Everyday economising

[WorldWildWifeFund]

What are your best tips for everyday essentials? Bulk buys of loo paper and kitchen towel are good, but can't think of much else.

[LeopardIsTheNewBlack]

I cut up old tshirts to use as cleaning rags . I wash them over and over again and think I've saved a small fortune. I use paper towels for cooking cleanups (like absorbing oil off food) and cleaning pet messes.
I make my own glass cleaner by filling a spray bottle with 50% water and 50% white vinegar and a few drops of washing up liquid. It's really good at removing streaks and limescale off glass shower doors and it's as cheap as chips.

[specialsubject]

waste nothing - if your food waste is more than peelings and teabags, you are wasting food.

cleaning stuff is always cheap as possible own brands: Home Bargains/B and M/Wilko. It's all the same anyway. And I think all you need cleaning wise is:

• bottle of white vinegar
  
• bottle of CiF
  
• bottle of disinfectant spray
  
• bottle of washing up liquid
  

those do everything.

[dingit]

Value tissues, loo paper, toothpaste, wipes, anything that does the job it says on the tin, and is then binned. 99p shop foil, lasted ages.
Don't throw out anything, make something else or freeze.

[WorldWildWifeFund]

Any serious bulk buys apart from loo paper and kitchen towel? Have given up newspapers at £1.50+ per day, but kept on local paper as the information is useful and old newspapers are useful for pets, soaking up spills etc.

[chanie44]

I buy a multi purpose cleaner rather than lots of different ones.

I take home any extra tissues I get from fast food places and aye them for cleaning/moping up spillages.

[LeopardIsTheNewBlack]

I don't know about serious bulk buys, but when something I use and like goes on sale I really stock up. If I don't and I'm running low DH tends to notice and go shopping and pay full price for a premium product....aaargh!
I do buy the biggest bags of dry dog food and that saves quite a bit. We don't do Costco anymore as we just ended up buying more stuff and not saving a penny.
I'm a frequent flier at the pound shop ( well in my case it's actually the dollar store but same thing!) and get my dishwasher powder, washing up liquid and cleaning wipes from there. However some stuff there is total rubbish and ends up being a false economy.
The biggest way we've saved money on everyday things is learning how to do things (or do them better ) that we would otherwise pay someone else to do. DH cuts his and DSs hair with a trimmer, I do my own nails, and we have both learnt to do tons of DYI.
I try to put a lot of effort into cooking and baking so we don't go out to eat so much. Thursday nights I go to college and DH used to order a pizza, now I make sure there's something tasty in the slow cooker or fridge to cut down on that expense.
I use a mooncup. I wash my make up brushes and treat them well and just realized some of them have lasted me over 10 years. DH s work shirts and suits go to the cleaners but if I can handwash delicate dresses or sweaters by hand and dry flat I do so. I never put my work out clothes or sports bras in the dryer .I use dryer sheets instead of fabric softener since it's cheaper and nicer, also I read the liquid type isn't great for your machine. If I'm drying a load of things I don't want scented (like dog towels) that I don't want to be static I throw in a scrunched up ball of foil in the dryer and it does the trick.
Learn to read the backs of packages. Generic over the counter medicine can be exactly the same as name brand, just much much cheaper. I had to buy a nasal for DH and paid 88c for the generic version. The name brand was $6 and was indentical. Same thing with baby wipes vs make up remover wipes. Check the labels and you might be surprised.

[WorldWildWifeFund]

Great, thanks Leopard.

[QuiteQuietly]

Amazon can be good for bulk buying. I have a wish list of things I keep an eye on and when the price drops below my target I buy a load. eg last year I bought 96 tins of tomatoes (Napolina ones!) for just under 30p a tin. Not everything is a bargain though and the prices often fluctuate wildly. My rule of thumb is I will do a crazy stock up if the price is less than half of my usual buying price (so if something costs £2, but it is frequently on offer at £1, I only stock up if I find it for less than 50p). And I try not to buy more than 6 months-worth. I write my target price in the "notes" line and check the wish list a couple of times a week. I usually get something 1-2 times a month, so it's not reliable. Things I look out for include tinned soups/tomatoes/baked beans, cleaning supplies and laundry stuff, white vinegar, toiletries, mentrual supplies (I use mooncup, but DD1 is a bit young for it), toilet roll, tea bags, flour/sugar, dried fruit, lentils, rice, pasta, pearl barley, supplements for DH (he takes a whole pile) etc. etc.

I've looked at Approved Food, but they never seem to have things I'd buy. Lots of people rave about them, but I lost interest in checking regularly. Does anyone use them?

[IvyMay]

I like the convenience of spray cleaners but always buy the concentrated multipurpose cleaners - I then water this down in a spray bottle; usually only need a capful, so each spray bottle of cleaner literally costs pennies.

[SconeEater]

I have a price for basics that I have in my head and when there is an offer on I stock up.

Use far less washing powder than the pack advises - especially true if you are in a soft water area.

Dry washing on a line in winter. particularly if their is wind. If the ground is drying then the washing will too.

[annielostit]

As well as £1 shop check b&m home bargains. 5 in 1 DW tabs are ,2.99 for 42. Morning fresh softner only 99p and toothpaste 69p. YY to less detergent, scone. I measure mine with a 30ml medicine cup. And have pegged out for 2 days running.
Refuse to be drawn in by named goods. 20p stock cubes @ TESCO are the same as knorr, 80p juice goes down the same as tropicana.

[starfish4]

One tip I got off here was to buy bubble bath and pour it into liquid soap dispensers - I came across a large bottle of Imperial Leather (with some flowery smell) for 50p, it washes our hands and no one has noticed the different.

This might sound like a bit extreme, but I've started cutting the ends of toothpaste and other tubes when I can't get any more out - you find you can get another 2/3 uses from the other end!

Regularly check your fridge and cupboards and make sure you use things up.

Get to know the prices of everything you buy and use more than one shop, ie I go to Tescos, Lidl, Wilkinson and Savers and instantly know when something is good value.

[Foxongiraffe]

We buy a huge bucket of of dishwasher tablets from ebay - some are broken but we haven't bought any from the supermarket for nearly a year. They cost £15! Really brilliant saving. Highly recommended.

[Grumpyoldblonde]

I never buy brand name over the counter medicine, immodium at £4.00? no way, wilko 80p everytime same with ranatadine, asprin and calpol.
I half dose washing powder and add a spoon of soda crystals.
When a tube of something is running low, rather than snip the end I run the tube under hot water, this is a great trick to get the last bit of product.
fading black jeans? a cup of strong black coffee in the machine will freshen the colour for a while (instant cheap coffee is fine)