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?

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

Do you mean the pennies specifically or the accounts in general?

I'll respond on the latter: lots of banks/b socs offer regular saver fixed term accounts, paying 5% on balances, usually capped.

I have two running right now - both accept a max of £200/month and each will therefore net me £120 in interest each, once the 12 month term ends. At which point I'll reinvest somewhere else, ideally another reg saver.

If I was saving coins, I'd periodically cash them in (at shop or into bank), and then pay that sum into the saver. No way I'd keep them at home losing value - how is that thrifty?!

I'm @redspider1 re-wrap-it.co.uk

Thanks for that information.

@BuzzShitbagBobbly one of my job perks is driving new cars. Except they're all automatic and with keyless stuff and no handbrake I mean my car is 2015 so not old but it's not in the same league as the 75k car I had the other week nearly wet myself driving it
I was bemoaning whatever happened to manual chokes and changing gears whilst driving this bloody spaceship around

"Unless of course you support Brexit, which half the population do. Please remember that MNetters."

I did say that I didn't want to bring up the subject of Brexit, but I was asked specifically why I didn't use Timpson's and I replied.

Kabia do you have a cocaine habit...

Teacher22
A few years ago I got a tipoff from an elderly friend that a certain apricot tree in a car park overlooked by her apartment had had a bumper crop and that there were apricots all over cars, on the ground, in the grass, everywhere, and basically free for the taking.

I gathered a basin and two buckets and came home with more apricots than I ever thought I could use - and a note to self seared into my brain t hat where there is ripe fruit lying around there are also hundreds of wasps - but after they had been cleaned and culled and pitted I ended up with about two thirds of what I had harvested. We had delicious apricot jam for two years, and that was after I had given about half a dozen big jars to my friend..

Sadly, the tree didn't survive a massive blizzard and long freezing spell during the winter after its last wonderful crop. I am still on the lookout for another source of free apricots (I will take peaches too).

I regularly gather crab apples, which tend to grow in the alleys around here, and make apple butter and crabapple jelly.

Cut up scourers into two or three.

Make sure your wife is always the first to apologise after a row by tightening the lids on all the jars in the kitchen.
@BadLad that made me cackle - is that original Viz or you?

@BuzzShitbagBobbly I can't find any that offer 5%. The minute I saw that I went looking. The highest I can see for the kind of account you mention is about 1.8. Up to 2.7 if you don't need access to the cash. Do you mind linking to one of the better paying banks?

woodcut I have a Nationwide and a Santander Regular Saver. I think they are both closed to new subscribers now, but on first glance I can also see 5% rates if you hold current accounts with HSBC, First Direct, M&S etc. There may be others.

I think I got the tip off for the N'wide one from the MSE newsletter, so may be worth subscribing to that?

Thanks Buzz. The only 5% ones I could find were tied to premium current accounts.
I'll try the newsletter thing.

I do have accounts with both N and S, but only bog standard current accounts (Flex, not the Flexplus; and 123Lite, not the 123 standard or premier)

Good luck.

I have two running right now - both accept a max of £200/month and each will therefore net me £120 in interest each, once the 12 month term ends.
No they won't.
£120 is 5% of £2400 but you don't have the whole £2400 in the savings accounts for the full year. You have £200 for the full year, then another £200 for only 11 months, another £200 for 10 mths, etc.
The rate is better than most but won't earn you £120.

wood Buzz is talking about a regular saver account. You usually have to have a current account with the same bank to be allowed one. You can pay in once a month for a year (usually a max of £200-300 per month). I don't know if you can access the money before the 12 month period is up.

I have one with HSBC that I opened a few months ago that pays 5% and you can still get one according to Moneysavingexpert. It also looks like First Direct and M&S do them, but I think these are all part of HSBC in some way. I don't know if there are any others that pay this much but I also have one with Santander that pays 3%.

Back to the point of the thread, the other thrifty thing I do that lots of other people do is not overpay my mortgage. Why would I when my mortgage rate is 1.1% and HSBC, who is my mortgage provider btw will pay me 5% with their regular saver? And at the end of the year, the money then goes in an account that pays 1.5%.

I've also never done the other popular thing of have a fixed rate mortage, because these have always been more expensive in my experience - last 20+ years.

@BadLad that made me cackle - is that original Viz or you?

That's a Viz one.

woodcut literally just got this in this week's MSE email if any use?

Reminder. Free £175 to switch to HSBC - by far the biggest upfront switch bribe. In case you missed it last week, switchers to HSBC Advance* get £175 within 40 days plus access to a 5% regular saver.

More info + others: www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts

Yes, the rate is payable on the average balance, not the total at the end, but you do get 5% on the amount saved, which is the point of them - putting away new savings every month, rather than getting that rate on a lump sum.

Which you can't obviously, and now that Tesco is about to cut the rate on their current account to 1% and TSB to 3% but only on £1500, those of us with savings in these accounts need to do some rejigging, but keep earning at least some interest.

I freeze EVERYTHING. No food gets wasted in my house.

Meal plan and shop for the whole week getting anything I need for the meals from special offers or supermarket own first.

Saw the squeeze mayo bottle in half to get it all out at the end.

Scrape peanut butter jar with a teaspoon.

Throw hardly any food away.

Charity shops.
eBay for any 'designer' things - teens are given the option if they "need" a particular cool pair of trainers - budget is £30. Either new and uncool for £30 or cool but second hand/part worn on eBay 😂
Amazon/shop around on line for any stuff that needs to be new.

My car is a 2004 model, it goes from A to B as does those that are £££s
I never buy clothes on a whim, walk away and go back a few days later if they are still calling out to you.
Always keep a good store cupboard , it comes in handy if you have a lean month, money wise.
Don't worry too much about sell by dates.

This thread is making me feel really guilty!!

Micro fibre cloths shed particles which end up in the water system. I don’t use them anymore.

I can never find anything in Lidl or Aldi I want to eat! The stock seems really depressing. I need to have another look.

I always cut tubes of toothpaste and make up in half to scoop out the residue.

I feel I have to wear clothes and shoes till they literally fall apart. We didn’t have much money when I was growing up so thrift is ingrained in me. However I eat out far too much and waste far too much food. I need to get organised. Spend a fortune on food yet never seem to have anything to eat!!

Also buy secondhand cars and run them till they give up the ghost.

How do you read magazines and papers for free online? I thought you had to subscribe to most papers?