Green Living Made Easy: 101 Eco Tips, Hacks and Recipes to Save Time and Money

by Nancy Birtwhistle

'The tips and tricks are just brilliant.' – Jane Dunn, author of Jane's Patisserie

101 eco-friendly home-hacks, tips and recipes from Sunday Times bestselling author and Great British Baking Show winner Nancy Birtwhistle.

One change, any change, will make a difference to our precious planet.

We all want to do our best for our homes and the planet, but it’s often hard to find the time and energy to think of alternatives. Nancy Birtwhistle makes it easy with 101 indispensable tips, ideas and recipes that will help you to live a more eco-friendly life without giving up on any home comforts.

This practical book is the ultimate guide to reducing your environmental impact while saving you time and money. Inside are tips and home hacks on everything from eco cleaning, upcycling and making the most out of your weekly shop to small-space gardening and creative crafts, plus a selection of Nancy's delicious recipes. Clearly explained, accessible and beautifully illustrated with black and white line-drawings, Green Living Made Easy is the perfect guide for anyone looking to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle but unsure where to start.

'Finally, an eco-friendly home guide that's relatable and we can all follow.' – Sophie Liard, author of The Folding Lady

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Environment, Self Help, How To, Green, Cookbooks

352 pages, Hardcover

Published March 3, 2022

Reviews

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great guide for ways we can all do things differently. I enjoy Nancy Birtwhistle's posts on social media, her enthusiasm is infectious, and that comes across in this book. Many of the ideas I already knew about, but there are many more to discover in here.

She has chapters on many different aspects of green living so there are ones on more energy efficient cooking, including tips on less food waste, upcycling items otherwise destined for landfill, tips on growing your own food - even in small spaces, and a great chapter in green cleaning, which I have been doing for years but there is always more to learn. I had known that horse chestnuts contain Saponin and could be used as a laundry liquid, I have even been talked through and extremely complicated way of making it, but here we have a really easy way of making soap nuts out of conkers, I certainly plan on giving this a go in September.

One I plan on getting a hard copy of to refer back to when needed, I'd also like to pick up her other books in this series.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting selection of tips and advice for how to live a greener life.

This book was packed full of great tips, recepies and hacks for how to be more sustainable in the kitchen, in the garden, when it comes to gift giving and cleaning.

I can't say I'm going to use all the advice and receipes in this book but there were definitely a couple I have bookmarked and would like to return to at a later date.

Unfortunately, the arc that I read was full of grammar and spelling mistakes. So many, it became difficult to read at times. But I'm sure the final version would have been properly checked.

There is definitely something for everyone in this book from the beginner who has no idea where to start to the already established sustainability King's and queen's.

If you're new years resolution was to live a more green life this year then I highly recommend you give this book a read

[Vanya Prodanova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Тази книга не ми допадна колкото предходната на авторката, просто защото имаше огромна част с рецепти и доста безинтересни крафт идеи. Също така имаше едно-две неща, които се повтаряха в частта за чистенето, но готвенето и крафт нещата ми бяха определено тотална загуба на време, тъй като рецептите не бяха лесни. Визирайки, че е победителка в Bake off шоуто за 2014-та, амс, няма как да приема тези рецепти за лесни. Лесни за нея, но не и за човек, който мрази да готви в червата си като мен. :Р

Това настрана, книгата беше интересна и с доста идеи, някои, от които обмислям да пробвам и ако проработят - чудесно, ако не - поне съм опитала. Имаше и такива, които като си българин и за теб са норма, за британците - новост, въртиш очи в недоумение, ама си и малко горд от себе си, че вече ги правиш. :Р

Опитвам се с такъв тип книги да се възползвам от вдъхновението и идеите, но да не се бия или смятам за смотана ако нещата не ми се получат така, както са описани. Отделно, винаги си имам едно на ум, когато става дума за книги, написани от хора, които цял живот са развивали изкуството на готвене и чистене, че дори им допада. Далеч съм от този етап. Вероятно ще умра преди да достигна дори етапа на примирение, че трябва да чистя и готвя постоянно.

Книгата е насочена за хора, които искат да дадат своя дан за спасяването на планетата ни за бъдещите поколения, но тъй като аз не се интересувам как ще се оправят следващите поколения, не това ми е мотивът. Добър бонус е ако помогна на планетата, но спестяването на пари ми е музата. Днес похарчих £16.25 за неща за чистене и мда.. излишни пари за домакинско изтезание. Ще се пробват идеи. С едно на ум, разбира се - всяка промяна първоначално е скъпа, тъй като докато научиш кое, как, защо и т.н., си отнеме време и пари. :)

[Sue Habib · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amazed at the effectiveness of Nancy's green cleaning solutions in this and her Clean and Green book. The Cream Cleaner is the best!

