I have learnt to live without.......

Chubacheroo

Couldn't do without our dishwasher - our water and electricity bills have actually gone down, and our sanity..well, that's a lot better now - lol.
Changing from PCs to our little MacMini and MacBook - expensive, but worth it - electricity definately less used now!

Other big things we don't use/have:
Tumble dryer
TV
Car
Children (yet - til June - eek!)

We also:
cook (almost) all our meals
use soap nuts and vinegar (although I looove the smell of fabric conditioner, and if it's on sale, I occassionally get some).
use the cheapest laundry powder in the dishwasher

Am planning to use re-usable nappies, too, when the sproglet arrives, as well as hopefully using the free food that nature provides (for him/her).

Toxic_Lemon

megasaver wrote:

WOw that is an amazing list..... I am really impressed.... just one question, do you use anything instead of deodorant that you can recommend or do you go totally without all year?

Mega xx

Here's a link to my post on alternative deodorant. There's a thread about it.

Crystal Deodorant

culpepper

I almost never use a hair dryer. OH bought me one for Xmas for some mysterious reason .
We've had a second hand dishwasher since the summer and I use washing powder in it and vinegar for the rinse,we do buy the dishwasher salt though as we have hard water here.
I tried it with a couple of dishwasher tablets we got as freebies and it was no better.
We never use fabric softener.
Dont use air fresheners either.
Havent bought one single loaf of bread this year .
Only use foil for the turkey and re-useable baking parchment all the rest of the year.

thriftlady_2

culpepper wrote:

I almost never use a hair dryer. OH bought me one for Xmas for some mysterious reason .
QUOTE]
That's another thing I have no use for. Hairdressers always look at me like I'm mad or joking when I say I don't own one.

csarina

Don't use fabric softner, awful stuff, buy a bottle of bubble bath and use a TINY amount on a sponge in the shower, lasts 10 times longer than shower gel......Surf mixed with washing soda in my washer, you would have to go a long was to find whiter whites than mine.....wash everything at 40o too......I have a hair dryer, but cannot remember the last time I used it.....use a tumble drier if I HAVE to on economy 7 overnight.......use Tesco baby powder, no deodorant, soap and water is fine..agree with the striking a match you can use it to get rid of the smell of fish cooking as well.......I occasionally burn a candle in the kitchen whilst washing up, gets rid of lingering smells, but REMEMBER to BLOW IT OUT when you leave the kitchen. Never use ready grated cheese, what a waste of cash........

Cook everything from scratch unless I find quiche reduced to 30p in Tesco.....

Thats just what I can think of off the top of my head.....

inkie

Tumble dryer only in winter, bin liners (reuse carriers), 'expensive shampoo', get 3 for £1 at farm shop, cartons for packed lunches - DD has reuseable flask refilled with 32p dilute from Netto. DH has been doing more home grown veg and so no need to buy as much stuff from supermarket.

susank

I dont like/use fabric conditioner, I use castille liquid soap as my shampoo and shower gel and cider vinegar rinse for my hair, I use the granules of the dishwashing powder as they last longer and you can use less - its also cheaper than the tablets by a lot. I use my tumble drier in the winter so the towels are softer anyway.

CoD_2

don't use...

dishwasher (though i would like one)
tumble dryer, only issue i've had without one is currently as we have no central heating, things just aren't drying.
hairdryer, i own one but haven't seen it for about a year.
iron.... i think i iron once a year at most, things are dried on hangers then folded up and put away.
no ready meals, no takeaways apart from fish and chips lol
any ready prepared/ peeled/ chopped veg/ cheese/ fruit
air freshener, do have one or two scented candles.

could never give up: car (live in an area with one bus a week ,it only leaves the village... commute a 70 mile roundtrip.) makeup, it lasts ages and ages though. perfume, shampoo,

DawnW

thriftlady wrote:

culpepper wrote:

I almost never use a hair dryer. OH bought me one for Xmas for some mysterious reason .
QUOTE]
That's another thing I have no use for. Hairdressers always look at me like I'm mad or joking when I say I don't own one.

yes, I have had that experience as well. When I have tried someone else's on very rare occasions though, it looks as though I have stuck my finger in an electric socket! Am I missing something, or is there life beyond wrapping wet hair up in a towel (mind you, mine is in pretty good condition, even though quite long, I am over 50 and colour quite often!)

DawnW

thriftlady wrote:

culpepper wrote:

I almost never use a hair dryer. OH bought me one for Xmas for some mysterious reason .
QUOTE]
That's another thing I have no use for. Hairdressers always look at me like I'm mad or joking when I say I don't own one.

yes, I have had that experience as well. When I have tried someone else's on very rare occasions though, it looks as though I have stuck my finger in an electric socket! Am I missing something, or is there life beyond wrapping wet hair up in a towel (mind you, mine is in pretty good condition, even though quite long, I am over 50 and colour quite often!) A bit scary for the neighbours though:eek: if I have to go outside to feed the chickens or get one of the dogs in if barking!