There is a lot of focus at the moment on using re-usable products in terms of being environmentally friendly. However, it can also save you money if you are travelling frequently or on a budget. This blog post is about my favourite re-usable items and how they have saved me money.
Reusable Cup
I bought my collapsible cup from a website about a year ago. It has the added value of collapsing down quite small so doesn't take up a lot of room in my bag. Whilst it's not a thermal cup, it is leak proof (I tested this by putting some water in it, doing up the lid and shaking it to rinse it out whilst out and about and it did not leak at all).
A number of coffee outlets give you a discount for bringing a reusable cup and this can range from 25-50 pence depending on the store. In this alone the cup has basically paid for itself in the discounts it has resulted in.
I have travelled with this a number of times. It is useful if you don't trust hotel room coffee cups and can get you money off your drink. I recommend a collapsible one as it takes up a minimal amount of room in your bag. It is easy to rinse out whilst you are out and doesn't leak - what's not to like.
Water Bottle
I have a variety of reusable water bottles for different occasions. The main difference being that I have a thermos water bottle for travelling to hot places and a normal bottle for everyday use.
The great thing about this is the majority of airports have water filling points once you are live side (after security), so you can fill up your bottle for free. This saves a few pounds at each airport, which is great for frequent flyers or those travelling on a budget. Some of the major rail stations also have water bottle filling points, so it is getting easier to access water for free.
My thermos bottle also means that I can fill it with cold water once and take it with me. I have to admit most of the time it's not been filled with cold water from the start, but it does save my water getting hot. This can save the need to buy extra water once yours has overheated.
One thing I do recommend is slightly opening the water bottle as you come in to land. I do this just to help it beat the pressure changes and reduce the risk of damaging it (although so far all the bottles I have tried have survived pretty well).
Spork
This one may sound a bit odd and to be fair isn't really a money saver, but it is a great reusable item that I have started to travel with.
It is much sturdier than the cheap plastic cutlery that often breaks if you are using it on anything remotely solid. It is also easier to handle than the more popular wooden cutlery that has appeared. I took it away and it made eating fish and chips on a beach so much easier than it would have been with the speared wooden chip fork. It is small and light so easy to pack. My parents have also found them useful when on road trips and buying food and snacks from supermarkets.
It also comes in handy if you don't get given cutlery or have questions about the cleanliness of what's available (yes I take my spork to work for this latter reason). Overall it is a pretty useful cheap bit of kit.
Canvas Bag
These fold up pretty small and if you are in the UK save you 5-10 pence on a plastic carrier bag. They are durable, so they last pretty well and come in all sorts of lovely designs. I keep one inside my backpack when I fly with all the bits I will want during the flight. I then keep this under the sea in front, thereby increasing the amount of space for my feet and leave the rest of my hand luggage in the overhead cabin. They can also be used to keep dirty washing and the bag can go in the wash with everything else ready to be used again. Whilst these can be purchased, prices do vary. The majority of mine actually came free at events - bargain!
Canvas Bag
These fold up pretty small and if you are in the UK save you 5-10 pence on a plastic carrier bag. They are durable, so they last pretty well and come in all sorts of lovely designs. I keep one inside my backpack when I fly with all the bits I will want during the flight. I then keep this under the sea in front, thereby increasing the amount of space for my feet and leave the rest of my hand luggage in the overhead cabin. They can also be used to keep dirty washing and the bag can go in the wash with everything else ready to be used again. Whilst these can be purchased, prices do vary. The majority of mine actually came free at events - bargain!Straws
I have recently got some reusable straws. Not 100% sure these are going to be used much or how to clean out the inside of the straw thoroughly between uses. Jury is still out on these.
So whilst reusable is helping reduce the volume of plastic waste, it can also save you a few pounds in cases were every penny counts or for those savvy shoppers out there.
