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

DuggyMak

guineapig wrote: »

Duggy, I just wanted to publicly say a HUGE thank you for this brilliant tip:T We live in a small but well insulated bungalow and as we are pretty much southfacing we get the sun heating up the roof all day.
This translates in to a warm house that gets 3 to 4 degrees HOTTER as evening approaches, just right to get poached in bed:mad:
I opened up our loft hatch and we had two small windows at the front open and I have kept the back door ajar during this hot spell.
Not only (during the day) have I felt a cool draft wafting around ( without the use of my 3 fans) but I can tell, that with having the loft hatch open the massively opressive heat build up as been MUCH reduced:D
This means that not only have I not had the need to use my fans ( which granted are not that expensive to run) but as evening approaches we have not had to blast either the living room or our bedroom with the air con unit, which IS expensive.
Your tip (if followed) is fantastic for those of us who are home all day ( I realise there are security implications doing this as you yourself pointed out) but it is genius and having tried it since you posted I can say hand on heart it has lowered our night time temps by 3 to 4 degrees and trust me, when I say that is the difference between comfortable and hell:j
So thank you so much for taking the time to post this I for one am VERY happy with the result:beer: :A

Thanks guineapig.

To me it's a classic win/win situation: the house is cooler and it is free!

It's just a thought but, as you live in a bungalow, and "have kept the back door ajar during this hot spell" it might be an idea to fit a door chain, or similar security device, so you don't invalidate your home insurance.

Slimcilla

Wow what a lot of great ideas!

This is what I thought up - sorry if they have been posted before but it's getting late and I need sleep..

Wash your hair only once each time, it's only the shampoo manufacturer that gains from you repeat washing it..
Don't use tin foil or cling film, plates over the top of bowls or cheap plastic storage containers from Ikea are a great substitute.
Scraps go to the dog or the compost bin. The compost bin also gets confidential paper and some grass clippings..
Bones get boiled for stock; best stock ever came from Chinese takeaway duck bones and made the expense of the takeaway worth it.
Ask if reduced items can be further reduced - they can refuse but at least you asked..
Old towels/sheets/pillow cases get turned into dusters/dog towels and then recycled
It's blackberry season soon - pick from hedgerows and turn into jam - my father swears they don't taste so good since lead was taken out of petrol - check they aren't someones own blackberries first.
Lidl or Aldi for toilet roll, fruit, bread maker mix (yummy)
Double check BOGOF offers - often theres cheaper Lb for £ cheaper a shelf away but I now get shopping delivered and read/compare all the bargains first..
Check prices of what-ever-you-want-to-buy on Ebay first and research before buying.
Eat before drinking booze - tend to drink less
If you live alone, get a water meter and some large rain water storage tanks for the garden
Buy books from charity shops as well as duvets for the dog and anything else you need that is cheap..
And finally - stay in on a Saturday night chatting with equally bored mate on Google chat (rather than phoning her) and then spend hours reading the MSE forum for money saving ideas...

gillette147

I discovered mysupermarket. com I prob won't bother but they claim to tell you how much the big supermarkets are charging for everything.

I want to dispell the myth about unplugging stuff to save electric.
I have never believed in this. The inconvenience outweighs the saving IMO.
But in the spirit of this thread I have been switching off video recorders etc.. A few nights ago I go into the kitchen and see the cooker showing the time and I think "Why am I leaving this switched on? I have a perfectly good clock on the wall." So I switch it off at the wall.
Next day I buy a chicken, switch cooker on and now the oven won't work!!!
So that 0.04p or whatever I saved will cost me god knows how much in repair bills.

Charis

gillette147 wrote: »

IA few nights ago I go into the kitchen and see the cooker showing the time and I think "Why am I leaving this switched on? I have a perfectly good clock on the wall." So I switch it off at the wall.
Next day I buy a chicken, switch cooker on and now the oven won't work!!!
So that 0.04p or whatever I saved will cost me god knows how much in repair bills.

It might be something as simple as resetting the clock. Have you though of posting to the 'In my home' forum on MSE to see if anyone can help?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=39

gillette147

Charis wrote: »

It might be something as simple as resetting the clock. Have you though of posting to the 'In my home' forum on MSE to see if anyone can help?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=39

The rest of the cooker works including the top oven. So I don't think it's the clock.
Thanks

guineapig

DuggyMak wrote: »

It's just a thought but, as you live in a bungalow, and "have kept the back door ajar during this hot spell" it might be an idea to fit a door chain, or similar security device, so you don't invalidate your home insurance.

Thanks, good advice, but I have no worries re security, I am in a very small house ( external measurements about 35 ft by 21 ft) so always in ear shot, and am always tootling about I have security gates on every window/door except the two front windows, prevention is better than cure;) ........... but my best security device is my Bull Terrier, who when ever it is warm enough to leave the door open, is sat on her mat on the patio and although she is as soft as a brush, will bark at anything bigger than a thrush:D , the glass patio doors to the garden can be left open as we have huge concertina security gates, that I can lock, but nothing get's past either me or the dog, I appreciate the concern but I am much more security concious than the cop couple who live on our road and go out & leave their upstairs windows open:eek:
I wish people would take the time to remember to lock their front door when they are sat out in the back garden too, quite a few folks find their handbags/wallets missing when they go back in:rolleyes:

electracy

gillette147 wrote: »

The rest of the cooker works including the top oven. So I don't think it's the clock.
Thanks

Hi fellow badger, did you get your cooker working again?

she_grinch

I used to buy a pack of makeup remover wipes every couple of weeks but now I make it last almost a year! As I only wear eyemakeup on a daily basis I was using a whole wipe to clean my eyes and threw it away, what I do now is tear a strip off of the wipe and put the rest of it back in the pack, this means each wipe is used about 7or 8 times so the pack lasts for ages

wadge

gillette147 wrote: »

The rest of the cooker works including the top oven. So I don't think it's the clock.
Thanks

It IS the clock. You have to set the oven in maunal or timer mode. Set the clock and check what mode the oven is in the report back.

troglodyte

I do loads of the little things on here without even thinking of them - it's just second nature. I have just thought of something though. A couple of years ago I made a cosy for the teapot (from left-over fleece fabric and wadding) which is fantastic - very simple to make, just an oblong shape, and it keeps tea in the pot hot for up to two hours! I also made one for my cafetiere - saves having to re-heat drinks or make fresh ones, without the hassle of pouring into a flask etc. Now when reading about cooking veg, pasta etc I just had a thought - why not make a pot-cosy? Then bring the pan to the boil, turn it off and pop the cosy on (not the other way around in case it catches fire!) and it should continue to cook, right? I will definitely try this as soon as I get a chance to make one - has anyone else ever tried this? A sort of easier alternative to hay-box cookery I guess!