Great 'Embarrassing MoneySaving tips' Hunt

7roland8

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyQueen
This is one step up from re-gifting (or down, depending on your point of view). I keep a look out for stuff like bric-a-brac, quality sets of toiletries, books and cds at bootfairs and charity shops which are immaculate and still have their labels on and re-gift them. I don't actually tell people I do this.

The only problem with doing this is that sometimes you can be unknowingly caught out. I can think of two occasions where this has happened to me receiving "regifted" products. Some toiletries I was given (a moisturising cream & hand creams gift set which was probably ancient because the products had dried out inside the pots, and a large Christmas pudding which had also dried out and shrunk inside its container. The Christmas pudding could have been conversation stopper - the remaining contents were barely enough for two people when opened. If the person gifting it had been present at the meal it would have been very embarrassing.

Well I had something regifted back to me (minus the box) which I'm sure I gave the perosn last year - also got some cosmetics - one bottle with a genuine cobweb and the other two a bit used and with a dirty nozzle!

Regarding bootfairs etc - if I saw a nice little ornament I'd have no probs - but would wash in disinfectant - don't think I'd do toiletries though.

GreyQueen

7roland8 wrote: »

Well I had something regifted back to me (minus the box) which I'm sure I gave the perosn last year - also got some cosmetics - one bottle with a genuine cobweb and the other two a bit used and with a dirty nozzle!

Regarding bootfairs etc - if I saw a nice little ornament I'd have no probs - but would wash in disinfectant - don't think I'd do toiletries though.

Eww, dirty and cobwebby, that's not nice I favour buying soaps, particluarly lovely artisanal soaps, still wrapped up, as I figure they can't "go off" and I know people who love such things. I rarely re-gift things given to me personally as you need a fantastic memory, fantastic record-keeping or circles of friends and relatives with no overlap, which is more uncommon than you'd think. If something I've been given is wildly wrong I might give it to a CS in another town to protect the feelings of the giver in case they bumped into it. On the plus side, I'm perfectly happy to receive pre-owned items. As an exercise, try looking in the mirror and saying "second-hand" and noting your expression. Then repeat with the word "antique". Interesting to note that only one of those is associated with disgust/ disapproval Mind you, there's a big difference between Mr Chippendale's finest furniture and the average bootfair offering but I'm still looking

7roland8

I'm perfectly happy to receive pre-owned items. As an exercise, try looking in the mirror and saying "second-hand" and noting your expression. Then repeat with the word "antique". Interesting to note that only one of those is associated with disgust/ disapproval

Yes I agree - just look at how people now love 'vintage' and 'retro' fashion and bags etc.

Oh one guilty thing I've done - ordered DVDs as gifts and watched them first! I know the cellophane has been removed but to all intents and purposes they are 'new' and in a great clean condition. i'm stuck home ill anyway so if I can get bargain items (from grab-its here) then watch before gifting its a double bonus. Only give to one or two who I know wouldn't mind though.
But I did had audio books for Xmas which I think had been pre-heard - but I enjoyed and will !!! on to someone else anyway - so no problem.

Cinders2001

I agree about the 'Second Hand' v 'Antique' thing.

I read a childrens story book that involved a snooty lady who would NEVER consider buying anything second hand, she would only buy ' new antiques'!

Had to laugh at that!!

GreyQueen

7roland8 wrote: »

Yes I agree - just look at how people now love 'vintage' and 'retro' fashion and bags etc.

Oh one guilty thing I've done - ordered DVDs as gifts and watched them first! I know the cellophane has been removed but to all intents and purposes they are 'new' and in a great clean condition. i'm stuck home ill anyway so if I can get bargain items (from grab-its here) then watch before gifting its a double bonus. Only give to one or two who I know wouldn't mind though.
But I did had audio books for Xmas which I think had been pre-heard - but I enjoyed and will !!! on to someone else anyway - so no problem.

I wouldn't have a problem with that, if I was your gift recipient, but I guess we have to know our markets, as it were. I think it's a lot better that things circulate and give pleasure to many than sit on our shelves until they decay or become otherwise unwanted. After all, one day someone will have to sort thru our personal stashes and deal with our clutter. Hopefully, it'll be done by some beloved person who will mourn our passing but everyone I know who's had to do this has ended up exhausted and exasperated and a lot of stuff which would have been useful in its season had become unusable and ended up in landfill. As the old saying has it; "Shrouds have no pockets." :rotfl:

Hollie_Rose_2

I re use gift bags and I also pass on Christmas presents. I see it as somebody has spent their money on something and just because I don't like it doesn't mean their money has to go to waste - I simply give it to someone else!

