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

thanks mmmerangue ds1 is due a cut so i might attempt that this evening.

my biggish natwest has a machine like a coinstar, where you can pay in any amount if coins, but it doesn't charge you like coinstar does.

Someone mentioned blocked drains I was hearing on the radio how DISGUSTING are so called 'flushable' baby wipes;they block the drains and mixed with fat down there look like icebergs apparently . Best not to use them or at least put in a paper bag and in the bin. For (delicate subject spoiler)yr bum use normal loo paper with moisturiser on it it works for L.Os too. i

Oh yes I hardly ever buy baby wipes. Flannel and water. If I do have wipesI wash them and reuse.

i buy those wet flushable toilet wipes from asda and the flushable toilet cleaning wipes too. i thought they broke down like toilet roll. i was actually going to stop buying them as they add a good bit to the shopping total each week, especially with a toddler who has accidents. definitely going to stop buying them now after hearing that. thanks.

Yes BooyIt's annoying that the manuf. aren't MADE to say that they don't break down they just stick there .We've got a sceptic tank 'cos we live in the country so we don't
use them.

Someone upthread asked about kettles.Well I heard that allowing an electric kettle to go to a rolling boil just once costs the amount it costs to light a whole 3 bed house in one night. I ALWAYS switch mine off just before it comes to the boil. Coffee tastes better when not boiled anyway. You just have to remember to be there!!

my kettle has stopped clicking off when it boils so it will just keep boiling til theres no water left in it so i have to stand by it every time now and i always click off as soon as i hear the first bubbles.

also, does anyone have any recomendations for energy efficient and cheap to buy night lights? my dcs both insist on having their bedroom lights on all night and when i turn them off after they've fallen asleep they will wake and turn them on again so they are on practically all night.

Savers chocolate-break up a bar and put into squishy black over ripe banana cake,I make 2 or 3 choc/banana cakes a week.Fills up lunch boxes and kids eat it(due to the choc).

Re coins: thanks all. I will investigate my local banks.
Remembered one I heard recently. Boil kettle in the morning and pour the water into a thermos. It will then keep warm enough for a few hours to make coffee with. I suppose also you could re-boil the hot water if you wanted tea as that way less energy would be needed.

I suppose one of the green catalogues will have them but they probably won't be cheap to buy although cheaper to run IFYSWIM. I can't do links but Green People are good for that type of thing or just google them.

Boohoo my ds has an 'uncle miltons moon in my room' here which ive had to replace the batteries 2 times in 12 months it's stays on for 30 minutes then turns off ( also has a remote so they can switch it on a second time if they havent fallen asleep)

Or dd has a sun jar here which is solar powered. Obv no running costs but you do have to remember to put it in charge and there are some days when there just isn't enough light to power it.

thanks stacey!

Instead of clingfilm I buy small boxes and reuse them over and over again.

I buy reusable pieces instead of throwaway baking paper.

Buddy80 I don't see how the name tag tip save you money as you will still be using the same amount of tags.

I save £10 a week by direct debit. I have been doing it for years and it always pays for Christmas. I don't miss the £10 but would miss the £100's if I had to pay for Christmas out of my normal housekeeping.

Mum2Fergus are you Ross from Friends??

and 4.23!!

or a bit earlier - doh!! just watch it all it's so funny

Just re: name tags, it saves you money by not having to order too many. Amount of people who have bought for each child and still left with loads by the time they leave school

I just thought of another not nec. money saving but your energy saving! if you use a bucket to wash yr kitchen floor, don't bother just use yr spray ANY SURFACE cleaner; I make my own with (you guessed it ) white vinegar and hot water and spray the floor in sections leave for 3 to 4 mins. then using yr dampened (not dripping) mop just mop each area.
I rinse my mop in the sink or the bucket but you if you use the sink you don't need to continually renew the water in the bucket.

Sorry if this link has been posted. Haven't read all as have to go pick up ds

can you freeze this?

where do all you white vinegar users buy it from?

and does it not make your house smell like a chippy?

i buy mine from asda as we have nowhere nearby that does it in bulk. and no the house doesn't smell like a chippy, the smell evaporates or disappears somehow. i have 2 brilliant books 1 from arm and hammer with all the uses of baking soda (bicarb) and another with 1001 uses of vinegar, including apple cider vinegar. i must dig them out and start using vinegar and bicarb again. saves so much money!

I won't have loads left when the school days are over OP as I have lots of kids and lots and lots of uniform items. Plus lots of school years to go...