30 MoneySaving household hacks to avoid waste

ailz95

popoma said:

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.

That works in a sofrt water area, but you're told not to reboil water in a hard water area - like me in the south east - as it damages the kettle and makes the tea taste funny from the limescale.

ailz95

Mistral001 said:

Before throwing a piece of clothing out, I take off all the buttons and cut it up for rags to use for house cleaning and car maintenance etc. Then I keep a couple of buttons so that I can build up a selection of spares for replacing lost buttons.

BTW when my clothes are ready to be thrown out, they usually are very worn with lots of repairs so I cannot send them to charity shops. Many have actually come from charity shops.

My father used to use his old underpants for cleaning the inside of the car.  Many a time a pair have dropped out when he's opened the car door.

If you check with the charity shop a lot of them have rag bags which they weigh in and get money for.

I don't use any shampoo or conditioner.  I had greasy hair with dandruff - I used to have to wash it everyday.  Now I don't.  It takes about a month to get your hair and scalp sorted.  I massage my scalp at night with my head forward - not every night - and when I wash it I use fingertips to give it a good scrub.  We have hard water and when the limescale builds up I use a little bicarbonate of soda on my hair - not my scalp.  My hair is below my shoulders in length

cal59iban

When purchasing loose fruit and veg from supermarket, take last weeks bread bags, easy for checkout to see product.

Use Take Away or Ice Cream containers for a 'second hand meal', make more than enough then freeze the rest for a later date. Don,t forget to name the container.  (apples and mash look much alike when frozen).

Bottle bottoms make growing pots and the top a funnel when cut in half.

Pyxis

Sandy2 said:

Is it safe to use the cold water that initially comes out of the hot tap to fill the kettle. Having an oil boiler I seem to have to wait and waste a lot of cold water first whilst waiting for the hot to come through?

I’m not sure about this. I wouldn't use the water to drink, even though it would have been boiled. You don’t know what’s in the hot water tank! 

I have a similar problem with long pipe runs between the hot water tank and the taps. In the Spring and summer I run the water off into a bucket and use it to water the garden,or indoor plants. In the winter you can also use it to flush the loo, and/or to mop the floor.

JanetK_2

Add one or two sheets of kitchen roll to bags of salad to absorb the moisture to extend the storage in the fridge. 
Put all veg in plastic bags in the fridge and add kitchen roll. Check every so often and add new dry paper while the old paper is drying.
It extends the storage of root veg indefinitely and keeps it firm.

Peechy69

I already use a lot of these hacks.  Extras are as follows:- Dishwasher tablets, I cut them into 4 - however I have a desktop dishwasher rather than undercounter so it works for me, plus any granules created from cutting the tablets get put in another container & used for the quickwash cycle.  Put already cut pieces between 2 spoons & squeeze together to make more granules; hair conditioner bottles - cut them open with scissors or sharp object & scoop the remains with a spatula into a container & use; old tights - cut the feet off, then cut portions off the legs to use as hair bands.

Peechy69

debbiedodge1737 said:

I just got a electric and gas smart meter put in last week and noticed that although we are not on economy 7 (if that is still out there) we do get charged less between 12.30am and 7.30 am which i never made use of before. But the past week I have started loading the washing and dishwasher the night before ready to turn on at 5.30am when I normally wake up, they are both then finished before 7.30am making use of the cheap rate and the the washing is hung out on airers or outside to be taken in in evening before bed.

Debs
x

We've got Economy 7, plus both my dishwasher & washing machine have delay timers on them, so I make full use of the cheaper nightly rate by putting both machines on during this time.

MikeGordon

Five money saving tips that I use.
Use a very diluted, i.e. a teaspoon of washing up liquid in an old washing liquid bottle full of water to rinse food debris from crockery and cutlery before putting in the dishwasher.
 
Use soiled paper hankies once they have dried to replace fire lighters.

Reuse envelopes for shopping lists or notes.

Use glossy magazine pages to line your compost tub if it's going to be added to the refuse bin.

Catch the cold water run off from the shower for flushing the toilet, watering plants and so on. 

VivWatkins

My son learned this when he worked in a commercial kitchen. Useful  if you drink several cups of tea during the day.  Make your 'first' pot of tea in your largest tea pot, take out tea bags when brewed. Pour your cuppa and leave the rest in the pot in a cool place. Pour your later cups of cooled tea, microwave and add milk. Saves power, water and effort!

Daughter_of_Scrooge

Wretched tetrapacks..........  when 'empty' put the cap back on flatten the top and make a cut in one of the top corners  and tip - you'll be surprised how much cream/milk/liquid is left inside.  Soap/washing up liquid refills - I turn upside down into a funnel and leave overnight propped up in the recipient bottle/jar. Do the same with oil/syrups  or anything thick.......... learned this trick with Pernod  in my youth............ when working in a pub (re-using the same measure for each shot!)