Small money saving habits...petty even

[Buddy80]

Hi,

I was just thinking of some of the small habits i've gotten into from habit and though i'd share...

I know some of them have probably been mentioned before

Always break a dishwasher tab in half
Water down fabric conditioner to get 2 bottles instead of 1
Freeze unwanted bananas for cakes
Chop up apple cores for the birds
Save pumkin seeds for planting
Save envelopes for seeds from old calendars
Use old envelopes for shopping lists if not reused
This one is stingy [embarrassed]...intead of buying a calendar, I just print off monthly from on-line planner. It gets amended anyhow and easier just to put on pinboard
Save old flyers to make paper chains.
Add handful of porridge oats to make crumble go further

[Buddy80]

harriet no problem ...in regards to washing clothes ou can make your own washing liquid from household soap, soda crystals and Borax. If you do a search there are loads of recipies out there, if not, let me know and I will add a link.

I tried it myself and it's fab. It does set as a firm jelly, but you can water it down even further. Lasts ages and costs pence to make a litre.

[mmmerangue]

Soda crystals are soooooo cheap.

great for soaking poo stains out of baby clothes.

[CheerfulYank]

Marking my place!

[cmarieb]

buy the 'marmite' sandwich boxes for children's lunch boxes and lots of little snap close pots, no more cling film or foil needed !

[littleladyindoors]

fantastic ideas here! Have an old post it note at work now with them all written on to share with hubby when he finishes watching Skyfall! (on a tues where it was only a £5!!!!)

We invested in a door curtain for our front door last winter- cost us about £20 from Dunhelm and we can actually tell now if we have left it open!! I was shocked by the amount of cold it kept out. Will be getting one for our kitchen too.

I pretty much always shop in Asda, but never forget to get my vouchers from them online, atm even if they aren't cheaper, you still get a £5 off a £40 shop when you spend £40. So I spend £40, get £5 off and still get another voucher for the following week. Also check your reciept- if they overcharge, you get £2.00 as well as a refund. In 4 weeks, we have made £6 from them.

I also take a calculator when I shop- its shocking how much I spend without it, but I focus on what I actually need if have it. Also If I dont take a list I spend so much more- meal planning is the way forward.

I also cut joints of meat in half and freeze half. If I cook the whole lot, we will eat it in one go- and we dont need to. Veg is cheaper to bulk up on, and we get 2 roasts for the price of 1. I third (or fourth or fifth) the frozen things over fresh, We really like BBQ ribs, but fresh are so expensive, and frozen are cheaper and normally better. I also freeze stuff in marinades because it goes into the meat better I think

[TapselteerieO]

I use bars of soap, to stop them splitting/drying out I put a bottle cap in the bottom so they are not sitting in a puddle of water, lasts for ages. (Not keen on liquid soap).

[Fluffycloudland77]

Drying out soap bars in the airing cupboard is meant to make them last longer, my mum kept all her soap in the airing cupboard when I was little.

Laundry gloop is on Moneysavingexpert a lot.

[higgle]

Use a eapot even if you use teabags. 1 Tesco Finest Earl Grey teabag makes two bit potfulls and keeps four of us happy through a long breakfast.

[higgle]

oops! "teapot" & "big" my economy lunch has clogged up my keyboard!

[prettybird]

Second the teabags can be used more than once. We keep a ramekin on the kitchen counter just for that purpose - although we do mostly drink loose tea done in a teapot (mix of Twinings Earl Gray and Sainsbury's Darjeeling). Even with the loose tea, you can top up at least once (as long as you've used a tea cosie)

[hackneybird]

When we boil potatoes we simmer them with the lid on - uses less energy.

Like many I use half recommended amount of washing powder, and reuse old envelopes etc., supermarket carrier bags instead of buying bin liners.

Do a lot of batch cooking. When we cook meals we usually make enough to have another meal from it.

Loving a lot of the other ideas though! I love the feel and smell of fabric conditioner but I am off to top it up with water right now!

[blueshoes]

I re-use my embroidered name tags.

When my children have outgrown their uniforms, I unpick the threads sewing down the name tags before I donate the uniforms. The name tags are perfectly fine. I then sew them onto the next set of uniforms.

Doesn't save much, but feels good!

[harrietspy]

Thanks for advice re washing powder: will look that up!

