Sneaky ways to save the pennies

Janae

Hi
KiWi13 - I'm another one who keeps dipping in and out of this thread and have found so many useful ideas. My reasons are financial and environmental and I'm getting increasingly more obsessive about not wasting anything. I recycle whatever I can now, have joined Freecycle, have bought things from the local dump, check my fridge regularly to use up leftovers (have had some very odd snacks at times:D), do meal plans etc. Still have lots to learn though.

At the moment I'm collecting lots of used plastic cups from work - great for starting off seeds.

Thanks to everyone for all their tips.

kj

emmasmum01

I cannot believe some of the tips on here they're brilliant you lot could publish a book lol.

I could really do with some help from you guys.
were a family of seven 2 adults 5 kids aged 15,13,11,7,5. and i seriously need to start saving some money. i have a small tesco by me and i must go in there every day and spend between £10 and £40
I'm not affraid of trying anything different, have so far swapped andrex or store brand loo rolls for tesco's discount brand loo rolls which are 12 for £1.99 and they're good will have to remember to squash them LOL, also use discount brands ketchup and mayo and dishwasher tabs. use store own washing powder will ahve to half the amount i use. need to find somewhere i can buy huge bottles of white vinegar for softner. i have also gone from school dinners to packed lunches at it was costing me £50 a week and theres no way on gods earth it costs me that much for packed lunches. could do with some recipes for making dinners last for 2 sittings etc and for soup.
You lot are just utterly brilliant please keep it up

rosemary54

KiWi13 wrote: »

hi :T to you all ive been reading this thread now for about 3 weeks when im supposed to be working but its so full of really good tips so its awfully addictive.
My DH and I have just recently bought our first house and are wanting to make sure we do things right from the start and there are some very good ideas on here indeed. Thankfully he is very good with money anyway and is always willing to give things a go so hopefully shouldn't have too much of the "branding" problems at all.

on the reccommendations from this website when i was in holiday in england (I'm in N. Ireland) i bought some stardrops but haven't as yet got round to using it yet!

just wondering though - are people saving the pennies because things are already really bad or just in order to save wherever is possible so that it doesn't get to that stage? I was thinking about it the other night and thought it was good to know i could go down brands and have a bit left over to make ends meet where needed and it just made me wonder what i would then end up doing if i was already buying the cheapest etc.
Just makes you think is all and it made me wonder what peoples motives were? preventative or necessary.
(do hope i havent offended anyone it wasn't intentional)

sorry for a long post really have enjoyed reading all these tips and do hope to see more coming!:D

K

don ,t know about other people but I try to save where I can so I can splash out on little treats like "posh" perfume and weekends away:jthink if I really had to use cheap stuff (sorry whoever makes coffee last 3 times but could not do that)all the time I would get a bit depressed:rolleyes:

I love the feeling when I get a good deal for a weekend away,holiday or bottle of perfume that makes me feel rich for a while(always buy the perfume online for greta savings tho!)

Aril

Aswell as charity shops I have also started to buy clothes from the a local car boot sale. There was a jumper there recently for 50p which was covered in a beaded design which frankly, was not to my taste. However, after an evening of taking them all off [whilst watching the TV] I've been left with a lovely plain black wool Winsmoor jumper. If I hadn't looked beyond the pattern to the garment beneath I'd have missed a good quality classic garment and a bargain to boot. I've now done this with several items. It's amazing how often the removed beads or sequins can be used in other projects or in my case added to the craft supplies at school
Aril
PS Have also done this on one occasion in reverse by adding bling to a plain charity shop cardy to improve it

carriebradshaw

Valli wrote: »

I compost our pet's stuff - no problem!

it's not recommended but I can't remember why I just don't do it cos the thought of it makes me feel icky,perhaps it's the worry of pet worms and that toxicaris wotsit? that can cause blindness or other diseases maybe,I'm not totally sure

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0903/compost_heap.asp

Avoid diseased plants, perennial weeds, weeds and mowings where weedkillers have been used, weed seed heads, meat, fish and cooked foodscraps and cat or dog waste

ETA:


