What's the most extreme example of effort to save a few pennies you have heard of?

[wineoclockthanks]

Lighthearted!!

Mine is someone who buys shirts/t-shirts and asks for the hangers, then returns the clothes minus the hangers.

I did mention that Wilkos sell 10 wire hangers for £1.75 but she was adamant it was worth it.

Please can I stress this is lighthearted, I am also on a tight budget and count my pennies so not judging at all.

[NuffSaidSam]

Batteries on the radiator totally works! We used to do this at school to perk our walkman batteries up for the journey home.

[BalloonSlayer]

Kettles use a huge amount of electricity paxillin although I don't know what a Kelly Kettle is.

eg if you buy a petrol generator for your home it can run everything except the kettle.

[AcaciaYou]

I once watched my Dad haggle 5p off an apple tart in Borough Market.

[Woadicea]

My mum would save money on bin bags by filling them right to the top. But she then had the issue that they were so full that she couldn't tie them closed. So she would then cut up old clothes to make special bin bag ties to laboriously tie the bin bags shut. There used to be bags of these bin bag ties stuffed in the cupboard under the sink that would fall out every time you opened it...

She also does the washing out of freezer bags as well!

[mrsusername]

This thread is hilarious 😂

[meddie]

Best one was when a group of us went out for lunch, people had to leave at different times so were just leaving what they thought they owed and a couple of quid for a tip. He took all the cash, paid on his card but then went to leave without leaving a tip, meaning they were only paying about £3, subsidised by other people's tips. Luckily one person "reminded" him grin and he grudgingly paid up

Discovered a manager at work was doing this in the pre debit card days, work nights out he would insist we all paid him cash share plus tip for the meal (tip was usually 1 to 2 quid each) and he would pay on his credit card. Except the tight arse was paying the exact total, getting his meal free, collecting reward points on his card and claiming business expenses, meanwhile the poor waiting staff got sod all after serving a party of 15 to 20 people.

[SoupDragon]

you can leave batteries in the sun to perk them up a bit too.

[Dowser]

I'd never pay the inflated prices at cinemas for sweets etc.
When I take the grandkids I take our own sweets.

In fact I find it pretty gross at the money that's spent on greasy junk food at the cinema full stop.

Washing plastic bags seems to be the done thing here. I'm glad dh isn't abnormal.

My mother used to work with a woman who would knit a jumper, pull it out and then knit it again as something else over and over again.

She would describe her as being so mean she would skin a nit for its skin.

I could never be that person.
One miserable birthday party I took dd too, was where the mother gave each child a small cake box with a fairy cake, a cup drink, a sandwich and a packet of iced gems.

She thought it was brilliant.
Funny when it was my dd party she asked if it would be ok to bring her other much older son along.🙄
We had a table groaning with food, plenty to drink...and enough for mothers to help themselves.

I can't bear meanness or greed of any kind. I think it's a horrible trait.

You've all heard me banging on about how nasty me ex was at the end of our marriage but one thing he couldn't be accused of was being mean and greedy.
If anyone came to our house the fatted calf was killed.

[LornaMumsnet]

Hi, all!

Thanks for the classics nominations.

We're going to send this one over to our wall of fame.

[Camnico]

MIL used the orange net that tangerines come in to wash her dishes with

She also waters down products to keep them longer (fairy, handwash etc)

BUT the best one is...
She doesn't use the oven on a Sunday because she said it's slower and costs more money to run because everyone is making their Sunday dinners (not true) she is somewhat of a strange woman

[paxillin]

Kettles use a huge amount of electricity paxillin

Agreed. I have a non-eco kettle, 3000W, so would be 3kWh if boiled for an hour. Takes 2 minutes to boil if full, making it 0.1 kWh. Average UK price per kWh is 11p. Boiling the kettle once costs 1.1p. No amount of scrimping on this would halve my electricity bill.

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

We wash ziplock bags unless they have had raw meat or fish in.

Use value dishwasher tabs and break them in half.

Use way less than the recommended amount of washing powder.

Cloth nappies for DD and cloth sanitary ware for me. Though our water bill is high.

When DD doesn't drink all her milk I leave it on the side and use the ends for my coffees (instant only, natch!).

Some basics products are fine, eg tissues, dishwasher tabs, and seconds/ misshapen veg.

Obviously, bring own instant coffee to work and packed lunch every day. Strict meal planning.

Also some "investments" worth it: we pay £100 pa for National Trust membership but it means we can park for free at local beach and country park, which is then pretty much all weekend and BH entertainment sorted for the year.

Drive at 58/60 on the motorway.

Imo these are all just common sense!

[Badbadbunny]

An uncle of mine refused to stop at motorway service stations as they were too expensive. Instead he would either look up the nearest supermarket or pub and buy a drink there as it would save ££.

Isn't there a website that gives you alternatives to motorway service stations, giving suggestions of pubs/supermarkets etc close to junctions?