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Green Living Made Easy: 101 Eco Tips, Hacks and Recipes to Save Time and Money.

This is a non-fiction book written by Nancy Birtwhistle (Winner of the 2014 series of The Great British Bake Off) This book is inspired by Nancy’s determination to ‘change how she used plastic, single use products and chemicals’ in her home.

I liked how easy it was to read this book, either from cover-to-cover, or to dip in and out as the chapters appeal to the reader. There are lots of useful tips; many focus on the kitchen and baking as you might expect from Nancy’s background. There are also chapters about better cleaning habits for the environment and even gardening and plant growing advice.

One of those useful books to keep on the bookshelf and to take out again and again when needed.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great little book full of eco friendly tips. I was going to throw my old iron out and buy a new one but using Nancy’s tips it’s all clean and in perfect working order! 😀

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tricks to keep vegetables and spices fresh as long as possible, organic and fair-trade recipes, eco-friendly detergents and many other tricks to limit our impact on the environment.

Trucchi per tenere le verdure e le spezie fresche il piú a lungo possibile, ricette biologiche e solidali, detersivi ecologici e tanti altri stratagemmi per limitare il nostro impatto sull'ambiente.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so many ideas about living an eco-conscious lifestyle that will also save you money. It's a bit like a modern day Mrs Beeton style book with tips for household management.
Ideas for reducing plastic use in your shopping will be added to my regular activities.
The section on cooking which has a shopping list for several meals is really handy.
There is a section on baking and obviously this was going to be good, as Nancy has won the Great British Bake-off.
But the tips are so clever. Ways to work out how to make a recipe for a different sized baking tray. And the lining paste is so handy. Especially for bundt tins with detail.
What really won my heart was the fact it has an entire chapter on growing and cooking potatoes.

[Rachel Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a nice easy read, full of fun stories and instructions for making your own cleaning products and diy items for around the house. It has certainly motivated me to buy less and make more.

[Zoë Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read, excited to try out the various hacks she suggests! Bit of an odd one to review as this is a book I will be going back to a lot to for various cleaning and kitchen hacks, but Nancy writes in an engaging and clear way and her various recipes sound very interesting!

[Ali Frewin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in a day as it was such a well-written, accessible and important book. We could all make steps towards being more eco-friendly and I’m very keen to try some of Nancy’s suggestions on better cleaning products

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book- full of easy to follow recipes, hints and tips to save money, help our planet & live well!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been following Nancy on Instagram for a while and love her energy and her green tips. This book has some great household tips, tricks and recipes to make the world a little better one green step at a time. 💚💚💚

[Eightlegs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advice on green cleaning, household and cooking in a readable format. (I wouldn't usually read this kind of book from cover to cover but I had this on kindle and read it in snippets and enjoyed it.)

[Gem ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Nancy Birtwhistle's Instagram, she has such an infectious, can-do attitude that combines war-time "make do and mend" with modern climate concerns and ecology. I very much enjoyed the tone of the book, it is a chatty guide to ways to tackle issues such as food waste, recycling, cleaning etc. it did make me smile that Nancy mentions numerous times that she detests the taste of baking powder in any self-raising recipe which I think is a bit of a personal issue, not really representative of most cooks, most others use normal self raising flour or add baking powder/bicarb with no issue so I'm not sure what the issue is here.
The issue I had was that I've tried two of the recipes featured today and whilst there are great ideas for using up food and cooking economically, both did not turn out very nice. In particular, the way Nancy describes cooking the pasta for the puttenesca (with boiling water not on the hob) was, and I can't describe it any other way, disgusting. It may work better with fresh pasta but let me save you the same thing if you get this book, boiling water poured on pasta and left to fluff up in a bowl, leaves it sticky and starchy and tasting awful, I had to make a fresh batch up (the normal way).
Despite the disappointment of the recipes,there is a generous and inspiring selection of hints, tips and tricks to make life easier and greener and I continue to be a fan of her work.

[Emma Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet book! Some parts were not very relevant to me since I live in an apartment- I eventually hopped over the gardening section and I skimmed the potato section- but there's a few things I'd love to try out, like making & reducing stock with my veggie scraps & bones in my pressure cooker or DIY lip balm. I've gotten the supplies for a few DIY cleaning products, although it's difficult finding the equivalent for the Swedish market (there's no rubbing alcohol here? So I got straight-up isopropyl, hope it will work. And goodness was the washing soda hidden under so many other names. The cheapest I found was for pools and labelled "PH+"... very informative). There's a few green secrets from Sweden I wish I could tell Nancy about, like the famous 'Green Soap' that I use all over the place. My floors, the outside of my toilet, the sink... and I bet she'd be jealous of how soft the water is here. The writing style of this book is so friendly, and I could hear Nancy's voice in my head as I read it! I'll have to borrow 'Clean & Green' from my library, but I think it would be a good one to have on the shelf to reference if it's anything like this one. Thanks for all your hard work, Nancy!

