30 MoneySaving household hacks to avoid waste

BB15

Could you give us an idea of the place for Christmas fabric at £1 metre please.

Cottage_Economy

I'm forever making hair scrunchies out of bits of altered clothes.

I found two new thin jersey v neck tops in the charity shop that had 'choker' type necks on them. Loved the tops but hate anything around my neck like that. Didn't take me long to get those off and now I use them as scrunchies to tie my hair up with and as hairbands when I'm doing my face.

Also done it with holey tights/stockings and the bottoms off a pair of legging during the summer when I wanted knee length rather than full length.

Owain_Moneysaver

tabaira wrote: »

Re Wrapping paper. I know a warehouse where some of the cheap, Christmassy fabric is only £1 a metre.

Or if you buy your christmas paper in January you can get it for 40p for about 10 metre roll.

popoma

Alantheaged wrote: »

When we have visitors and they go to make tea/coffee, when I look, the kettle is far fuller than needed. Our kettle has a level indicator, graduated in cups, so if there is just one of you, only put 1 cups worth in. Simples. My daughter was astonished - she normally put in 2 or even 3 cups worth when she was just making one cup and actually said "you mean it only needs that much?" Point is, 2 cups worth uses twice the electricity to boil, so if you just use 1 cups worth, then it uses half the electricity. My brother was worst - half fills or more the kettle (3-4 cups)!

I store boiled water in a 2l Thermos. When I need freshly boiled water, I fill the kettle with that, and top up as needed. Anything over immediate use goes back in the Thermos. Very little time and thus energy is needed to boil each time.

tighteningthebelt

popoma wrote: »

I store boiled water in a 2l Thermos. When I need freshly boiled water, I fill the kettle with that, and top up as needed. Anything over immediate use goes back in the Thermos. Very little time and thus energy is needed to boil each time.

I knew someone who did this for years... everyone used to laugh at him til he retired to Spain in his early 50s and had enough money spare to set both his grandsons up with a house deposit. (He was not a high earner). So, good for you!

ailz95

Store jars of jam etc., upside down in the fridge once opened. It stops air getting in and stuff going mouldy.

RicardaRacoon

Alantheaged wrote: »

When we have visitors and they go to make tea/coffee, when I look, the kettle is far fuller than needed. Our kettle has a level indicator, graduated in cups, so if there is just one of you, only put 1 cups worth in. Simples. My daughter was astonished - she normally put in 2 or even 3 cups worth when she was just making one cup and actually said "you mean it only needs that much?" Point is, 2 cups worth uses twice the electricity to boil, so if you just use 1 cups worth, then it uses half the electricity. My brother was worst - half fills or more the kettle (3-4 cups)!

I have this discussion with my Dad on a regular base. His kettle has a minimum-indicator which I think is about a pint. So too much for a cuppa... I always boil my kettle with just about the right amount of water, after a while you get a good feeling how much you need. Whenever I am at my parents and want a cuppa I have to boil a whole pint as my Dad insists the kettle will be damaged if boild with less water... Won't believe me that my kettle survived it too.....

building_with_lego

tabaira wrote: »

Re Wrapping paper. I know a warehouse where some of the cheap, Christmassy fabric is only £1 a metre. I buy this and use it for attractive, innovative wrapping "paper". It can be glued or stitched to cover the present.

If you stitch bags with ribbon straps, you can easily make reusable wrappers which will last years.

This is a drawstring bag with applique decoration.

This one is even simpler!

Or you could just hem the fabric and sew on some Velcro as fasteners. Otherwise, it sounds as though you're just using the fabric once and it's thrown away :eek:

The_Miser

"Reuse kitchen sponges in the bathroom." and after they are worn out there I use them (and old dishwashing brushes) to clean plant pots,. dusty/dirty windowsills, mud off the doorstep and outside tiles etc.

Owain_Moneysaver

building_with_lego wrote: »

If you stitch bags with ribbon straps, you can easily make reusable wrappers which will last years.

If you've gone to all that effort, you could just give the bag as a present and avoid further effort and cost.