The first step on my Live Lagom journey was an in-store induction where I met Outi and Vale who lead the program in the Southampton branch.

The purpose was to introduce the Lagom concept and set our intentions for the year.

The 2019 cohort was joined by some of the previous participants who shared inspiring stories of the changes they had made and how they were reaping the rewards.

Lagom isn’t just about the changes you make for one year that the Live Lagom ambassador scheme runs for. Lagom is for life and the class of 2018 were proof of this.

Lagomers old and new can also be found on the Live Lagom Facebook group which is always buzzing with conversation and advice.

At the induction, we were invited to talk about our lifestyles and our homes. Everybody already seemed to be doing a great job in their efforts to live more sustainably. However, each one of us could very quickly identify areas in our lives where we could be doing even better.

A quiz revealed that many of us, including myself, could be making savings or reducing waste in ways we hadn’t even considered. One of the biggest surprises for me was how much money we throw away on energy due to inefficient lighting or insufficient insulation.

I had so many ideas for ways to Live Lagom but I needed to focus on one area. Being a keen home-cook, I decided to make the kitchen my target.

I make most of my food from scratch and I love to experiment with dishes from all over the world. This means lots of ingredients. How could I be more organised and minimise waste?

In particular, I have always been frustrated about buying salad leaves and fresh herbs. They always come in non-recyclable bags and I often end up discarding leftovers because there’s only two of us in my household.

I’ve attempted to grow my own but it’s always ended in failure. Could the supposedly ‘fool-proof’ hydroponic kit be the answer?

With my goal in mind, I arranged to meet Outi in-store to spend my £100 Lagom allowance. Here’s what I managed to pick up:

KRYDDA/VÄXER Grow kit w 8 pots, 1 tier

This contains:

• An LED cultivation light
• A Krydda cultivation unit
• An insert for the cultivation unit
• A nursery box with lid
• Growing media plugs to start seedlings
• Growing media for planting the seedlings as they grow
• Fertiliser

Everything I need to get started with my farming-in-miniature! The LED light has a special colour spectrum to mimic sunlight – necessary in a country like the UK.

VÄXER Seeds

These are only £1.50 for three packs and you get so many! There are a few options to choose from so I picked one of each. I’m confident they’ll last quite a while – according to the instructions on the packet you only need to plant between one and three each time but you seem to get loads!

KORKEN Jar with lid

I got a few of these to store herbs and spices which I buy in bulk. They have airtight lids so they’re also great for storing home-made sauces and pickles or small quantities of leftovers.

IKEA 365+ Dry food jar with lid

I always have a supply of rice and porridge oats. Like a lot of dry foods, I buy in bulk to save money and waste. Keeping them in clear containers will help me to keep track of how much I have left.

EFTERFRÅGAD Food vacuum flask

I am a big fan of home-cooked packed lunches (I can’t remember when I last bought lunch at work). You know exactly what you’re eating and it costs a lot less. I’ve always had plastic containers which eventually break or hold onto strong colours and flavours. I have two of these on rotation now and I love that they’re totally leak-proof and the metal is easy to get really clean between uses.

IKEA 365+ Food containers with IKEA 365+ Lids

As well as rice and oats, you’ll always find flour and pasta in my kitchen and these larger tubs are perfect for keeping moisture and bugs out. I tend to have several varieties of flour so once the bags are open I stack them all up in one container.

As you can see, £100 was plenty to get started on my Lagom journey. I actually needed a bit of help from Outi to spend it all! I’m confident that my final purchases will help me to meet my sustainability goals in the kitchen.