Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

janb5

This may sound silly but turn over the end of the selotape/parcel tape by 1/4"after using. This stops it being stuck down for evermore and makes finding the end a doddle.

[Deleted User]

I am on a water meter and when I have a shower as my bathroom is on the ground floor it takes a few minutes of running the shower before it starts to warm up as it has to come down from upstairs.I keep a bucket in the shower(I do have a larger walk-in one which helps )and the cold water then goes into the bucket which in turn can be used for flushing the loo .Water just to be thrown away seems to me to be a waste.I only have a few pot plants in the conservatory so I also fill up a small jug and water them from the bucket as well.

sandstormer

I put a small spare button on the end of the sellotape so i always find the end easily

PurplePanda121

berniesmaster wrote: »

ohh, i wish i was organised enough to do meal plans for the week, instead i spend a fortune on shopping each week on bits and bobs, not really any meals in mind, at teatime i open the cupboars and see what we fancy and end up with mish-mash.
i think i need to start planning....

There's this offer on Lifehacker for 3 months of a meal planning service (I can't seem to post a link, but just google Lifehacker Mealime and it's the first hit)

I've been using it for the last month, and it's great! They send me an email once a week with a shopping list and a list of recipes. I plan to reuse the pdfs when my free trial runs out

Bambywamby

Buy smooth peanut butter rather than crunchy... it goes further.

tblackburn

I leave the plug in the bath when I have a shower, then use the water to flush the loo. When my partner stays over the amount in the bath usually does the whole day. It does increase the humidity in the bathroom so you have to keep an eye out for moud, but I think its worth it! Just!

Saver_savvy_2

I re-use the foil trays that you get ready to cook chicken dishes in. It's cheaper to buy chicken breasts in larger quantities but they cook better in the foil containers that you get chicken en croute etc packaged in. This saves having to scrub metal trays and it keeps the chicken really moist (especially if you put bacon over them) great for cooking sausages while doing a roast too. When they get hard to clean simply put them in your recycling bin. Also, use the plastic tubs that you get Chinese take-a-ways in as Tupperware. They are dishwasher proof so you can wash and re-use them over and over. Again, they can be put in your plastics recycling bin when you want to refresh your stash.

Gilbertine

tblackburn wrote: »

I leave the plug in the bath when I have a shower, then use the water to flush the loo. When my partner stays over the amount in the bath usually does the whole day. It does increase the humidity in the bathroom so you have to keep an eye out for moud, but I think its worth it! Just!

So glad that it is not just me doing stuff like this!

elizabethhull

1. I do test posting for the Royal Mail, not only do I get free stamps from them, but the envelope labels come on a sheet of sticky labels = free freezer labels. Also some received packages have folded paper inserts = excellent quality printer paper.
2. I haven't needed to buy face moisturiser for several years as I trial them for Boots & ClixResearch. The trial quantities are always way more than needed.
3. On the leftovers thread - at Xmas I bought cooking apples to make the stuffing and had some left over. (They happily keep for months if cool). I did baked apples for a Sunday lunch last month (with all sorts of lovely things in them), but still one apple left. Two weekends ago we had a (reduced) pork joint for Sunday lunch so I made my own apple sauce (a real doddle that is). Then this Sunday, we had my daughter & husbandwith us, but on a low-fat diet. I googled for a low-fat chocolate brownie recipe and guess what it required? Apple sauce !!!

elizabethhull

I was having a weekly coffee with a friend at a coffee chain after badminton club, and sometimes I had their (delicious) pots with fruit puree, Greek yoghurt & granola for my lunch. When I realised this was all costing me around £15 a month, I used the cafe's own pots and made up my own. Fortunately this is a low-key university cafe rather than a high street location and to date they do not object to my bringing my own food. I think one paid-for coffee per week for the sake of enjoying my friend's company is entirely reasonable.