2022 Frugal Living Challenge

London_1

Hmm well I have been using vinegar in my washing machine for the past ten years or so, and never had a problem.Similarly I use a handful of soda crystals along with half the amount of detergent, and my washing is fine.I certainly wouldn't bother with "Calgon" as its virtually the same as Washing Soda crystals but about 3-4 times the price yet does the same job. I usually find them in Boots for about 60P a bag

JackieO xx 

cw18

Glittering_M said:

My main concern is whether it would have the power to clear things sufficiently if you get what I mean. We used grey water in the shower and seemed to use loads of water to flush the toilet.

If I collect water from elsewhere to use for flushing the toilet, I turn off the water inlet to the cistern (mine have these in case of an overflow situation - I can isolate a toilet without having to turn off the water to the whole house), flush the toilet using what's in the cistern, and then refill the cistern with the grey water (whether I've collected it while the shower warms up, or brought it in from a water butt).    That means it flushes exactly the same as if the cistern had refilled from the mains.

Frugaldom

For everyone juggling water from place to place, it's the one thing we are seldom short of here in Scotland. Plenty of the stuff lying and running everywhere again so I'd freely redirect some your way if it was at all possible. We don't pay water rates up here but then there are so many areas around here that still aren't on water mains or got council / mains drainage or sewerage. 

For the benefit of more recent arrivals here, my grocery shopping is very limited by local availability and my extremely strict budget. Factor in the cost of fuel to drive anywhere and I'm cheaper having a home delivery whenever I spot a cheap slot. If what I order isn't available then I try again the next month. I'm trying to restrict food shopping to once a month but the £1 per person per day for all meals budget is being really stretched at the minute. Olio and homegrown are the only things helping it survive. I may need to re-evaluate my challenge budget for 2023.

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

We live rurally without main sewerage or mains drainage so we dont pay much for our water charges thankfully.

One of DHs friends lives next to a large commercial potato growing farm.  When they lift the potatoes there are always loads of small ones that just get ploughed in so our friend goes out and gathers some up.  I am told that the farmer knows about this and doesnt mind!  This year we have exchanged some veg plants for some of these potatoes.  So far we have had leek and potato soup with leeks from the garden, cottage pie and tonight pie and mash.

We also have been given free apples which is great.  There is some eves pudding for later.

Washing dried outside and no heating needed, I am thankful for the mild weather.

I am taking Mum out on Friday as a treat so may have to put diesel in the car, I was hoping to get to the end of the month on the £50 that put in at the beginning of October.  Never mind, it will all go towards next month.

Elisheba

YORKSHIRELASS said:

One of DHs friends lives next to a large commercial potato growing farm.  When they lift the potatoes there are always loads of small ones that just get ploughed in so our friend goes out and gathers some up.  I am told that the farmer knows about this and doesnt mind!  

I believe its known as gleaning and is a bit of a rural tradition and not considered stealing. And for my random fact of the day, it is even mentioned in the Bible as a way poor widows managed to survive. 

JIL

Siebrie said:

Before you use vinegar in your washing machine, check the manual. For my machine it's expressly mentioned not to use vinegar, as it will corrode the aluminium parts.

I'm sure worst things go into washing machines on dirty clothes than a table spoon of vinegar.

tooldle

Vinegar is a dilute form of acetic acid and it will react with (corrosion) aluminium slowly. 

maryb

Maybe it depends on your machine, but with mine it sits in a plastic dispenser drawer until the rinse cycle then gets flushed through with the first rinse water.  So I don’t think it’s in direct contact with metal parts until it’s well diluted.  And the drum is stainless steel and the pipes are plastic.  It’s the motor and pump that use aluminum.  But my machine does an extra rinse so even the pump would be flushed out

Tanya12345

Hi All,
Loving the water saving ideas, am going to sort out a bucket and do the same in our bathroom. Our water bill is £25 a month - no sewerage - and since getting the cow and milking etc we seem to be doing an awful lot more washing up, so this should really help.
I'm going to surprise my Sis with a visit on monday - it means having to fill up the tank - but it's worth it ! Scratching around for extra pennies in old purses, coat pockets, back of sofa etc...........
xx

zafiro1984

Elisheba said:

I believe its known as gleaning and is a bit of a rural tradition and not considered stealing. And for my random fact of the day, it is even mentioned in the Bible as a way poor widows managed to survive. 

I used to glean when we lived in Kent. The farmers welcome it as potatoes not harvested can harbour disease which may be passed onto the next crop. If my memory serves be right, potatoes did not tend to follow a strict three or four crop year rotation which most gardeners follow. 
I grow potatoes where we live now but use the 'no dig' method - saves a bad back, but also prepares the ground really well for a following crop of something else.

I watched a video on youtube where the person only bought lost leaders from the supermarkets and worked her weekly meals around that. I tried it this week as I have a fairly well stocked freezer and pantry. Li.. provided a £1.50 veg and fruit box as well as cheese and bread, Sa...chicken thighs/ bacon, YS mince, gravy, plus tins of soup. T...tinned toms, baked beans and frozen fruit. My weekly shop came to just under £25 for the two of us. I bought more items than I would use in a week so the extras went in the pantry or freezer which compensated for the things I had to use that were from my cupboards, freezer, veg plot and store.
It took a while to organise before I went shopping but strangely I had the time this week. I think it would have been a different story if I was not supposed to be retired.