It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

linz

Great idea @Deleted_User

My top 5 things that are saving me money are;

1. Nipping to the co-op to drop off my soft plastics in the evenings a few times a week and getting yellow stickered stuff. Am managing to get lots of stuff for a fraction of the price to eat or freeze which is keeping my grocery bill down.

2. My electric blanket.

3. Decent Stanley flask. Fill the kettle for a brew first thing and the rest stays hot for the rest of the day so i only need to boil the kettle once.

4. Halogen oven. Can't remember the last time i used my main oven.

5. Mooncup. Not bought sanitary products for about 7 years now.

basketcase

OrkneyStar said:

Just popping in to say thank you to those of you who replied to my question about biscuits and things which we could bring back from our trip, it's appreciated that folk took the time to reply. Our trip was good, we ended up staying off island a bit longer than initially planned (long story) but it was nice to get home and appreciate our own beds too. I hope we're all hanging in there in the tough(er) times and that folk are still finding little joys in among all the worries!

I missed that post, but it puts me in mind of when I used to know a Shetland family and go to visit them.  (I worked at Sullom Voe sometimes and flew up).  On one occasion they called to say they'd ordered a part for their washing machine, please could I bring it up?  No problem.  Oh, and - if I could find one, but don't go to any trouble mind - a large old-fashioned brown teapot.  Yep.  I'll see what I can do.  And could I possibly manage a couple of pounds of leeks?  (I gathered the ones in the Copie were both dear and minging!)  When I got to the check-in desk, the clerk took one look at my haul and said "Shetland then is it?"

I doubt that list would have been any use to you, but I thought it might amuse you!

OrkneyStar

basketcase said:

OrkneyStar said:

Just popping in to say thank you to those of you who replied to my question about biscuits and things which we could bring back from our trip, it's appreciated that folk took the time to reply. Our trip was good, we ended up staying off island a bit longer than initially planned (long story) but it was nice to get home and appreciate our own beds too. I hope we're all hanging in there in the tough(er) times and that folk are still finding little joys in among all the worries!

I missed that post, but it puts me in mind of when I used to know a Shetland family and go to visit them.  (I worked at Sullom Voe sometimes and flew up).  On one occasion they called to say they'd ordered a part for their washing machine, please could I bring it up?  No problem.  Oh, and - if I could find one, but don't go to any trouble mind - a large old-fashioned brown teapot.  Yep.  I'll see what I can do.  And could I possibly manage a couple of pounds of leeks?  (I gathered the ones in the Copie were both dear and minging!)  When I got to the check-in desk, the clerk took one look at my haul and said "Shetland then is it?"

I doubt that list would have been any use to you, but I thought it might amuse you!

Ha ha, yes I am sure there have been many odd requests over the years from 'Island folk'! With the dawn of the internet age it is much easier to get so many things but some companies still charge a lot for delivery, and of course it's harder to get perishable things too! 

basketcase

OrkneyStar said:

basketcase said:

OrkneyStar said:

Just popping in to say thank you to those of you who replied to my question about biscuits and things which we could bring back from our trip, it's appreciated that folk took the time to reply. Our trip was good, we ended up staying off island a bit longer than initially planned (long story) but it was nice to get home and appreciate our own beds too. I hope we're all hanging in there in the tough(er) times and that folk are still finding little joys in among all the worries!

I missed that post, but it puts me in mind of when I used to know a Shetland family and go to visit them.  (I worked at Sullom Voe sometimes and flew up).  On one occasion they called to say they'd ordered a part for their washing machine, please could I bring it up?  No problem.  Oh, and - if I could find one, but don't go to any trouble mind - a large old-fashioned brown teapot.  Yep.  I'll see what I can do.  And could I possibly manage a couple of pounds of leeks?  (I gathered the ones in the Copie were both dear and minging!)  When I got to the check-in desk, the clerk took one look at my haul and said "Shetland then is it?"

I doubt that list would have been any use to you, but I thought it might amuse you!

Ha ha, yes I am sure there have been many odd requests over the years from 'Island folk'! With the dawn of the internet age it is much easier to get so many things but some companies still charge a lot for delivery, and of course it's harder to get perishable things too! 

Oh it was definitely the delivery, which was astronomical!

newlywed

Top 5 things:

1. Slow cooker
2. Hot water bottle 
3. Meal planning so the slow cooker is used or the oven is filled
4. My travel mug stopping me buying so many coffees out
5. Trolley.co.uk and looking a bit more carefully at prices and price per unit

Spendless

Top 5 things

1. Slow cooker
2. Garden with washing line
3. Wearing long sleeved tops. I have noticed it is my lower arms that become cold first. Put on a long sleeved top  or hoodie and I'm then warmer.
4. Loyalty cards - I mostly use Tesco and Boots ones. I really wouldn't want to pay some of Mr T's prices that are higher if you don't have a clubcard. Boots is dear, so I don't buy everyday toiletries there, the points add up when I spend at Xmas, for birthdays or in sales. 
5 - Keeping commuting costs low, a bit household specific, For DH this is a combination of him WFH and his employer paying petrol and for DD using a railcard.

That leads me to my next suggestion, if you receive any work perks use them. It's a long time ago but I once had a job with a free physio. First time I saw him, he identified an issue I had and corrected it there and then. 

London_1

My 'hard to do without'

1. Two hot water bottles. (I use them when sitting watching Tv as well )

2. My MacAir laptop (I check all my food buys before I go to the shops)

3. My washing line in the garden 

4. My Remoska (paid for itself over the years)

5. Menu planning (I have done this every sunday morning since getting married in 1962)

6. Slow Cooker.

But most of all my family whom I adore ,my two daughters, son-in-laws ,7 grandchildren, and two lights of my life little great granddaughters who I saw yesterday and their little faces just lighting up when they came to play with Granny, as the eldest one announced on the doorstep yesterday morning .

JackieO xx

Spendless

Well that was helpfuil. Cracked an egg for breakfast sandwiches and it was a double yolker, was able to split it between myself and DH. 

ZolaBuddy

Spendless said:

Well that was helpfuil. Cracked an egg for breakfast sandwiches and it was a double yolker, was able to split it between myself and DH. 

I hope you're not eggagerating? Am really eggstatic... Sorry, only yolking

Umm... okay, I'll get my coat

Nonnadiluca

Interesting thinking about top five money saving things, mine are
1. Garden with washing line, fruit trees and herbs
2. Allotment
3. OH who is a keen gardener , see 1 and 2 ( maybe I should have put him at no. 1😊!!)
4. Olio app

5. Library