Whats the best thing you have bought that has actually SAVED you money?

ladybird23

Has to be my breadmaker & I got it for FREE from my local Freecycle organisation on the internet. Also one for my daughter too. Got rid of a lot of stuff that I didn't want & got some things that I did want all for FREE!!!
It's marvellous - I'd recommend it to all.

schoolfundraiser

anniehanlon wrote: »

my best buy was my three tier steamer. i used to have all four rings going
with4 different pans of vegetables. But with the steamer the meal
can all be cooked in one go. meat on the bottom, potatoes on the next and
all the veg in the top layer. The saving on electric mujst be major.

Anything that saves on using the oven saves a lot of money. When our old cooker's oven thermostat was too dodgy to use and we put off calling in the engineer we saved a bundle by using the steamer. It is worth investing in greaseproof paper to wrap such as chicken pork or salmon fillets in with butter herbs etc in then they can go in the top layer with the potatoes or rice in the bottom. "en papillotte" etc.

You eat more healthily too as you don't use salt as much. However I do get fed up with the modern steamers with a glass lid with a safety hole to let the steam out - it's a STEAMER it is supposed to stay inside to cook the food! If the steam gets out it not only steams up the kitchen but you have to use more power to make more.

I have got around this by substituting the glass lid for an ordinary metal one. Most saucepans are fairly standard sizes luckily. That way you can get it up to steaming temperature and then turn it down to low to just keep it simmering nicely. (This is a steamer you put on the hob by the way not an plastic electric one.)

islandboy_2

Has to be my hair clippers. Got fed up sitting in barbers for half an hour and paying £10 for the privilige. Saw a set of clippers by that bloke who used to be on the salon programme. £32 reduced to £15 and bought with my Boots points so sort of did'nt cost a penny. Went home locked myself in the bathroom. Stepdaughter shouted up the stairs "whats that noise" (Buzz! Buzz!) fifteen mins' later i came out with a Number 2 allover (now down to number 1) Wife can't stop running her hand over my head all the time.

islandboy_2

littlelibrarylass wrote: »

my cappucino maker. i no longer buy cappucinos in town . also i don't go into town so often for my cappucino fix thereforey not spending money on carparking or frivolous things in the shops which i don't need.

Yeah its strange that ain't it. I used to visit the mall at Bluewater 2-3 times a year. Now since I've discovered Martin & this website I believe these places to be Temples of Evil. I hardly ever go into town anymore. I feel my life is more enriched.

moanymoany

Tesco_points_addict wrote: »

Have been thinking about buying of these for a while, do they cost a lot to run? Will I be ok with it considering my 'pants' cooking ability?

How do I use it?
Just looked on Argos website and they have a 3.5 litre one on offer for £19.99 and I have a voucher for £15.99

TPAx

A couple of weeks ago I got an unused slowcooker from a carboot for £5. It is a large one. I would be prepared to pay full price as it is so brill. over on Old Style there are lots of recipes and I've bought Mary Berry's One Pot Cooking - 2nd hand of course.

Today I'm going to do jacket potatoes to eat with my leftover slow cooker chicken casserole. Yum yum

strumpet

£5.00 Retractable washing line to use in the yard bought from a discount store.
£0.00 BIG sticky label stuck to the top of the tumble dryer saying "I'M REALLY EXPENSIVE - HAVE YOU TRIED DRYING FOR FREE IN THE YARD?????

Saves me buckets on electricity!

Strumpet
xxx

Debs_the_frugal

My Remoska mini oven has to be mine, only uses about 650 watts, compared to about 2k for my electric fan oven, which I very rarely use now. Have made meals for up to 6 people in it, don't know what I did without it AND no more oven cleaning :j

count_rostov

It has to be the lock and lock tupperwares my mother bought me when I went to uni...ten years ago and they're still going strong. The amount I have saved on lunches over the years! The first thing I bought my fiance when we moved in together was a man-sized lock and lock of his own. No more unthrifty £6+ lunches for him!
Of course, also my bike when I lived in London and my wee Micra now I'm back in the country. I can fit bales of straw, chickens, sacks of logs, loads of dogs in her and she never complains. Bit smelly though.

beer_tins

stapeley wrote: »

A diy guide to divorce !

Unfortunately, the divorce itself still costs you a fortune, especially if you're a man! Based on the people I know that have divorced anyway!

mouseymousey99

not always!! I can't be the only woman in the UK who has donated a house to a grump man - can I?? Please???