I set an alarm to remind me to go round and shut all the curtains to keep the heat in before it gets dark and the temperature drops. (We don't have the heating on if we can avoid it. A cold bedroom is fine with 2 duvets and bedsocks! The kids have electric blankets which are on for an hour or so).

Also I use old comics instead of wrapping paper (I picked up a foot-thick stack from a school fete for 50p). I'm giving my own books as presents - choosing ones which would be right for the recipient - because I just don't have the £ to buy gifts.

I've ditched filter coffee - just too expensive, even though I love it - but if I heat up a little bit of milk in the microwave, the cheapest instant stuff tastes so much better.

Does this sound ludicrously worthy? We're completely broke now and facing repossession... Wish I'd learned to live more frugally when times were good!

[IDismyname]

I take all the paper from our computer print outs that are no longer needed, tear them in half lengthways and stuff them in a large bulldog clip with the 'white' sides showing.

It sits by the phone ready for messages or shopping lists, but is great for testing times tables and spellings too!

[flowerygirl]

When a handwash runs out, I add a bit of water to the bottle, you'd be amazed how much longer it lasts!

Also, I used to use loads of shampoo, but a double pea sized amount is ample, just make sure your hair is very wet.

Another one is when toothpaste runs out, cut the tube open and you will get a few more teeth cleans out of it!

[Fluffycloudland77]

When you have the oven on put the veg or beans etc in pyrex jugs and cook it in the oven so it saves putting the hob on too. You can do gravy like this too.

Smartprice stuffing and Paxo are virtually indistinguishable (sp due to wine) and DH never noticed we have smartprice.

[CotedePablo]

harrietspy been there, and got the t shirt! Funny thing is, once it happens, it almost feels like a load has been lifted from your shoulders. I do hope things get better for you.

[harrietspy]

Thanks, CotedePablo. Better to be facing up to things, without a doubt.

[InNeedOfAPennyForTheGuysBrandy]

Keep the doors shut, I never before realised how much heat you lose out of rooms by not shutting the door.

My grandma cuts dish sponges in half. (considering a pack of loads and loads is only £1 I couldn't be bothered)

left over veg soup can be so lovely and a chicken does 3 meals + a soup.

[EdgarAllanPond]

Get thick curtains if you can (or lining as well as whatever curtain) , close them as much as possible to save on heating. in wonter it often isn't light enough to light the house only from sunlight anyway.

insulate under your bath (bath-bottoms open to floorboards can get very cold)

[notapizzaeater]

I add lentils to any casserole / chills spaghetti Bol etc , what they don't know doesn't hurt. I buy big bottles of Tom purée and freeze it in individual pack sizes. I have a big bag in the freezer of "stew" bits, all the spare dead veg goes in there and gets lobbed into a stew. I also freeze the cauliflower and broccoli stalks to make Broccolli and cauliflower soup - once liquidiseds you can't tell it was just the stalks .....

[LIttleMcF]

Don't watch the Grabbit board on MoneySavingExpert. There is a risk that you'll frequently spend a bloody fortune 'saving' money on four flipping scented candles that we DON'T need.

[33goingon64]

I make a mental note of which petrol stations tend to have cheaper petrol and fill up there. I don't understand anyone who doesn't do batch cooking and freezing. Write what it is on a label or with magic marker so you don't forget. It's a no-brainer. I freeze anything that's in danger of going out of date. I sometimes recycle gifts, so if I have been given something I don't like or know I won't use I save it and give it to someone else. Has to be the right combo of gift and person or it doesn't work. And don't give it back to the person who gave it to you!!

[33goingon64]

Not sure if this is mntioned above but dishwasher tablets from Wilkinson work just as well as Finish and cost less than half. I am quite picky about my clothes smelling nice when they come out of the washing machine. Am worried if I use a homemade or watered down liquid they won't smell as nice...

[randomness]

Never make only one lot of pasta, if I'm boiling a load of pasta for my ravenous beasties children I can never manage to judge the amount right anyway, so instead I make loooooaaads extra and keep what's left in a tupperware box in the fridge. Reheat it with boiling water or use microwave to reheat smaller portions.

Cold pasta + pesto + chopped up ham + cubes of cheese is a nice change from sandwiches for their packed lunches.