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

bigw81

I've just been trying out the tip about shopping at certain times when things are marked down. Got four chocolate muffins that are large enough to feed the street for 13p (for four!), a rhubarb tart for 12p, four doughnuts for 5p, and steak for tomorrow's dinner at 53p. With two teenagers and a rugby player hubby, nothing in our house ever outlasts the sell-by date anyway - it was like locusts descending when I got home....!

The very helpful shop assistant in Asda whispered to me when I went to lift the muffins "go walk round the next aisle - I'm about to halve the price on these". I'll be shopping there from now on - both for reduced bargains and ALL my other shopping - not often you come across someone who cares!

Nice one Asda...... try it guys - at our local the perfect time seemed to be 8.30pm when they were due to close at 10.00pm.

:T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T :T

SAV3R

flying_teddy wrote: »

I am absolutely flabbergasted at the number of contributors to this thread who advocate using their employer's resources for their personal use. Making expensive (or any) personal phone calls from work, using the office photocopier, taking paper home, etc., etc.

At a previous place of work, there were people who regularly put their personal post through the company's post room, and even a few people who sent their entire Christmas card list that way. Staggering!

Sometimes I despair at the attitude of some people - "I can save money by making someone else pay."

To consume your employer's resources for your personal use is wrong, incorrect, immoral, and is theft, which makes it illegal. If discovered, you can be summarily dismissed, and quite right too! How MoneySaving is that!? Don't get me wrong, I'm no angel. Yes I've taken the odd pencil home - but to openly encourage this sort of behaviour is absolutely astonishing.

I call upon the thread moderator to delete any contributions which encourage illegal acts.

I totally agree with you on this, I am all for money saving wherever possible but not at other peoples expense. Where I work, it is obviuos people abuse our employers trust / generosity. Phone calls openly made from work, popping out of work to do personal errands - still getting paid, postage used, etc etc etc. The thing that annoys me most, is these people complain the most when we don't get a payrise, we are all suffering because of their greediness.

jumanji

Charis wrote: »

So have I. I chose it specifically for that reason as my last drier used to cook my washing to a crisp if I overestimated the time it needed. Its just a great shame that the sensor in the machine - a Hotpoint Aquarius CTD 40 has never worked :mad: The washing is still damp when it turns off.

Your tumble drier has a 12 months manufacturers guarantee with it. So, if the drier is still within the guarantee period go back to where you bought it from and get them to send out an engineer to fix it.

rainbow-kristie

flying_teddy wrote: »

I am absolutely flabbergasted at the number of contributors to this thread who advocate using their employer's resources for their personal use. Making expensive (or any) personal phone calls from work, using the office photocopier, taking paper home, etc., etc.
...
Sometimes I despair at the attitude of some people - "I can save money by making someone else pay."

The money saving I like best is when I feel it's not at the cost of someone else - so I've loved everyone's tips for getting the most out of your hot water for example. In those tips it seems like everyone's a winner - benefitting our pockets and the planet - surely no one benefits from hot water unnecessarily going down the drain!

I don't manage it all the time, but I do try and think of the bigger implication of each time I spend or save money - so for example, I personally wouldn't buy say cheap coffee or clothes, as I'd prefer my money went to the people that had grown/made it, as it feels my money saving would have been to the cost of someone else. Same with my employer. It's lots to think about though... perhaps that's why I don't buy much - takes so long to weigh up all the implications!!

guineapig

flying_teddy wrote: »

I am absolutely flabbergasted at the number of contributors to this thread who advocate using their employer's resources for their personal use. Making expensive (or any) personal phone calls from work, using the office photocopier, taking paper home, etc., etc.

At a previous place of work, there were people who regularly put their personal post through the company's post room, and even a few people who sent their entire Christmas card list that way. Staggering!

Sometimes I despair at the attitude of some people - "I can save money by making someone else pay."

To consume your employer's resources for your personal use is wrong, incorrect, immoral, and is theft, which makes it illegal. If discovered, you can be summarily dismissed, and quite right too! How MoneySaving is that!? Don't get me wrong, I'm no angel. Yes I've taken the odd pencil home - but to openly encourage this sort of behaviour is absolutely astonishing.

I call upon the thread moderator to delete any contributions which encourage illegal acts.

Here here!, that sadly is a mind set which runs through (to a degree) the whole of the site, the "something for nothing" brigade :rolleyes:

For every action there is a re-action.

