To ask for your most ingenious money saving tips

[Toothiehurtie]

my Best one is…

a visit to the card factory for cheap cards and gift bags and then picking up presents from car boot sales or charity shops. I have got some brilliant kids party presents for 50p so with the card and a cheap gift bag I have brought the cost of a present in for a pound before.

looking for any tips at all, obviously you can buy porridge oats in bulk cheaper than buying expensive kids cereal etc but anything clever or that people might not have thought of before.

don’t know how bad the fuel crisis will be but considering charging battery packs to charge phones at work and taking a thermos of boiled water home 😂

The pump bottles is a brilliant idea, thank you. I generally buy the larger sized bottles anyway but my youngest finds it too heavy/slippery to lift, and usually ends up with way more shampoo and conditioner than she actually needs.

Pasta cooks faster if fresh. 5oz of pasta costs about 50p to make, and about 3-6mins to cook. Don’t soak pasta in warm water it will be yucky.

@Ori1

Speak for yourself!

We had 1980 kitchen for years, all under cupboard lights gone, only 3 spot lights as job never finished, laminate flaking and peel everywhere, rubbish lino floors j,kept ripping impossible to keep clean!

I adore our new kitchen! I can see!! I can chop and see what I'm doing! I can our induction hob cooking! The induction! No more flames worry, leaving it on , burning hair.

@BrightYellowDaffodil

If you think that's an angry rant I think you might be a bit surprised by what's almost certainly ahead...it won't be long now before we see REAL anger.

When it comes to those currently in power and their enablers, I've tried reasonable arguments and presenting evidence, reams and reams of it.

It doesn't work.

I've come to the conclusion that you cannot unbrainwash most people.

I've also given plenty of very constructive advice on previous threads on here about how to save money and/or make it go as far as possible, both in work and domestic contexts. God knows I've had plenty of practice at it.

We're actually okay (just) in this household for now, but I really hope I never forget what it's like to be so poor you have to have your school shoes taped together with soles made of cardboard and your socks held up with elastic bands because you can't afford to buy new ones, or living on white starch with cheap meat fillings from the seconds shop because that's all you can afford.

It's now at the stage where I'm thinking of posting Viz-like utterly ludicrous money-saving suggestions, as God knows the serious ones don't seem to have made a dent...

I don't use my tumble dryer unless it's an emergency. I use Martin Lewis Mse site and Hot UK deals. I only put enough water in the kettle for the cup of tea I'm making.. I use Top cashback when buying things especially car insurance and switching utilities. If I get mail saying my bills are going up I phone company's and get them to reduce prices or move to another supplier. I use Hot UK deals all year round for bargains for Christmas. I use Costco for petrol currently £1.56. I use UK breakaways and comparison sites for holidays there's also another site I use can't remember the name of it so get Haven breaks for a fraction of the price. Lots of bargain pages where you can get pHs for the kids for around £3 t shirts same price. Also use everything £5 for clothes for myself, the list is endless oh and I have started using the company shop who's prices are ace as well as home bargains.

Because she's a snob??

We put our bread in the fridge, it lasts for 2 weeks easy. 👍

Another vote for Vinted and Airtime Rewards

There's no price cap for buisnesses. So I'm sure most will say you can't do it.

@mushroom3

I did this on the weekend and bought loads of fruit from the market.
6 huge pink lady apples for £1- I was expecting them to be a bit mushy for the price. I ate one walking around and it was lovely so I went back for more!

So, 12 pink lady, 8 kiwi fruits, 8 big tomatoes on the vine, 2 punnets of blueberries, 6 large lemons, 7 oranges and a bunch of banana for £8.50!

I’ve wracked my brains and I still don’t understand how this saves water! Surely if you used a tiny bit more in between showers you could just use the extra to flush the loo anyway?

I mean I’m pretty weird but even I couldn’t imagine my family (it’s just me and DS but I’m imagining a bigger family) all lined up outside the bathroom.

When it comes to those currently in power and their enablers, I've tried reasonable arguments and presenting evidence, reams and reams of it. It doesn't work.

I’m not surprised, because lecturing people on why they’re “wrong” to vote the way they do never changes anything, except making people angrier and more divided. You have your view and they have theirs, they’re entitled to it. They think you’re wrong just as much as you think you’re right.

it won't be long now before we see REAL anger

As I say, because that’s what we need, right? More anger, more intolerance, more division and so on. That’ll make the world a better place. Instead of ranting into the void, maybe use your energy to do something positive rather than whipping up yet more hysteria.

Actually we do need riots and non compliance now. Telling people to let corporations and governments crap all over them while they eat cold soup from a tin and #bekind isn't a case of "everybody has a different opinion and the world is a great big onion". It's mendacious damaging horseshit that hurts people at both an individual and a societal level.

On showers my tips are:
Lower the shower to just above the tallest regular user, you might be able to reduce the temperature a bit.
Start-stop showers, water on to get wet, but off to put on shampoo, on again to rise, off to apply conditioner and soap, on again to rise.
Only shower ever other day - most people don’t need to shower every day (it is a preference).
Check the temperature of the boiler - combi’s can be around 75 degree or radiators and 50 for water. Conventional tank need to be kept hotter at 60 degrees (to prevent legionnaires)

If your employer requires you to work from home you can claim an allowance on your income tax to cover increased home expenses. If you choose to work from home (but are not required to) then you can't claim the allowance.

😂 I've been casting around for a pithy way to say that. Brilliant.

Save money on washing by using Ecoballs (available on Amazon etc) You can leave out washing powders/ liquids as long as clothes are not massively dirty. Fill up with replacement balls about ?every 12 months when the old ones are wearing out. I’ve used them for years,great at low temperatures.

Economies of scale. Not everybody has a shower (even though they've been planned to have enough for everybody who attends in an hour to have a 5 minute one), some pay more to have access to multiple clubs and flavoured water, some buy padlocks, earphones, exercise bands, protein drinks and the like from the vending machines, some have membership but don't go, some book payable classes and PT sessions - the showers would be running like a public bathhouse on a 5 mins maximum, revolving door basis 15 hours a day to be looking at sticking a couple of quid extra on a monthly membership.

For some reason, it made me think of Linus Van Pelt.

Your brother is winding you up. An electrician friend worked this out for us. At the moment, it costs 20p for a 10 minute shower on todays rates, so even at the top end of the cap it will be 40p . Just checked my smart meter as DH was showering, and the meter went to current use up by 1.20 per HOUR. So a 5minute electric shower is currently costing us 10p. Does your brother work for the Daily Mail. They like scaremongering or does he take hour long showers? Just take a 5 minute shower once the prices go up and it will be 20p.

er I’m a single parent and having a car is essential and having a home that we love being in, that’s spacious, that nicely decorated and done up the garden actually does provide a lot of joy

@RayneDance I am out at the moment but will dig out my menu plans tonight. I seem so have several I rotate depending on who is around for the week. It's just myself and husband but very often have grandkids and other relatives. I have done the 8 day week system for over 40 years. Advice was given to me when first married by my mature next door neighbour. It is second nature now and 6 weeks extra housekeeping comes in very useful at crimbo. Will def post one or two later if it helps

What’s daft about saving shower water to use elsewhere? We put a bucket in the shower and it’s always full after. We use it to flush the loo.

Crisps for school lunches - buy a big bag of plain value tortilla or other big bag of crisps, put into small containers / bags and freeze in portions to use as needed

or fill your freezer with hearty family dinners?

unless you’re freeze is restaurant size giant - this seems a somewhat odd way to fill it