When I take my family on long journeys, I'll usually google beforehand for suitable stop off points for a meal or snack break. My first port of call is usually the Morrisons website to see if there's a store with a cafe anywhere near a junction around where I expect to be at lunch or tea time. Good for a meal/snack, the toilet and also a walk around to stretch our legs before continuing the journey. If no Morrisons, then my second choice is a McDonalds. I've never bought a meal at a motorway service station, even before having a family.

When on holiday in the UK, I google and create a list of "cheap" pubs/restaurants near where we're staying. There are usually some pubs which are part of chains, offering "two for one" or free childrens meals. I take my list with me, which has name and postcode, and then check on the sat nav to see which are closest when I get there. Not only saves a lot of money as otherwise I'd just use the closest which may be a lot more expensive, but I can also check them out on tripadvisor to discount those with poor ratings.

[specialsubject]

I use plastic boxes in the freezer, not much for lots. They go through the dishwasher after use. Even easier and much less waste!

Like the idea of pricier electricity on a Sunday. Once everyone has smart meters that will probably happen.

[BiddyPop]

A friend used to buy in a local supermarket that had a hacksaw beside the broccoli to cut off the stalks. They also had a little metal bin to discard them into. The SM would send them to landfill in due course, but had a sign up saying that people were welcome to take the stalks for rabbits and guinea pigs. If she felt they were large enough (fat enough once the stringy bit came off the edge), my friend used to take a bag and use them for cooking for the family - she explained it to me once when I bumped into her there.

In fairness, she would buy a lot of actual broccoli as well.

[Badbadbunny]

Strict meal planning.

I think the planning aspect is where you can save a lot of money, not just for shopping, but for all walks of life.

I always take a shopping list to the supermarket and don't impulse buy. I plan out meals on a day to day basis, so I only buy exactly what I need. If I have to buy a pack bigger than I need, then I'll either freeze the surplus or plan it into another meal. I also rotate where I shop, so that I can buy things with longer shelf lives wherever they are on offer and stock up on them, such as loo rolls, kitchen towels, tinned/packet foods, toiletries, etc - my cupboards can be pretty full of non perishables. I can honestly say the amount of waste coming out of my kitchen is close to zero, usually just the bottom of the milk or the odd slice of bread.

I think the worst thing you can do is to run out of something through lack of planning and end up paying over the odds by buying at an expensive shop, or when they're not on offer, or a more expensive brand than usual, etc. Or just buy your stuff as "one offs" where you happen to find yourself rather than planning, buying multipacks etc in advance and taking what you need with you. Like buying things from vending machines - why would you waste money like that, when you can buy the same things for probably half price or less in advance and just take it with you?

[maggienolia]

I looked after an old lady who used to insist that her stairlift was switched off at night to save money.
Never did get that one.

[Badbadbunny]

Like the idea of pricier electricity on a Sunday. Once everyone has smart meters that will probably happen.

It's probably one of the drivers why the power companies are so keen on them! It would then be very easy for them to raise prices at peak times to increase their profits.

[Hygellig]

An uncle of mine refused to stop at motorway service stations as they were too expensive. Instead he would either look up the nearest supermarket or pub and buy a drink there as it would save ££.

We always take a packed lunch and flask to service stations, at least on the outward journey. I've never seen a sign at motorway service stations saying that only food purchased on the premises may be eaten there.

[Dowser]

Thinking of broccoli stalks
My cousin and I were in Beanz in Cardiff and after having a smoothie she asked what happened to all the waste.
Well as it all gets thrown out, she asked if she could take it for her 19 Guinness pigs.
I can't believe we went through the centre of Cardiff back to the car with two huge bin bags of the remainders of the fruit and veggies.

Those piggies must've lived like kings for the next week

Sadly when she moved into a flat shortly after they had to be rehomed.

[Dowser]

We rarely stop at motorway services. Fuel up before we leave and take snacks and drinks with us.

Being gluten free it's easier to take our own stuff anyway.

[HappyFlappy]

19 Guinness pigs

I want some of these Dowser

Do they actually wee Guinness? Where can I get them?

(If they just drink Guinness I don't want them - I don't need the competition!)

[Hygellig]

Ereaderiq looks great - will try that!

[clippityclop]

I know someone who doesn't take sugar in her tea or coffee but takes great pride in her stash of little sachets from cafes and restaurants When she has enough she uses them to make a batch of cookies.

[Foldedtshirt]

Badbunny
'...buying things from vending machines - why would you waste money like that, when you can buy the same things for probably half price or less in advance and just take it with you.'
I was thinking exactly the same thing yesterday watching a taxi driver pay £2 for a bottle of Coke from a garage. But it was chilled and if he'd bought a multipack from Lidl he'd probably drink a lot more and it'd be warm. That sort of planning ahead is good if you're disciplined, but doesn't take into account the non monetary benefits of buying stuff.