Sneaky ways to save the pennies

stilernin · 3 January 2010 at 12:43PM

Primrose wrote: »

i've been in the habit of tearing off a couple of sheets of kitchen roll to put in the bottom of my compost caddy to sop up all those manky juices which accumulate down there until the caddy is full enough for the contents to be thrown on the compost heap. Over the years I must have used up a fair number of kitchen rolls adopting this practice so in future I'm going to use torn up newspaper which gets recycled anyway and is equally absorbent.

Aswell as lining the bottom of my compost caddy with newspaper, I keep a stack of 'half pages' of newspaper to use when peeling veg, chucking teabags or coffee ground etc. Put these things on a piece of paper and twist into a ball. The balls of waste keep the bin sweeter smelling and add more volume to the compost heap.

My compost caddy is a Mr T's Value bathroom pedal bin complete with a pull out bucket to carry down the garden. It was less that £3 a few years ago, but I'm not sure they are available now. It lives in the cupboard under the sink with the other bin.

mumpig · 3 January 2010 at 5:54PM

I have been ploughing through the back pages of this thread for days now (up to p.166), lots of good ideas (thank you everyone) reassurance I'm not the only one and also just as important in these times, lots of laughs. My only resolution this year, cos I never keep them, is to be more MSE. Not to the lengths some of you are, but good luck tho' to those of you who do, and as I've been the single parent on benefits, I know the necessity side of it too. Now things are much better financially tho' I'm sick of wasting so much money & food. So I'm going to be more sensible and save where I can.
So far have:
Carefully taken down, stored and labelled good/will do again xmas decorations
Pulled of all the blue tac & drawing pins & put back in stationary draw
Tied up boxes to go back in attic with old bits of elastic laying around
Planned and shopped and cooked (!!!) all the meals for freezer for this week as first week back at work I will be shattered and tempted by take away's.
Used up sad tomatoes in spag boll, chopped of yucky bits & threw in good bits.
Used a packet mix found at back of cupboard, 18 months out of date but smelt fine! (If I never post again you know why...)
Washed out tubs xmas food came in to put stuff in freezer.
Covered in pretty paper & left over tacky back a big tub cornflour came in as a holder for my kitchen knives.
Washed out a used Mr T soup pot to take home made soup to work made from unwanted veg.
Sorted out all old (clean) socks to take to work for making puppets.

Phew, even just listing it down I'm surprised how much I've done :A

Thank you everyone for the inspiration :T:T:T and ideas

mummyfrugal · 3 January 2010 at 6:05PM

To Jexygirl (who runs the inn)

I once stayed at a B&B and they had big liquid soap / shampoo / conditioner etc all in squirty dispensers - they had a little card that said you are welcome to use them but please do not take the bottles as they are refilled to be more environmentally friendly. - i thought this was a great idea and im sure most people wouldnt pop them into their bag.

also i do think about the breakfast for lunch doggy bag- that unless you ask the proprietor is is not ok to just take something.

LegalBlonde · 3 January 2010 at 6:18PM

Rachel85 that is a great tip not just for money saving but for my diet

Thanks!

blonde36er · 3 January 2010 at 9:26PM

jexygirl wrote: »

*I have an Inn, we have 4 rooms. To stock my rooms with 5 coffee, 5 decaff, 5 tea, 5 decaff tea, 10 sugar, 5 brown sugar, 10 milk, 2 scottish shortbread (optional I know ) 2 shampoo, 2 conditioner, 2 body lotion, 1 soap, costs me (or is budgetted out at) £3.75 per room. The "5" of everything is because some people do take it all knowing it will be replaced so rather than over stock it, we limit what we put in)

Just a thought, why not put 2 of everything out instead of 5? We stayed in a lovely hotel not so long ago, and they only had two of everything out, and that was plenty!

Also...thanks to everyone for the fab tips, have already taken quite a few on board and I am sure they'll come in mighty useful when I go on maternity leave shortly

OrkneyStar · 4 January 2010 at 10:14AM

mummyfrugal wrote: »

To Jexygirl (who runs the inn)

I once stayed at a B&B and they had big liquid soap / shampoo / conditioner etc all in squirty dispensers - they had a little card that said you are welcome to use them but please do not take the bottles as they are refilled to be more environmentally friendly. - i thought this was a great idea and im sure most people wouldnt pop them into their bag.

also i do think about the breakfast for lunch doggy bag- that unless you ask the proprietor is is not ok to just take something.

Premier Inn in Inverness now has the showergel on a thing on the wall.....so people don't steal the whole thing, I do find it hard to dispense though (I'd normally use my own but on one occassion I had DS in bath with me and had only remembered his things I tried it....think I gave up and used DS's baby stuff!).
x

rosemary54 · 4 January 2010 at 10:50AM

OrkneyStar wrote: »

Premier Inn in Inverness now has the showergel on a thing on the wall.....so people don't steal the whole thing, I do find it hard to dispense though (I'd normally use my own but on one occassion I had DS in bath with me and had only remembered his things I tried it....think I gave up and used DS's baby stuff!).
x

quite a few places now do that and I too find them hard to use as I have arthritus in my hands :mad: I usually take my own shampoo and conditioner with me in small bottles as some of the stuff they provide (even in top hotels) is not very good and leaves my hair feeling like straw:mad:
I do take the bottles of water provided for the journey home but tend to leave the toiletries unless I am sure I would use them as have lots anyway from when OH used to bring them home(he does still bring me biccies :j)
a lady at my GPs used to send toiletries to charity in 3rd world countries

bonar · 4 January 2010 at 10:52AM

we refill our pump dispenser soap with value bubble bath. does the same job as soap

OrkneyStar · 4 January 2010 at 11:05AM

bonar wrote: »

we refill our pump dispenser soap with value bubble bath. does the same job as soap

I find that many soaps leave my skin dry so stick to ones I know, I wish I could use the value ones as you and many others do. Lidl hand soaps (cien) are good and only 55p a bottle though!
My other tips:
1. Dilute concentrated fabric conditioner by much more than half....ie 2/3rd water at least- still works. I know many use vinegar but I like a scent.
2. Keep a few sugar cubes in your cake tin to stop cakes going off.
3. Already ripened fruit will ripen less ripe fruit so keep them away if you want to last longer, and together if you want to hurry ripening!
4. Almost black nanas, that are to black to eat, still make good banana cake (just ditch the mouldy bits lol).
5. Dried pulses such as kidney beans work out cheaper than buying tinned ones generally, especially if you batch cook and freeze ready for use.
6. Dilute hair conditioner....goes just as far and actually seems to spread out and work better!
7. Wash at lower temps- washes just as well, and saves electricty. Also I think it keeps whites whiter!
8. A dash of napisan works as well as Vanish for stain removal!
9. Learn to crochet or knit and make HM presents........also very trendy just now!
Ok thats it for now. Great thread.

MushyPeas · 4 January 2010 at 11:10AM

mumpig wrote: »

Phew, even just listing it down I'm surprised how much I've done :A

Thank you everyone for the inspiration :T:T:T and ideas

Well done mumpig I'm aiming to go through the thread as well and pick up lots of ideas

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Sneaky ways to save the pennies

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