Sneaky ways to save the pennies

lingojingo

juliapenguin wrote: »

My mother buys strawberries specifically to freeze them - I think she microwaves them very slightly with a very small amount of sugar (depending on how sweet they are) then pushes the mixture through a sieve and freezes it in ice cube trays. One or two cubes defrosted then eaten with ice cream is a taste of summer in the middle of winter...

My mum always makes pavlova as an alternative to christmas pud, using strawberries picked on my brother's birthday - 15th July

lingojingo

noonesperfect wrote: »

Once vegetable have reached the boil I put the lid on and turn the ring off. All the vegetables I cook this way (residual heat/ceramic hob) are great (wouldn't try it with something that needs 15 mins+ like spuds tho).

I do this with rice or pasta - let it boil for a minute or 2, turn off the heat, stretch a t-towel tight across the top and put the lid back on. Leave for about 15 mins, then drain and serve as normal.

geordie_joe

Confuzzled wrote: »

erm... i thought THOSE sort of appliances ran on batteries...correct me if i'm wrong!


sorry, couldn't resist!!!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Not mine, it is industrial; strength, variable speed and reversible too :rotfl:

Confuzzled wrote: »

this is a unit you connect to your own devices and can be connected either to the meter (if i understood correctly) or to the socket so you can check the entire house and/or a specific items usage

Ah! An electricity usage meter.......now I get it.

geordie_joe

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Brian wrote: »

Hi geordie joe, :hello:

As sabretoothtigger says, you can get a free Electrisave energy monitor if you sign up for E.ON’s Energy Saver tariff. :j

The monitor will belong to you; you won’t have to return it, so E.ON won’t have any information in regards to what you use.

The monitor has a display unit and a transmitter unit. The transmitter is connected to the meter cables and sends information to the display unit.

The monitor will then display how much electricity is going through your meter as you use it, you can try turning everything off and trying one appliance at a time to learn how much each item uses.

The monitor itself won’t save you money, it’s the actions you take from the information that will lower your usage and help reduce the amount you spend. :think:

It’s a great tool and can potentially save you a lot of money in both the short term and the long term. :money:

Any more questions let me know.

Brian

Got one, a two week wonder and that included not using it for 10 days!

Once it has told you how much electricity each appliance is using it's pretty much useless.

Not that the info it gives you is of much use in the first place. What's the point of telling me how much leccy my freezer is using, I can't turn it off.

Personally, I think you would be better off putting your prices down instead of giving away "free" gimmicks. We all know we are paying for them anyway!

SunnyGirl

Just been reading through & would like to add my bit When I boil new potatoes (or old ones) I bring them up to the boil, give them 5 mins to simmer, put a lid on tight and leave them until I need them. They're always cooked to perfection :T

smithyjules

[QUOTE=Confuzzled;22674803
i must have raised her properly though, whenever she is taken into a regular store she checks prices of clothing and gives a look of disgust at the prices usually saying something along the lines of 'i could get 2 full outfits for the price of these jeans! awwww, she's only 7, i'm so proud :T[/QUOTE]

This reminded me of some time i spent with my Nan just recently. We went to felixstowe for the day with my DD (2) and as we walked through the town my Nan said "i take it you'll be waiting out here!" when she went into a charity shop. When i was 17 i lived with my grandparents and used to hide down the street somewhere when she went in...now at the grand old age of 27 i barged her out of the way with a giggle and said "i'm heading for the books!" She was ever so pleased we had a real giggle!though nothing could have persuaded me to buy the pink merainge of a bridesmaids dress that she said would look beautiful against my auburn hair!!!:eek:

ampersand

This may seem of no account, but there you go....Mr T has recently made a miniscule offering to charity each time a hole in one of his walls is used. I always take a mini-statement first before w/d £s, so acquired habit of pressing 'No' for 'Do you wish to make another transaction?'
This way, I reasoned[correctly] 2 uses ='d 2 donations.
The same principle applies now, if your Mr t is trialling MOC's via hole-in-wall. I've had a dozen already, for 25p off crisps and soups[min spoend £1]. Neither features in my shopping, but they're there to be had for no more than checking your balance as often as you like.
Every little etc.etc...........

geordie_joe

SunnyGirl wrote: »

Just been reading through & would like to add my bit When I boil new potatoes (or old ones) I bring them up to the boil, give them 5 mins to simmer, put a lid on tight and leave them until I need them. They're always cooked to perfection :T

There was a big discussion about this on the green thread last year. But there is was bring the veg to the boil then turning the heat off straight away.

Many people tried it, and many people use it regularly and it works. I tried it several times, and found I got great results by lifting the lid off the pan, putting a sheet of tin foil over the pan then putting the lid back on. Then putting one tea towel on top of the pan and wrapping another around the sides. This keeps the heat in.

Some people even made insulated boxes to put the pan in and cooked casseroles in it.

Definitely worth a try if you want to save fuel/money, but it does take longer to cook.

meanmarie

geordie_joe wrote: »

There was a big discussion about this on the green thread last year. But there is was bring the veg to the boil then turning the heat off straight away.

Many people tried it, and many people use it regularly and it works. I tried it several times, and found I got great results by lifting the lid off the pan, putting a sheet of tin foil over the pan then putting the lid back on. Then putting one tea towel on top of the pan and wrapping another around the sides. This keeps the heat in.

Some people even made insulated boxes to put the pan in and cooked casseroles in it.

Definitely worth a try if you want to save fuel/money, but it does take longer to cook.

The insulated box is another version of the haybox used to save energy during WW2 and works very well...if one has access to lots of sawdust a 'volcano' can be made by making a central hole down through the sawdust, setting light to bottom, sawdust will burn outwards from the bottom and you get wonderful heat....sawdust not easily available now I know.

Marie

sabretoothtigger

Once it has told you how much electricity each appliance is using it's pretty much useless.

Can be useful to tell you havent left on anything big overnight