whats the most os thing you have done ?

sutters

I love the idea of going back to a twin tub. I love the warmth and the smell and they clean much better. When it was just me and my mum it was very easy too. My auntie used to have one or 2 washing days a week but I do remember that she loved her automatic when she got it. We have 5 in our family now (3 children) so it has obviously become so much easier with an automatic but most of them are so unreliable these days as they are built to break so that the manufacturer can make money on the service contract etc.

When it lasts broke though I thought I am not ever buying a new machine again. Second hand is a good idea however a bloke on ebay asked me what the problem was with my machine and he came and fixed it with a new part in 2 days for £50 which was convenient and cheap (in my opinion). I would contact him again and keep having it repaired and eventually buy second hand.

I don't use the full amount of non bio as it is too soapy and bad for your skin and machine. I use supermarkets own brand which I have always found fine. Top brands can be too thick and soapy anyway.

I buy quite a lot of clothes for all of us second hand from charity shops or ebay. They are usually much better quality than I could afford to buy new and obviously a lot cheaper. Sometimes it is hard to find the sizes for the children in the shops anyway as they approach teenage years.

We got rid of the tumble drier as we weren't using it anyway in the garage. I dry on the radiators in winter and on the washing line whenever the weather is fine. I love the smell of outdoors and now quite enjoy pegging out. It is quite relaxing.

I have enjoyed reading lots of money saving threads and have started using less meat and making the meal go further with more veg etc added in instead. It is much healthier and cheaper too.

I try to get to Aldi when I can as it is cheap and good quality. Some of the packaging on the veg is biodegradable too.

We are moving house when we can and this will save loads on petrol even though obviously there will be considerable moving expenses but long term it will be much healthier to walk to work, school, church etc and much cheaper so we will get the money back I think in a few years.

sutters

Oh I freecycle (freegle) too. This is a great system. I have had some clothes for my daughter this way in my local area and packaging for ebaying. I had some walking boots for my son for a school trip once. We also give things away on freecycle. Most people will take anything and find a good home for it.

IDProtected

GreyQueen wrote: »

If I have something from the lottie which needs washing up such as flowerpots or compost bags and it's the half of the year when the water is switched off up there, I'll have my bath then use the water to wash those things. I use a staining thingie to catch the contents of the bath water anyway so it's not like potting compost ends up in the pipes.:o

Grey Queen please tell me more about the staining thingie that you catch the bath water with - is that like grey water or what you call it that you can use to water the garden with? I have no idea how you "catch" or harvest bath or shower water, but always struggle to water in the summer months from the water butt - wretched water meter was here when we moved in so we're stuck with the thing, water nearly £40 per month for 3 of us.

Hannah_10

Took the kids out of school and put them to work up chimneys for a nice little tax free income iykwim.
































(Oh OK - not really, but it was far more interesting than saying cleaning the windows with vinegar and newspaper.)

kitschy

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

GreyQueen

IDProtected wrote: »

Grey Queen please tell me more about the staining thingie that you catch the bath water with - is that like grey water or what you call it that you can use to water the garden with? I have no idea how you "catch" or harvest bath or shower water, but always struggle to water in the summer months from the water butt - wretched water meter was here when we moved in so we're stuck with the thing, water nearly £40 per month for 3 of us.

Sorry to disappoint but it's a perforated metal disc which sits in the plug hole after you've pulled the plug. The water goes thru it and down the drain, it doesn't actually catch the water, just any soap-scum/ hair/ potting compost which happens to be in the water. I am a bit OCD about letting stuff go down the plug hole as my block of flats has neurotic drains.

Other than using a greywater harvesting system to plumb the wastewater from washbasin/ tubs into a tank from where the WC cistern draws it off, I don't personally know anyway to save the water unless it involves scooping it into buckets.

