The Great "Extreme MoneySaving" Hunt: How far do you go?

skint,single_mum_of_4

HappySad wrote: »

Love extreme saving.

Each year I call all companies I pay money to & say "I am leaving unless I get a discount" use for insurance home, car & pet, mobile etc.

Spend £50 or £100 in shops & ask for a discount each time. Eg when refilling printer cartridges, health & beauty shop,...

I too ALWAYS bring own food & tap water everywhere. Cinema, countryside, shopping trips, long journeys, shows etc..... Use a pack lunch bag with ice blocks to keep everything fresh.

I dilute my hand wash soap 30% soap 70% water. Last ages & still does the job.

Use reuseable face wipe clothes & nappy wipes clothes. Use teatree oil when washing.

I too use airer & never irons as clothes are hung out flat to not crease. If clothes are more crease prone drying on radiator over winter does the trick.

Newpaper as baby changing mat. I actually like using newpaper as it is being green & it takes up less space in my micro changing bag.

Cut reuseable large carrier bags -you know the plastic one that last for ages. Cut it along the middle & clip into place with bull dog clips with son's legs inside. Great as rain cover for legs & lap. It also folds down to a tiny size when not is use. My son does not like the cover everything rain covers you buy in the shops so I made my own for free!

Keep old soap to make one big one later.

Get clothes free hand-me-downs from stylish friends. only choose stuff that suits me.

i once board 30 nappies because they were reduced by £2 each. I calculated roughly how many of each size nappy I needed.

Don't use nappy sacks with wee nappies. Just fold then in neatly & in the bin.

My affirmation is "free or nearly free"
When your friends talk about their stuff always be on the lookout for good quality things they do no longer want & are getting rid of.

Look through magazines in shops & don't buy them.

Visit large toy shops as a fun toy playing day out for the kids. Used to do this at Woolworths.
Visit garden centre with pet shop as family day out.
Visit large book stores with coffee shop & large lounging chairs. Bring your own food + drink. Any books you like order from library online when I get home. Partner buys 1 coffee there.

Push toothbrush up the back of toothpaste upright pump to get many more servings. Finally suck out last portion.

Get given newspaper from my lodger after she has read it.

Get fancy shopping bags from lodger & use them as carrier bag/wrapper for birthday presents.

ALWAYS complain when something goes wrong when you make a purchase with service or product; then ask for a discount/voucher/freebee.

Egg cartons make good paint "holders" for when the children to art.

Fantastic post !

rozeepozee

Daniella500 wrote: »

I save the leftover wine by freezing it into cubes and using it later in cooking.

We never have left over wine in our house :rotfl:

rozeepozee

I'm not very good at making sandwiches - I never seem to have the time but I won't leave the house without a couple of bananas, oranges, apples and other fruit plus some oat cakes. I also always take some water out so I don't have to buy a drink. Recently I bought one of those thermos cups and make a big cup of tea in the morning decanting any left into this to take with me on the hoof. I have a toddler and I can't imagine how much we've saved not having to buy snacks and drinks when out and about.

Trinny

Hi All

these are ours - apologies if someone has already said them

1. Cinema - go on 2 for 1 night, take own snacks and drinks
2. Use coupons/deals if having a night out
3. Homebrew - already made nettle beer and elderflower champagne - pence per bottle
4. Always ALWAYS take own food to work
5. Forage - already been sent - but if you know what you are doing, its a great, healthy source of fruit, veg, nuts etc
6. Filter own tap water - dont buy bottled
7. Use Freecycle/ charity shops - to recycle and reuse others cast offs
8. Car share - we live 30 miles from our place of work - but still manage to share a lift with others most days per week
9. Grow your own - seeds for pence.
10. Whoops, reduced to clear - see em and stock the freezer
11. HM - Old style money saving forum is AWESOME for this:j - if there is a way to make it and save a few £ in the process, then they know how to do it.

