Sneaky ways to save the pennies

THIRZAH

BrandNewDay wrote: »

I'm starting to save glass jars, too. Our parish has a "coin appeal" where they ask you to gather change in a jar to raise money for a particular cause. That got me thinking, "hmmm... I kinda like this." A lot of glass containers look pretty good when they're washed out. I washed out an olive oil bottle and now it's a good bud vase. I have a nice-shaped jar that used to hold Aldi chutney, and I'm going to save pennies in that. Saved pennies will pay for treats from the ice cream van... I don't want to get in the habit of "treating" my kids, so a visible jar of collecting pennies will help them understand why it's not always "yes."

I like the tea-light idea. I wonder how hard/expensive it would be to make my own candles in jars - you know, with wax and wicks. Maybe one could save all the little end bits of candles. Then, put them in the jar and melt in the microwave. Suspend a wick into the melted wax from a pencil across the top.... where does one get wicks, anyway?

Our WI had a similar coin appeal. Several people gave me jars of coins and I took them home to count. I emptied the lot into a large bowl to make sorting easier only to discover that somebody hadn't washed their jar out properly first! It had been used for honey and all the coins in the bowl were sticky. It took me ages to wash and dry them all.

spendaholic

What a terrific thread - it's just taken me over an hour to read them all.

I do the usual of turning down the c/h stat by 1 degree, or switching anything with an LCD light on off at the wall (DVD, Sky, telly, microwave, etc) when not in use. I never have heat in the bedroom - that's what different weight quilts and underblankets are for. I switch the fire or c/h off (if it's on) about half hour before turning in.

I've been cutting up scrap clothes for cloths and have used much less kitchen roll as a result.

Sadly I can't decant cheaper detergents into posh bottles because I'm allergic to them all. It has to be Fairy washing powder or kiddies bubble bath or H&S shampoo (surprisingly) or Johnson's baby soap. I also use the Ecover products and find the store's OB equivalents just don't last as long.

I've been bulking out mince with mushrooms for ages - in fact, I use mushrooms a lot. And I've used and reused lunch boxes for years.

I don't get the car out for anything under 2 miles and try not to make special trips. I'll try and coincide a trip to the bank or the newsagents on the way to or from work.

I try to buy local and/or organic (if it's local) in a bid to help bring the price down, but I'm not adverse to buying OB or savers brands when I really need to save money.

I use scrap paper for note pads and use both sides of a shorthand notepad before chucking in the recycle bin.

I've been reading online daily newspapers for months now as they're free.

englishmac

ingresman wrote: »

I bought some cheap carpet tiles and tied them to all of our shoes to save wear and tear on the carpet.
I also bought some pit helmets with lamps (well we don't have miners anymore !!) and refuse to have the lighting on except on birthdays or christmas. I've manafed to run a cable to the street light and I charger them when everyones is at school and work.
When it's cold we play igllos and eskimos - keeps everyone amused
And as for toilet rolls , never bought one we just use a sponge and wash carefully.
I know we all have to save money but some of these are a bit far ! (but amusing)

You're laughing. I normally buy cheapo toilet rolls from Wilkinsons. Saves me a fortune. But if we run out, we have been known to use not a sponge, but flannels until I can get to Wilkinsons to replenish!!
I no longer have any shame. :rotfl:

englishmac

Have tried SP toothpaste this week. Usually buy toothpaste on offer at Wilkinsons (fantastic shop for offers if you're willing to switch brands to bag the offers) but had run out of toothpaste and not able to dash off to Wilkinsons for a few days. Expected SP toothpaste to be pretty dire but it is fine, and only 21p for 75ml. Will be buying it again.

Always re-use food bags. Remember food bags when you were a kid? No? That's because people reused other bags like bread bags. Plastic was more expensive (relatively) back then and there was no such thing as 'food' bags for packed lunches. They were freezer bags for stocking up the chest freezer.

englishmac

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

I had to admit to my H this morning that after reading this thread I had started to squash the loo rolls. He'd been putting them back into shape thinking the bathroom door had flattened it.
He must think I am nuts........

Choice! Logged back in to post this as I'm :rotfl: so much!

curlyford

sandy2 wrote: »

If you sink the jar into the earth you needn't bother to paint it. You can also use washed out yoghourt pots

yeah that's right i've heard that before to put them in the ground...on 2nd thought maybe they were wasp catchers....but what would i put into them...sugar water perhaps??

squeekymoo

when i am on a diet i make this quick, easy n cheap soup in the morning I put a stock cube (any variety) in a flask, add handful of dried veg and either small pasta shapes, desert spoon (ish) rice or lentils etc top up with boiling water from kettle by lunch time the dried veg etc has plumped up nicely and soup is much nicer than cup a soup or just stock cube

wendy+5

A piece of scrunched up foil does a good job as a brillo pad! I don't think it would be so great though on non-stick.

purpleivy

I had been slipping the odd 100/150mls of water into the semi skimmed big 4 pinter. DH was on the last bit having his brekkie last weekend and commented that it didn't seem much like semi, more like skimmed. Never mind, I observed, it's the end of the bottle and the new one is a different batch. LOL

looby-loo_2

Keep them coming!

I use empty cereal bags for freezing my home made bread, cakes, etc

I add a dash of water to the milk when DH isn't looking. On the occasion I didn't he commented that the milk was thick and greasy and said not to buy that brand again

Wash up breakfast bowls and spoons straight away so they only need a quick rinse in cold water + last tiny bit in kettle

I collect the last bits of soap in a jar. When I have a jar full I melt it in the oven after it's been on hot for cooking (carefully) and make a new 'free' bar.

I peel open the end of the vacuum bag, empty it, and machine it up again with big loose stitches which I can easily cut open. My vacuum lasted 8 years and I never did buy new bags, only used those it came with - they last for years, however, I've noticed the new bags are much thinner and I ripped one after only two re-uses!

I have only the following cleaning agents - if they wont do it nothing will
washing up liquid
Bottle of Cif
Lidl washing powder
bottle of bleach
Brillo pads

I make a list before I go out and plan my route to save miles/petrol

When I use JusRol puff pastry to cover a pie. I use the trimmings to make jam turnovers for lunch the next day

I grew dried flowers. I put some in a vase and the rest in a shoe box. In Feb when there wern't many British flowers around I got out my 'clean, fresh looking' dried flowers