Great Tips... one liners

Money~Bunny_3

Save any plastic container with a lid (yogurt pots, ice cream tubs, cottage cheese containers) and use them for freezing portions of soup, chili, pasta sauce, casseroles, etc. It will save you a small fortune in 'proper' plastic tubs.

If you plan to make jam, save all your jars, any little rubber bands you find, and (if you want little cloth tops) keep an old bit of cloth for that. Try not to buy jam jars just for jam making.

Wash j-cloths/bleach scrubbing brushes. I was amazed that my flatmates throw these away so readily.

(Also there's an index - under construction - here of 'Getting started Old Style clicky )

Disasters? check out this thread O/S disasters .... let us share ... ...

EagerLearner

Thanks all - I use a little scoop that the old tenants left in this flat to measure the washing powder, wonder if I'm using too much as I certainly don't just put a tablespoon of powder in the drawer!! I must have misunderstood that one -maybe you meant liquid? Even a tablespoon of washing powder + table spoon of soda crystals surely isn't enough in the drawer for a wash of clothes?

Will give the Tesco's antibacterial a go - I'm afraid I tried the Ecover once and found it seemed too weak, I don't know, just felt I had to put more of it in to get the same results and it was expensive so I gave up. Again, would love to be greener and at the very least right now I am recycling. Can do better I am sure in 2007. Last Fairy I got was in Sommerfield 3 for 2, still have one and 3/4 left so still a while to go.

exlibris

I prefer washing liquid in a ball. You don't have to clean the drawer as often lol. Could I put the washing soda in with the liquid in the ball?

fairy3

Hi EagerLearner

Sorry I have been looking on the old threads for the link (cannot find it) but yes you didn't misunderstand I have been using this combination for ages and it gets everything clean and I have three teenagers!

Exlibris - haven't tried in a ball (always seems so expensive) but am sure someone else will be able to tell you.

Happy washing Monday! Mine is every day.

J
X

emay

rach wrote:

*don't spend on your debit / credit card, work out a budget and get cash out once a week / month, make it last til the next week (i get £50 spends out on a friday, has to do til the next friday, i get £100 food money out once a month and keep it in seperate purse)

Leave your credit cards at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you see something you want, you have to really want it if you're prepared to make the effort to go home, get card, go back to shop to buy - esp. if like me you don't drive and it's a half hour trek each way!!

emay

tryingtobegood wrote:

Asda have Fairy on special at the moment. 3 for £2.00 until 04/02/07. I may have to indulge in my Fairy addiction again:p

My local Asda are selling off the 1ltr tinkled pink fairy for 75p (it is from last year so not every store may have the stock left)

CLARABEL

Hi

Re the washing powder

i too use one tbs of powder and one tbs of soda ctystals unless clothes are really stained, been doing so with no probs for years.:D Will use 2tbs ( and feel very extravagant) on bad muck!

also, white vinegar for a towel softener is great instead of fabric conditioner, but I do still like the real (ecover) thing for other clothes...i do dilute it half anf half though!:rolleyes:

Recent laundry discovery is....swarfega! I am one of those who If I eat something with a fatty/creamy sauce it will drip onto my (usually new) top and leave a big greasy stain. If you rub swarfega on before you wash, the stain goes, even works on bike chain oil!! Wow!

Make own bread....so important and so much tastier. I use a bread machine cos then it really is no effort...

Save the clear plastic wallets that mags and leaflets arrive in thorugh the post and use as fridge / freezer bags.

when freezing food, label and date them to stop waste from forgotten food..hooray!

grow own herbs as much as possible, plus own cherry toms all summer in hanging baskets...away from my naughty rabbit! ( and children!) need to find a rabbit proof way of growing more this year...any ideas??

If using the oven, try and cook something extra for another time

Slow cooker for sauces/stews while at work - again minimum effort maximum results!

Compost...reduces kitchen waste and gives you free compost next year!

Sprout own seeds - for salads and soups this is a fab and really cheap way of extra nutrition and flavour into food.

Make own organic yoghurt - using organic uht mile works out at about 40p a pot - less than half price plus no excess packaging!

Take own cloth bags shopping with you....a really good feeling at the checkout "I don't need a bag" (x2 or x3 usually...even sometimes remove item from carrier when they still don't listen!)

errrrr right that's it.....off to run around in the snow!! woo hoo!

:T
clara:A

sallyforth_3

Some of my bargains:
Tesco value toothpaste 21p fior 75ml
Boots moisturiser, unscented 61p for 5ooml
Lidl for nearly everything - washing up liquid 13p, flour 15p, butter 53p, and its all excellent quality
Fruit and veg is cheaper and better from street markets that supermarkets
Longlife skimmed milk tastes better than longlife half-fat and full-fat
Tesco value for tinned tomatoes, baked beans etc
My water meter saves me over £5 a month, and that's for a small flat
Print from your computer in draft mode - it's f2x aster and uses haf the ink
I re-use the backs of A4 paper to print drafts. This way I buy only 1 ream of paper a year - I'm a journlist - and it saves time spent shopping.
I have an A5 clipboard for scribbling, and keep it filled with any paper and card smaller than A4
Don't waste money on cold cures - there isn't a cure for the common cold
Use the public library.
Walking is healtheir, faster and cheaper than most short bus and car journeys

sallyforth_3

Whast is Stardrops, how much is it, and where do you buy it?

stilernin

I keep mine in a recycled handwash dispenser so I can regulate how much is being used.

This is even more important for those of us who dilute it because each it doesn't come out any quicker, unlike 'thinned FL' in a bottle.

In fact I usually just put the tiniest bit on a sponge and apply to dishes as you wash them, avoiding imersing sponge in the water too much.

I put the cutlery in the bowl first, and pour boiling water over them, add a bit of cold and wash with the tiniest bit of FL to the sponge. (Boiling water is used 'cos my combi is so far from the kitchen and I reckon it's cheaper). Continuing this way with the next cleanest stuff, adding a bit more FL to my sponge as I go, but only if necessary(!)..... This way cutlery, glasses and cups that go in your mouth have less FL and the grotty dishes at the end can be attacked with a bit more. I will often go over grotty stuff with the soapy sponge and leave it on the side for half an hour, much cheaper than Ainsley's expensive Fairy Spray!!

After a while it becomes a matter of price to see how little FL is needed.

These dispensers can be reused for other liquids like shampoo and conditioner for regulating quantities used........

HTH all those FL addicts out there.