LIVING THE LAGOM WAY WITH IKEA #LIVELAGOM | PART 3

LIVING THE LAGOM WAY WITH IKEA #LIVELAGOM | PART 3

• May 25, 2016

Embracing a Lagom lifestyle in the past half a year has been so rewarding and as we come to the end of the project, it's time to reflect on how the changes have made a difference. I've enjoyed every moment of this project, and I wish that everyone could be a part of this!

As a recap, you can read about Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series, Living The Lagom Way With Ikea.

Lagom literally means "the right amount is best; in moderation, in balance" and I can't tell you how much that phrase now applies to my every day life. From use of energy around my home, to food consumption, to general consumerism, I now don't take/buy more than what I need and I feel quite enlightened by it.

The Results
There has been a triumph in savings from our energy bills which I am so pleased about! From £100 per month, this has now been reduced to £71 a month.

This is thanks to reducing our dishwasher load, turning off the main living room lights for the evenings and using a lower energy LED floor lamp instead, batch cooking food at the weekends and reducing hob/oven use during the week.

I'm now a lot more careful with our main grocery shop and by sticking to the 3 veg/3 fruit rule (we top up as required at the local Co-Op) and making use of the freezer after batch cooking, we've greatly reduced food wastage and therefore saving around £20-£30 a month on food. I've started to grow my own herbs too so I'm also saving a few pounds a month on not having to buy herbs in packs like I used to.  

I also took on the Lagom concept of living a more comfortable life with less clutter. I now spend less time tidying and cleaning, not to mention how good it feels to be in a space that feels spacious and uncluttered. This is something I will continue to do since it's so easy to accumulate things!

My Favourite Products
1) Hands down, my favourite product from the project is the display cabinet which sits in the living room. All my pretty cups and crockery now reside here and not taking up precious cupboard space in the kitchen cabinets

2) The floor lamp has become the ultimate prop in creating cosy evenings in front of the TV. Before, we'd leave the main lights on and I actually disliked the low light from the floor lamp at first, but now that I've adjusted to it, I love it!

3) The cast iron casserole pot is in use most week when I do batch cooking, and I can cook so much in it. Great for saving on cooking time and gas usage

4) Having a full length mirror in the bathroom makes dressing in the mornings so much nicer and easier. I hang my outfit in the bathroom the night before, so I don't disturb G in the mornings since he wakes up later than me for work

5) All the other items I picked from the project have also been great and get used all the time, great product all round

My Favourite Part of The Project
Having the very generous £500 to spend on the products was a huge motivation to change habits, and we all know how change can be costly. Having so much more space back in the kitchen once I transferred crockery to the display cabinet has made a huge difference and I no longer have to juggle things around just to reach that plate, or pull everything out of the cupboard to reach that tin of beans.

The support by the Live Lagom team has been super and I'd like to take the opportunity to thank Charlotte from the Lakeside store for all her help!

What Next?
I am definitely sticking to the good new habits I've picked up during this project and I'm hoping to continually de-clutter my home on a regular basis. This project has been incredible, and I can't wait to see more Ikea products in the future that will aid living a more sustainable life for all.  

Have you guys been inspired to take some of these Live Lagom tips on board?