Its tough to remember it all - most of the hints and tricks become part of life so quickly, its tough to think of all we probably do on a daily basis

HTH

Trin x

toby3000

I remember saying a while ago "I love the credit crunch, everything I do that was super tight a couple of years ago is now in vogue"

I prepare most food from scratch, mainly because I enjoy it and it tastes better, but it is cheaper than buying ready-meals. The secret with food, I think, is to know what items it doesn't matter about

I've picked up quite a few useful bits of furniture from back lanes, and useful pots for growing things in.

I grow herbs and what vegetables I can.

My clothes last me forever, and I always hunt through charity shops. They're also really good for kitchen things, glasses etc.

The tihng that most people find wierd is my willingness to walk 2-3 miles, though more often it's because I enjoy it. I also got the bus from Newcastle to London, which is quite extreme I guess.

HappySad

Thanks for the good feedback on some of the things I do. I also.


Boxes has saved me loads on storage -

• Large Boxes covered in white material to match Habitat wardrobe (wardrobe itself is 20years old).
• Orange boxes slip perfectly for under bed storage.
• Large box as drawer inside wardrobe to store towels.
• Boxes of a smaller size inside drawers to store sock, underwear.

Best thing about boxes used as storage is that when you don't need them anymore you just recycle them. With bought storage you would be left with the need to find somewhere to put them when you don't need them or give them away knowing you spent all that money on them.

Keep stuff for ever and look after it.

• Habitat wardrobe over 20years old. Bought in the sale.

• Clothes upto 20 years old. I keep them in good condition in boxes in the loft . Just keep the clothes that are great but I just want a change & are classic in style. Every 3 years its like Christmas you go through all your old clothes try them on & decide what you will bring down to wear again. Done this with my office and day time clothes. Even got complements on some office clothes I wore.
• Electric heating hat over 20years old. Nothing wrong with it and I still use it.
• Calculator used from when I was doing my Alevels.
• Old duvet used as sofa cover for old arm chairs.
• Nothing wrong with my cassette walkman so still use that when I am on the cross trainer
• School badge makes a great pin cushion in my sewing box.
• There are loads of other stuff that I have kept and used for a long time.. just can't think of them at the moment.

Look in skips as you walk the streets for furniture & stuff. Ask owner if you want to take something from it. Got 2x tricycles that way. Good quality office chairs.

Tins & bottles as pen holders.

HappySad

toby3000 wrote: »

I remember saying a while ago "I love the credit crunch, everything I do that was super tight a couple of years ago is now in vogue".

You are soooo right. Also you can say your being "green" to people who don't understand the concept of not waisting things or money.

I love public transport & don't really like using our car. School run is by bus & I leave the car at home to take bus or walk.

pfromspb

On the topic of reusing...This has to be interesting...back in 2006, I think it was Summer time...I walked into a bank (the one that has a blue eagle) with my dad, and just for a joke, he said to one of the people in charge "are those chairs for us then?"...I was imbarassed, being a teenager at the time....but the lady said, "We're throwing them out, so if you can take them, then help yourself"...The chairs were in perfect condition, not a single thread missing...the only problem was that they were orange, but obviously the bank was purchasing blue furniture now...needless to say, about 7 chairs were rammed into the car, and now the lounge/dining room looks very executive....result!

HappySad

Its amazing what people throw out. Even me will make wrong purchases & give away brand new never used stuff. I try to let some of my friend know to think of me before they get rid of things.

skint,single_mum_of_4

pfromspb wrote: »

On the topic of reusing...This has to be interesting...back in 2006, I think it was Summer time...I walked into a bank (the one that has a blue eagle) with my dad, and just for a joke, he said to one of the people in charge "are those chairs for us then?"...I was imbarassed, being a teenager at the time....but the lady said, "We're throwing them out, so if you can take them, then help yourself"...The chairs were in perfect condition, not a single thread missing...the only problem was that they were orange, but obviously the bank was purchasing blue furniture now...needless to say, about 7 chairs were rammed into the car, and now the lounge/dining room looks very executive....result!

Lol that sounds just like my dad !