I try to make all presents look like they haven't been passed on though, I try to give them a personal touch. I never re use cards but I have ironed wrapping paper on numerous occasions. Why not? you pay enough money each year! it all adds up!

FatVonD

Primrose wrote: »

The problem for most of us is that if we live inland and not on the coast we have very little opportunity for buying truly "fresh" fish, i.e. caught & landed the same day, or the following day, so we do have to rely on supermarkets to label fish correctly.

You need to check the eyes, Primrose, fresh fish will have clear bright eyes, if they're starting to look opaque it's not very fresh.

And to get it back on topic again...

Nearly every present I've ever given to my BIL and SIL I've received free as a press gift

rosalie-lavender

7roland8 wrote: »

Yes I agree - just look at how people now love 'vintage' and 'retro' fashion and bags etc.

Oh one guilty thing I've done - ordered DVDs as gifts and watched them first! I know the cellophane has been removed but to all intents and purposes they are 'new' and in a great clean condition. i'm stuck home ill anyway so if I can get bargain items (from grab-its here) then watch before gifting its a double bonus. Only give to one or two who I know wouldn't mind though.
But I did had audio books for Xmas which I think had been pre-heard - but I enjoyed and will !!! on to someone else anyway - so no problem.

Having bought DVDs and CD's in the past and then found they are faulty and don't work, I think if you have the time it is a good idea to watch them first. I have also found that not all DVD's I order come with cellophane on anyway.

lauren_1

mrs-stressed wrote: »

Nice for everyone else then? I worked with a really smelly woman once who could clear a room at the moment she raised her arms - we all went into a tailspin worrying about how we were going to tell her that she stunk. In the end her manager had to step in. The poor soul didnt have a clue as to the effect she was having as she had no sense of smell!!!!

I am not saying your smelly though of course!!!!! LOL

I stopped using it when my ds refused to feed from me, a daily wash and clean clothes will see to any odour and the skin will behave very differently when not clogged up with deodorant on a daily basis too. I noticed I didn't sweat half as much once my skin settled down after a few days.

Confuzzled

Vampiric_Addiction wrote: »

That actually makes more sense than you may think, once you start factoring in pheromones etc

As it happens, I don't use deodorant/antiperspirant. I wash (shower) of course, and use perfume when I wish, but antiperspirants and (to a lesser extent) deos ravage my armpits. Sadly, my pores block at the slightest thing so unless I want agony, I steer clear!

you might try pitrok, it doesn't stop you sweating but it does stop the smell coming through and it's totally natural. i tried it when my 9 year old started to smell even after baths (onset of puberty :eek:) i didn't want her using any commercial deoderants so early in life.

i use it now too and find it very good indeed. also as i'm overweight i tend to sweat a lot in summer under my belly and breasts so once i'm out of the shower i use it under there as well, keeps me from developing a rash (and don't get all grossed out i'm clean when i use it and the natural sodium crystals in it kill bacteria both on the stick and on your person!)

it lasts for ages, i've had ours for at least 6 months and i'm sure it will last another 6 months!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PitRok-W1060-Push-Up-Crystal-Deodorant/dp/B000S858L0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=beauty&qid=1295277023&sr=8-1


one thing i do is i rewash my kitchen scrubbies, you know the cheap ones with sponge on one side, scrubby on the other. i use them once or twice and when they are icky i squeeze them out and chuck them in the wash with my clothes (not greasy ones obviously!) you can usually wash them 3-5 times before they start falling apart and when they are on their last legs i use them to scrub really nasty stuff like the bin or the toilet etc then they get tossed. Jcloths can also be washed repeatedly, after many washings they become soft and fuzzy and are fun for kids to use for art either to paint over (makes it look like fur) or to daub paint on with for special effects.

when my daughter was in cloth nappies we adults used cloth wipes in the loo (had toilet roll for guests). we dry pailed so it wasn't anything nasty and saved a fortune as the (now)ex has a very hairy bum and used nearly a roll of paper to clean his bum with every bowel movement (i used to beg him to do them at work :rotfl:) it wasn't any bother then as we were already washing nappies too.

we used cut up squares of brushed cotton sheets and had a box of wet wipes (i made my own baby wipes with a solution of soap, water and a tiny bit of veg oil) and a box of dry. the dry were for wee of course and also a quick swipe after using a wet one to avoid feeling squidgy! when we moved to a flat that only had communal washers we had to stop, i wouldn't dare wash things like that in a washer someone else had to use, i mean i know it is clean after but too many people have such selective squeamishness! we'd already potty trained her so it wasn't a big loss or anything we'd only continued it as we got to actually prefer it, it made us feel very clean and fresh

i wouldn't likely go back to it now, it's only her and i here and i won't put anything else in a wash like that so it would be wasteful in the respect but if you're thinking of doing it give it a try!