Extreme Money Saving things you have done!

oldhaggis

When I was a child my mum used to work in a hotel and collected all the bars of hotel soap which the guests left behind after their departure. They were full sized bars in those days not the tiny guest size ones you get nowadays. She kept them in big tins in the bottom of her wardrobe. She had sufficient supplies to keep her going well into her retirement and when she eventually had to go into a care home there were sufficient supplies to keep my family going for a couple of years after that!

Sarahsaver

iltisman wrote: »

Yes the custard trick worked for a while. The other trick was for two people, one bought 2 meat pies or whatever and the other would just have a plate of chips (self served so massive portion) therefore saving 50p on chips.

My work canteen is silly cheap anyway - 16p for a plate of chips!!!:D
i have found though that its cheaper to get a length of baguette, a small salad bowl and some meat or cheese and then use the free sauces etc rather than get one of their readymade sandwiches.

scurr

Woohoo! I just opened my moneysaving tin which I started in January - the rules are that only"free" money goes in there, like money from money-off coupons. I've been really rigid about it & even refused my bf's loose change and.... I got £365 out of it!!! Am well chuffed

jediteacher

Neither myself or my husband use sugar in our tea or coffee so I don't buy any. However, guests sometimes do request sugar. Instead of buying any when we 'treat' ourselves to a hot beverage at a coffee place we each take 2 sugars with us. None of our friends mind but now they too bring us 'free' sugar from when they eat out. :rotfl:They now challenge each other to bring us the most posh or expensive looking free sugar!!! They must think that we're really tight. We now have a box full of free sugar sachets.

teedy23

I pick up money from the street, take extra creams and condiments whenever I,m in the vicinity of a fast food outlet (during a mystery shop for instance) and have been known to spend money on clothes I dont need in supermarkets just to get rid of my coupons, then take the clothes back for a refund, usually buying groceries. I also keep miniture booze bottles and refill from a master bottle, to take to expensive venues. I have also put a little less money in the bus slot, but usually if I dont have enough change. I have also had a few bowls of cereal ect from a packet then taken it back saying I didnt like it, under the if you dont like it we,ll refund banner. I also have taken the leftover loo rolls from work that the cleaner has left when changing them, I keep the good ones for visitors lol

BARGAINHUNTER!

teedy23 wrote: »

I pick up money from the street, take extra creams and condiments whenever I,m in the vicinity of a fast food outlet (during a mystery shop for instance) and have been known to spend money on clothes I dont need in supermarkets just to get rid of my coupons, then take the clothes back for a refund, usually buying groceries. I also keep miniture booze bottles and refill from a master bottle, to take to expensive venues. I have also put a little less money in the bus slot, but usually if I dont have enough change. I have also had a few bowls of cereal ect from a packet then taken it back saying I didnt like it, under the if you dont like it we,ll refund banner. I also have taken the leftover loo rolls from work that the cleaner has left when changing them, I keep the good ones for visitors lol

I have brought things in the past when they have been offered as 'money back if you don't like it'. Never thought about buying clothes in supermarkets, using coupons near expiry date and then returning clothing for a refund though! If you pay by credit card they refund by credit card, so you could be quids in!!

BARGAINHUNTER!

jediteacher wrote: »

Neither myself or my husband use sugar in our tea or coffee so I don't buy any. However, guests sometimes do request sugar. Instead of buying any when we 'treat' ourselves to a hot beverage at a coffee place we each take 2 sugars with us. None of our friends mind but now they too bring us 'free' sugar from when they eat out. :rotfl:They now challenge each other to bring us the most posh or expensive looking free sugar!!! They must think that we're really tight. We now have a box full of free sugar sachets.

I collect extra sachets of sugar too when getting a drink at work for my sugar pot at home, even though I don't take sugar in my drinks!!

BARGAINHUNTER!

iltisman wrote: »

Yes the custard trick worked for a while. The other trick was for two people, one bought 2 meat pies or whatever and the other would just have a plate of chips (self served so massive portion) therefore saving 50p on chips.

Our local chippy only has one size take away chip carton, but sell small and large chips (30p difference between the two). I always ask for small chips, but the girl just fills up the carton regardless (sometimes a bit less - but definately not 30p worth less!) When buying 4 portion thats quite a saving for only a few chips less! Also, if its a nice day and we are planning on eating the takeaway outside the chippie on the benches I make sure I stop off at the supermarket first and purchase a multi pack of canned drinks (sometimes even on BOGOF) to have with our meal. Our local chippie charges a fortune for single cans direct from them!

At my B/F chippie the take aways are expensive, but worth it as they are delish! They also do different size chips, so we buy 1x portion of large chips (huge) and 2x portion of cod and when we get it back home share the chips between us. Last week I noticed that they offered a senior citizens takeaway meal deal for £2 a portion cheaper than the regular meal. Im tempted to go in and order one (can't see anything that says the meal has to be eaten by a senior citizen!)

BARGAINHUNTER!

jak wrote: »

I turn everything off and mutter endlessly about it being like ' blackpool tower in here' much to dh horror! I also keep leftovers and got cross because dh threw away half a tomatoe the other day that I could've ut in my soup!!!
Als portion size- issue in our house as dh makes loads of mash pots therm throws away the excess!!!!!! I could go on. I try and keep and reuse what I can. Esp. when it comes ot food.
I keep toliet roll insides and put around my seedlings to pretect them from slugs n stuff.

You can freeze mash if you make too much!

MYLITTLESISTERLOLA

I agree with the condiments from fast food, the soap etc from rare hotel stays, collecting coin/notes in the street rare these days, use coupons, use quidco & pigsback, switching off more plugs has saved use £3 /mth on elec bill, complain when I'm not happy about service got £25 of vouchers last week, when I buy things and see then reduced a week later I buy them again & take the reduced version back on the full price receipt, if something breaks & I've lost the receipt or it's just out of warrenty I buy it again and take back the broken one. I cut open tubes of toothpaste, make up and it lasts another week, I always stock up on BOGOF, buy birthday/xmas cards when on offer & store them in a box, buy things at bootsales & sell them on ebay, bring a 2ltr bottle of fizz to work does for luch all week, Sell sons used clothes, shoes toy on ebay..... and thats only the beginning:rotfl: DS birthday next week I'm taking 10+ kids to the local park, it really beautiful we'll have home cooked sausages & cocktail sausage rolls, multi pack crisps, 2lts juice, board games from home, a football, a kite etc did it last year they all loved it cost about £10