Tag: home

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Buying crap

In the lead up to the most relaxed Christmas Rob and I have had in years, a simple question began to reoccur everywhere we meant. Do we need this? And often the answer was, you guessed it, no.

Where does the instinct come from to consume as much as possible over Christmas? The chocolates, the desserts, and a new one for me, candles with built in LED lights that come on when you light them. Seriously, don’t candles already light up enough? When the urge to buy takes over, I become a MONSTER.

Wilbur, caught attacking the christmas decorations at every opportunity.

I started thinking about my upcoming new year’s resolution quite early this year. I wanted to spend less, and put more into our savings. After a culmination of what I’m going to call multiple blackout ‘spending events’ – I realised how out of control I’d become. My impulse control for buying crap had always been low. But in 2024, it was non-existent.

My latest obsession – maybe even hyper fixation – was on cordless vacuums. Allow my own behaviour to a cautionary tale. My last vacuum was a fabulous little rechargeable thing. It was tiny, didn’t take long to replenish the battery, and did a pretty good job of keeping the tiny flat we used to rent relatively clean. However, when it came the end of its life, far too quickly in my opinion (after about 3 years of use), I decided to opt for a slightly more expensive corded alternative. My Shark vacuum has not only saved me money in the long-run as it doesn’t require the little bags my rechargeable one did, but it also does a much better job of cleaning. My rugs and carpet look gorgeous after a 15-minute whip round. And better yet, I’m not creating more e-waste as the lithium-ion battery begins a quick descent into uselessness.

But there I was, convinced that now we have two cats, and the need to clean more regularly than before, what I desperately wanted was something that I could whip out to do the little daily touch ups my home needed to stay fresh. And keep the cat hair at a manageable level. Despite the fact, I already have a much better vacuum cleaner – that albeit a bit heavier – works wonderfully well.

Penelope (left) and Wilbur (right)

In years gone by, I have also been a sucker for sustainable gimmicks. The Eco Egg laundry, uh, thing? Yep, I was an early adopter. And you know where it got me? Eventually my clothes began to take on a faint smell of damp. Even though everything was properly washed and aired. Bar cleansers were another obsession of mine, along with solid shampoos and conditioners. Though I must admit these were far more successful. As they are sensible alternatives to hygiene products that come in bulky or complex plastic containers.

I have to tell you though, one of my all-time favourite shampoo and conditioner bars are by the brand Ethique. And when they’re on sale in Holland & Barrett, I’m like a dog in heat. They are lovely, work well, and I adore their subtle scents. Side note – do Holland & Barrett still do the penny sale? (Oh dear, here I go again…)

But as I go into 2025, my goal is to simply use things up before buying more. Stop the accumulating, the hoarding of things ‘just in case’. And swap products out, where I can, for more environmentally conscious alternatives. Ones that work and aren’t just useless crap or convincing greenwashing.

One way of doing this is to create a ‘want’ list in my journal of the things I’d like to try. If I still think it’s a good idea in a month’s time, after plenty of research, then I’ll buy it. If not, well, it wasn’t meant to be.

For my birthday, Rob bought me an Aarke carbonator. A fancy looking alternative to the Sodastream he found on QVC of all places. I am in love – and no longer buying sparkly water or fizzy pop.

Me sipping my guilty pleasure – Diet Coke.

But what about the stuff that isn’t as easy to swap out – like household cleaning sprays, laundry detergent, toilet roll, fragrances, candles, moisturisers. Sure, there are loads of alternatives, but I’m not sure there’s a clear consensus on whether they’re actually any good, or better for the planet. Well, allow me to be your lab rat. That’s also what I’m going to be trying this year. I’m on the hunt for environmentally friendly, sustainable alternatives to the plastic crap I’ve been buying at the speed of light. And hopefully, I’ll be saving a bit of money along the way. I’ve recently been to my local refill store ‘Siop Sero’ in Roath, Cardiff. And will be sharing how I got along shortly.

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Where you are

Cardiff, overlooked from Penarth. Kodak Color Plus 200 // 35mm.

Is there really anything romantic about the city anymore? Or has own online world made the metropolis moot?

I, myself, love the idea that I can go for a coffee at 9 o’clock at night. But that certainly doesn’t mean I ever go for one. For me, it almost boils down to a reassuring pleasure in knowing that I can quite literally hear life bustling on outside my open window, well into the early hours. Perhaps this background stimulation ties into a lifetime of friends convinced that my own constant need for movement is actually the presence of undiagnosed ADHD. The older I get, the more inclined I am to agree with them.

But actually knowing whether the city adds anything at all to my quality of life – or whether it in fact drains plenty away – is something I can no longer turn my head away from. Recently, at a wedding, our bustling table of vegans (don’t worry, we were happily grouped together) took a break from chatting about the uncomfortable strange yellow hue of soya milk, to discuss where we all came from. A topic I find as interesting as it is obligatory for any group of strangers forced to make small talk.

‘London,’ came the first response. In an accent as northern as, well, the woman herself. ‘From Leeds originally, obviously, but been in London for, God, nearly 7 years. I consider myself from London at this point.’

7 years is my own number too. I’ve lived in Cardiff since moving here for university in 2015. And I sort of understand her response, because my love was instant too. Even if, at times, tumultuous. Yet, all this time later, my go-to response remains ‘little town in North Wales,’ followed by the just as dependable ‘probably haven’t heard of it; Colwyn Bay?’

Mural by Colwyn Bay Pier. Kodak Color Plus 200 // 35mm.

I’ve always been conflicted about moving across the country. The main reason being how far away it is from my family. But, really, what it boils down to for me, is because of how obviously a product of my home I am. And when I say home, I of course mean ‘home’ home. I am consistently amazed by how late the buses run (and how cheap the price of all-day travel), by the amount of train stations in our part of South Wales, how late restaurants stay open, and the mere concept of Deliveroo. All things, those that grew up here, probably haven’t ever thought twice about.

There’s also a strange sort of longing I associate with coming from a small town. A nostalgia for dreaming about exactly what I have now. Without knowing a single detail of what it would actually be like. Because, when you’re not from a city, a city could be anything. A sort of frustration that something beautiful and exciting is going on elsewhere, while I stroll up an empty high street and eat chips on the beach.

Footpath alongside Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff. Kodak Color Plus 200 // 35mm.

So, perhaps that’s why our responses are so different. Leeds, at least to me, is just as much a city as anywhere with rising rents, accessible public transport and nightclubs. But for someone who grew up there? Well, it’s a lifetime of memories, happiness, trauma and frustrations, sure. But it certainly isn’t blind to the reality of everything that the urban demands. And while we can all long for something bigger and more exciting, it can’t be avoided that growing up in a city prepares you well for living there.

Growing up in a small town? It’s incubation. More thinking time than you can imagine. Time spent walking everywhere, time spent at bus stops, always waiting to see if something will change, and always knowing that it likely won’t. It’s being an adult and wondering how long you’ll last before heading home. And whether there’ll be anything left for you when you finally get there.