Great Isn’t it Obvious MoneySaving Hunt: Tell us the secrets you didn't know you had

ElizzyM

Keep a coin jar for all the loose change that weighs down your purse/wallet, the 2p, 1p & 5p's. Pick up any change you may come across on the floor (you'd be amazed how many people, especially un-thrifty kids, throw away - yes, throw away - loose change). Add anything you come across to your coin jar. Also, keep a piggy bank near the washing machine and put any money from pockets or (eek) from the drum, in there and empty it regularly into your coin jar. Leave it till christmas/school holiday time and count up all your cash for the extra spending, or periodically stick it in a savings account. You will be surprised how much it all adds up to.

ElizzyM

Keep a coin jar for all the loose change that weighs down your purse/wallet, the 2p, 1p & 5p's. Pick up any change you may come across on the floor (you'd be amazed how many people, especially un-thrifty kids, throw away - yes, throw away - loose change). Add anything you come across to your coin jar. Also, keep a piggy bank near the washing machine and put any money from pockets or (eek) from the drum, in there and empty it regularly into your coin jar. Leave it till christmas/school holiday time and count up all your cash for the extra spending, or periodically stick it in a savings account. You will be surprised how much it all adds up to. :rotfl:

gillette147

As a bloke I can have one extreme haircut.....then let it grow back.
So less haircuts ££...and less shampoo.

Dilly

gillette147 wrote: »

I want a way of using all the bits of soap bars once they get too small to use. Like a soap masher.

The way I get around this is to either place the little piece of soap onto the new bar and squeeze it in place. Alternatively you can save up all the little pieces in a jar, add water and leave to soften. Then the cream can be used to wash delicate clothing
I remember years ago you could purchase a disc in which you place the soap pieces. Again adding a small amount of water to soften. The pieces would all stick together giving you another whole bar of soap
I also open soap bars and leave them in the airing cupboard to harden. This takes a few weeks. This makes them last much longer and gives my washing pleasant perfumes

BigMummaF

RE: the haircuts---& other associated bits.....check out local colleges to see if they have things like
a salon for hair/massage/ manicure/pedicure
motor mechanics workshop for things like brakes & tyres
restaurant
travel agents
nanny & childcare

All students are supervised & the costs to you are only really to cover the equipment they use.

laughing_cow

gizmocoe wrote: »

Photocopy photos (several onto one page) to make wrapping paper for 10-15p per sheet (£0 if you can do it at work!!). I choose relevant photo's for special presents. Most photo's come out fine as black & white................

Gizmocoe:rotfl:

There are sites on the internet that have free wrapping paper designs to print out. We discovered this last Christmas at work when some of us had forgotten to buy paper for the Secret Santa presents and we needed a quick solution. I can't remember which site we used, but I googled for some examples:

http://www.familyshoppingbag.com/wrapping_paper.htm
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/blueprint-wrapping-paper
http://www.papersnowflakes.com/wrapping.htm
http://www.creativity-portal.com/howto/artscrafts/crafts_gifttags.html

thrifteemee

I always use a steamer to cook veg. If I know I'm not doing a 'leftovers' dinner the next day, I only cook enough to eat, i.e. 1 med potato for me and a small potato each for my little DS & DD. I cut the broccoli florets off individually to measure what I need (my DH thinks I'm a bit OCD with this).

I use the Delia method for cooking rice - coat the rice in a tiny bit of oil before cooking; add double amount of boiling water to rice ratio; chuck frozen peas & sweetcorn on top; stir once; bring to boil; put on lid and simmer for about 15 mins (longer for brown rice). Rice should be cooked when there's no water left in pan. No water wastage and veg & rice all cooked in same pan.

I only put out enough fruit in the fruitbowl to last a few days and keep the rest in the fridge until fruitbowl is empty. It stays fresh for longer and reduces the need throw out mouldy fruit. I don't put bananas in the fridge because they tend to go off more quickly once you take them out and I keep them away from the rest of the fruit.

I charge my mobile by connecting it to the pc via the usb cable. I don't know if this works out any cheaper, but psychologically it seems cheaper because the pc is already on and I don't need to plug the mains charger in. If anybody has any technical info on this, I'd love to hear it.

sue.b_2

oojeyboojey wrote: »

I wonder what I'll be doing when I reach 83... I have 58 years to become even more eccentric than I am now! Eek!

Other "obvious" money-saving things I do:

*Cut out the hanging tags from skirts, shirts, trousers and dresses - you get a few inches of ribbon that are perfect for sticking to home-made birthday cards.

*When my supplies of silk and other pretty fabrics are running low, I email sofa and curtain companies requesting free samples of whatever shades I'm running low on - these little squares of fabric can be made into patchwork for cushions or bags etc., or used for making home-made cards.

*Don't throw out your old PJs, socks and pants etc. - cut them up and use them as dusters, or (as someone above suggested) make them into other things. My mum made me a lovely thick, hard-wearing picnic blanket out of old pairs of jeans that me, my brother and my dad had worn out. The sentimental value alone makes this a treasured item, which is always useful when camping.

*Cheap eggs/veg etc. can be bought direct from the farmer, if you know where to find them. I get mine at a local car boot sale that has a section for locally produced fruit/veg/meat - they're much cheaper than supermarkets, and you have the satisfaction of knowing the local farmer is getting 100% of the money you pay for them.

*When my tights get a ladder or a huge hole in them, I cut the offending leg off and keep the waistband attached to the good leg - then I can team up two "good legs" and save on buying a new pair. This is fun when you end up with two different colours! People often ask me where they can get a pair of tights with two different coloured legs like mine...:rotfl:

Don't bother with PJs at all. I have not worn anything in bed for years.

economiser

Sharp_Eyes wrote: »

10. Finally, I buy my first bottle of water. Thereafter I boil tap water in the kettle and once it has cooled, refill the original bottle time and time again. Clean, fresh water without the cost of bottled!

I do the same but just refill straight from the tap. Boiling water costs and tastes flat. I do wash the bottle every now and again.

I_KeepForgetting_My_name

We have all our downpipes hidden behind walls so we cannot add a diverter to the pipes for use in the garden :-(
But great tip for drought times or those with hanging baskets.
Thanks
:T