Which thrifty thing do you do that you're surprised that no one else does?

[Sizeofalentil]

Basically, that

I'm always surprised when people don't bulk buy things (toilet paper, store cupboard staples etc) or only buy name brands. How much tastier can a posh tinned tomato really be?

Dh is mortified when I reuse bath water to water the plants or make my own cleaning cloths from old pants. But he does love a charity shop bargain (most of his coats are from there).

What are your favourite thrifty tips or what thrifty things are you surprised that other people don't do?

Always drive car till it dies. Just replaced an 04 model. Can’t believe how much more is included as basic than when I last bought.
On your advice I just did a shop at Aldi! Much cheaper!

Always drive car till it dies

That depends how you define "dies" I guess. I've had cars that got so sick in old age that keeping them was definitely not the cost-efficient option!

Surprised the Duracell chicken hasn't roosted on the thread yet.

If I work until I'm 70 will three years extra salary make up for being thrifty do you think?

buy a free range chicken from Aldi, poach it and cut it up for the kids' sandwiches. We get (more) stock (yes well, I may have a bit of a stock problem...wink) and it does about a week and half of sarnies for 3 kids (2 teens).

there was this impressive chicken yesterday. It provides a week and a half's worth of sandwiches for three people!

But I do think one should live a little as well when you die all that money you saved is spent ruthlessly
Yes be sensible but whats the use of a big bank balance if you cant spend some of the money you have earned.
Some of the post actually make me sad

I agree palaver - always used to make my own picnics for Glyndebourne, but now we use the restaurant.

I bulk buy loo roll, toiletries and cleaning products.
We make our own packed lunches for work.
We wash our own cars at home.
I turn off any lights etc in rooms that aren't in use.
I don't have T.V packages, or even a T.V.
I grow my own salad stuff and veg. My hens provide my eggs.
I buy a brand new car every 4 years, a Panda which costs around 7K and runs on £30 a month of fuel, is cheap to tax and insure. I hate the hassle and expense of M.O.T's.
Our mobiles cost £7.50 a month from Tesco.
Most of my grocery shop is from Aldi and Lidl.
I save my coppers, 5p pieces and £2 coins, which i cash in each xmas.
I take out an amount of cash from the bank each week which i use for shopping, fuel and other weekly expenses, rather than pay on my debit card. It's easier to budget and see where the money is going by doing this. Money left over is put in my 'savings box' until i have a reasonable amount to bank.
We love reading and use the library rather than buy books.
I don't use disposable anything.
I don't buy or use kitchen roll.
I make my own vodka and gin.
I never buy takeaway coffee or bottled water.
I don't have any pets.
I freeze and re-use left over food. There has been some interesting soups.
Any 'gravy' that is left over from stews, i freeze and re-use in the next one.

Just replaced an 04 model.

My car is 2004 too. Let's just say I never have to worry about it being stolen via one of those remote unlocking devices (it doesn't even have woop-woop remote, just a boring old key to open the doors).

I do NOT look forward to the day I need to replace it.

I save my coppers, 5p pieces and £2 coins, which i cash in each xmas.

If you're going to do that, why not maximise it in some of the time limited 5% savings accounts; or even those Christmas stamps at some supermarkets? As it is, you are losing money by just keeping it

Because we just chuck them in the jar as we empty our pockets
@BuzzShitbagBobbly and it takes roughly a year until its full.
'

Yes I agree Palaver selective spending is key.

I like nice clothes, cosmetics and going out.😊

We weigh our pasta, rice, potatoes before cooking. It means we can vary the amount depending on how hungry we are. And we never throw any away.

Whowas how do you cash in your coppers. Do you take it to a bank. Those machines in the supermarket take a big cut.

Stand bottles of shampoo/conditioner upside down when they appear empty, can often get a few more uses out of them.

I just couldn’t be arsed to lug a load of coppers to the supermarket/bank. Fair play though I am rubbish at being thrifty and cost myself money through being disorganised...

My DH always empties his coins at the end of the day into an old jar. He cashed one in the other day and got £200 which he puts towards his annual lads weekend.

I save all my loose coins, copper etc into a 5% savings account & manage to pay for my DS’s school ski trip without really noticing .

Tbh 5% on £200 would barely cover the cost of his time and petrol going to the bank each week.

Whowas how do you cash in your coppers. Do you take it to a bank. Those machines in the supermarket take a big cut.

Smart people throw their coins in to pay at the self-service machines - no cut taken in that case!

Thought of another one.

This afternoon I found a punnet of yellow stickered raspberries my DH bought for me to have something to nibble when I was poorly. A couple had gone just too far.

Instead of binning them I made them into jam. Raspberry jam is the easiest of all jams to make as it is just equal quantities of raspberries and sugar, bring to the boil and pot in a warmed jar. Literally five minutes’ worth of effort to have a pot of homemade jam. Yum. Bon Maman quality for Lidl value price.

I have done this for leftover apricots, plums, strawberries and damsons.

I buy toiletries, cleaning products etc from home bargains and savers. I bulk buy. When we have chilli, spaghetti Bol etc my eldest takes the rest of the sauce ( there’s always a bit left) and fresh cooked pasta to school in a thermos for lunch. I make my own mint, apple and horseradish sauces, I cook from scratch and freeze leftovers, make all my own desserts. Shop in Aldi, walk to school rather than drive.

Oh and I make my own jam and use leftover pastry to make jam tarts.

What most surprises me about this thread is that the title is 'Which thrifty thing do you do that you're surprised that no one else does?' yet most of the things people are listing are things that even I do - and I'm the laziest slob out there.

Ragwort, how does that work, saving pennies into a 5% interest account?

We save £2 coins every year and usually have about £800 to £1000 each year. We also fill 20p in an old bottle when full about £400 it is a large bottle that usually takes just over a year