Sneaky ways to save the pennies

Elle00

This is such a fab thread, loads of little ways to save a few quid here. I've got a couple of gross ones for starters that I probably shouldn't advertise but hey - the web is a wonderful anonymous place...

I use, *cringe*, tesco value flannels as night time sanitary towels!!! They cost 20p each and come out clean every time in a 40 degree wash. I know, it's gross, but I find it less gross than using a mooncup (I personally just don't like that idea).

I also use tesco value flannels on my lad instead of those super expensive disposable pants too (or even those expensive reusables). They're ideal for parents of stubborn toddlers who take six months or more to potty train and can save £££s.

Also:

I use half amounts of washing powder and fabric softener in my washing machine and have never noticed the difference.

I wash everything at 40 degrees except white baby stuff which I wash at 50 degrees and it comes out perfectly clean thanks to using a decent brand of washing powder (Fairy non-bio but half quantities).

I never use heating, we wear bedsocks and oversized fleeces for bedtime instead lol.

I hang my washing to partially dry then finish it in the tumble dryer to halve the cost while maintaining the result.

I mix Tesco dry cat food with Go Cat to fool the cats into eating it (they won't eat Tesco alone, they'd rather starve).

I cook food in batches as there's only one and a half of us and freeze portions.

jomknight

Keep a look out for dropped bills outside supermarket and use them to add to your points if they have not been used for points already. Water that I run off before the hot comes through (about 1 litre) I put in a big jug and usie n the cistern when I flush the loo.

usa1

I know friends who when they do to the Doctors and need to pay for a prescription, they ask thier Doctor to print out the prescription in one of their children names, thus to avoid paying the fees at the chemist. I dont have the balls to do this, but it works for my friends.

gb57

Not enough time to read all these useful tips, so not sure it this has been mentioned.

Never fill the kettle right up. If making only 2 cups of tea, then only boil 2 cups of water. Saves on electricity, also does not leave water standing in kettle, which makes it fur up more quickly.

Steve-o

Gorwel wrote: »

A few years ago when I was a student, a gang of us used to send cards to each other for birthdays and christmas. Someone had the idea of sending a £1 gift token (or even a £1 coin in a cheap card) instead. It was a much better idea than spending upwards of a £1 on a card only - and having £10+ to spend in tokens was a real treat!

What a wonderful idea! It always galls me the money that gets wasted on cards, especially at christmas. Bah humbug! :rotfl:

wendy+5

usa1 wrote: »

I know friends who when they do to the Doctors and need to pay for a prescription, they ask thier Doctor to print out the prescription in one of their children names, thus to avoid paying the fees at the chemist. I dont have the balls to do this, but it works for my friends.

How does that work if it's an 'adult' prescription? The pharmacist will have to check with the dr before dispensing it. Surely the dr can get in trouble for doing that?

toshkininny

Elle83 wrote: »

I use, *cringe*, tesco value flannels as night time sanitary towels!!! They cost 20p each and come out clean every time in a 40 degree wash. I know, it's gross, but I find it less gross than using a mooncup (I personally just don't like that idea).

I also use tesco value flannels on my lad instead of those super expensive disposable pants too (or even those expensive reusables). They're ideal for parents of stubborn toddlers who take six months or more to potty train and can save £££s.

Flippin 'eck for a minute, I was really cringing because I thought you were going to say you use the tesco flannels to wipe your lad's face. I was really hoping you weren't going to mix them up!

MONEYMAKINGMUM

My kids don't like thick sliced ham + I refuse to buy reformed rubbery yuk
(previously slop then set). I ask on deli to slice wafer thin - I got six slices for 72p
last week - bargain.

schoolfundraiser

cwp500 wrote: »

dont forget shredded newspaper,magazines (no staples please) and even cat litter if you can really mix it up well (if you dont it forms large lumps of wet concrete poo).

Cat litter can a) make the compost too acidic - a problem with growing brassicas as it can encourage club root

and more importantly

b) cat faeces can harbour all kinds of nasty worms and stuff which you do not want to handle with naked hands - remember getting out of doing the cat litter when pregnant because of the health risk to the foetus?

schoolfundraiser

Feline123 wrote: »

When cooking chops or a roast, I find it a real pain to have to remove the fat from the grill/roasting pan and make gravy with the meat juice residues. .

My treat when cooking a beef roast is the resulting beef dripping - does anyone other than me eat it any more? Beats Marmite hands down.