Great 'Embarrassing MoneySaving tips' Hunt

whiteguineapig

whiteguineapig wrote: »

i have saved all my christmas card envelopes, i have a big pile to re- use

sorry i meant the ones that didn't come in the post, the ones that were given by hand
i just stick a piece of paper over our name and re use it

Redsky_2

Whenever I go to a public toilet, I take [from the toilet] some extra tissue with me to use to blow my nose during the day or something.

I dont take too large of an amount/the whole roll, just enough so that I dont need to buy those little packets with a few pieces of tissue in them. Plus i'd feel really guilty if I took too much.

Grey_Goose

For a number of years I shared a flat with another girl who became, and still is, my best friend. We shared for about 6 years until, coincidently, we both got married within 1 month of each other. Our flat was always cold and draughty and for most of the year we both made full use of our hot water bottles.The only difference between us was that I always use my bottles until they are completely knackered while my friend replaced hers regularly, even though there was nothing wrong with them. She said she had once had the experience of waking up to a wet bed!

I thought this was a wasteful practice, so I used to retrieve her bottles from the bin and save them to use myself. Over the time we shared our flat, I must have collected about half a dozen, some of which I still have today, several years later. I can’t remember the last time I needed to buy a hot water bottle!

I shouldn’t really feel embarrassed, as all I was doing was recycling to prevent waste, but as she is my best friend, I don’t know how I would feel if she ever found out. Consequently, I’ve kept it quiet and my hubby has no idea he is sharing his bed not only with me, but also with my best friends' hot water bottle!!!

hardpressed

I save A3 and A4 used envelopes and then reuse them. I recently did this crossed out the my name and address and drew a cross over the used stamp, then wrote a new address on the other side and stuck a stamp on, only for the stupid Post Office to re deliver it to me! So in future I'll make sure I obliterate my address before re-using.

Superdooper_2

Well, most of these 20 are just frugal ideas and I am sorry if they do not embarrass anybody here. But, hopefully, they might be of interest, nevertheless:

1) Once our books are read, we sell on Amazon/Green Metro.

2) Envelopes: The back of A4 envelopes received can be reused as an A5-type envelope. The backs of two A5 envelopes can be joined and also be used as an A5-type envelope. (I look forward to receiving spam mail these days, to help with my envelopes.)

3) Otherwise A4 envelopes received are used as archive filing for financial etc papers.

4) A regular A4 sheet can be wrapped around the item to be sent, as a (slightly smaller than) A5 envelope. ie if sending a thin paperback book. Best is a 90gsm or 100gsm. And, depending on who sending to, the sheet can be a reused sheet or a new one.

5) Old cereal boxes can be cut to suit and reused (inner side facing outwards) as strong wrapping for posting items (ie to keep within the large-letter size, rather than have to pay the higher rate for thicker wrapping).

6) Sheets of paper with a blank back are stored for reuse as scrap paper, ready by the phone etc for notes etc. Our (plain-paper) fax has re-use paper in it (ie arranged so the fax prints on unused side. (If an important fax it can be photocopied onto a new sheet).

7) Tin Foil: When a kid, our school had us all collect up loads of foil from bottle-tops and trays etc and they got cash for the aluminium scrap. So, as we have bins for landfill and recycle, about 1yr ago we added a bin for aluminium foil. As soon as the kitchen bucket fills we put the load into an outside bin, crushing it further, which has filled up to quite a heavy load. It is no extra bother to separate it out, no extra expense, and it’s just a gain when I eventually head off to the scrappie.

8) Christmas/Easter Cards. Sometimes, it is possible to reuse a greetings card. The ones that have a folded outer card and an inner message sheet. Simply rip out the inner sheet and print off a new greetings message, and stick it inside the outer card – voila! A new card. Just need a suitable envelope to send it in (see above J).

9) Haircutting: we cut each other’s hair. In 15 years I have only once caused tears. It looked good but not what was ordered. We have once or twice read a bit to improve things, and are both pretty good with the scissors these days. She often gets great comments about her hair. (Saves a bomb, well, 2 bombs.)

10) Instead of wifie just buying the shopping on the card, as and when, she has a weekly cash sum, taken out of bank each Thursday for the shopping. Anything she can save gets the odd things she wants to buy. It has had an incredible effect on the outgoings, and focuses her on minding the pennies. Recommended!

11) So many office items run on a transformer (eg phone charger, some printers) and when not in use they continue to draw electricity if left switched on at the plug. Climbing under the desks each time is a bit over the top. So, I re-wired the desking area so that there are switches above the desk that control individual plug-sockets underneath – those items that involve a transformer. The other regular items that switch off fully at the equipment switch – ie those items without a trannie (eg table lamp) – they are plugged into a regular socket without the ‘above switch’. Now, when I want something on/off I reach out to the switch and switch it. When I leave the desk area, I switch off what’s not needed. No more waste from the transformer type appliances.

12) Toilet rolls are good for making Christmas crackers. You fill them with sensible items/jokes etc etc and wrap with Christmas paper etc.

13) A vase (or ceramic/pottery cover-thing used for pot plants) can be re-used for pencils/stationary items etc on the desk. To avoid them rolling around in the thing, fill it with tight-packed toilet roll cardboard inners, arranged like a honeycomb, so each upright cardboard is where the pens/ruler/pencils go.

14) If one has a PAYG moby and the other a free-minutes contract, the former just rings and hangs up and the latter calls them back. You can also use this to just call your friends and hang up before they answer, giving them a missed call. They then call you back saying they were too slow to pick up in time. You say, “Not to worry….”

15) Wifie uses ex-bra-cup padding as shoulder-pads in her dresses. Some needle work but very workable. Gives me a nice feeling when I place my hand on her shoulder, too.

