Sneaky ways to save the pennies

Savvy_sewing

One of my twins didnt use up her Healthy Start Vouchers, and they were due to run out yesterday, so she gave them to me. I got the one 4 pinter of milk that she wanted and spent the rest on vegetables and fruit, for DS and myself!!! So I have grapefruits and strawberries as a treat this week.! and of course saved myself a tenner!!

wizk1

If you have those little jars of Italian anti-pasti peppers or mushrooms or anything like that. Keep the oil they're preserved in as it makes a wonderful salad dressing with a little balsamic vinegar

puss14

When I cook up stewd apples, I only have them on the gas for a short period as they will cook from the heat of the water. Also i use the syrupy water in curries or savoury minces for extra flavour. I also do this with tinned fruit syrups and juices. Oh yes and stewed apple is great in smoothies. Yum Yum:T

geordie_joe

sabretoothtigger wrote: »

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

Only if you remember to check it before you go to bed. If you can't remember to turn something off at night, and to check you have turned it off, what makes you think you will remember to check a gadget that will tell you if you have turned every thing off.

geordie_joe

meanmarie wrote: »

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

That sounds interesting. The company I work for produces a lot of sawdust. Not sure if I could get any tho' it gets sucked out of the machines and put into a sealed skip and taken away.

tarah101

Hi, just a quickie- last week i took an empty 'named brand' kitchen cleaner spray bottle and after cleaning it out poured some tesco value all purpose cleaner into it aswell as some water-


kitchen tops smell lovely, are sparkling. its a great degreaser and no one has noticed the difference

meanmarie

geordie_joe wrote: »

That sounds interesting. The company I work for produces a lot of sawdust. Not sure if I could get any tho' it gets sucked out of the machines and put into a sealed skip and taken away.

Joe....that strikes me as a huge waste if it is not being used....I know of companies here who use sawdust to produce heat for other processes....maybe you could discuss with your boss the possibility of getting some....not sure what is the minimum size container you need to make a successful volcano, I used to use it in the firebox of a solid fuel cooker and it produced wonderful top heat but didn't help with heating the water at all...maybe it would be advisable to Google the whole process before you say anything or they might lock you up!

Marie

ampersand

Not sure if it's exactly a sneaky way to save pennies, but it's a simple and pleasing use of something disposable.

Have just heated a skewer in the gas flame[marmalade from 2x19p[STRIKE]£2.89 each[/STRIKE]nets of Mr T oranges is cooking]and made 5/6 holes in the top of a plastic litre milk container. Use for watering hanging baskets and gentle damping of seeds etc.

I take car water in bigger ones en route and pancake and other simple cake mixes can be shaken into readiness this way - fun for littlies.

Puddleglum

I have perfected (?) a wizard wheeze to slash the cost of tomato sauce for pizzas, pasta etc.

Chop up 2 or 3 onions and set to fry in an oil/butter mixture. Add a couple of desertspoons of plain flour and cook for a couple of minutes.

Now for the moneysaving wheeze!

Put a tin of tomatoes in a jug and add an equal amount of stock. Blend this together and use the blended mixture to make a tomato sauce with the roux.

Add a goodly squeeze of tomato puree, 2 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp salt and some basil or whatever takes your fancy.

Result: a two tin quantity of tomato sauce which tastes just like the real thing made with just one tin.

I then portion up the sauce and freeze it so it lasts me for several weeks.

DeeisMe

Puddleglum wrote: »

I have perfected (?) a wizard wheeze to slash the cost of tomato sauce for pizzas, pasta etc.

Chop up 2 or 3 onions and set to fry in an oil/butter mixture. Add a couple of desertspoons of plain flour and cook for a couple of minutes.

Now for the moneysaving wheeze!

Put a tin of tomatoes in a jug and add an equal amount of stock. Blend this together and use the blended mixture to make a tomato sauce with the roux.

Add a goodly squeeze of tomato puree, 2 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp salt and some basil or whatever takes your fancy.

Result: a two tin quantity of tomato sauce which tastes just like the real thing made with just one tin.

I then portion up the sauce and freeze it so it lasts me for several weeks.

Sounds lovely...thanks, must give it a try!