Perhaps you want to commit to having a greeener 2018 but don’t know where to start? Have you been watching Blue Planet 2 and want to know what you can do to reduce your negative effect on the environment? Here are some ideas for making your 2018 kinder to our planet.

Declutter once and for all

‘Spring cleaning’ will get your home feeling fresh in time for summer and it’s warmer temperatures. It can be difficult to get started (especially if you’ve got lots to get rid of), so don’t be afraid to ask friends or family for a helping hand – even if it’s just someone to repeatedly say ‘keep, throw away or donate’ to keep you on track. Perhaps you can keep yourself motivated by committing to clear out a certain amount of space in a cupboard by the end of the day or reward yourself with a takeaway in the evening. If you have any items of any value, list them on a second hand marketplace like eBay or Amazon and you might even make a profit too!

Fitness and wellbeing

Image Source: highlives.co.uk

Do you have fitness goals this year? Fitness and wellbeing are subjects that are becoming more and more talked about, and rightly so. Perhaps you want to smash a goal like completing a marathon or it could be a smaller lifestyle change like cycling to work instead of taking public transport. Mental health and wellbeing has also been talked about much more in the open, and many people have felt the benefits of speaking about their mental health and self-care.

Take up a green hobby

Image Source: knitaid.org

Do you want to start something new in 2018? It’s never been easier to find like-minded people online and get together over a shared interest. With websites like meetup.com, you can search for any sort of hobby or interest and you’ll find a group for it! Green hobbies could include learning to upcycle furniture, knitting your own clothing or learning to fix things around the home. Many educational institutions offer short courses in popular crafts like sewing or woodwork, or online ‘how to’ videos could teach you everything you need to know. If you want to do something new in the new year, there’s nothing stopping you!

Eat less meat

The meat and dairy industries are coming more and more under fire with more people turning to a meat-free or plant-based diet. If you don’t want to go fully plant-based, you may prefer to buy locally-sourced ingredients or cook only with vegetables that are in season. The meat and dairy industries have a massive negative effect on the environment, and you can make a difference by adjusting your diet. You might even want to sign up to Veganuary and kick off your new year with a vegan month!

Shiply can help with a range of challenges you might face over the Christmas period, from the all-important build up, right through to the new year. With savings of up to 75%, Shiply can help save you money during what is typically an expensive time of year, for a range of different services like moving home, helping with those bulky furniture arrangements and getting those all-important presents to your loved ones.

Image source aaees.net

Coming home from uni?

If you have to leave your halls of residence at the end of every term, you might need some help getting everything home. It’s easy to find a removal service on Shiply, and if you need help packing and unpacking, our transport providers can quote for these services, too. Perfect for if you’ve asked enough favours this year from your parents or friends or if your uni is particularly far from home.

Christmas presents

You’ve found the perfect gift for Mr or Ms Impossible-to-buy-for, BUT you’ve discovered that the item is collection only and is to be collected from the other side of the country…or somewhere just too difficult to get to. Many of Shiply’s customers find it super-easy to find a courier to get you that perfect gift, whether it’s coming from the next village or the next country. Shiply is also an eBay-compatible application so you don’t need to put in ebay item details manually – just put the eBay URL into our form and the fields will populate automatically with item information and photos to save you time.

Image source – therugseller.co.uk

Moving home?

Have you recently bought a new home that you’re going to be moving into in time for the arrival of Father Christmas? The combination of the pressure of Christmas festivities alongside what is notoriously one of the most stressful things you can do could easily be calmed by hiring a helping hand, be it just a man with a van to get your things from A to B with a bit of heavy lifting or whether you’d like someone to take care of the whole process while you’re at work, including packing, unpacking, assembling and disassembling furniture and appliances. We can even help with pets!

Preparing your home for Christmas

Preparing your home for Christmas day can involve a lot of organisation and hard work. Maybe your Christmas tree is too heavy to carry yourself or you could do with some help having your decorations delivered as well as installing them at home. Just list your requirements on Shiply if you think it’ll be difficult to do alone this year.
Not enough chairs for everyone to sit round the table? A man and van service can help you gather up those spare chairs from loved ones’ homes so you can all be comfortable on Christmas day.