A lot of businesses are feeling the same pain as we the consumer they too have rising costs in utilities and petrol etc and the more people perpetuate this attitude, that it isn't hurting anyone(myth) to steal that phone call/nick that paper etc) the more people will see that "every little helps" maybe it does, but also it will help to make your employer go bust:mad:

I was disgusted that ( in another thread) someone said they nicked toilet paper from the pub ( when they were "hard up") er, paint me pink and call me patsy, but since when has BEER, been a necessity and toilet paper a luxury?:rolleyes:
It is because of attitudes like this that pervade this site that I don't post much on here,which is a shame because there are some wonderful people on here who share with a good heart. ( Kittie, we must have been sperated at birth you must be my frugal fiscal twin:D .......)

There is a strong sense of "entitlement" that is omninpresent within our current society and this is why a lot of people have don't have either the capacity to save or the ability to wait for anything.

I was very sad to find so few people press the "Thanks" button for your post on this subject, to me that say's it all:rolleyes:

Muriel

Charis wrote: »

I do what my mum used to do. Before the remaining piece gets wafer thin, lay it in just enough cold water to soften the bottom third to half of the piece. After a few hours, usually when you next want to wash your hands - it can be a little messy - press the soggy piece (hard) into a brand new bar. Push until they are permanently welded together and fill any gap between the two with the squishy soap that squeezes out. Put it in the airing cupboard to dry for a day so the two pieces stay together. Minimum effort, maximum savings.

My answer would be don't use soap, use liquid wash with a pump action. If you could see what bacteria etc can be grown from the surface of used soap you would never pick it up again.

Primrose

The people who nick stuff from work are probably same people who come to stay with us and then walk off with all the fresh soap and toothpaste we put out in our bathroom for visitors' use. If you're one of them, take note. We notice these things. If you're capable of stealing soap and toothpaste from our home when we've given you our hospitality, you're probably capable of stealing more valuable stuff too. That's why you don't get invited again.

DuggyMak

I work permanent night-shift and trying to sleep during the day is a challenge at any time of year, especially, in summer with the increased outdoor activity.

To keep the house cool (perhaps not such a problem this year) I leave the attic trap-door three-quarters open. (It's connected to a Ramsay ladder so you have to be careful not to lower it too far in case someone bumps into it). However, it's surprising how much natural ventilation there is with all the windows closed, provided you leave all your internal doors open. If necessary, I then open several small upstairs windows which are protected by insect mesh. When it's especially hot I then slightly open a couple of larger windows. (Obviously, you have to bear in mind the security risk if opening any window without a suitable "opening restrictor" fitted).

Not only does this keep the house much cooler but it also prevents the attic from getting too hot. Incidentally, that's where I store loads of bulk buys, including, rice, pasta, cereal, tins, bottles and jars of various food/pickles/sauces etc. For several years now I have also kept my wine up there, which, amazingly, hasn't deteriorated despite the advice to store it in a much cooler place. Then again, only a few bottles reach more than 3 or 4 years-old!

Charis

jumanji wrote: »

Your tumble drier has a 12 months manufacturers guarantee with it. So, if the drier is still within the guarantee period go back to where you bought it from and get them to send out an engineer to fix it.

There's actually more to my dissatisfaction. The door was slightly crooked so an engineer came out and fiddled with it, couldn't straighten it but said it didn't make any difference to the drying process. Some time later I noticed that the plastic door at the bottom, where you access the condensor for cleaning, had a broken hinge. I hadn't broken it, so out came another engineer, who told me the machine had at some time been dropped onto one corner. Could have happened anywhere between here and (China?). That was why the door was crooked. It was too late to do anything as apparently Hotpoint used to insist that any faults were notified to them within a short space of time. I believe the law on that has recently been changed, putting the onus on the manufacturer. I still don't know how a customer would spot the problem if their own engineer who came out originally had noticed nothing. I'm not too worried now because I am hoping not to use it except as a last resort. I have owned quite a few Hotpoint appliances over the years but the quality is nothing like it used to be. When my washing machine died this year I bought a Bosch. So far, so good.

strumpet

BP56134 wrote: »

Is it wrong that I still find that amusing???

I shouldn't worry BP - you've only known about it for 24 minutes - I'm still laughing about it now and it was 25 years ago!!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: