To ask what small cheeky things you do to save money?

[monroeagogo]

DH routinely reuses stamps. His excitement when an envelope arrives and the stamp isn't marked is a wonder to behold.

Franking is the enemy.

What cheeky things do you do to save the pennies?

@Landedonfeet Tesco is better (IMO). My £90 shop gives me 90 points. That equals 90p off shopping or £1.80 if I use it as a reward.

@Mary54

Not cheeky but I do make a lot of things myself which is usually cheaper. Bread, yogurt, soap, hand cream, solid shampoo bars etc. also grow a lot of veg which we freeze

I make bread but don't think it's cheaper (it is bloody delicious though 🤣)

@MintyGreenDream

I create different email addresses so I always get a prime or readily free trial

@MintyGreenDream I used to do this but some now use your card details and ignore a different email (NOW definitely do) so you need a different card as well

IME students turn cheekiness into an art form.

When you come home, bring all your washing.

Put the heating on to subtropical and wear only shorts (don't even bother with a T shirt) in February.

Make sure your parents pay full subscriptions to Spotify, Amazon prime and Netflix so that you can share them.

If your parents are eating out, say "great where are we going"

Invite your mates over to drink all the wine and spirits. Ask, in advance, if you can add a few pizzas and snacks to the shopping delivery so you don't have to order domino's for the friends.

Help yourself to as much food, toiletries and toilet rolls as you can carry to take back with you.

Borrow your DMs nice new versace handbag or your Dad's good watch (for a few months).

Ask for a lift back, so that you don't have to pay trainfare and so that you can carry more contraband. It's only 200 miles. Pretend you want to talk to them on the way (you can put your earphones in as soon as the engine starts).

It's a good job I love them.

Oh, bonus points if you bring a random international student home for Christmas or Easter with you "because they would like to experience it".

@StScholastica

IME students turn cheekiness into an art form.

When you come home, bring all your washing.

Put the heating on to subtropical and wear only shorts (don't even bother with a T shirt) in February.

Make sure your parents pay full subscriptions to Spotify, Amazon prime and Netflix so that you can share them.

If your parents are eating out, say "great where are we going"

Invite your mates over to drink all the wine and spirits. Ask, in advance, if you can add a few pizzas and snacks to the shopping delivery so you don't have to order domino's for the friends.

Help yourself to as much food, toiletries and toilet rolls as you can carry to take back with you.

Borrow your DMs nice new versace handbag or your Dad's good watch (for a few months).

Ask for a lift back, so that you don't have to pay trainfare and so that you can carry more contraband. It's only 200 miles. Pretend you want to talk to them on the way (you can put your earphones in as soon as the engine starts).

It's a good job I love them.

Oh yes ! 🤣

Has it been mentioned that this thread has made it to The Daily Mail?

Not really cheeky, more frugal, my tips are:

Use filter coffee bags and a travel mug to make coffee instead of buying on the way to work.
Save mailing bags to reuse when you sell online.
Open wrapped presents carefully to reuse the paper.
Go to the supermarket near closing time when bakery items are reduced to 20p.

Save the mini toiletries sets you get in hotels and holiday cottages for when you next travel and decant you own when they are empty.

Reuse old toothbrushes for cleaning shoes, dehairing carpets before vacuuming, cleaning tight corners etc.

Buy going out clothes from Vinted, Ebay, charity shops etc.

@ginswinger see - this is bloody brilliant. Yes, it's a whole load of effort, but I wish more people had the time and energy to do it too. You're the kind of person I want to be. 😁

I like the bucket in the shower for plants. I have flip top water bottles by the sink, when I run the hot tap for dishes I catch the cold water at the start in them and use it on house plants. In summer, dirty dish water goes into a watering can by the back door and I water the plants with it. The dish soap has never caused any issues, but I don't go mad with it. This is more to do with my hatred of wasting water, honestly. If I rinse a big milk carton out for recycling I bottle that, too. Probably sounds bananas but I have a lot of pots inside and out, so it's never sitting there long in summer.

I haven’t paid for parking In my town centre for 10 years

There’s a little street that is in dispute between control and private owner re ownership (I read about it in local paper!)

