What is the most moneysaving/stingy thing you do?

Katiehound

As said before my list is probably too long to mention! I try not to waste money, but to spend it wisely for treats or for others.

However I do try really hard to save water- having a meter has saved about £250 per year from the rateable value charge.
I never throw shower/bath water away but use it to flush the toilet. I have a small bucket in the wash basin to collect heating up water etc- again used for toilet flushing or plant watering.

When I go swimming I always have a shower and hair wash there - well obviously I don't want to smell of chlorine- but I don't stint on their hot water either!!

I fill the kettle with water whilst the tap water is heating (it's off the mains, no tanks) As I have solar panels and an old washing machine with a hot water fill I boil the water (wash day is only when the panels are working!!) in the kettle which means it is heated free and saves the gas boiler! (3 kettles full is the norm)
Buy presents through the year when I see a bargain that I think the recipient will like. Best buy this year was a huge Sudoko book- RRP £20, paid £1.25!
Never throw fruit and veg away- if it is looking a bit sad my dogs will love it! Buy marked bags of fruit and veg from local greengrocers-they are 25pence. Today have 4 ripe bananas for me (25p) and several bags containing 4 apples for my dogs.
Invest my rainy day money in current accounts paying interest and then recycle the minimum monthly contribution round and round!!
Enjoy looking on this website for all the tips and ideas. Thanks to everyone!

polymaff

1. Re-using old picture calendars by paper-clipping a slip of paper with the days of the week (requires 13 days!) over the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday column.

2. Wrapping old cheque-book stubs around cheap AA batteries to make them the size of the much more expensive C cells required by some clocks.

3. Extracting the coin cells from un-needed / failed Bank security devices - even the HSBC / First Direct ones!

sparrer

I practice many of the savings here - water, fuel etc., costs me a total of £51 monthly, I only buy clothes (with the exception of shoes and undies) at cs's, grow what I can for instance herbs in a herb planter, potatoes, carrots, onions and rhubarb in tubs, and patio fruit trees in my tiny garden, and the majority of food I buy is ys.
I don't take extra paper napkins, sauces, etc from restaurants, nor did I use the company's electricity for charging my phone when I was working. The more people do this the higher the prices will be in the shops, which imho defeats the object of helping the fuel and wood supplies and the overall economy. I take only what I need just as people did during and after the war which helped to rebuild the economy.
I've picked up a couple of small tips here which I'd not given thought to so thank you for those, and to the op for the thread.

rachelleigh73

I claim my prize - 6 cups of tea from a single teabag (albeit a Yorkshire Tea teabag)! Am currently pondering how to clean my stained loo following introduction of my 'If it's yellow, let it mellow' policy - any 'green' tips?!

rachelleigh73

LHW99 wrote: »

Re-using un-postmasked stamps from Christmas cards??

T'is illegal, btw. Proper fraud...

PenguinOfDeath

Gadfium wrote: »

I wouldn't be too keen on using this for food or drinking use. The hot water is normally fed from a tank in the loft and the water can be anything but fresh. Plus these header tanks can often contain nasties (lots of muck from the heating system and dead pigeons are not unheard of).

Not if it's a combi system

justme_75

rachelleigh73 wrote: »

I claim my prize - 6 cups of tea from a single teabag (albeit a Yorkshire Tea teabag)! Am currently pondering how to clean my stained loo following introduction of my 'If it's yellow, let it mellow' policy - any 'green' tips?!

Leftover (cheap) coca-cola is perfect for this.

cattie

rwgray wrote: »

Then they probably are Heinz!

Rich.x

Not so as they don't make beans or any other items for any other company. All stuff made by them carries the Heinz label.

Anyway, I'm pleased to find some other posters here use the same stingy methods as me, such as cutting open tubes & bottles of toiletries to ensure every single bit gets used. I'll re-use my PG Tips teabag when having my 2nd cup of tea.

I've been known to wash tin foil for re-use when it appears as good as new & have even re-used parcel tape when receiving a parcel & having something here needing to be wrapped & sent. Oh & I cut those green scouring pads you get in packs of 10 in half, not just to make them go twice as far, but I find the half size suits my needs better. I've started buying larger & thus better value bottles of milk & then decanting half into an empty bottle to freeze & take it out of the freezer the day before I'm going to need it.

joey2307

We too use the charity collection bags that regularly get shoved through our letter box as bin liners. I also do the cutting of tubes etc to get the last bit out. Picking up loose change found at work and in public, if appropriate. Staying in bed to avoid putting heating on.

jenna42

Mine is buying supermarkets' own make value shower gel for 30p (used to be 14p!) .... and filling hand soap bottles in the kitchen and bathroom ... can't tell the difference!

Using supermarket bags for bin bags

Using candles, given as presents, and not lights :rotfl:

Taking own drinks when eating out in shopping mall (coke £1.10 compared to 25p from home)