Great 'Embarrassing MoneySaving tips' Hunt

WISHIWASRICH_2

Solarjunkie wrote: »

They have certainly saved money on Christmas decorations - their Christmas lights are 85 years old. Yes really. Does anyone know of any others still working any older?

Seriously? That's very dangerous surely?

WISHIWASRICH_2

unixgirluk wrote: »

Also the DVDs that are given away in magazine charity shops are not allowed to sell (as they were originally free)

Such a shame that, as people sell them on Amazon and e bay.

Grey_Goose

WISHIWASRICH wrote: »

My M-I-L got a very nasty burn from a hot water bottle. I think your friend was being very sensible. Your DH might not think it at all funny if he got burned?

I would NEVER put boling water in a hot water bottle so there is no danger at all of getting burned even if one was to leak. Furthermore, when a bottle is old and starts to show signs of perishing (e.g. little bits of rubber in the sink when you empty it) I always check it more carefully before I use it. I do this by giving it a good squeeze and shake before it goes in the bed. I get many years of good use out of my hot water bottles, which I believe are great value for money.

marmiterulesok

Kerfuffle wrote: »

Marmiterulesok, is your Mum TabithaCat by any chance? :rotfl:

No,pure coincidence!:D

larmy16

We used to use the thicker type of fabric conditioner bottles as hot water bottles. We only filled them from the hot tap after letting it get to its hottest. Never had any accidents.

Re: the home made sanitary ware. I made a load of these from some candy stripe flannelette sheets. They were extremely comfortable but luckily or not I went into the menopause so did not get much use out of them. I feel a bit embarrassed about putting them in the recycling as though they are clean, they are stained.:o

Re: the lady who used a flannel for her bum - I have heard of lots of american frugaleers doing this. Makes a lot of sense, but I would have to be seriously skint to do it I think.

With some of these things you have to weigh up if it is cheaper. I mean if you have to use water and soap to clean the flannel, then is that better than using cheap loo paper?

NualaBuala

larmy16 wrote: »

Re: the lady who used a flannel for her bum - I have heard of lots of american frugaleers doing this. Makes a lot of sense, but I would have to be seriously skint to do it I think.

I think some are doing it more for environmental rather than frugal reasons - although it always pleases me how well the two go hand in hand!

popxcore

larmy16 wrote: »

Re: the lady who used a flannel for her bum - I have heard of lots of american frugaleers doing this. Makes a lot of sense, but I would have to be seriously skint to do it I think.

With some of these things you have to weigh up if it is cheaper. I mean if you have to use water and soap to clean the flannel, then is that better than using cheap loo paper?

actually that was me and i ain't no lady :rotfl:

as for whether it's cheaper, my water is a flat rate (part of the rent) and i didn't use soap :eek:

LolaLemon

larmy16 wrote: »

Re: the home made sanitary ware. I made a load of these from some candy stripe flannelette sheets. They were extremely comfortable but luckily or not I went into the menopause so did not get much use out of them. I feel a bit embarrassed about putting them in the recycling as though they are clean, they are stained.:o

Re: the lady who used a flannel for her bum - I have heard of lots of american frugaleers doing this. Makes a lot of sense, but I would have to be seriously skint to do it I think.

With some of these things you have to weigh up if it is cheaper. I mean if you have to use water and soap to clean the flannel, then is that better than using cheap loo paper?

yes it is cheaper - to both your purse and the environment.

Im using old towels that i would have put in the bin (at that point i wouldnt have cut to use as cleaning cloths for round the house) - so less to the landfill

less bleach being used in the making process for the toilet roll. less chemicals being used to make them in the first place, less being used for the treatment of sewerage, less blocked toilets, more trees as they arnt getting cut down = more habitats for small creatures, better air etc etc...

price of washing these, zero, as they got washed with the towels and nappies.
if i go back to them, which im sure i will, they will just go in the weekly towel wash, they will either stay in the covered nappy pail, which will have some essential oils at the bottom (most likely to be tea tree and lavendar). they arent all that 'smelly' when they go in anyways. and any that are can be slushed before going in the bucket.

one of the reasons i didnt keep it up, was so that my son got used to toilet paper for when we where out.



edit: oh p.s. i started this when i had £13000 sitting in my current account. i was not skint. i was not doing it to save money, just trying to reduce our, well my, chemical consumption.

Fellpony_2

:jWhat a fab topic, I don't think I have much to add of my own, I have however learned a whole heap of how to save more money!!
We use the paper which is printed on and (omg) its not quite right (my mum edits a magazine) for DD (5) to draw and colour in on.
Gift bags I think are standard for re-use (according to this thread anyway) as are bubble wrap and padded envelopes.
I take great delight in re-using carrier bags (cheap supermarket ones) as bathroom bin liners.
I find nappy sacks are amazing things for picking up all sorts of unpleasantries (cat, dog, sanitary wear)
I decant big pots of vasaline into the little tin tubs for putting in pockets whilst out and about.
DH eats his Kellogs without knowing they are supermarket own coz the packet tells him they are Kellogs.
We buy cheese and butter when we find it cheap and freeze it having chopped it in half first so smaller bits come out and get used without spoiling the rest of the block.

Love the idea of freezing the chicken on a chopping board and then into a plastic bag, that is just inspired!!

shandyclover

With all this talk about alternatives to toilet paper...

I worked many years in Asia, my 4 daughters all being born out there. Baby wipes were imported and horrifically expensive. I got my Mum to post me packets of J cloths. They worked as washable baby wipes, I used yellow for face and hands and blue for loo (bottom) - they were washed everyday and dried and sanitised in 40 degree sun!

My girls wore real nappies, but nappy liners didn't exist locally - I used J cloths again - though a different colour to keep them seperate.

Interestingly, they only got nappy rash and excema on a trip home for Christmas, when I used disposable nappies and 'real' baby wipes supplied by the airline.