Sorry not to have the answer......:(

thewifie

regarding the berries. Sainsburys do a basics range including frozen red berries, very cheap. I set them on a sunny windowsill with a little bit of rosewater, you can leave this out but it is one of the more expensive ingredients which lasts a long time but makes a huge difference to flavour. Or you can use a little bit of elderflower syrup instead, and leave them in the sunshine all day so that by the time dessert is needed the fruits are defrosted and ready to go. I use a little bit of Splenda (OH is diabetic, or caster sugar or honey). This makes a fab summer pudding even in winter. They also work very well in homemade jellies, or Commercial ones, just remember to count the amount of liquid in, it creates quite a bit of juice, when you are adding the cool liquid. It takes longer to write this than to do it, and the warmed berries are lovely. I have also invested in a sprouter, and am growing my own beansprouts and sprouting beet for this weeks salads as we speak, once again on my lovely sunny kitchen windowsill.

Llanjen

This is a wonderful forum, I'm so glad I've found it. I have boiled a full kettle and put it in the 1.8L Thermos! My Dad doesn't think it'll stay hot enough for tea but I'll try it anyway. It really brings it home how hard people are finding it losing their benefits. I'm worried about money and have been feeling down about the way things are but this thread gives me such a positive feeling. I think because I haven't got kids I've been lazy about really taking things in hand - my Dad "Head of the household" makes very wasteful decisions with the household budget. I've not been strong-willed enough to try to change it but I feel this forum will help.

As for things I've done, I sold my car in 2004 and my Dad followed suit two years ago. Aside from the running costs I found that if I didn't use the car for a week it wouldn't start next time I wanted it. It takes a little planning to use public transport and get cheap train fares when I want to go out of the area but it makes for a much less wasteful existence. We don't shop in supermarkets, this means less impulse buying, better quality food, more support for British farmers and for our local shop owners. I took my last flight in 2006 and then decided to give up short haul flights. This was to help the environment but also to vote with my feet about the over-zealous security in airports.

Things I don't economise on: deodorant - I've tried cheaper brands and green products but they just don't do the trick, unfortunately. Always look out for half price offers though - but they do sell out quickly. Shoes - good ones last years, so don't choose something too trendy. I do get some from charity shops. Clothes - although I always look in charity shops I don't choose bargain brands - the prices they charge in the CS are probably more than they were before. So no New Look or supermarket own brands. Even M&S isn't the reliable brand it was so I look carefully at the quality. Shoddily made shoes and clothes are the archetypal false economy. I try to repair my clothes but it takes as long as my knitting projects! My grandmother was a skilled seamstress and my mum learnt pretty decent dressmaking off her. Unfortunately both passed away years ago and I didn't get taught. Hopefully some of what I witnessed at my mum's elbow has gone in and I can teach myself. No machine though, which she relied on.

CrissyG I'm really interested about the Twin tub, I'd never thought of that. One WM broke in the Autumn but we had a spare, however the programs aren't all working properly, I have to go back and put them on spin myself. Don't know how long that can last. I googled and the top twin tub website was Harris, about £250, they are not far from me over in North Shrops. Google Shopping has ones priced about 60 quid. What brand did you go for? I'll also be looking at all your washing liquid recipes.

butterfly72

cat4772 wrote: »

The wrapper used to wrap DHs sandwiches for work for a week - he only once threw it out and I told him I'd use newspaper to wrap his sandwiches; he didn't throw the bag away again;)

Oh dear we use foil to wrap our sarnies and throw it everyday:o We tend to use a lot too so we can sort of double wrap so they don't fall apart. I'm beginning to think I could use something else.. but it would need to hold the sarnie firm as we make them full of things that fall out if not tightly wrapped. Any suggestions?!

Edit.. yippee just realised I've earned a medal. I'm a serious money saving fan now!!

vouchersrme

I am really chuffed! I have made a bed runner and pillow shams from Curtain samples and two old curtains, they look good and were virtually free. Sorry I was just sooo pleased with them.:j