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

noonesperfect

Lily-Lu wrote: »

Gosh, you've just reminded me of something I'd long forgoten:T . My mum used to do a similar thing with white cotton underwear that had gone a bit dingy'grey looking. Socks, knickers and bras were often boiling away in a large pot on the stove.

Knickers soup anyone?:rotfl:

My Mum used to do that every week with Dad's white cotton pants and vests and hankies. She also used to boil the dish-cloths every day as the smell of bleach made her ill.

I haven't had time to read all the pages of this post but found myself chuckling at alot of the "savings" many of which I do myself. Including cutting buttons off "dead" clothes and keeping pieces of string (you never know when you might need it! My parents had a tin specially for bits of string....) My Grandad would take his sandwiches to work in greaseproof paper, eat his sandwiches fold up the paper and use it again and again.

Caterina

I used to pack my kids sandwiches in old pasta packets and other assorted packages, and asked them to return them, so I washed them and reused them a couple of times!

Another thing I remembered: sometime I buy fresh flowers at the supermarket (when reduced to £1 of course) and keep the paper and the little elastic band for reuse. I used to put only 1/2 packet of the long-life powder that came with posh bouquets, and save the rest to revive plants and flowers from my garden, but now they use a liquid stuff (what a shame!)

Caterina

taplady

I wash up the breakfast stuff then re-use the water in the mop bucket to do the floor - just add a bit of stardrops to freshen it up.!

Caterina

mary43 wrote: »

Morning all.

Chalky thanks for the info from yesterday about knitting carrier bags............might just have a go at that if my hands are up to it. What size needles ?

Hi Mary

Check these links (I keep meaning to do it too!) I would use at least a size 10 mm needles, bigger if you can find them - there is a magazine out now, called Let's Knit, that has a gift of 20mm needles, these would be ideal and I think the mag costs around £4 (going to chase this!).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=450744&in_page_id=1879&ICO=FEMAIL&ICL=TOPART

http://www.nezumiworld.com/crochet_029.htm

http://www.pieandcoffee.org/2005/11/17/how-to-knit-a-plastic-bag/

Have fun!

I have so many projects on the go at the moment but feeling tempted to start a new one with these patterns now!

Caterina

mary43

Thanks Caterina. That could well be one of my 'new year' projects.........trouble is most of the carrier bags I seem to get come from the charity shop in town so Help the Aged might well come out on them in some strange worded format.......................lol

Trouble is I start so many things and never see them through.
Have an urge to buy pieces of material ................why ? Simply because I like them and feel sure I'll think of something to do with them.
Make all my own greetings cards so can use a lot of offcuts of this and that for them but end up with boxes of the stuff everywhere............lol
Also doing my family tree.............folders full of printed out stuff and photos and a drawer full of 'don't knows'
Water colours...............thats another thing. Went to classed couple of years ago and as a result this year had a load of stuff bought for my birthday, paints, paper, brushes etc.
I keep buying storage boxes from woolworths sale every year and am running out of space to put them all...................plus all the social services bookleys, letters, etc from fostering.
Loads of ring binders I bought (cos they were cheap at charity shop!) Now got to find a place for them !





Oh eck...............I think I'm beyond help !!!!!!

TheDoolallyDilly

Becles wrote: »

Leaving bottles upside down, so every last drop drains out.

I do this, too. We call it 'eeking' in this house - as in eeking out the last of the ketchup (or whatever).

I also cut open hair conditioner bottles, and body lotion tubes and bottles when I can't get any more out the conventional way - there always seems to be enough to last another week stuck in the bottle/tube. It really would annoy me to throw it away

TDD x

Sarahsaver

I just had one of those freebie sachets of L'Or!al foundation...and it lasted me all week

Sarahsaver

Ooh doolally dilly if you get substitutions with asda they let you have them att the price of the original item you ordered.I just tried them out and I have had quite a few nice 'quality brands' because the smart price things i ordered have run out

champys

I have now read through all of these (took me a while) and enjoyed myself tremendously! I am sure we are all in very good company...

Am particularly reassured that there are other rubber-band addicts among us: my OH is one, he has a fine collection, and it used to make me giggle. Not any more, since the time he saved the holiday by fixing the broken-down motor caravan with one! Of course one exactly the right size/strength was available to replace the lost accelerator spring. I was so impressed - and now i pick them up also.

To those of you who have decided you don't like curly kale - have you tried to chop it, cook/steam it and mix it with mashed potato like they do in Holland? Superb with a smoked sausage. Or otherwise it is the best bubble & squeak ever.

Cheers all and keep the ideas flowing!

chalky_75

Hi Thanks so much for extra information about really good bags made, from knitting carrier bags---- I really think this could catch on---- everyone who sees mine is amazed and loves IT !!! I am in Spain at the moment without my digital camera but am back in the UK on Thursday so will post a piccie then.It is knitted on size 3 kneedles