Old style things that 'only you' do...

liz.._4

I save the kids old socks and use them for dusting

tawnyowls

Must admit to never having tried the cooker rings - having said that, mine are all different sizes, so the best economy is to match the size of the pan to the size of the ring.

Gingham_Ribbon wrote:

When my washing up sponge needs replacing, I put a fresh one out and take the old one up to the bathroom and use that to clean in there. I do the same for cleaning the bathroom floor as I don't like to use the mop for the bathroom AND the kitchen. (The bathroom is tiny so it doesn't take long to do it with the sponge.)

I do too - the bathroom doesn't need the scouring pad bit, so an old sponge works fine (obviously, it will have gone through all the washes in the dishwasher beforehand).

thriftlady wrote:

What's wrong with that?:D I do it all the time,the kitchen is permanently festooned with plastic bags drying out.

And me! I put plastic straws in the dishwasher too - one pack of straws does me for months (assuming I've actually had to buy them and they didn't come from drinks served to me). I collect the plastic swizzle sticks served in drinks and take them home with me too.


I too turn bottles upside-down; use a tube squeezer on all tubes and then finally cut them open; add vinegar/milk/water, depending on product to wash out jars/cartons/bottles of sauces etc; add the contents of the hoover and the tumble-drier to the compost heap; fill a flask when I make the morning cuppa, and use each teabag at least twice; use a microfibre turban (picked up in Poundland) so no need to use hairdryer; use washing scrunchies (4 for £1) in the shower, as they're really economical with shower gel; re-use envelopes, packing material and rubber bands whenever possible; re-use carrier bags several times and then use them in the bins; use vinegar from pickled onions in the vinegar bottle (much nicer than normal vinegar on chips); freeze leftovers in takeaway cartons or icecream tubs; give plastic containers (especially the cocoa and soup ones) to OH to use for storing screws etc, and also use some myself - the pasta sauce ones are ideal for cotton buds and for keeping small bottles of essential oils etc upright; give glass jars to friend who makes jam, and egg boxes to another who keeps hens; use old polystyrene packing in the bottom of plant pots; use toilet roll inners for planting sweet peas and other plants that like deep compost and don't like being disturbed; and use CDs as coasters or bird scarers.

I buy white towels too - much as I dislike Tesco, I have to admit their value towels are really cheap, and good quality. I usually find they wear out before they become discoloured, so no need for dyeing. I also only buy white sheets, and then accessorise with different coloured cushions, pillowcases, etc, so I can change the look if I get bored with it without it costing a fortune. Most of the accessories I pick up in pound shops or charity shops anyway.

I use liquid soap, and I have nice china dispensers so that I can just buy cheap soap, but every time I empty a new bottle into the dispensers, I add water, give it a good shake, and use that in the ensuite ('cos "company" will never see it).

Not entirely sure I'd agree with taking sachets etc put out for general use in a restaurant, but I would take them if they were served to me personally as part of a meal, and I always take the stuff from hotel rooms (I feel fine about that, as, having worked in a hotel, I know it's always chucked out for hygiene reasons, even if it looks unused).

One thing I do that doesn't seem to have been mentioned; I often buy jars of chilli, lemon grass etc because I prefer them to dried. Unfortunately, they only last a month in the fridge, so as soon as I open a new jar and use the first spoonful, the rest get decanted into ice trays, frozen, and then stored in bags in the freezer. I also freeze left-over wine, tomato puree, and coconut milk in the same way to add to sauces, and grate stale bread and hardened cheese to freeze too.

I think we should all congratulate ourselves on being such an environmentally friendly crowd!:T

i_wanna_save_money!

sophiesmum wrote:

I work in a sheltered housing complex and when walking around the corridors kept finding elastic bands at intervals. this went on for ages until i finally caught the postman dropping them as he delivered his bundles of mail. Now I have got him trained and he hands me a bunch of elastic bands each morning as he leaves the building. Come in useful when we make marmalade etc for sales and need to put frilly paper covers on. Any one got any uses for big elastic bands??????

Most mornings I get an elastic band wrapped around my post and must have hundreds because I think I will use them for 'something'. The only thing I have used them for is to knot them together and made my daughter and all the kids on our street a large elastic each to play elastics ( remember the old playground game ). Keeps em quiet!!

kiwichick

rainbowrisin wrote:

I think my worst habit is sitting in the dark when the children have gone to bed to save electrcity I'm also fanatical about re-using bath water - the children have first bath, i have second, then i soak my hand washing in the water. Finally the water is either used for the plants or to put down the loo

Yep, me too. We always have the light out in the evening, the tv is plenty bright enough. I also reuse the bathwater for everything I can. Kids bathe (3 of them) then me, then once water has cooled I put it in the watering can for the houseplants. After that, now this bit will prob make you think I need help but I stick in our garden hose (no attatchements on) with the rest of the hose going out the window to the garden. Then I give the end in the garden a suck (just a quick one mind, dont want a mouth full of old bath water) and out it comes, nice water for the garden. Oh the shame .

