Proper old-fashioned saving the pennies

ashmit

bumped for snow_queen.

Purple_Sparkles

How about using old sheets, curtains for making shopping bags.

I do this with some of mine, I also knit rags into bags and make rag rugs, patchwork quilts & animal beds. Keeps me busy when it's dark and cold outside and I get something new for nothing at all.

flubberyzing

My mum always used carrier bags as bin liners while we were growing up. It seems strange to even think of actually BUYING bin liners! LOL

[Deleted User]

My youngest DD has five children aged between 4 & 15 the older ones enjoy their roast dinner at Sunday Lunch but two of the younger ones Mikey 4, and Jack 8, aren't keen on meat so she makes a big plate of sausage rolls every Sunday, and the LO's have them instead of sliced meat. There are always a few left over for packed school lunches the following day. It helps to streeetch the joint out a bit as well.
years ago in 1962 when I was first married we lived in a minute bedsit in Oxford, and I had to cook on a tiny three-ringed stove .As I was short of both money and saucepans I used to put my husband's peas on to cook and into the pot I would drop a crumbled up Oxo cube so peas and gravy were cooked in the same pan at the same time saved on washing up as well
My late Ma-in-law would use the inner lining of greaseproof paper from a packet of tea to drain the chips on .
I like to try to recycle things as much as possible and well remember turning sheets 'sides-to-middle' Can't do it now though as I have all fitted sheeets.
My DD has just bought four sets of school trousers for her lads going back to school and tommorow I shall sit and sew all around the hems on the bottom of their trousers before they all fall down .I think the hems are stitched in with very flimsy nylon thread in the factories so I use strong grey cotton. The nylon thread just melts in a hot wash in the machine.
I have been reading with interest all the tips and find that I have been doing most of them as normal for the last 50 plus years !!!

2cats1kid

A little OT, but a note on skip-diving. When my great-uncle died, his son was clearing the house ready to sell it, and cleared out a lot of stuff that had belonged to my great-grandfather. My dad (the son's cousin) retrieved as much from the skip as he felt able to do without too much embarrassment (didn't want to appear greedy). One of the things he pulled out was a manky old mirror, black with dirt. He cleaned it up and found underneath all the grime a beautiful Victorian silver mirror, which was valued at £800 about 10 years ago. As a family historian I could cry at what probably went to landfill in that skip - absolutely priceless and could have told me so much about my g-gfather and his family.

Gigervamp

JackieO wrote: »

My late Ma-in-law would use the inner lining of greaseproof paper from a packet of tea to drain the chips on .

That reminds me of something my nan used to do. She would save the inner bags from cereal packets. Some of them were cut into circles to use on her jams, and the others she would use as food bags.

trying-very-trying

16011996 wrote: »

would work for top sheets though. not so sure about bottom ones, but am halfway through doing some, will let you know when i've used them.

The bottom sheets shouldn't really cause too much of a problem for a "normal" healthy person, but certainly wouldn't be recommended for the frail or bed ridden.

lilac_lady

Match your bedroom curtains to the colour of the carpet. You can then change the duvet covers as often as you like without changing (and buying) other curtains. Less hassle too.

Sweet_Pea_2

Thats a good tip lilac_lady, I have matching curtains and quilt cover in our room and have been looking for a new quilt cover for months with no luck. Our quilt cover desperately needs adding to the decorating-cover-it-all-up sheet pile as it has holes in, is faded and has a lovely red nail varnish stain courtesy of DD2. I dont want to replace the curtains as am hoping to completely redecorate our room when OH eventually gets around to finishing the bathroom, and have had to buy a quilt cover that doesn,t really go at all.

When we do get aroundd to decorating our room, I'll avoid the matching curtains and quilt cover thing and do as you suggest.

Steel_2

Gigervamp wrote: »

That reminds me of something my nan used to do. She would save the inner bags from cereal packets. Some of them were cut into circles to use on her jams, and the others she would use as food bags.

I use mine for icing bags