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?

[usernamepinched]

Buy reduced items of meat and fish and freeze them. My freezer is full with yellow stickered items (I have two freezers). 500g mince for £1, two salmon fillets (250 g) for £1.50 etc..... Try to make most meals for less than a £5 for 2 adults and 2 children (we have some cheaper and some more expensive meals). We eat incredibly well and cheaply.
Always look at the price per kilo and compare to make sure have the best deals on meats, cheeses etc... Most of the time try to eat seasonally and buy the veg and fruits that are a good deal. So strawberries in summer because they don't cost a fortune. Often buy frozen berries out of season because they are better value.

[KipperTheFrog]

My loo roll mountain is on a shelf in the downstairs loo so doesn't take up much room.
I buy washing powder in bulk (much cheaper and can use less, still gets stuff clean).
Cloth nappies and wipes.
Had same cleaning cloths for over 5 years, just boil wash them.

[Reasonstobeearful]

Actually yes tbf my bog roll mountain is in the butler's spare bathroom so I barely notice it either.

Food hygiene advice is not to freeze then thaw food with less than 24 hrs until use by, particularly fish, because by the time you've defrosted it it's gone beyond the six hours or whatever was left to run when you bought it.

[Amibeingdaft81]

you just need to keep one or two extra in to use

But that’s not bulk buying, is it? Yes I have spare cans of soup, toilet roll, kitchen roll etc but I don’t regard having one or two as bulk buying, which is what the OP referred to.

[EatsFartsAndLeaves]

I buy almost everything on ebay second hand, for a fraction of the price it all costs new. After a few wears/uses the condition is exactly the same, I've no idea why people buy new I am genuinely baffled.

Roomba, Dyson, lego, hotwheels, kallax, we have the good quality stuff that fits accessories and works properly, but on a budget that half of MN would insist we couldn't live on at all.

[theliverpoolone]

I use an App to record every penny I spend, categorised by Food, Clothes, Bills etc etc, so I can see at a glance where I may need to cut back the next month. Wish I'd done it years ago when I was earning so much more - I might have been more diligent about saving for a rainy future (ie now!).

[KarenTheCashRegister]

What’s the app called liverpooleone?

[formerbabe]

I don't buy the following

Alcohol
Branded goods
Cleaning wipes
Fabric conditioner

I even buy supermarket ketchup rather than Heinz.

I sew up holes in clothes

Never buy coffees if I'm out

Never have takeaways

I'm very careful actually

[countdowntonap]

This We run our cars until they aren't financially viable anymore we can ‘afford’ flash card on our income but it seems like such a waste of money. I drove my 10yr old Mazda

[StopItandGoToBed]

I genuinely don't understand why people buy top of the range mobile phones costing £600+

I've never paid more than £200 for a phone. DH has the newest Samsung through work, I think it would cost about £800 to buy. I honestly can't see why it's any better than mine. Camera seems the same to me, both have huge amounts of storage, RAM etc. The screen on mine is better and doesn't seem to scratch as easily. I just don't get why people have to the more expensive one.

[Reasonstobeearful]

It's probably because they're thick whereas you are very clever and have your priorities intact. You are better than them.

[usernamepinched]

www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/storing-food-safely-use-by-and-best-dates doesn't seem to suggest it is a problem.

[OneKeyAtATime]

Use an old car
Netflix rather than cinema.
only buy clothes when needed, not when I feel like it
Never order desserts in restaurants. Instead buy a whole cake at the supermarket for half the price.
Research and monitor flight prices to find a good deal. Be flexible on the destination.
Buy second hand books

[ivykaty44]

I don’t get bulk buying. Unless you have a larder or similar
You save pennies really
And then you have to find somewhere to store it all
And I go grocery shopping at least weekly, so really no big deal not to just pop it on.

This is exactly why I bulk buy - so I don’t have to shop weekly, as I always end up spending more than I need if I shop weekly.

So December I stock up( bargains to be had in December for staples) and I then don’t have to shop for toilet paper or soya milk weekly, tinned items, pastas rice

I can then top up with a small greengrocer shop for three to four weeks

This saves me in the region of £520 per year

[StopItandGoToBed]

I'm sorry Reasonstobeearful, I certainly wasn't trying to imply that. I'm sure other people would think things I like are a waste of money. I thought this was a light hearted thread

[ivykaty44]

Buy second hand books

Use the library, use ebooks from the library = no fines
Use the emagazines for free, get cosmopolitan, Hello, Good housekeeping, many more or for free

[Usuallyinthemiddle]

Tinned tomatoes, you're absolutely wrong about! I'll scrimp on anything but cheap tinned tomatoes. The difference in taste is huge!!

[missmouse101]

Using a cashback website. Topcashback is fab. It's free money for things you were buying anyway.

[SirGawain]

In can never work out why people think that pizza is a treat.
It’s stodgy, gets cold to quickly and is very expensive.

[TheyDoItOnPurposeLynne]

@Amibeingdaft81 when you are skint, "pennies" makes a huge difference. It can take up to 12 quid off a 100 quid shop if you take advantage of all the offers. Seriously, I can't imagine not factoring this into your shopping choices.
God, the above sentence is the almost boring thing I've ever typed haha

[User67836]

@theliverpoolone what app do you use?

[cricketmum84]

Meal planning and a proper shopping list.

I just cannot understand anyone who does a weeks shop without a definite plan of what they are cooking everyday and just grab random things of the shelves spending an absolute fortune and then inevitably throwing half of it away.

My life would be so much more stressful if I didn't have my weekly meal plan.

[SheWoreBlueVelvet]

poster StopItandGoToBed I don’t understand why people pay £200 for a phone.In fact I don’t own a mobile.
I had a mobile years ago and it didn’t cost a weeks wages. No idea why the initial price and monthly charges are so much now. Especially when people can use free services for messaging, videos etc.

Always buy second hand or in the sale. Full price stuff goes in the sale or eBay/charity shop eventually. I just bring myself to buy at full price. Nothing is that good and there’s always a cheaper version somewhere.

[Magmatic80]

I don’t understand why people don’t meal plan, or go food shopping without making a list first. No wonder so much food gets wasted.

[ControversialFerret]

I find cheap tinned toms are very watery.

I grow my own herbs - saves a fortune if you cook recipes which call for sprigs of this and handfuls of that. There is also something really satisfying about wandering outside with the kitchen scissors and only cutting what you need.

I bulk buy toiletries when they are on offer. We are lucky to have a really big hall cupboard so I keep them in there until we need them.

Use reusable san pro - saves a fortune!