nailed. But we will get there. Living LAGOM can’t be switched on overnight, it’s a process that takes time. Our lifestyle and attitudes to most things we do unconsciously will change for the better, inform our decisions and choices as a family. And I think we’ve made a good start.
What could you do, right now, to make your own home more sustainable?
This is really interesting Karen! I too have had issues with the noise that some bulbs give off- sometimes just thought I was hearing things!
Oh no, it’s a well known issue with some LED bulbs. So it’s not you… honest!!
Hi Karen.
I was looking forward to this update. Mainly because I am totally rubbish with some of the sustainability stuff…Food waste = *guilty face*, Lights on = *guilty face* My OH should have a guilty face for keeping the tap running on full blast while he brushes his teeth for ages and if I’m in there we have all out ‘tap wars’ on, off, on, off.
But now that I am a penniless newbie blogger living off my OHs good will 😉 I am much more mindful of waste etc. I am starting with all of our bills and standing orders but you see I am realising you have to spend to save sometimes so although you can keep your buzzy LEDs I am sorely tempted by that amazing sheepskin.
YES! What is it with OH’s and running the tap for THREE MINUTES whilst they walk around the landing brushing their teeth. Turn it off!! Just becoming aware of stuff you’re doing is a good a start as any Jane, so just make the changes slowly over time. It can be done (sheepskin optional) 🙂
Great post, I can’t cope with Noisy LED bulbs either. We have lived frugally for the past 10 years and its amazing how, like you say, making small changes soon helps to cut costs overall. Living in Devon we have one of the highest water charges in the country, so anything that can save on water is a must. Must plan a little trip to IKEA soon.
Yeah, what is it with those bulbs? And defo look into the water saving taps. Be interesting to see if we can keep that level of water saving up!
Great post Karen. Definitely some things I should be thinking about here. I feel inspired. x
Yay. Great to hear. Thanks Carole x
Such an interesting post Karen. Although we’re told that LED bulbs and certain taps etc help save resources it must be nice to actually see the results on your bills. In our house we really need to turn the heating down, turn the lights off and focus on saving water. Although since discovering the quick 30 min wash on the washing machine I’m sure we’re saving here. As for food waste, it’s practically non-existent at ours. My husband eats everything so nothing goes to waste.
Good to hear how you’re getting on with this. Interesting to read about your experiences with LED bulbs, as I’ve had the same issue with some being ‘buzzy’ – ended up taking them out again.