Spill the beans ... what's the most embarrassing MoneySaving thing you do?

adelight

I have on a few occasions asked someone at the supermarket to reduce something for me. Both times it was fairly quiet yet I still felt really cheeky, I don't want to turn into those people who thrust armfuls of food into the poor SA's face or push past other people to fill their basket with the lot.
My current housemates think my bargain obssession is a bit extreme so I mostly keep it quiet. I always have their vegetable peelings, they think it's for my plants but it's for soup

zebbscat

I buy blue full fat milk, then divide between 2 bottles and top up with water - hey presto semi- skimmed!!!!!:j

Fruball

Denando wrote: »

Lucky dog! That reminds me of a time when I stayed in a posh hotel for a company dinner dance/weekend thing. Because it was by the sea I decided to take my dogs so they could play on the beach the following day. I asked the hotel and they said pets were allowed as long as they stayed in the guest room and not public areas and they charged (I think) £3 per dog including their food. When we checked in they asked what time the dogs would like their dinner! So in the evening as I got all dressed up to go to the ball, there was a knock on the door and a waiter was standing with 2 big bowls of meat. Nothing else – beautiful chunks of cooked beef/pork/lamb/chicken, all mixed up. I guess the restaurant needed the nice neat slices for the plates and all the off cuts were trashed. It was the ONLY time ever my dogs hestitated before diving in to their dinner – they both looked at me (albeit briefly) as if to say “really? For ME?” Unfortunately, I think they got the better deal as I sat down to a mass-produced set menu along with my colleagues.

Oh that is too funny :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Jonny_Red

Butterwell wrote: »

As a student (many years ago) I used to save the potato peelings and cook them in a cheesy sauce and then add them on top of mashed potatoes - my room mate used to love it, but everyone else thought it was very weird and would not touch it. I must have had a harder skin then (excuse pun!) because when I think about it now I do cringe and don't like being reminded of it. Having said that, my rational was that the potato skin includes most of the goodness - so why waste it - people eat filled 'potato skins' as a starter in many places - perhaps I'll try it again.

I do a similar thing by making big wedges which might look a bit more presentable...

1) clean the spuds and take out any eyes or manky bits
2) slice off the ends and four good sized wedges so you have a tattie shaped like a bar of soap
3) coat the wedges in a little oil, salt and if you like spices and roast and make mash with the actual potato.

Almost zero waste, really fast way of peeling spuds and a surefire way of getting your tatties for boiling (or adding to stews and whatnot) the same size so that they cook evenly.

Jx

PS: hello everyone... I've been lurking here for a few weeks enjoying the posts!

Nessa56

Butterwell wrote: »

As a student (many years ago) I used to save the potato peelings and cook them in a cheesy sauce and then add them on top of mashed potatoes - my room mate used to love it, but everyone else thought it was very weird and would not touch it. I must have had a harder skin then (excuse pun!) because when I think about it now I do cringe and don't like being reminded of it. Having said that, my rational was that the potato skin includes most of the goodness - so why waste it - people eat filled 'potato skins' as a starter in many places - perhaps I'll try it again.

I once read about someone freezing all veg and potato peelings and when needed make into a vegetable soup I though yuck but then decided to try doing that, the soup was delicious and so healthy as a lot of goodnes is in the skins of veggies :T


v
x

susiejq

Lots of these ring true for me. I have what I call NGDs (Net Gain Days). These are days when I don't spend anything and I manage to find, acquire, scrounge or get given something that means I end up with something at the end of the day that I didn't start with. I have an allottment friend who often gives me produce in the mornings when I'm walking my dog, or I may harvest some windfall apples or, at the moment, sweet chestnuts. I also pick up loose change, especially outside our local pub.
I also pick up dropped, unused!!!, poo bags that people drop while doing their doggy duty. I go to a nearby parish council who give out poo bags to residents, ours doesn't.
Many years ago I shared a house with a friend who had a dog. We were very, very hard up and made nettle soup, cooked pigs trotters, brewed home made wine and beer. His mum used to bring us food parcels and one day we came home and found some lovely meat in a parcel on the door step which we duly cooked and ate. The following week she asked us if the dog had enjoyed the meat she had sent! She thought we would notice it smelt a bit strong and realise it was for the dog not for us - we hadn't. It was lovely.:eek:

laurenzo_2

geri1965 wrote: »

Technically theft.

how do you work that out, so you've never stayed in a hotel where they jave provided these along with a kettle etc!? yeh right!!

MarilynMonroe_2

Helping my brother years ago push a settee and armchair up a backlane in the dark he'd found that someone had put out obviously 'a while ago' - I tried to talk him out of it cos it was all damp and had slugs on, but he wanted it LOL. it made such a racket as well pushing it, I hoped no one saw me!

GreyQueen

zebbscat wrote: »

I buy blue full fat milk, then divide between 2 bottles and top up with water - hey presto semi- skimmed!!!!!:j

Wow, thank you for this. I'm a hardcore thrifter but I'd never even thought of doing that.

Consider it stolen and I will be deploying it later this weekend when I re-stock . Cheers! :rotfl:


PS 40-50 years ago, there was no market at all for skimmed milk and farmers would use it for pigfeed or even pour it down the drains.

ceridwen

Grey Queen -I used to buy skimmed milk - until I read about diluting milk. I've been buying blue top since and diluting it down 2:1 and that is what gets used for everything (except the milk in my coffee - so I keep a bit undiluted for that).

I've now found a source of supply of decent quality "blue top" milk - and its actually pretty "creamy" still despite being diluted.