Top 20 Frugal Must Haves?

camNolliesMUMMY

1 star drops
2 zaflora disinfectant
3 half a dishwasher tab in each wash
4 lots of throws/ blankets and a hot water bottle each
5 vinegar n some bicarb always in the cupboard
6 Marko for chicken breast from makro 5kg bag for £19 ish no more meat buying in supermarket except tesco mince lol
7 every evening / when leave the house making sure things are turned off as on pre payment meters.
9 checking nobody has whacked up the thermostat above 20 c lol
10 re using each tea bag as I don't drink it to strong so I can get another cuppa out of one bag
11 sweeteners n not sugar in tea...l.cheaper n lasts longer.
12 re filling hand wash with bubble bath hehe
13 bleach always got some
14 soda crystals
15 check eBay before buying new.
16 thinking before throwing food away n freeze or use it.
17 shops line for groceries to save on impulse.
18 flattening a toilet roll before putting on holder so my five year old doesn't use wayyyyyy to much.

Can't think of any more lol

savingqueen

I love some of the answers, especially the ones on having the right mindset, tolerance, self discipline etc.

Here are mine - sorry a bit waffly as I tend to be:

1. being really organised and planning ahead with everything from foodshopping, pressie buying etc ,so you get the best deal not the quickest, to all the little things like getting stuff out of freezer overnight to stop using microwave and giving people cards and pressies in advance to save postage and 100s more

2. not wanting to keep up with the Joneses. In fact being glad you're behind the Joneses!

3. information – esp MSE/OS and search engines, library books and advice and tips from like-minded friends. Knowledge definitely is power!

4. patience and a sense of humour

5. willingness to have a go and do things yourself or ask someone you know who can!

6. getting a buzz out of moneysaving in whatever shape or form

7. not giving a stuff about brands, names, everything new, trendy or matching

8. Attitude! I’ve been called sensible or eccentric etc and I always take it as a compliment.

9. OH who is mostly in agreement with my OS ways though sometimes he agrees with stuff in principle but not actually in practice! Gradually getting himmore OS & MSE over time. Kids growing up with same attitude too.

10. Washing line and lots of indoor airers

11. Good store cupboards for food, toiletries and pressies

12. basic equipment for storing food and cooking it. Anything else is a bonus and not strictly necessary. Gadgets tend to gather dust but things like my trusty old potato peeler, different size pans, plastic tubs and chest freezer are worth their weight in gold.

13. Basic budgeting, cooking, sewing and DIY skills and knowledge . Other skills a bonus.

14. Decent tools and repair kits for everything from sewing to DIY.

15. Library cards for all the family

16. Plenty of warm clothing, bedding, blankets, hot water bottles etc to keep heating bills down.

17. Old style cleaning kit.

18. Access to several supermarkets especially Aldi, Lidl and Farm Foods (less so) have helped me save so much.

19. Rechargeable batteries (and charger of course) – saves us a fortune

20. A head for figures

21. and one for luck......a love of lists :rotfl:

sq:)

OutofDebt-NOT-OutofDanger

In addition to what's been mentioned above:

Electric Steamer - really keeps the flavour in the food and can cook a meal for 4 with minimal water in 20 minutes instead of using 4 rings on the hob;

Hand held steamer - great for cleaning and no more cleaning products required (I now ONLY buy washing up liquid for the dishes)

Markets for buying veggies and sometimes some great deals on meat at a fraction of the price of supermarkets

99p stores/poundland and similar - great bargains!

Aldi/Lidl stores

Decent charity shops for clothes (apart from shoes haven't bought new clothes in over 4 years!)

Being proud to have the smallest and oldest car in the car park (and probably the only one that's fully paid for)!

Keep heating bills down with warm clothes and fleeces (only had the heating on for 2 weeks this winter - well it was over the xmas period and this was my "treat"!)

Watching TV on iPlayer (or equivalent) - cheaper than running TV and no licence required!

Water meter - rates really are a rip-off for most people

The ability to buy food at supermarkets from the reduced shelves!

camNolliesMUMMY

I forgot to mention my slow cooker which is the best appliance I have:T

Absinthe_2

I'm not sure about my top 20, but my favourite frugal buys are:

1. My slowcooker (The best thing ever)
2. Washing soda crystals
3. My breadmaker. Trouble is breads too scrummy so make infrequently
4. Tescos value Baby bath 12p (being discontinued )
5. Tescos value Baby shampoo 9p (being discontinued )
6. My JML Dri-buddy (invaluable in the winter)
7. Estee Lauder make-up artists collection. It may not seem frugal, but one can last me up to 5 years.
8. Online food shopping. I often meal-plan, and budget better, although I still use local shops.

Living_proof

OutofDebt-NOT-OutofDanger wrote: »

Hand held steamer - great for cleaning and no more cleaning products required (I now ONLY buy washing up liquid for the dishes)

Can you tell me a bit more about this OodNood? I didn't know hand held ones existed apart from the wallpaper stripper kind. It would cut down a lot of effort as well as chemicals, and as I don't see so well I think it could be a boon.

freeranger_2

thanks everyone for reminding us that the best things in life may not be free, but as near as poss to it . can i mention libraries free to all well at the moment anyway for great tips gardening cooking pets novels ect .

usa1

1) Electric Blankets
2) local eBay finder & MSE
3) open fires
4) Star drops
5) Approved foods
6) PoundLand/ 99p stores
7) library
8) slow cooker
9) White vinegar
10) Breadmaker

Mistral001

Keeping a range of mending materials so that things can be mended in minutes without having to go to the shops.

Some mending materials I have are as follows:

1. Range of tapes: Sillotape, electrical tape, masking tape, double sided tape, duct tape.

2. Range of glues: UHU/Bostik, Arledite, superglue, gum.

3. A stock of materials salvaged form items before throwing them away, such as foam, cloth vinyl, plastic, timber, metals, plastics.

4. Good stock of nuts and bolts and various brackets etc salvaged from items before throwing them away.

5. Different types of string, steel wire and cable ties.

Absinthe_2

Absinthe wrote: »

I'm not sure about my top 20, but my favourite frugal buys are:

1. My slowcooker (The best thing ever)
2. Washing soda crystals
3. My breadmaker. Trouble is breads too scrummy so make infrequently
4. Tescos value Baby bath 12p (being discontinued )
5. Tescos value Baby shampoo 9p (being discontinued )
6. My JML Dri-buddy (invaluable in the winter)
7. Estee Lauder make-up artists collection. It may not seem frugal, but one can last me up to 5 years.
8. Online food shopping. I often meal-plan, and budget better, although I still use local shops.

How on earth could I ever forget my hotwater bottle. My favourite thing, next to my slow cooker. Going to make one now.