Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend

marionmgcars

I had quite a bit of toiletries given in similar circumstances- very helpful to stock up.  Hopefully I will not leave that problem for my family members.  Swedish Death Cleaning is a good idea to motivate us to pass on things we don’t need or want anymore.  

rtandon27

Every few years, I have bosses who retire or are promoted & depart for places overseas.  Each time I have been the grateful recipient of several hundred pounds of groceries, store-cupboard ingredients, cleaning products and open bottles of spirits!  We've happily tucked into those ingredients that are wild & wonderful or cleaned with products that are definitely not of the baking soda & vinegar variety. No point wasting anything that good money has been spent on!!!

badmemory

When I cleares my mothers in 2012 I found stuff BBE 1994.  some of it was still edible though.

foxgloves

I think it is just so much more sustainable to use up products when all the energy & materials have gone into making them. It's bad enough with all the plastic, but throwing away an un-used product just seems so much worse to me.

I have the wheels today as Mr F is on a training course much closer to home. Currently enjoying a cappucino & crossing items off my town list. Have managed to get all the outstanding items for my 'in case of emergency flare-ups' hospital bag. As a planner, it does make me feel a bit calmer knowing I shan't have to think about this in an emergency but can just grab it. 
Shall need to drop my shopping bag off at the car shortly, then I shall tackle the next things on my list, which include birthday cards & hopefully a gift, a kitchen item plus a browse (hopefully only a browse) in a couple of clothes shops.
Have also dropped off my big bag for the charity shop. The plan is to meet Mr F later & tackle the grocery shopping. Am keeping busy so my mind is active, as have scary dental surgery tomorrow.
Right, onwards we go!
F x

EssexHebridean

When we moved in to the house we discovered that the undersink cupboard, and the vanity units in both the downstairs WC and the bathroom all contained various cleaning products - so I have assorted things that I would never in a million years have bought (stone & granite cleaner? Hob cleaner?) which I would never have bought for myself, but will happily use, and a few things that I probably won't, but will at some stage see if Mum might (Various laundry freshening products stand out here - I don't even use fabric conditioner as I use a 2-in-one wash product and just put a little white vinegar in with towels from time to time when they need some softening). I've already had a try of the hob cleaner - and I have to say I'm not at all convinced that Pink stuff, half an hour of "sitting time" a strong right arm and a scrubby sponge won't have a better effect, but there you go!) If products are already in existence in the house I would sooner use them up, than throw them away unused as at least using them saves use of another resource, and resulting impact on my own pocket. 

Good plan to have a busy day today - but do try to make some time for just sitting and relaxing as well - even though with something to occupy your hands and mind to prevent opportunities for dwelling and overthinking. 

themadvix

Don't forget that if you're really never going to use something, there's always Olio/Freegle/Freecycle to give things away on - someone will be grateful for them!

EssexHebridean

I'd not thought of that idea for cleaning products - I've never seen anything of that sort on our local freecycle but I'll have a look and see if there is a reason for that, or if it's just that nobody's ever had them to give away! Good thinking, though. 

It's fairly rare that I finish with things around the house while they are still in any sort of state to give away to anyone else. Towels go through the routine of being passed from general use, to "Mr EH's rugby towels" and generally emerge from that experience with assorted random holes! Bedding makes its way down to "dustsheets" and clothing is worn pretty much until it drops! (And even then frequently continues with a new life as a cleaning cloth!)

foxgloves

@EssexHebridean - Yes, same here re clothes, esp Mr F. His good stuff eventually becomes garden or DIY gear & if I really like a garment, I tend to wear it till it wears out. Old towels become cat towels or are kept for soggy jobs like defrosting the freezer and/or get cut up to make cleaning cloths. I know I have mentioned this before, but even back in the Spendy Era, I was so surprised when I was out shopping with a friend & she said she needed to pop in & buy an item from a car shop. It turned out to be a roll of cotton jersey-type cloths for car-polishing. I asked why on earth she would want to spend money on those & she said "Well, what do you use?" I said I used old cut-up t-shirts which are exactly the same fabric. She was not converted & still bought them. I should add that she was just as spendy as me back in the day, but with more income, so was not splurging the bank's money as I often was.
Jersey-type fabric is good for shoe-cleaning too, esp waving dubbin around boots before venturing out for a walk.
I also once chopped up & composted a pair of old jeans to see if it was possible. Well, they disappeared, so it must have been! A later attempt to compost rather a lot of cotton fabric scraps went to pot though.....the damn stuff was polycotton, so I was picking it out of our finished compost for ages,
F

Makingabobor2

I agree about cutting up old clothes for cloths. Can't remember the last time I bought cloths. I can always remember my mum using old vests & even pants to polish with. 

ladyholly

That was always the advantage of Terry nappies. All you can do with disposables is create stuff for landfill.