30 MoneySaving household hacks to avoid waste

MSE_Sarah

From cutting open toothpaste to get the last drop out, to saving wrapping paper from opened gifts... many of us have certain quirky things we do as MoneySavers. We might not always admit to them, but however small (or strange), they all add up to save cash - and help the environment by reducing waste. So we've delved deep into the MSE Forum to come up with a whole host of MoneySaving household hacks...

Read the full blog: 30 MoneySaving household hacks to avoid waste

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Was ok to the point of vinegar in the sauce bottle. That put me off sauce and vinegar for life, when I was aged 4!

[Deleted User]

Gosh I have just read through it and discovered that I actually do all of these things,and probably more .
My son-in-law and daughter travel quite a bit and I always get their tiny hotel unused soaps/shampoos/conditioners etc in a bag,especially when they come home from visiting my grandson in NYC
I save these in an old biscuit tin and when I go on holiday I usually have more than enough to pop into my luggage which take up very little space rather than a bigger bottle
Having short hair I can usually get at least two shampoos from one of the little bottles.
I have an old pillowcase hanging on the back of the kitchen door which holds all discarded tee shirts or cotton items for cleaning cloths. A couple of years ago I had a fitted sheet with a valance, that had worn thin in the middle so I removed the valence and turned it into about 2 dozen or so small lavender checked cloths for cleaning,dusting etc.Just cut into squares and hand hemmed while watching tv .
The sheet itself (minus the thinner middle bit ended up and four little cot/pram sheets for my great granddaughter, again hand hemmed..Absolutely nothing gets wasted in my house if I can help it,but then I was brought up with post war austerity and a make do and mend Mum.I think both her and my generation were the original recyclers
JackieO xx

Socajam

I place all my pieces of soap in a jar, when I have collected enough put them in a Pyrex dish in a pot of water to boil.
The soaps becomes real soft, then I let it cool to the touch, pour the contents on a large ceramic tile and shape into squares.
Place the squares into cling film and I have at least 6 -10 bars of soap from all the pieces that would normally be thrown away.

griffinpark

I know what you mean about the post-war austerity casting a long shadow. My parents were war babies, so growing up their parents saved things just in case. So they developed the habit, which I saw and copied. Unfortunately, unlike my parents, I live in a small house with lots of other people, so I can't keep too much "just in case". I still resent throwing away "useful" things.

Owain_Moneysaver

Socajam wrote: »

Place the squares into cling film and I have at least 6 -10 bars of soap from all the pieces that would normally be thrown away.

Wrap with brown paper and tie with twine and you have artisan hand made soaps for christmas gifts :rotfl:

popoma

Socajam wrote: »

I place all my pieces of soap in a jar, when I have collected enough put them in a Pyrex dish in a pot of water to boil.
The soaps becomes real soft, then I let it cool to the touch, pour the contents on a large ceramic tile and shape into squares.
Place the squares into cling film and I have at least 6 -10 bars of soap from all the pieces that would normally be thrown away.

Alternatively, put the small pieces into a jar and cover them with water. After some time, they will start liquefying. Pour the liquid into a dispenser, and use it in the kitchen as liquid soap. If you want to speed the process, you can swirl and press the pieces in the jar.

The_Miser

I have a collection of empty spread containers and I buy / pick veg and fruit in largish quantities. Blanch the fruit / veg and freeze in the spread containers. When solid remove from container, put in old plastic bags (like those supermarkets had for veg), wrap bag end round block with a rubber band and you have convenient "bricks" for the freezer and can see the contents. I have plastic bags which must have been re-washed for several years

webweasel

We buy 5 litre tubs of liquid soap from a local janitorial supplies company and pump it into small dispensers. The most luxurious soap is about £14 so it’s about half the price of even cheap handwash and you save plastic waste. We use fancy soap bottles from when they were on offer in the supermarket.

nicclap

I like the tip about using fluff from the tumble dryer to make fire logs but as I don't have a tumble dryer, what about using fluff etc from the hoover. Bit messy but rubber gloves do the trick and the log burner/fireplace won't mind:)

webweasel

Or just stick the scrap of the last piece of soap onto the new one and save all the bother!