It’s always empty
Right in the centre
And no traffic warden allowed to issue tickets or private company

Saved hundreds I reckon

@Ikeabag

I like the bucket in the shower for plants. I have flip top water bottles by the sink, when I run the hot tap for dishes I catch the cold water at the start in them and use it on house plants. In summer, dirty dish water goes into a watering can by the back door and I water the plants with it. The dish soap has never caused any issues, but I don't go mad with it. This is more to do with my hatred of wasting water, honestly. If I rinse a big milk carton out for recycling I bottle that, too. Probably sounds bananas but I have a lot of pots inside and out, so it's never sitting there long in summer.

I bow to your ingenuity and energy! And might follow suit since we're on a blinkin water meter

@CaptainThe95thRifles Ooh, a Sharpe fan AND a Pratchett fan. Are you me?

Cheeky things I've done this week.
I has to to return some clothes to a shop in a different town. Once upon a time I would have thought nothing about driving over at tbe the weekend. However I've waited until I had a family visit with work who live a couple of streets away. I've saved 15 miles of petrol. ( I did tell my deputy manager that I had to pop into Next before anyone says I'm stealing work time)
I made a pie for my tea at home but I cooked it in the works oven and took what was left home. ( we are allowed to use the kitchen facilities and people usually make oven chips but I've upped the ante recently.)

@PukkaP

Not much really. I wear my Oodie as I’m struggling to afford the heating bills. I buy the yellow stickered food and batch cook for the freezer. Always grate a couple of courgettes into spaghetti bolognese or chilli to make the meat go further.

A bit off topic but either a handful of oats or red lentils also pads out spaghetti bolognese nicely - and thickens it do you don't need flour. I do also add a cooked, mashed aubergine to all mince dishes - although at around 90p per aubergine that's not particularly cheap.

@ginswinger

I really wanted a Miele tumble dryer but a new one was not within my means. So I searched until I found one for sale, broken, 30 miles away and taught myself basic electronics with a few youtube videos and replaced the thermostat with a £20 part. It's still merrily going on, 3 years later and I am most pleased with my cheapskate self.

I am seriously impressed

Me too!

Me too. I feel very inadequate after reading this!

Sorry, not sorry to revive this thread but saw something on my FB feed that reminded me of this thread. apparently doesn't even buy toilet paper so that she saves money.
No stealing in any of her tips.

I don't even know whether it's real!

@notacooldad

Cheeky things I've done this week. I has to to return some clothes to a shop in a different town. Once upon a time I would have thought nothing about driving over at tbe the weekend. However I've waited until I had a family visit with work who live a couple of streets away. I've saved 15 miles of petrol. ( I did tell my deputy manager that I had to pop into Next before anyone says I'm stealing work time) I made a pie for my tea at home but I cooked it in the works oven and took what was left home. ( we are allowed to use the kitchen facilities and people usually make oven chips but I've upped the ante recently.)

How much money does it really save you to cook your dinner at work? Is it worth the awkwardness of bringing in all your ingredients and not being able to enjoy cooking and eating in the relaxed environment of your own home?

How much money does it really save you to cook your dinner at work? Is it worth the awkwardness of bringing in all your ingredients and not being able to enjoy cooking and eating in the relaxed environment of your own home?
We are allowed to others do it and others go out for a take away from KFC or something. I'd rather my sturdy fry, omelette or pasta bake than with a combination of mi e and work ingredients than spending £8 on a take out.

@ViaRia

When I was young I used to check the ‘change’ flap on public telephones in case someone has left a few coins in there. That was quite lucrative.

I always check parking machines still, got a £1 out of one only last week 🙂

These tips scream miser rather than destitute to me.

@kanaloa
How much money does it really save you to cook your dinner at work? Is it worth the awkwardness of bringing in all your ingredients and not being able to enjoy cooking and eating in the relaxed environment of your own home?
The thing I forgot to add is that I don't work in an office or retail or anything like that. We have a massive kitchen that we are in and out of all day and I work for a 26 hour shift. ( sleep over) x 2 one week and one the following week. We are virtually living there ( we keep our pjs, hairdryer toothbrushes etc there so no embarrassment about making breakfast lunch or tea. I just dont spend ££'s on takeaways like some staff like to.

I last bought washing up liquid before xmas and am only now running out. I decant it into an old spray bottle and dilute it a lot. This is not only cheapskate of me, but is nicer to use: you can spray loads on your dishes (which is quite satisfying) but it doesn't take 1,000 gallons to wash the soap off again. Saves water too and is just a nicer washing-up time all around.