16) Wifie picks up lots of clothing from the charity shops and inserts the labels for elusive brands like Wallis, Gap etc, ready to answer questions when the other girls ask about it.

17) My mum used to buy the scotch for Dad and, before handing it to him (at home), she would split it into two bottles and water it down (fill it to top with water). He was so far gone he did not notice, and it stretched the money a bit more.

18) My Mum also used to mix margarine into butter to try to save on our food costs, but we were too smart for that and used to pick out the butter and leave the marge. She soon gave that up.

19) When we get bottles at Christmas (scotch/vodka etc), we check the local supermarket to see if they have the same one, so we can exchange the bottle(s) for food. (We don’t drink much at all.)

20) A girl at our Christmas bash explained that she had bought her dress for the doo, and would be returning it the next day as an unwanted/wrong size etc etc. Not sure if it was an on-line purchase or a Markes+Spencers type shop that would accept returns with receipt.

vikki_louise

I've enjoyed reading through all these.

I don't class reusing gift bags embarrassing but I get a bit too attached to gift bags so only give them to people (mostly family) who know I like them, as soon as they take the gift out they hand the bag back to me (I don't ask but they have figured out my love for them!)- the same goes with pretty ribbons. My accupunturist sometimes turns up with gift bags shes been given and passes them onto me!

I don't buy clothes from charity shops and the only second hand clothes I get on ebay are dresses but I buy clothes cheep thanks to these forums. I got some £30 tops for about £2 earlier in the year from my favourite store ASOS, they were in the sale then someone posted a £10 off an £11 spend voucher. I also brought lots of gifts like this.

I always make use of online vouchers and briefly feel a bit put out if there isn't one and I'm forced to pay full price (silly I know!!)

I think everyone re gifts but it can bug me with some people when you know that EVERYTHING you ever give them gets given away and you have spent lots of time/energy/money on picking a gift for them. My Nan also used to just put it back in the wrapping paper you wrapped it in and dump it in her spare room

Quidco- Got £200 in my account there atm.

I often get gifts cheep, its a running joke in my family that when they get something they ask if I actually paid for it, normally the answer is I have paid for it- just very little (and mocked shock on how they could even suggest it might of been from the freebie board!)

When i was a kid and my grandpa would be putting petrol in my car, my nan used to make me go and grab a handful of the free plastic gloves on offer!

I don't reuse cards but often get lovely personlised ones for free thanks to the offers sites do every now and then, this year everyone got personal ones from hallmark

My Mum has some friends with adult children with learning difficulties, most of the cards on sale in shops for things like thomas the tank engine have ages written on them, so I upload a photo of it to funky pigeon (as they have an offer for 50% off and free postage although before I've got them for free from other sites), its not done for money saving purposes but actually saves a lot- I feel a bit guilty when the mums think theyare wonderful and we paid so little for them!

I also don't reuse wrapping paper any more like my family did as a kid as it can be so cheep these days, we have enough wrapping paper to keep us going for years after hte company halfcost did about 100 meters (mixture of designs) for £2.99 and free shipping. I got a bit carried away ordering them!

I also get a lot of kleeneze and studio stuff from halfcost, there is some major tack on there but at other times some gems turn up

If i see something i like and would like but don't want/love, i check their stock clearence companies for it, for example studio or webivory stuff is sold off on halfcost, a lot of stuff i see in charity catalogues seem to turn up on boogaloo for a fraction of the cost

prosaver

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2870064
sound like you recycled my thread

Dicegirly

supermonkey wrote: »

you need to go one step further - pizza base is easy to make, a tin of cheap tomatoes and cheese, then add the meats etc! tasty

Yep - a box of pizza base mix from the baking aisle will rush you about 50p, makes a large or 2 smaller pizzas. Much nicer than dried out frozen ones.

Twiggy_34

To start out on theme, I have definitely been guilty of gift recycling if I can get away with it, and if not it goes on ebay.

My OH's slightly eccentric and usually broke friend has starting doing some interesting things recently with regard to gifts for us all. They work for a coach company and last xmas we had a lucky dip pick of a selection of pens they'd collected over the previous year. This year I was impressed to receive a sealed cardboard envelope containing a lovely calendar inside... on flicking through to look at the pictures I discovered the coach companies name emblazoned across the top of each month! At least I can use last years pen to write in all those important appointments! :rotfl:

ivorysky wrote: »

There's no need to buy sandwich bags as the supermarkets give them away for free in the fruit & veg aisles

I'd not thought of this, but as another idea, I always buy the cheap rolls of swing bin liners or similar (non-scented) from places like £1 shops. They're great for all manner of things, sandwich bags, bagging things for the freezer, wrapping meat in the fridge. There's usually a good amount on the roll and last for ages.

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

I sold some books & stuff on Amazon & Ebay, I often use a plastic carrier bag to pack items in with the appropriate padding. I have received really lousey feed back from people about this.
Hester

I do this too if I run out of recycled jiffy bags etc and am quite shocked that people can be so petty has to leave lousy feedback! I sell anything that I think has any remote chance of being bought, but because of listing fee's etc always wait until a weekend comes along for free listing so I have a cupboard full of ebay'ables at the moment waiting for the next one!

jumblejack wrote: »

We are in a water meter so we tell the kids that if there are no guests in the house then "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down!".

Love this! I have to admit to adopting the same policy at home as we are on a water meter too, we have an en suite bathroom so I always use this so as to avoid being caught with an unflushed loo by any unexpected visitors.

wyebird

I found an old valentine card I previously gave to OH, and have given it back to him for the past two valentines....he doesn't appear to have noticed