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

Mary_Hartnell

geri1965 wrote: »

Or - just steal paper from work and take it home!

It is the ink that is more expensive than the best champagne!
My trusty old HP printer has had its cartridge refilled a dozen times.
(Not so easy to do on the modern printers as the cartridges are chip controlled and much more fussy).

A_fiend_for_life

Reduce food waste by cooking potatoes in their skins - the skins are also high in vitamin C.

Preparing

Chop potatoes in half and then cut each half in quarters so they take less cooking time.

Alternatively cut them in half, cut the halves lengthwise and then chop the two halves into slices about 5 or 6 millimetres thick. They take a lot less cooking time and are easier to mash.

Cooking

Use enough water to just cover the potatoes, use a lid, bring to boil and leave to stand on a tea towel on a tea pot stand. Place a clean dry tea towel over the lid and leave for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Test they are cooked before draining. If not leave for a bit longer or return to residual heat after cooking vegetables.

I only buy utensils that are single mold as they have no grotty join and they don't snap after about a years use.

A_fiend_for_life

Ditch the kettle!! Just remembered something I haven't had for a while:

Coffee frappe's

In a shaker or jar add:

1 or 2 spoons of instant coffee
1 to 2 spoons of sugar
1/4 fill with cold water
Add an ice cube

Put on lid and tighten
Shake moderately for about 30 seconds.

Serve in a tall glass with a straw.
Add ice and milk to taste.

Retire to sunny spot. (optional I suppose)

A_fiend_for_life

gillette147 wrote: »

I wonder, how much cheaper is loose tea? And what can we use as a makeshift teabag? Hmmmm

Cafetiere* would probably do fine. Let us know where you get good prices for loose tea!! I haven't seen this for ages.

Try car boot sale or charity shop first they sell them at stupid prices. Just check that the mesh is OK. I picked up an excellent one for a £1 and found the same one for £20 in a shop!!


* hmm spell check is broken I tried many spellings an' all.

A_fiend_for_life

Amontylado wrote: »

How do the additives 'leach out'? How do you know how long this takes? Aren't the additives in solution and therefore will remain that way unless actively removed e.g. by chemical or other means, not just by standing?

Don't think so the advice for keeping fish is to allow buckets of water to stand for about 24 hours before topping up the water.

Whenever we got a bug scare where we used to live a couple of days later the water would reek of chemicals but let it stand and the smell soon disappears - especially when you ran a warm bath. Extra fluoridation is preferable to litigation, chocablock casualty and sick citizens.

papalaz

apologies if this has already been posted, when cooking chinese or indian food ,avoid buying ingredients from the main supermarkets. search out ethnic supermarkets/shops in your area and pay a fraction of the price. my recent bargains include a litre of sweet chilli dipping sauce for £1.25 & 4 large mangoes for £1.

DuggyMak

To keep the top of my gas cooker clean I line it with tinfoil. It's quite a fiddly job as you need to carefully cut holes for the burners but it lasts for months and is well worth the effort compared to continually having to clean the cooker. (Just lower the lid to cover it if guests arrive!) I buy a large roll of the wider "turkey" tinfoil after Christmas when it is on sale. I also line my grill pan, with standard size foil.

jb5

BigMummaF wrote: »

RE: the haircuts---& other associated bits.....check out local colleges to see if they have things like
a salon for hair/massage/ manicure/pedicure....................All students are supervised & the costs to you are only really to cover the equipment they use.

I had some friends who used to (still?) use the dentist school in Birmingham for cheap dentistry work.

Muriel wrote: »

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.

If the soap is allowed to dry properly that should minimise the risks, (this also applies to cleaning sponges, dishcloths, etc.. Bacteria LOVE damp conditions).

DuggyMak wrote: »

To keep the house cool (perhaps not such a problem this year) I leave the attic trap-door three-quarters open. ...... 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).

If you can, try to open windows or doors on different levels on different sides of the house. i.e. Open the window/door on the ground floor at the back of the house and open a window (attic trap door) at the front of the house. This way you 'create' a chimney effect and get maximum air movement. [NB - As DuggyMak mentioned - be concious of the security risks associated with open windows!]

Some more...
This may be old hat to many of you & I've heard this advice from many different sources, but I think it bears repeating..

Impulse buys:-
If you can't resist those 'must have' items or 'bargains' & you tend to later regret impulse buys;
While online, why not 'add to wish-list', rather than 'checkout'. {A pad and paper works just as well in the "real world”! }.
Set yourself a time period before revisiting the site/shop. If you STILL want it - go ahead & buy. However, it may turn out, the longer you are prepared to wait, the cheaper the item has become OR you may even find that the item is not so “indispensable” after all & not wanted anyway.
(It may also be out of stock so this method is not fool-proof).


Computer Technology:-
If you regularly update your PC the best advice I've come across when buying computer tech' is the following:-
Choose components that meet, or only just exceed, your CURRENT requirements. Computer tech' moves so quickly that trying to make "future proof" purchases will cost substantially more and probably disappoint six months down the line. Something better, faster, higher capacity etc. is always just around the corner. Plus if you're willing to wait to play the latest games (as was) you can rent or pick them up much cheaper 3-4 months after release, along with savings on the hardware required to play them.
(If all you play is Solitaire then the above probably doesn't apply ) .


Switch to Linux:-
If you are more technically minded, and have the time to invest, old computers can be given a new lease of life by installing a Linux operating system. Linux tends not to demand the latest hardware, unlike the latest commercial operating systems.
Not for everybody, and not without some limitations, but worth thinking about if all you want to do is read email, browse the internet or write a letter etc..
There are worse starting points than Ubuntu. It's a reasonably user friendly version of Linux and has a relatively easy going support base. Not a one size fits all solution, but is a starting point if you want to try it out.
Many Linux distributions will allow you to boot from a CD and "test drive" the operating system without altering ANYTHING on your hard drive, so it's a relatively pain-free way of seeing if it might be something you'd be interested in.

Toothsmith

jb5 wrote: »

I had some friends who used to (still?) use the dentist school in Birmingham for cheap dentistry work.

You get good work done, but you do have to write off a whole morning or afternoon for even the most minor treatment.

Depends how much your own time is worth!

benjdr

At night and day time (when we are at work), there is only one thing in the entire house using electricity in the house. The fridge.