When pet waste is disposed of improperly,not only water quality suffers – your healthmay be at risk, too. Pets, children who play outside, and adults who garden are most at risk for infection from some of the bacteria and parasites found in pet waste. Flies may also spread diseases from animal waste.
Diseases or parasites that can be transmittedfrom pet waste to humans include:
Campylobacteriosis – A bacterial infection carried by dogs and cats that frequently
causes diarrhea in humans.
Cryptosporidium – A protozoan parasite carried by dogs, cats, mice, calves and
many other mammals. Common symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps,
nausea and dehydration. May be fatal to people with depressed immune systems.
Toxocariasis – Roundworms usually transmittedfrom dogs to humans, often
without noticeable symptoms, but may cause vision loss, a rash, fever, or cough.
Toxoplasmosis – A protozoan parasite carried by cats that can cause birth
defects such as mental retardation and blindness if a woman becomes infected
during pregnancy; also a problem for people with depressed immune systems.
Symptoms include headache, muscle aches, lymph node enlargement.

sparrer

KiWi13 wrote: »

just wondering though - are people saving the pennies because things are already really bad or just in order to save wherever is possible so that it doesn't get to that stage?
K

My purpose for saving pennies is to have enough for the things I really enjoy/can't do without - running my car, little holidays with DM who's now 88 (we call ourselves the two fat ladies :rolleyes:) and loves going away, my grandchildren...and decent tea! Cutting down/out isn't a hardship as long as you're sensible and use the savings for the things that matter most.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

KiWi13 wrote: »

hi :T
just wondering though - are people saving the pennies because things are already really bad or just in order to save wherever is possible so that it doesn't get to that stage?

K

I am pennypinching because I am trying to pay off my mortgage. The techniques so far are working and the whole family are on board, the trick is to identify what works for you, no point making yourself miserable!

I have been without my normal line of income over the last 3 months because where I work is closing down so I have had to look for a new job (I am a temp so don't get much notice when work is short), luckily I have found a new job and waiting for a start date and I am in the process of joining another agency but thankfully I have been used to budgetting on hubby's wage and using my income to overpay so we have been ok short term.

pennypinching tips are:

- use 1/2 of everything if poss (eg dishwasher tabs)
- borrow what you can, don't buy (eg library books)
- re use everything (eg old tights for the garden)
- use freecycle, charity shops, jumble sales (I haven't bought any new clothes for ages, only 2nd hand ones!)
- grow your own veg, cook from scratch, use up leftovers, make your own compost, yoghurt, bread, cakes etc
- don't go shopping!
- don't carry any money in your purse!
- cut out non essential foodstuffs such as cola, crisps, anything that does not offer nutritional value...move the goalposts to find your own comfort zone though...

bravobeastie

Aril wrote: »

Aswell as charity shops I have also started to buy clothes from the a local car boot sale.

I have to second this, I hadn't been to a car boot sale for ages, but hubby and I stopped off to have a nose at our local Wednesday one. I got 2 thick winter coats, 1 in pink, 1 in blue which were just a bit bigger than my childrens sizes so will be perfect for the coming winter (they also looked brand new) for 75p each (yes I know, that's what I thought too)

I also saw a woman stuck at the end of it all (you know the one everyone seems to just walk past on the way back to the car?) well I got half a green 'rubbish' bag full of clothes for just over £3.50 for myself (all 20p each). Cardigans, trousers, tops and mostly good makes. They've all washed up perfectly too :j

Would like to add, that i'm penny pinching because knowing I paid next to nothing for something, made something out of what someone would throw away gives me a buzz (oh yeah, and the extra pennies are a bonus)

MoneyQueen

KiWi13 wrote: »

just wondering though - are people saving the pennies because things are already really bad or just in order to save wherever is possible so that it doesn't get to that stage?

K

I watch the pennies because we are trying to pay off our mortgage.. so that when we have kids, I can be a SAHM

clutterydrawer

KiWi13 wrote: »

just wondering though - are people saving the pennies because things are already really bad or just in order to save wherever is possible so that it doesn't get to that stage? I was thinking about it the other night and thought it was good to know i could go down brands and have a bit left over to make ends meet where needed and it just made me wonder what i would then end up doing if i was already buying the cheapest etc.
Just makes you think is all and it made me wonder what peoples motives were? preventative or necessary.
(do hope i havent offended anyone it wasn't intentional)
K

Partly out of necessity cos I took a wage cut to retrain in a job I actually enjoyed.

*but* - i could spend much more than I do - i like to cut down on the things i don't notice, eg buying value loo roll, so I can have more treats and also have a bit in the bank for emergencies.