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?

[Fireinthegrate]

Not sure if anyone has said this about loose change. We save it all in a piggy bank and take it to our Bank Natwest - other banks are available- where we feed it into the coin machine, it tots it up and is paid into your bank account. You obviously need to have a natwest account.

Coin mach8nes at the supermarket deduct 7% I think!

[QueenofPain]

I don’t know how anyone has time for all this! Working 50 hours a week and trying to maintain relationships with dp, family and friends is enough, paying for convenience is sometimes the only thing keeping my head above water.

[Sizeofalentil]

@Amibeingdaft81 for me, it's because I don't drive either. So do one online shop a month of bulk buys, cans, bottles etc. So I save about £20 through bulk buying and up to £21 on delivery. Although I suppose I could do delivery pass, but I couldn't be bothered to arrange several shops.

We also bulk buy nappies, cat food and wipes etc from Amazon on a reoccurring order as you save around 1/3.

I also bulk buy wine from Aldi for the free delivery, tiny discount, and all of the delicious wine

[UrbanMage]

I buy all the adult birthday presents in the January sales for the year.
Use a cashback site whenever possible.
Only shop in Aldi unless I want clothes from Sainsbury's.
Start buying Christmas presents early to spread the cost.

[TheBrockmans]

Eating less meat, shopping at Aldi, buying in bulk.

[AfterSchoolWorry]

I drive a hybrid, only fill with petrol every 5/6 weeks.

I dry everything on clothes horses, except towels and sheets which go in the dryer. I use that at night on a timer when electricity is cheaper. Ditto washing machine.

Always ensure dishwasher is full before using. Use the economy 30 minute wash.

[megletthesecond]

Cutting toothpaste / moisturiser tubes in half to scrape out a couple of extra days product.

[Namaste6]

I put The end of a block of Parmesan cheese in a tomato pasta sauce or soup. I use the same tea bag between me and my DH for our morning cuppa. The dogs will get certain left overs. I cut make up tubes to get the last lot out. I make my own laundry detergent courtesy of wellness mama. I also make my own deodorant, scubes and creamed.

[bliminy]

I use my neighbour's tools, lawnmower, and cable TV. Saves me a fortune.

I suspect this isn't what the OP was looking for though.

[OhTheRoses]

Buy wrapping paper, napkins, wine bags, crackers, gift bags AFTER Christmas. Together with a stash of gifts.

Buy the same colour/type of knee highs and pair up unladdered ones.

[AlexaAmbidextra]

I’m sorry but some of these sound like sheer misery.

[wholelyunimpressed]

Bulk buy blue roll on Amazon, save a fortune on proper kitchen roll. I still buy proper stuff for when you need absorbent kitchen paper but it's fine for normal wiping.

[TowandaForever]

@theliverpoolone

Which app do you use?

[MorrisZapp]

I thought I was a fiendish genius for using the self serve checkouts as a coin bin.

Gutted to hear its common practice :)

[user1486131602]

Buy all branded toothpaste hairspray deodorant in £1 shops with Arabic on labels....same stuff!
Buy bulk of veg from independent shops, better taste and value
Always buy napolina tinned toms and passatta, MUCH better taste and deffo worth the difference in price
And always buy Andrew quilted loo rolls, expensive, but use much less than the thin cheap ones!

[bliminy]

I feel like I'm reading Viz.

[mizu]

Buy almost all my clothes on eBay - mostly TOAST so good quality that lasts forever - for a fraction of the original price.

Live in a teeny tiny place -4 of us, DDs share a room and I love it. Warm, cosy and good for the environment. We downsized so we could afford to buy.

Cut tubes of moisturiser so I get every last drop.

Drive a small, old car in a street where most seem to have big, flashy beasts

Never, ever use cling film.

[formerbabe]

I always use about half the amount of soap powder that is recommended when I do laundry.

[Sarahlou63]

I can't understand why anyone would fly any other class than economy. It's the same plane, same safety standards, same flight crew, same view, same turbulence, same destination. Often it's hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds cheaper to fly economy. A bit more legroom and boarding the plane earlier doesn't seem worth the massive price difference.

Ah, my (our) one luxury - annual long haul holiday and flying business class is a HUGE difference; great food, full size bed and fabulous service. I look forward to the flight almost as much as the holiday.

Otherwise I scrimp like mad. Tea bags - 3 single cup bags = another mug of tea. No food is ever wasted - the animals get all leftovers (except onions, garlic). I use dishclothes rather than kitchen paper, grey water for the fruit trees and our cars are all over 15 yrs old.

[TheBrockmans]

I use my neighbour's tools, lawnmower, and cable TV. Saves me a fortune.

I suspect this isn't what the OP was looking for though.

Think that tips you over into c.f. territory.

[scubadive]

Where’s the joy in life, spontaneity, freedom, live a little. All this planning, planning, planning, limited options and constrained living would sap the joy of life for me.

I would also wonder how much is saved versus all the time planning and expense travelling to other shops out of the way, running two freezers to store reduced food etc. How much is your time worth? Surely money is to be used to enjoy life, not to be obsessed over

[Shodan]

I do a lot of these automatically because that's what I was taught growing up - old t-shirts for cloths, bulk-buying wherever possible etc. I was also taught to keep enough money by so that if I saw something on special offer I could buy it immediately.

But I save the most money I think by investing in tools so that I can do my own handyman type jobs. So far this year I've taken down a large tree in my garden, power-washed my patio, fixed my loo, chopped logs, made curtains... I won't outsource any household job until I've had a good go myself. Taking down the tree saved me around £400. Making the curtains myself, probably around £400 as well. (even taking into account the cost of the fabric) I won't throw away/replace anything unless I've tried and can't fix it.

I do my own mani/pedi stuff too. And cut my own hair (although I appreciate that this isn't for everyone- I just happen to have well-behaved hair that lends itself to the type of haircut I favour)

BUT -I am time-rich and cash-poor

[Dontupsettheneighbours]

Have a "target price" for everything eg 5p a wash for washing powder or 31p per loo roll. Only ever buy when lower than target.

[Bearbehind]

Don’t flush every wee

For the penny that saves I’d rather not leave piss lying around in my toilet.

[Geraniumpink]

How do you cut your own hair? Isn’t it really hard to do the back?