Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

PipneyJane

While we’re all in Bank Holiday Weekend mode, when it feels like the weekend will last forever, I thought I’d share some of the free/cheap entertainment we use:-

Podcasts

I listen to dozens. My iPhone is my portable radio, wherever I am and at whatever time. Many are from the BBC: Kermode & Mayo Film Review (great fun even if you never get to the cinema); The News Quiz; The Now Show; Infinite Monkey Cage; Moneybox; 5-Live’s Consumer Team with Martin Lewis; various documentaries, etc. I also listen to Knitting podcasts (Knitmoregirls, KnitBritish, Caithness Craft Collective), Freakenomics Radio, History Hit.

Kindle Books

Firstly, let me state that I prefer real, dead-tree books, that I can touch and flip-through. However, I am also a realist and electronic copies of books are very convenient. Back when I commuted by train, I was a voracious reader who always had to carry two novels with me - the one I was currently reading and the next one in the queue - because I’d inevitably run out of book, part way home from work. My life would have been much simpler if Kindles had been around in those days. Now that I drive to work, I’ll use the Kindle app on my phone for a quick read at lunchtime.

Although Amazon have a mailing list for 99p Kindle books, it’s pretty rubbish. The best source I’ve found is Bookbub. Bookbub lets you enter your reading preferences and everyday will send you an email listing free and cheap (<£2) ebooks listed on Amazon. Thanks to them, I have hundreds of books lined up.

Librivox

Want free audiobooks? Librivox is the place for you. Librivox books are all in the public domain (out of copywrite) and read/recorded by volunteers.

Some readers are better than others but nothing is more entertaining than hearing an American mispronouncing Warwick, while you’re driving down the M1 and can see the Warwick turnoff signposted in the distance.

The Local Library

I don’t know about your library, but ours has several apps which will enable you to borrow audiobooks and e-books for free. There’s a time limit (2 weeks for audiobooks) and also a limit on the number of books you can have downloaded at any one time. My husband listened to the entire Dr Who radio-play catalogue via the library-app when he was driving up and down the country for work.

And, of course, they also have real books that you can borrow...

What do you recommend for free/cheap entertainment?

HTH.

- Pip

WeegieWumman

Fake Febreze to freshen clothes

This recipe refills an existing 32 oz Febreze Spray Bottle:

1/8 Cup of Your Favourite Fabric Softener
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot Tap Water -

To Fill the Bottle to the Top Shake it up in your Spray Bottle and you're ready to go.
Lots cheaper than the real thing

marmiterulesok

PipneyJane wrote: »

On a daily basis, we don’t use a lot of milk; it just goes in breakfast cereals and morning coffees, so we regularly only get through a litre a week. However, it is considerably cheaper to buy fresh milk in the 2L bottle (£1.09 or 55p/L) than to buy single litres (75p, when I looked last week), so we normally buy the 2L bottle and freeze half. When the 2L container is down to the last inch or so, I’ll take the frozen milk from the freezer and defrost in the fridge. (It takes 2 days to defrost completely.). We normally buy skimmed milk so don’t have the problem of homogenised milk splitting back into its component parts, which often seems to happen.

For the freezer container, I recycle a 1L plastic milk bottle, brought when on yellow sticky. Wash well with hot water after use, ensure it’s fully dry before putting the lid back on and discard when it begins to smell of sour milk.

It’s an easy way to save 20p.

- Pip

Having some powdered milk in the house is handy too.That's all I use as semi skimmed milk is too rich for me.

marmiterulesok

PipneyJane wrote: »

While we’re all in Bank Holiday Weekend mode, when it feels like the weekend will last forever, I thought I’d share some of the free/cheap entertainment we use:-



Kindle Books

Firstly, let me state that I prefer real, dead-tree books, that I can touch and flip-through. However, I am also a realist and electronic copies of books are very convenient. Back when I commuted by train, I was a voracious reader who always had to carry two novels with me - the one I was currently reading and the next one in the queue - because I’d inevitably run out of book, part way home from work. My life would have been much simpler if Kindles had been around in those days. Now that I drive to work, I’ll use the Kindle app on my phone for a quick read at lunchtime.

Although Amazon have a mailing list for 99p Kindle books, it’s pretty rubbish. The best source I’ve found is Bookbub. Bookbub lets you enter your reading preferences and everyday will send you an email listing free and cheap (<£2) ebooks listed on Amazon. Thanks to them, I have hundreds of books lined up.


- Pip

Thanks!I've signed up to bookbub.

PipneyJane

Good morning All.

Just thought I’d give the thread a “bump” with a tip that I don’t think I’ve shared before. It’s about baked beans. One of the grumbles I’ve heard is that cheap baked beans are more liquid, with more sauce and fewer beans.

That may be true, but I refuse to buy premium, branded beans. Instead, I drain the top layer of liquid into a container that I keep in the door of the freezer. When that’s full - after 5 or 6 tins of beans - I’ll use it instead of a tin of tomatoes in any recipe that requires one.

I also spice up the baked beans with a splash of Worcestershire Sauce and a drop or two of Tabasco. (Yum!). Never hear anything but compliments for my baked beans.

- Pip

PS: Lidl’s Simply Beans are 22p a can. Cheapest I’ve found.

pamsdish

I buy Aldi beans and not too much juice, I haven`t bought H***z in years because the last can I opened was at least half juice.

White_musk

I've stopped buying bacon and buy bacon bits instead. I get them from the butchers and they are yummy.

kboss2010

I’m making my own liquid hand soap (a £1.59 bar of Castile soap dissolved in water over a week to make liquid Castile soap rather than paying £16!!! for a bottle of the stuff) + some olive oil & some essential oils - far cheaper than buying expensive stuff & less plastic!

sunset_gold

WeegieWumman wrote: »

Fake Febreze to freshen clothes

This recipe refills an existing 32 oz Febreze Spray Bottle:

1/8 Cup of Your Favourite Fabric Softener
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot Tap Water -

To Fill the Bottle to the Top Shake it up in your Spray Bottle and you're ready to go.
Lots cheaper than the real thing

WeegieWumman can this be used like Febreze in a spray bottle on furniture do you think? Or would it ruin the fabric on the sofa and chairs?

evuka

Where do you buy Castile soap bars? I've only seen the liquid form.