[Pauline Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, it was a really interesting read. I, like many others I’m sure, have images of green living akin to the well loved 70s program, The Good Life. However, this book has definitely opened my eyes to lots of things that I can do to be greener as well as making better use of my money.
I particularly loved the two and three minute super saver tips and I’m definitely going to try a quite a few of them.
The book is nicely written, with a narrative that feels mindful of the fact that not everyone has the time or resources to be able to do all of the things in the book.
A great book that I would definitely recommend.

[Chris Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed full with easy to understand eco-tips, I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this excellent and informative book, discovering new possibilities, such as making washing powder out of conkers, and feeling modestly smug when I was doing things already! The book is a goldmine of well-worked out domestic gems, clearly based upon first hand experience, and communicated to the reader with an ease and cheerfulness, which is truly engaging. It is exactly what it says in the title: green living made easy, and has certainly helped me to live in a more sustainable way.

[Tove R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books gives good tips and insights for a greener living. There are many different hacks and tricks to help tackle everyday issues so that it would be easier for people to take the steps toward a more environmentally friendly life. I always enjoy reading about ecological things people do, especially regarding cleaning and reusing things. This is a good book for newbies to the subject. Personally I think it would be better if the recipes were separated from the rest.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book and this author. Her writing style is so conversational and approachable. Nancy includes amazing tips and methods for becoming more eco-friendly while providing gorgeous recipes for meals and desserts. I’ve always loved her recipes, but this book takes it to the next level. If you’re looking for ways to become more green in your every day life, whether that’s to save money or to save the planet, this is a great starting point!!

[Daphyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not hugely useful to me as I was looking for a deeper dive into green living while this book seems to focus more on cost saving measures. It has solid ideas like meal planning, gardening, making cleaning products, but I really wanted more. Perhaps the drawback is that I’m not British and can’t really appreciate an entire chapter dedicated to potatoes. Fewer recipes and more ideas for reducing plastic dependency would be better for me.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one focuses more on cooking, crafts/repairs, gardening and more home keeping things, as well as cleaning, so it's a great guide to have on hand. The writing style is to the point, clearly written, and easy to understand. The table of contents and index are easy to use, so you can find things quickly. These methods don't take up a lot of time either, so it's easy to implement quite a bit into your every day life.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasant read with lots of clever tricks for eco- and wallet-friendly home making. The writing is delightfully British (the author won season 5 of Great British Bake Off)! Going to flag lots of her ideas to try. The final chapters where she offers up some reflections on life are also very wholesome and thoughtful.

[Zarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredibly practical and interesting guide by Nancy! While her previous book was focused on cleaning, this one covers anything from cooking and gardening through to crafts and entertaining. A bit all over the place, but since it's absolutely jam-packed with useful tips and her engaging conversational writing style, this was not a problem. More, please!

[Ellie Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! So many tips! I’ve raced through this but am going to put it somewhere handy and try incorporating some of these fabulous ideas slowly. Nancy has transformed her life, which sounds idyllic, but I think I’ll need a bit more time to get going. Really appreciate the recipes, and their simplicity, and the chatty, cosy tone.

[Gabriella Georgieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth it

I was on the fence if I should buy the book, because I've read similar books in the past and I also have acquired a lot of tips from Nancy's Instagram.

But if I have to be honest, the book is absolutely worth it. I definitely recommend it especially if you can buy the e-book, because you can mark everything you're interested in and highlight any quote or recipe.

[StrictlySue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous follow up to Clean and Green, this book is full of wonderful ideas on living a greener, more eco friendly life. Full of tips on recycling food, reusing old clothes, growing your own veg, crafting and loads more! Definitely a book to keep and dip in for ideas.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems like a great book, however too many typos/spelling mistakes which didn’t make it easy to read. Some very useful tips which I will put to good use.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical collection of tips and tricks on how to live more sustainably. The author's tone is friendly and helpful without being hectoring, and everyone should be able to find a piece of advice that works for them.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent quick reference.

Nancy has done it again. This book is a great accompaniment to her other books. An excellent quick reference guide to all things you would have been taught by your Mother, Grandmother and family in years gone bye.