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

Gem-gem

I have thought about only buying small presents so that I use less wrapping paper. But it hasn't really happened. Mind you my hubby's beer making kit, that hhad bought himself ( it was in a sale) and then asked me to give to him. Only has ribbon around it that I will be able to reuse.

tooties

We spent yesterday with my son and his family, the kids got pj's as xmas gifts and later when they were going upstairs to put them on i stopped them and asked them for the ribbons that were around them, my family luckily are used to my ways.

regards

Gem-gem

Yesterday afternoon I sifted through the wrapping paper and cut out the non creased sections to use again next year. Will have to teach hubby to unwrap his present more carefully as his paper was ripped to shreds.
Have already reused one piece - wrapped a present up for a friend's daughter ��

[Deleted User]

Gem-gem wrote: »

I am going to suggest that hubby picks one of the cards that he has already given me and puts a new message in, with a date, and then regives it to me (Valentine's Day and Christmas to start with). Has any one else done this before?

About 16 years ago my late OH gave me such a lovely Christmas card I told him I never wanted him to get me another one and every year I got it out and it went on the mantlepiece. I would write the date on the back .

It had such lovely words and summed up our long and happy marriage.I sadly lost him to a heart attack in 2003, but every year I still get the card out and put the date on the back and put it up on the mantlepiece as usual. My DDs always look to see 'Dad's soppy card to Mum' every year and its become a tradition.

They have said that when I shuffle off this mortal coil it will come with me in my box and I am quite happy with that as we shall be buried together anyway. Sentimental, yes probably, but I don't care.

My two DDs know how much of a partnership we were and used to call us 'pepper and salt' as you never saw one of us without the other as a rule ;);)

got-it-spend-it

kboss2010 wrote: »

I inherited a fancy, nearly-new Molton Brown set from a relative of hand wash and hand cream. The hand-cream barely gets used but the hand wash goes down really quickly so I went out and found a cheap bottle of scented handwash (£1 for 750ml in peach) which was the same colour as the original Molton Brown stuff to refill it with - voila! Instand "expensive" handwash set for the bathroom!

I also keep bottle tops from milk cartons and fizzy drinks bottles and when I have a zip-lock bag full, I take them to Lush who recycle them (and often the sales assistants give you a free bath bomb for your trouble!) - these make great Xmas/Birthday present additions!

We recently went to a restaurant that clearly re-filled their Molton Brown soap bottle as it smelt really strongly of coconut which I am pretty sure MB don't do!

That is a brilliant tip on the bottle lids- I had no idea Lush did that but I will certainly keep them from now on.

Gem-gem

JackieO wrote: »

About 16 years ago my late OH gave me such a lovely Christmas card I told him I never wanted him to get me another one and every year I got it out and it went on the mantlepiece. I would write the date on the back .

It had such lovely words and summed up our long and happy marriage.I sadly lost him to a heart attack in 2003, but every year I still get the card out and put the date on the back and put it up on the mantlepiece as usual. My DDs always look to see 'Dad's soppy card to Mum' every year and its become a tradition.

They have said that when I shuffle off this mortal coil it will come with me in my box and I am quite happy with that as we shall be buried together anyway. Sentimental, yes probably, but I don't care.

My two DDs know how much of a partnership we were and used to call us 'pepper and salt' as you never saw one of us without the other as a rule ;);)

That is such a lovely story. I am definitely going to do this. Hubby is also happy to do it.

Frugal_life

Not sure that many/any of the following are original or OS as such but here's what I do to help save money in our house:

Always swill out any jars that are used to make sure every last remnant is used
Stopped buying tomato sauces and use tinned chopped tomatoes and various herbs/spices instead
Reuse all Christmas and birthday cards and either make gift tags out of them or make Christmas confetti (thanks to a snowflake hole punch thing that the OH bought me a few years back). Do the same with gift bags.
Cut all of the ribbons on tops and dresses off (the ones that are supposed to help keep them on hangers but do nothing but poke out when you're wearing the item of clothing) and reuse them as bows/ribbons on gifts and cards.
We have a dehumidifier (a necessity, unfortunately) and add the water collected into a water butt in the garden which is then used to water the plants in summer. Saves on the bill!
Have started trying to plan ahead with presents etc and scour the charity shops for anything that may be appreciated before buying new
Have swapped from using shower gel to using bars of soap - lasts longer and saves loads
Dilute all washing up liquid and hand wash (decanting into fancier bottles, of course )
Try and bulk buy household items and pet food when on offer at 1/2 price or more (will attempt to get the next year's stock of cleaning items in the spring clean events coming up)
Buy 1kg of carrots (as an example) when on offer and prep and freeze - do this with a lot of veg to help minimise waste
Re-use clothes that may not be any good for the CS's as cleaning cloths/material for a patchwork quilt I've started making
Had curtains left in the house the OH and I recently purchased which didn't really go with the colour scheme we wanted so, rather than buy new, we dyed them and they look lovely!
Stretch joints of meat to make 2/3 meals.
Always, always, always make lunches for work. Worked out, if the OH and I bought our lunches at £3 a pop, that'd be £120 a month wasted. A loaf of bread, butter and various sandwich fillers are much more cost effective. :cool:
Socks and jumpers on before the heating goes on.
All Christmas wrap and cards are bought in the sale for the following year.

Gem-gem

Some great ideas frugal_life. I have never thought of cutting the ribbons out from the clothes.

I reuse the water from my hot water bottle to either water plants or I reheat it and put it back into the hot water bottle.

At hubby's old work place they use to discard the ruminants of a toilet roll. Hubby use to fish them out of the bin and bring them home.

PenguinOfDeath

Gem-gem wrote: »

At hubby's old work place they use to discard the ruminants of a toilet roll. Hubby use to fish them out of the bin and bring them home.

I'm all for moneysaving, but Yuck! _pale_

Miss_Purple_Hat

Possibly a slightly different one for the toothpaste.

I use one of those clips for keeping bags closed from ike@ - the long straight ones. You have to squeeze from the very end of the tube with your fingers, but then put the clip on and slide it up the tube slowly whilst holding the clip tightly closed.

Works really well, tube is flat as a pancake behind the clip.