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

betsysmum

I used to transfer supermarket's own diet cola into 2 litre Coca-Cola bottles. Eventually the children caught me doing it, but by then they'd got used to it, and realised that the choice was either supermarket's own or water.

sophiesmum wrote:

my teenage daughter is a terrible brand fiend. She insists she cant possibly use cheap nasty shampoo and conditioner on her hair, and insisted on chucking a particular (expensive brand in the trolley). I let her get away with this the once and over the past year have been refilling it with asda own brand stuff. I cant help sniggering to myself as she carries the shampoo and conditioner back and forth between her bedroom and bathroom so that us lesser mortals don't use up her "good " shampoo.....:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
sophiesmum

betsysmum

dianasnan wrote:

i keep my tomato ketchup upside down in a mug in the fridge then the contents are always at the top. spent 48p on a set of 3 plastic funnels from Asda which are used to decant the last dregs of any bottles into a new bottle, handy as you can prop the 2 bottles up by a wall and not try to balance them on top of each other which usually ended in disaster

Good idea re tomato ketchup, but why buy funnels? Take a plastic squash or water bottle and cut the top off - instant funnel!

betsysmum

Leonie wrote:

Clarabel, I forgot to mention - if your bad back is lower spine and disk related - there's an absolutely brilliant book by Robin McKenzie called 'Treat your own back' (about £7.06 on Amazon) which put my back to rights in a couple of months. I tried to cut the tap root of an acer with a spade, and popped a disk. The exercises are simple, and I do one of them before, after, and during any heavy work - and sleep like a baby afterwards with no back pain. He's a miracle worker.

But for heaven's sake, don't buy the book, just read it in the newsagents like my husband did, if you don't use your local library, where it's all free anyway. Gosh, some people must have money to burn if they're actually buying books.

betsysmum

Hello, everyone, I'm new. I do most of the things suggested - just a few extra -
- We don't reuse tea bags, but one bag in a teapot gives us four mugs of tea. I pour them all and microwave when needed.
- My OH makes a big pot of filter coffee (reusing the same paper towel filter, until the filter is ready to overflow) every morning, turns the machine off, then microwaves a cup at a time.
- Instead of buying tomato seeds, last year I took a plum tomato from the farmers market, cut it up and wiped the seeds on paper towel and ate the rest of the tomato. A few days later, I cut the paper towel into tiny pieces and planted them in a meat tray (with holes in the bottom) filled with compost. I got 118 tomato plants.
- I take big plastic water bottles, cut them in half, burn some holes in the bottom with a soldering iron and make my own planters.

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more later

maybird_2

I save jelly pots that come with lids and cost about 35p each (bought on BOGOF usually) and then refill them with 16p block jelly for kids lunchboxes. I also find them useful for splitting packets of nuts/crisps etc between them. Also good for grapes, cherries, raisins etc.

I re-use foil from sandwiches for lining the grillpan etc and then sprinkle the hot fat with leftover bread/cheese bits/bacon rind etc and put out for the birds.

I cut cotton wool pads (which I use for my face) in half and then leave in the boiler cupboard so they plump up.

I never iron anything you can't see (underwear, teatowels, sheets, towels, duvet covers). But this is more about idleness than moneysaving!

Chipps

I never iron anything you can't see (underwear, teatowels, sheets, towels, duvet covers). But this is more about idleness than moneysaving!

yes, but think of the electricity money you are saving!!!!!

sallyholt

I've always been a 'careful' recylcler - as a child used to save Xmas wrapping paper and iron it to use next year and use old Xmas cards to cut into gift tags. (Still ocasionally do this if I runout of posh tags)

I put every conceivable biodegradable item into the compost (egg shells and corks don't down grade very quickly though.

I use water from the new tumble dryer to water the plants, save envelopes that come with junk mail and put a sticky label over them, use vinegar to clean the enamel hob, ue the firelighter box as extra firelighters for the bbq as its usually impregnated with alcohol, wash out plastic takeaway boxes from the chinese to store left over food, use moss from the lawn to line hanging baskets,

I just love recycling - ever milk bottle top and chocolate wrapper and till receipt goes in my recyling goxes

It has worked out well as I am pretty well set up but enjoy being careful!

Rachie_B

milk bottle tops ( plastic kind - blue,green ,red) make great sock sorters if you cut a X in the top ,and push the tops of the socks through
no more missing socks / single socks in the wash !!

you can get specially made sock sorters from places like betterware ,kleezeze etc but they are quite expensive i think

Sarahsaver

Rachie_B wrote:

milk bottle tops ( plastic kind - blue,green ,red) make great sock sorters if you cut a X in the top ,and push the tops of the socks through
no more missing socks / single socks in the wash !!

you can get specially made sock sorters from places like betterware ,kleezeze etc but they are quite expensive i think

What a fantastic idea.
Earlier was mention of microwaving coffee and tea GROSS! But IF I have any filter coffee left over I make ice cubes with it so i can have an iced coffee or a coffee vodka milkshake (rare treat)

EagerLearner

Oooooh - Oxo on toast - er, not sure about that one... however, I used to have a friend that used to butter bread and then sprinkle chocolate drink powder on it for instant choccie spread - and cheaper!

I rinse out all finished milk cartons with some water and pour this on plants as it's meant to be good for them.

In the summer I sometimes put an ice cube in each glass of (my) cold white wine to a) make it last longer and b) hydrate me more the morning after... It works and keeps the wine lovely and cool, without changing the flavour enough to notice. Besides, after a few glasses, who notices much...