Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

moving_forward

Oh wow @Broomstick that's really helpful thank you. I can get one as part of my professional membership so will have to check out my local co ops to see if it will be worth my while

Broomstick

moving_forward said:

Oh wow @Broomstick that's really helpful thank you. I can get one as part of my professional membership so will have to check out my local co ops to see if it will be worth my while

Do double-check that the Totum Pro card gives the Co-op 10% discount before you get one.  I can't find it on their website today.  I know that the ordinary Totum card does.

moving_forward

Thanks that's one of the things I need to check. 👍

Gem-gem

Removed the front cover and used pages from an old bank passbook. Going to use the rest of it like a notebook - write shopping lists on. 📝

Brie

Discovered that MiL was using some old envelopes for loo paper.  But I bet you didn't want to know that.
(yes I've bought the £1 a month initial year emergency plumber service)

PipneyJane

Our power shower died last month, so I've had to run baths in order to wash my hair.  DH and I share the bathwater.  

- Pip

comeandgo

PipneyJane said:

Our power shower died last month, so I've had to run baths in order to wash my hair.  DH and I share the bathwater.  

- Pip

I remember my mum and dad doing that and dads complaint that mum always had the fresh water and he bathed in dirty water.

Gem-gem

PipneyJane said:

Our power shower died last month, so I've had to run baths in order to wash my hair.  DH and I share the bathwater.  

- Pip

DH and I also share bath water - most of the time I go in first - I'm quicker!

MACKEM99

Brie said:

Discovered that MiL was using some old envelopes for loo paper.  But I bet you didn't want to know that.
(yes I've bought the £1 a month initial year emergency plumber service)

Not as bad as the shopper who ordered toilet rolls and the substitute sent was sausage rolls, bum deal eh?😄

Brie

SPRING IS COMING!!  

Ok I know it doesn't look like it right now but there's a bit of that nice spring smell to the breezes.

So in anticipation of all of us that are getting stuff ready for the garden I wanted to offer a suggestion to save money while you save the planet!

I know that any week now Aldi/Lidl and the rest will start advertising their garden stuff and I know it's always a temptation.  But before you spend money even at one of the cheaper places stop and think about what you are buying.  A couple of years back I was about to buy a big plastic sprouter tray from Aldi or Lidl.  Think it was about £7 so not a huge cost but then I looked at what I was getting.  A large tray with about 2 dozen tiddly pots in which it start seedlings & a plastic cover to make it like a miniature green house.  And all plastic.  I decided to think about it while I did the rest of my shopping. 

A minute or 2 later I was getting some yoghurt and noticed that the individual pots were in plastic trays.  And the yoghurt pots themselves were about the size of the seedling pots.  So hey presto!  Free gardening kit!  Well if you buy the yoghurt anyways you're paying for the pots and can wash and repurpose them.  And even if you are not no one in any shop is going to stop you from grabbing some of the plastic trays!  Just have a look to ensure that you get ones without holes in the bottom.  They are perfect for holding a number of pots and help you ensure they don't dry out even if you can't water them ever single day.  

If you have larger pots look for the displays in the cheese section where again there are normally large rectangular trays - again no one is likely to be bothered if you take them.  There's also the plastic packaging in which meat and ready meals are sold.  Again- nice to go under a single pot or to use to sprout a lot of seeds.  FYI - I always have the plastic trays I've chosen openly in my trolley and have never once been questioned.

I also reuse my Gu dessert pots (bought as a rare treat and only when discounted) - they are great for soaking seeds like sweet peas to get the sprouting started before planting.

And if you have a problem with snails/slugs attacking tender plants you can make cloches from large soft drink bottles - the 2 litre ones are great.  Just take off the bottom with a bread knife and then you can pop it over the young plants.  

And if you want free and biodegradable seedling pots look no further than your loo.  The cardboard base of the roll can be used for 2 small pots.  Cut the roll in half (after using all the paper of course) and then make 3 or 4 1 inch cuts from one end of the roll.  You can then fold the cardboard inward to form the bottom of a pot.  Plant your seeds and when they are ready to be planted out you can either pop them easily out of the cardboard or plant the whole thing as is since the cardboard will disintegrate.  The same thing can be done with the cardboard from paper towels.

I'd love to hear any other saving tricks people have for the garden....other than ignoring the seed catalogues and never going to a nursery.  (I always come home with tomato plants which are always a disaster!)