Thing is though, I've seen apecial attatchments on the internet which you pump for the water to get through the hose tho the garden and they are £20!!!!!!!!!

Smashing

kiwichick wrote:

, now this bit will prob make you think I need help ....

Fret not, there's an awful lot of us living in glass houses in this thread...;)

Sarahsaver

Mum used to do that. I have fond memories of us all having a bath, kids first, then mum, then dad, then getting changed and watering the runner beans!

thriftlady_2

kiwichick wrote:

Yep, me too. We always have the light out in the evening, the tv is plenty bright enough. I also reuse the bathwater for everything I can. Kids bathe (3 of them) then me, then once water has cooled I put it in the watering can for the houseplants. After that, now this bit will prob make you think I need help but I stick in our garden hose (no attatchements on) with the rest of the hose going out the window to the garden. Then I give the end in the garden a suck (just a quick one mind, dont want a mouth full of old bath water) and out it comes, nice water for the garden. Oh the shame .

Thing is though, I've seen apecial attatchments on the internet which you pump for the water to get through the hose tho the garden and they are £20!!!!!!!!!

I remember my mum doing exactly this 30 years ago almost to the day. Does anyone remember the drought of 1976 ?

V_Chic_Chick

Not sure if this has already been posted, but I take wood out of skips, and turned it into a chicken coop once - it's 8' x 2.5' including coop and run and cost me about £8 (now go and google chicken arks and see how much I saved!)

Also, I found one of these estate agent signs lying in the road so I took it home and kicked off the 'sold' bit to reveal a nice, sturdy bit of wood

rainbowrisin

This is just so therapeutic...I think this is the first time in my entire life i've felt able to post what i think of as "my eccentricities" and find fellow eccentrics (meant in the nicest possible way). Hurrah for frugal dougalls i say.
I do pretty much what everyone else has posted, but it's so lovely that it's not just me adding vinegar to sauce bottles and swilling tins round with water.
Thank you all so much.
Some of my other "pet" things...outside the home i have a pathological hatred of paying car parking charges. I need a car because of the nature of my work, but will go out of my way to park for free. Often i use supermarket car parks and walk to the other shops from there, or find a residential street, or even wing it and use a pub car park..anything rather than pay.
Oh gosh, and paying for food and drink whilst i'm out - perish the thought. I fill an enormous water bottle for the car, then take a bottle of squash so we can dilute it as we need it. If we run out of water, I nip in somewhere and fill the container back up. I also always make sure i've got biscuits, dried fruit and similar with me, plus a thermos if i know we'll be out for a while. The price of takeaway food and drink is horrific IMHO. I re-use little bottles for when we're away from the car, as the big one would be too heavy.
Scrap paper is another biggie - I use it in the printer for most of my correspondence - even "official" type stuff get the back of a junk flier, and it hasn't caused any problems yet.
Also wrapping paper - i sell on ebay quite abit, but have never bought wrapping paper yet - I use carrier bags then sellotape the address (written on the back of scrap paper of course) to the front. It's always worked fine.
Oh gosh, seeds and cuttings are another - I love gardening, but begrudge seed money, so am always looking for plants to "nip a bit off" and save my seeds where possible. I have some lovely herbs now, all grown from an illicit "nip" of one i saw in my travels.
I don't use scourers, but wad up a few of the plastic "string" type bags you get oranges or baby bels in if you use the supermarket, and they work fine.
I also am not averse to asking for something that's been put out for the bin men (yes, i've more front than brighton, but if you don't ask you don't get and the worst they can do is say no) - I always ask at the house, and people invariably say yes, but i've got all sorts - children's toys, a coffee maker, storage containers, furniture, clothes, all for nowt and all easily fixable / washed. And yes, i've gone on to sell a few bits on ebay (not for much, mind, but £1 profit is £1 profit) It's criminal what folk throw out.:D

thriftlady_2

Rainbowrisin, I think you would enjoy The Tightwad Gazette. The author recommends all the things you do and all the stuff the rest of us nutters do to.
It would entail parting with money but it is well worth it;)

See this threadhttp://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=154326&highlight=tightwad+gazette

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/other-editions/0375752250/ref=dp_ed_all/202-1511960-9669408?ie=UTF8