What's the best advice you found here?

kittykat500

I've been shopping around more.
Using freecycle.
Using newspaper vouchers.
Loads of great recipe ideas.
Using breadmaker.
Using slow cooker.
Stardrops.
Vinegar as softener in laundry.
Hope to start using kefir grains instead of yoghourt shortly.


I'm sure there are loads more things

Aril

Many of the things have already been mentioned...I have absorbed loads of new ways both big and smallof doing things over the last 2 years which I do so regularly now that I've forgotten they came from here originally eg making my own Earl Grey tea.
One of the biggest areas this last 6 months has been freecycle- not only have I benefitted from it but so have my parents and my sister both in offering and receiving goods. The other one is present buying and making. I've started up my gift box and now make regular forays to top it up both with very good condition charity shop gems or offers eg I've just bought 10 unusual true stories for £9.99 from the book people which was one of Moggins leads. It's also given me the confidence to give some handmade items where I feel they look presentable eg mustard for my Dad' s upcoming birthday, fluffy scarves and fudge for Mother's day. Still got many more new ideas to try and love the way old style is always giving me motivation to have a go. Next things are the dandelion honey and low fat snacks. Am also going to customise a scarf I have lurking.
Thanks a lot oldstylers...must like it here this is my 700th post:eek:
Aril

Little_Miss_Saver

Hello :hello:

I find OS truly inspirational and there are always lots of good ideas and advice. The main ones for me are:-

Meal Planning
Star Drops
Soda Crystals (in the washing powder)
White Vinegar

I'm sure there are a couple more!!!

LMS xx

lizzie12_2

The main thing for me is Stardrops followed by
Meal Planning and not buying junk........cook double and freeze half
Cleaning one room in the house each day
Newspapers to the vets as bedding for the sick animals ( still gets recycled)
Spending Diary.
Toothbrush for cleaning tiles

dolly_day_dream

The best thing about this site is that it helps me realise that there are lots of people just like me out there. I seem to be surrounded (in real life) by people who think recycling is mad, spending up to and beyond your budget is normal, having the latest of everything is essential, creating from scratch is weird.

You guys support me in ways you will never know just by being there. I am not doing this on my own. I love the links that we give each other to good recipes/sites etc. I thought that I was pretty OS when I joined the board but there were plenty of things still to be learnt like the 3-way mix of washing powder. Using vinegar as conditoner - and cleaning out my dishwasher. But the best must be Curry Queens curry base recipe, it is used on a weekly basis and much appreciated in our house.

Keep at it because as a team we are unbeatable!

Solwaykid

Where to start?

Meal planning has reduced waste and overspending.
Off your trolley updates.
Two separate purses for fun stuff and shopping.
Stardrops and value bio powder.
The Flylady thread.
Starting a household folder.
Recipe index, tried and tested is invaluable.
Investing in a bread maker.

Basically using other kind folks' experience and wisdom to be a bit more conscious of the money going out. Living on the tightest budget I've ever had to but the debts are dropping. It's like magic!!

Good thread, great site. Thanks folks.

verynewmoneysaver

Vinegar for fabric conditioner, stardrops and microfibre clothes, yoghurt making, breadmaking, cooking from scratch, using up food left over, Freecycle, Flylady, charity shopping, Lidl shopping and lots of other things I can't think of now. Its changed my life and saved me a fortune!

sammy_kaye18

Oh my god um.............

well this site/forum etc has been a life saver for me on several occassions as some of you will know. The main things the OS board has taught me is

* meal plan - decide what we're having and stick to it.
* cook for the freezer and freeze some portions for later
* inventive ways to use up odd stuff
* shopping challenge has me down to £80 a month for 3 people and pooch
* cleaning with bicarb of soda, microfibre clothes - havent got to soda
crystals and stardrops yet ut i will in time once all my other junk cleaners
have run out - not long now
* a cracking bread recipe for handmaking my own bread (thanks Kethry!)
* buying a little slow cooker when i first started attempting to mkae soup -
its tiny so may need to invest in a slightly bigger one.
* daily challenge/flylady - helping me get the house clean and sparkling
* freecycling things
* charity shop raiding for gifts/clothes/curtains etc
* the gas and electric thread helped with the winter i think we lasted until about
november 1st with no heating! hoping to last a little longer this year!

My next thing to try and get the hang of is recycling - im getting rid of about 2 black bin bags a week of rubbish so i think some recycling is definately in order!

Plus the people on here are so nice and friendly and they dont care if you ask what seems at the time a really obvious dumb question they still respond lovingly. And i agree for some strange reason you can always for whatever reason get a reply at the ungodly hours of the morning!

celyn90

I've learnt loads from this site and owe a big thanks to all who make it what it is.

Meal planing probably is the most useful, especially the idea of actually using what has been lurking in the cupboards too! The challenges are quite good fun too. DH is doing this months grocery challenge by himslef, just to see what he can do It's also good for inspiration too, for example a lovely person a while back posted a recipe for a wonderful semolina and rosewater cake in one of the meal plans - which I am currently sitting here eating as I type.

I agree with the washing powder thing too - the last box I bought has lasted the two of us four months so far (plus the washing soda to mix it with). I never would have thought of cutting down the amount of detergent to that extent (especially as I'm from a hard water area originally, so was used to using more than the box recommended!) and adding the washing soda really helps stretch it too.

Thanks to this site I'm also a slow cooker convert - which has been a godsend for some like me who is working long and erratic hours at the moment.

sharronloves2spend

meal planning by far....Black saturn is an absoulote angel i read her posts on shopping on a budjet and i am completly inspired...i used to spend £600-700 per month on food for six two cats and a dog, i now spend £220-250!!!! I also find lots of like minded people!! I'm a SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO grateful to all you osers!