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

Leonie

I can't use conventional air fresheners as I'm sensitive to them, so for years I've always lit a match to freshen up the bathroom after using the loo!

People always wonder why I keep matches in the loo in a non-smoking household, but it works very well - isn't it strange though, that everyone seems to like the smell of burning sulphur?

scuzz

We put old air fresheners - the gel ones - in the shoe cupboard when they're not smelling that much anymore

newmrslockwood

The other thing I am paranoid about is clothes pegs. I honestly believe that if I hang an item of washing with different coloured pegs I will bring down flood and pestilence on out house! The kids think it's hilarious to keep muddling them up and have me running in and out of the garden all day. I have resolved to buy plain wooden ones in future.[/QUOTE]

I'm the same about my pegs!:rotfl: I thought that was only me. :rolleyes:

vfairbrass

Used to feel slightly guilty about this one but when I had a baby in the large old fashioned Silver Cross pram on our daily walks I would have a small pair of secateurs and would take a cutting of any overhanging shrubs and slip it under the baby's mattress. We would sometimes come home with her riding high on a pile of cuttings. Got lots of free plants that way.
Valerie

MJMum

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Uniscots97

Thought I'd resurrect this thread since I loved it so much. Probably no pay rise again this year (don't get me started on that one), whilst everything else still goes up especially fuel and the cost of food. So these tips might just come in handy!

Mine lately is to add a handful of porridge oats to mince to make it goes further!

Skint_Catt

newmrslockwood wrote: »

The other thing I am paranoid about is clothes pegs. I honestly believe that if I hang an item of washing with different coloured pegs I will bring down flood and pestilence on out house! The kids think it's hilarious to keep muddling them up and have me running in and out of the garden all day. I have resolved to buy plain wooden ones in future.

I'm the same about my pegs!:rotfl: I thought that was only me. :rolleyes:[/quote]

I match the colour pegs to the right coloured clothes where possible :rotfl: I always cut around the stalk of the pepper too and then just pull out like a plug I don't do clingfilm or sarnie bag washing, but I think I might start! I do buy cheap makeup remover cloths for dusting/cleaning the bathroom etc, but hadn't thought of washing them! :T

champys

Oohh I love this thread!! Not seen it before. I'll be here all evening now, reading each and every page. (and I was so determined I'd do my xmas cards this evening....)

Here's my embarrassing one: I make my own firelighters for the wood stove and the open fire. No, not the newspaper ones - OH does those sometimes. I find them too time consuming.

What I do is save wine bottle corks, put them in a large jam jar which i fill with something combustible (from OH's stash) like white spirit or what they call here 'burning alcohol' or anything really that gives a good flame.

Just keep adding corks to the jar as you use them up and top up the liquid from time to time.

lindseykim13

I only ever buy a pack of 6dog food once a month at most as she has our leftovers every night for her meal. If there is alot left over that goes in the fridge and i warm it up the next day. Hence its not very often she actually eats a tin of food and she gets a varied diet.!

We use 1 tea bag for 2 cups and i have been known to leave the bag on a plate for me to use later if i'm at home alone. lol

If i have some clothes to wash that are not very soiled i only use one tablet and a drip of washing up liquid. instead of 2 tablets.

My OH cuts babywipes in half as we now only use them for wiping kids faces etc oh and they make great leather chair cleaners not to mention every other piece of furniture, i even wipe down the front door with them.

when the end of the bread is starting to get too hard to eat i pop the odd piece in the freezer evenually we have enough for a trip to feed the swans and ducks, cheap day out!

newlifenewsong

Whenever I am making a cup of tea, I use one teabag in a large jug (about 1 litre). I quite like cold tea as well, so this last me for hours, and sometimes I even use the same tea bag for a second jug of tea...

I live in a flat, and years ago, I remember my dad teling me that flats that were 'in the middle' of others could use less energy for heating, since they are protected on at least 4 sides by other flats. Haven't turned on the heating once so far... Another thing I do is use an electric blanket to warm up the bed about 20 minutes before going to sleep. That way the bed is warm enough to fall asleep in, but I don't use up too much energy.

I also only ever shower at the gym (forces me to go there often, so amke sure my membership pays!), which means that I don't own a hair-dryer either...

Oh and instead of buying cards, I make home-made ones using old bits of cardboard and colouring pencils/pens. Friends really appreciate them around birthdays, and a lot of them have started doing the same!

Finally, I use to work in an Oxfam shop, and we'd regularly have to throw out a whole bunch of things that we hadn't been able to sell, including books, crockery, etc... Now I know to check 'round the back for cardboard boxes full of stuff that no one wants. I remember finding a sake pourer which was the perfect measuring cup for rice!