Whats the tightest thing youve done...

SmellyOldSock

I have a friend who has several kids, and so far this school holidays I've helped her out by looking after them. In return my 6 kids (3 stepkids included) have had free swimming and cooked meals!

I also try and get people to visit me so I don't use my petrol, the excuses are amazing, and some result in me having to park the car round the corner!

tesuhoha

Hi Lynz

We went to a family wedding recently. They were asking for money and my OH wouldnt be talked out of giving them £200. So I had the brilliant idea of ringing some relatives who have a reputation for being tight and asked them how much they were giving. Well, they were horrified at the thought of us giving £200 and begged us not to as it would make them look really mean. They said they had been thinking of £50 but would give £100 if we would match it so my OH had to concede. I was really pleased that I had saved us £100 as I thought £200 was excessive.

Cleosmum

Birdy12 wrote: »

I read about this in a certain Sunday supplement magazaine, (last Sunday, did anyone else catch it?). The people who do this call themselves 'freegans'. You basically sneak round the supermarket bins and take any food that the supermarket has chucked away becuase it's either past its sell by date or just coming up to. The article said that the supermarkets had cottoned onto this and were starting to pour neat bleach over the items they were putting into the bin.

Seems like a complete waste of food to me, why don't they just knock the price down to a silly amount at the end of the day, I'm sure there's more than enough people whoe would snap these items up for a few pence!

NB. I got the impression from the woman in the article that she never went hungry!

I used to work for a supermarket and they throw waste food into the compactor, no chance of any bin raiding as its within the yard and well secured. Thing that used to annoy me was that they would throw anything in, if it was classed as wastage, it went in, including full boxes of wetwipes! We had boxes of Johnsons wipes on offer for a while, something like a fiver for 6 packs in a box, and when the offer ended they went back downstairs and got "wasted". We asked them to knock them down to a silly price for general sale, or just sell them to staff, but the managers claimed their hands were tied, they didnt sell at the offer price, so they went in the compactor :eek:

Burlesque_Babe

I water down everything as much as I can get away with.

Washing up liquid, liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner, clothes washing liquid, fabric conditioner.

I top up at around 1/4 gone, give a good shake and they are just as good, they are all water based at the end of the day.

I collect as many toiletries from hotels and have more than once stocked up on sauce sachets from pubs etc.

When I was being made redundant (first time in 1999!) I used to order the stationary for my team. I got a big order in and 2 days later we were all told we'd lost our jobs.

I still have treasury tags, OHP slides, sticky labels, post it notes, OHP pens to this day.......

OliveOyl_2

My mate is facing a disciplinary for getting points on her clubcard :eek: :eek: from one of the company electric accounts.
Her line manager has persuaded the boss that it is fraudulant :eek:
He has asked her to contribute twice the equivalent value to charity

Her bf is a lawyer, and says pay it, it's not worth fighting

painted_lady

All mine have been mentionned, my fave is taking the hotel toileteries and tea/coffee. They are expecting you to use it anyway and the cost is included within the price of the room. I have a toiletry bag full of hotel toiletries and foodbag with all the coffee samples in, come in when I go camping.
I have kept back a couple of my sons birthday presents to use as christmas presents for my nephew/friends children. Its not mean, he has too many toys anyway and the ones I kept back were similar to ones he already has. I just have to remember who gave him what!
I stock up on stuff when its on offers or when on makro mail.

Casual

I always remember one of the best money saving tips was when staying in hotels.

Apparently you can use the room kettle to boil frankfurters instead of ordering room service. But it's also good practice to wash the kettle out afterwards so that the next guests don't have sausage coffee!!

Can't remember where from exactly but I think it was on one of my favourite websites..... http://www.sleepinginairports.com/

gallygirl

I have set myself a challenge of never buying liquid soap again, I have 1 bottle which gets topped up with clear soaps and 1 with pearlescent. Showergel, shampoo & conditioner all get topped up - I still buy nice stuff for me but OH & DS use freebies (not that they know ).

For work I stay in HIE's for Piggy Points or book a hotel via quidco. Nearly hyperventilate if I'm going somewhere obscure where I can't get cashback .

When staying away, lunch is whatever gets secreted out of breakfast room.

Ebay parcels get posted in recycled jiffy bags from work. Or if not fragile I have supply of large Recorded Delivery envelopes from PO - turn inside out & claim you're reusing them if challenged (which I have been ).

If doing mystery shop at PO I always but assorted stamps to pay for ebay parcels.

Boots Card freebies go into Xmas stockings.

Books given to me by colleagues get flogged on Green Metropolis if possible , ooh feel guilty about that one, usually they tell me to pass on, so I am really. In return I give them 10p charity shop books (with sticker removed, natch ). .

hedge15

When I lived in the big city skip diving was a regular pastime - mind you, you do get odd looks carting a filing cabinet through the streets.

Now I'm in a small town the only thing I seem to find worth taking in skips is waste wood - carry it home, cut it up & it goes on the fire come the winter.

bestmumof3

I could write a script on the above; my favourites are:

Not going shopping til just after 7.10pm when Tesco have reduced their bread etc to 10p;

Going into the Asda cafe and ordering a baked potato & tuna,eating half of it then taking it back complaining potato being hard etc, getting full money back; stuffed anyway as I have had half of it;

Buying rolls in Asda (yellow stickers), taking kids into Cafe and buying 2 chips n gravy (beteen 3 or 4), buying 1 diet coke (free refills) and making them all up 2 rolls and chips n gravy with diet coke to wash it down;

Making sure a lot of my purchases, especially in Tesco, have reduced stickers - tills never cope with lots - got to Customer Services with receipt; you receive a refund of double what you were overcharged. eg I purchased a baguette, original price £1.88, reduced to 19p; I was charged £1.88. Went to customer services and was refunded almost £4.00:):)

When purchasing an on-line shopping from Asda make sure you tick for Substitutes. Lots of times I have requested Smartprice products (knowing full well they dont do this on-line) and have received more up-market brands.

I could go on forever...