Sneaky ways to save the pennies

juno

Barneysmom wrote: »

When it's cooked, bind it nice and tight in clingfilm and put it in the fridge to go cold. You'll get more and neater slices out of it :cool:

You really shouldn't put hot food straight into the fridge. It's a food safety thing.

InaPickle

juno wrote: »

You really shouldn't put hot food straight into the fridge. It's a food safety thing.

Thanks for looking out for me juno :cool: , but I was planning on letting it cool first! Ham does seem to sort of come apart more easily when it is warm so I think it would help a bit. x

blueberrypie

juno wrote: »

You really shouldn't put hot food straight into the fridge. It's a food safety thing.

Food safety demands that foods to be stored should be refrigerated as soon as possible. Leaving foods at room temperature provides ideal conditions for bacterial growth.

The idea that you should let foods cool before refrigerating them comes from the time when refrigeration relied on insulated containers with blocks of ice in them. Putting hot foods in those melted the ice faster, and so the temperature in the entire container was increased. With a modern refrigerator, all that will happen is that the refrigerator will work very slightly harder to maintain a safe temperature.

Janine2225

Good thread! Have managed to read it all as well (took a while!)
I didn't realise that a lot of the stuff I do normally would be classed as moneysaving/pennypinching/tightfisted....I just thought they were common sense or more "green"!
I wont be able to remember everything I do, and some things have been mentioned already but I'll give it a go.

* Make chilli/lasagne/bolagnaise with mince, soya mince, lentils, oats in varying qtys and depending what I have in.
* Buy dried beans and soak then cook bulk batches which go into the freezer for future meals (cheaper than tins and just as easy to use)
* Cook all our meals from scratch with actual ingredients (as in using tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs instead of a jar of dolmio)
* Use mysupermarket.co.uk to work out how much each item I need to buy is and order from different places as needs be
* Order shopping online for delivery on their cheapest slot (I do this as health problems stop me doing the shop normally but have found since starting this I have spent less)
* Buy meat from the butchers. Better quality, goes further and can be cheaper too....win win!
* Buy fruit and veg from a local market. If you get to know them they'll quite often give you better deals or freebies!
* Forage! Have made 20 pots of jam last week and all I paid for was the sugar. Hedgerows are a wonderful source of fruit.
* Use lock and lock style tubs to store food and liquids in the fridge and freezer instead of bags.
* Grate blocks of cheese when you buy them and store in a tub/tubs. Can be frozen like this with no ill effect and you do actually use less as you're not cutting wedges for each sandwich. Makes it easier and quicker too.
* Limit TV/game console usage by the kiddies, saves their health and your electricity bill!
* Recently found that buying supermarket 2 in 1 washing tablets is almost same price as basic tablets so you save the cost of fabric softner.
* Get a squeegy (sp?) for using in the shower. When you're done showering use it on the wall tiles and glass shower screen and you'll not need to spend ages with the jif or windolene trying to get them clean after its dried!
* Get a microfibre calafornian style mop and duster (JML do them IIRC), they're the ones with the loopy bits. I use the mop dry on my tiled and laminate floors (all of downstairs, 2 bedrooms and the bathroom) and it gets rid of all the dust and mucky footprints without any cleaning fluids. I only hoover once a fortnight.
* I use a deocrystal from greenpeople (similar to the pitrocks mentioned previously). Brought mine 2-3 years ago and is practically still the same size as when new. Works brilliantly just remember its not an anti-persperant.
* Walk everywhere you can rather than the car. I think I've only been to the petrol station 2-3 times this year. Money saving, eco friendly and good for your health.
* Candles of an evening are much nicer than ceiling lights.
* I freecycled my tumble drier 3yrs ago and dont miss it all. Even in winter just the airer by the back door copes well with all the washing. Bedsheets get hung over the internal doors (much to the amusement of my friends).
* I used to iron absolutely everything except bath towels and socks but recent health issues mean I cant stand long enough to make any impression in an ironing pile so now I just fold as soon as its in from the line. My lads tend to scrunch all their clothes after I've put them away anyways so there wasn't much point! Just have to iron my linen stuff as I need it saving loads of power and time.
* Supermarket value sparkling water is excellent for adding to juice and squash and much better than fanta or sprite etc.
* Battery powered bobble buster (got mine from lakeland but other places do them too IIRC) is excellent for bringing new life back to old clothes. Did an old coat that I though was ready for the chop but it came up so well I've still got it.
* Charity shops are excellent for all sorts. Most of my clothes are charity shop and all are good quality stuff - next trouser suit, kookai and ted baker dresses, marks jumpers, all really cheap. We have loads of them in town but I only tend to use one. Not so good for kids stuff for some reason tho.

Errrr think that might be enough!! Thats quite a long list there....sorry peeps! Hope it might help/inspire others tho!

Janine2225

Forgot to say...I haven't mentioned kettle boiling or tea bags as I dont drink tea or coffee. I know my mum uses the same tea bag several times though, she just does a quick dunk each time so it makes sense.

Also save money on face wash, cleansers, etc...use a flannel and the hot water from the tap! Thats all I use with a basic moisturiser and I got asked to provide ID at a bar last year, I'm 29!! I never have problems with spots etc either.

BramleyHouse

Good tips!!!

InaPickle

I hadn't heard of mysupermarket.co.uk Janine2225 - thanks for the tip, it looks really useful! :T

Janine2225

InaPickle wrote: »

I hadn't heard of mysupermarket.co.uk Janine2225 - thanks for the tip, it looks really useful! :T

It can be, just watch the alternatives they use when comparing. If you add a value item in one they may be using a branded in the other which will obviously throw the pricing off. Depends on the item, seems to be more specific items it does this on that may not have an exact match in other s.markets.

kingshir

glitzy wrote: »

I cover the tops of kitchen cupboards/wardrobes with wallpaper to save cleaning & replace regularly when dirty.

I do this too, especially good on top of the kitchen wall cabinets which seem to attract the muck!!:p I also use wallpaper under the wellies and walking boots as it keeps the floor dry and clean.

A tip I read some time ago said that to clean greasy cupboards tops, wipe baby oil on, leave for a while then wipe off. I tried it and it does work but I have since discovered that WD40 works just as well and since I buy it for a £1 in the poundshop it is just as economical.

InaPickle

kingshir wrote: »

I do this too, especially good on top of the kitchen wall cabinets which seem to attract the muck!!:p I also use wallpaper under the wellies and walking boots as it keeps the floor dry and clean.

I'vwe got a friend who lines the inside of her cupboards with paper as well (particularly the pan cupboards) to stop them getting destroyed. I saw some clear plastic on sale in Aldi the other day to do the job (not sticky back plastic, more like a sheet of fairly pliable stuff). It seems like a good idea.