What I Spent & An Accidental Zero Waste Week: Supermarket-Free September (Week 1)

On creativity and how I accidentally had a zero-waste week

I’ve had a huge shock this week: an accidental zero waste week (!). More below…

The part of my supermarket-free challenge I’m most curious about is…how much it will cost? Surely it will cost more to shop entirely in independent shops and markets, right? And yet…

Last time I did the experiment, in 2018, I saved money overall — I think because I reduced impulse buys. I didn’t track individual items to compare prices, so I decided to this year — and to provide the actual breakdown, to the penny, compared to similar items in supermarkets. I’m sharing it just for my inner circle of paid subscribers (just so I don’t have to argue with strangers on the internet about spending too much on a handful of almonds).

I’m less than a week into the experiment, but apart from the budget (which SHOCKED me — more on that below), the other thing that was a total surprise:

I’ve had a zero food waste week…completely by accident!

Yesterday I went to clear out the fridge to get ready for bin day…and there was nothing to put in the food waste bin. Here’s why…