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

pounds_and_pensive

My husband is forever asking people if he can take stuff that they've put out for the bin too, and even though it's usually useful or even saleable stuff, I admit that I used to find this habit quite mortifying.

Then one day early this year, he brought home a rain-sodden box of pots and vases that the people next door to the house he was working in that day were throwing away. After discarding the broken bits, he read out the names of the few that had these marked on them, while my bored self grudgingly looked them up on eBay, responding almost predictably with 'Nah, rubbish', to each of them. Then he read out 'Troika', and I nearly choked on my coffee on seeing what these Cornish vases were fetching. Ours eventually went for £230. He's not had any similar finds before or since, but these days I mortify a lot less easily

mandy_moo_1

Smashing wrote:

I water down whole milk instead of buying semi-skimmed.

Oh God i didn't dare admit to that one!!! i water down semi skimmed tho and the kids have never noticed that one!! :rotfl:

rainbowrisin

thriftlady wrote:

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

Gulp, part with money, shudder, cringe;)
Thanks for this, will have a look and might well buy - i actually do buy when it's something i want and can't get any other way, and am probably paradoxical in that i'll feel ill at parting with a penny i feel i don't need to, but buy mainly organic food and a few other bits without batting an eyelid that it costs more than other food, coz it's what i want. I read a book called "Self Reliance" by John Yeoman a couple of years back, and it was an absolute eye opener - he's a complete frugal dougall and i got so much info and lots of tips from the book (no, i don't do his PR work, either:D )

rainbowrisin

pounds_and_pensive wrote:

My husband is forever asking people if he can take stuff that they've put out for the bin too, and even though it's usually useful or even saleable stuff, I admit that I used to find this habit quite mortifying.

Then one day early this year, he brought home a rain-sodden box of pots and vases that the people next door to the house he was working in that day were throwing away. After discarding the broken bits, he read out the names of the few that had these marked on them, while my bored self grudgingly looked them up on eBay, responding almost predictably with 'Nah, rubbish', to each of them. Then he read out 'Troika', and I nearly choked on my coffee on seeing what these Cornish vases were fetching. Ours eventually went for £230. He's not had any similar finds before or since, but these days I mortify a lot less easily

Most excellent! Proof that where there's muck there's brass. I live in hope of getting "a find" like that, but no such luck as yet. Back to the bins I say:T

gerretl

The switch off the TV thing is a bit too far, because it gives you a headache. If you buy a cheap, low wattage lamp, and stick it behind the TV, the glow round the edge makes it much nicer to watch, and strains the eyes less. It works on the same principle as Philips Ambilight TVs, though a 42 inch one of those will set you back £3500.

Numptie

I remember we also had a foam fish to put all the odd bits of soap in. Nice to know your not the only one out there that does these daft things isn,t it.

thriftlady_2

rainbowrisin wrote:

I read a book called "Self Reliance" by John Yeoman a couple of years back, and it was an absolute eye opener - he's a complete frugal dougall and i got so much info and lots of tips from the book (no, i don't do his PR work, either:D )

Oh I've read that one too:D

Churchmouse

thriftlady wrote:

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

A post by thriftlady that won't cost me a penny!! Wow! ( that's because an earlier one already did!!):rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Stratford_Bill

I think I am one of the few people who do this nowadays, although I know people did this quite often in days gone by.

I am a self-taught bokbinder, and often I will take a pile of magazines, and bind them up - not in a patent binder, but properly bound like a hardback novel.

If there is a paperback book falling to bits I will repair it by turning it into a hardback. I also repair and restore hardbacks.

Sometimes I give these as Christmas presents.

And yes, in the past I have rebound The Complete Works of Shakespeare.

Ken68

Our peg bag is made from two Tesco plastic carriers, strengthened at the bottom with a bit of cardboard, and the handle is a wire coat hanger, freebie from a clothes shop.