Sneaky ways to save the pennies

nannaC

A tip to make soap last longer, unwrap new soap and put in linen drawer, undies drawer, towel cuboard for a few weeks before use. The soap hardens and then lasts a lot longer when used, also makes your linen/towels smell wonderul. I have a bar of rose scented soap hardening in my linen chest, which makes the sheets smell absolutely gorgeous no need for expensive linen water. On that subject you can still get large bottles of lavender/rose/eau de cologne water quite cheaply wonderful as colognes in summer, in bath water, sprinkling on ironing and lots more.

Maria575757

I'm really loving all these tips - great reading!

Another way to remove limescale from taps is to use a copper coin, rub it againt the limescale, but do it gently or you will scratch the taps. It really works, and its very rewarding seeing the scale come off in bits!:D

lindauk

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

http://www.mooncup.com/

its another santiary product - liek a mini cup you 'insert' into yourself that catches your um.......waste (is that a way to put it) then you remove it and pour the contents away. Others on the site use it so im sure they can recommend it.

Wow first time ever i think i have seen one of these mentioned!

I have one but i didn't get it for financial gain (even though £15 spend for 10 years worth of 'protection' is fantastic!)
I just think its nicer and cleaner than some of the other methods on the market. I would rave about mine if i ever got the chance! lol!

Tiger_greeneyes

I usually only cook every second day - but always make enough for a 'leftovers' meal. It saves me heaps on gas/electric. If I've made rice, for instance, the next day I chop an onion and fry it up - add some mixed spice, chilli flakes (I'm a chilli fiend) and a tin of kidney beans, and then add the rice. It's a really cheap meal (5p for the rice, 7p for an onion and 15p for value beans) and very filling - it's lovely with brown sauce. I buy rice in 20kg sacks - it lasts over a year and costs me £10.

I always put more veggies on the plate than anything else - it works out cheaper and better for you. My OH always eats them all because he has a huge appetite. He would cheerfully fill up on meat rather than veg.

I used to go wobbly-kneed when my OH did the washing up - he'd run everything under the hot tap to wash it. I bought a washing up bowl - which takes less water than the sink does. I wash up while dinner is cooking - having put the hottest water possible into the bowl while I'm preparing the veggies. The dishes are easier to wash as they've been soaking, and the water is still hot enough to wash the saucepans and plates in after dinner.

When I'm cooking a roast, I use one saucepan, one roasting tin and a baking sheet (for stuffing, my quorn fillets etc). I parboil the potatoes before roasting - when they come out of the pan, I put the veggies in - using the same water. I make the gravy with the same water too, it's much tastier and the starch from the potatoes makes it thicker.

A tin of value beans will stretch the mince in OH's shepherd's pie by a long way - he thinks I make it that way because it tastes better I get away with using only use half the amount of mince I used to use.

Sometimes I catch my OH using the oven to cook one spicy beanburger (or whatever) and feel like losing the will to live, how anal is that?

I always water down cleaning fluids. If we're running out of something, I'll buy more but hide it. That will make sure it's used up completely. White vinegar will clean most things. Shampoos, conditioners and shower gels also get watered down and put into pump dispensers.

A 15p lemon is a brilliant natural fridge deodoriser - and will last months.

I personally don't see the need to vacuum every day, there's only two of us here. Unless it's really necessary, once a week is fine. I use one-seventh of the electricity that way too!

I walk around turning down the radiators half an hour after OH turns them up. He 'still' feels cold so puts on a jumper.

I always make a shopping list. I keep it on the fridge so we can add to it as things run out. Tesco's value chocolate swiss roll is 15p - lovely with custard for a cheap pudding.

OH would be horrified if he didn't get his daily bacon butties. Instead of buying rubbish value stuff that ends up a third of the size, I go to the butcher and buy a 5kg pack of decent bacon for £8 and put it into food bags in the freezer. It works out at £2 per week for butchers bacon.

£5's worth of citric acid, bicarb of soda and essential oils will keep me in bath bombs for months. Shea butter and cocoa butter doesn't cost much on ebay and it's nice to pop into bath bombs. You can also put colours into the bombs and give them as pressies.

I buy Christmas and birthday presents throughout the year, it can easily halve the cost if you find a dvd on sale for £5 instead of £10 and know it will appeal to someone specific. Last Christmas I budgeted £15 per person (not too much, not too little) but ended up spending an average of £8 by shopping at play.com - no postage costs or petrol costs.

I'm learning loads on this thread, thanks everyone

Andy_Hamilton

Steve-o wrote: »

I bought a couple of those liquid soap dispensers that dispense the soap as foam, so that I could use them for my own nefarious ends: when they were finally empty I filled them up with my own choice of liquid soap. The soap has to be mixed with water until it is about the consistency of milk (or it will be too thick to turn into foam), which means that you only have to use a small amount of soap to make a full bottle of foamer.

I went on the hunt for one of these bottles and the best I could find was in Asda, it was a "great stuff toddlers handwash" when I finish the fruity smelling handwash it will be refilled with shampoo or shower gel. I might even buy another one as the orginal stuff smells ok.

I also went on the hunt for soda crystals but i don't have a clue what I'm looking for. Does anyone know where I can buy these? What sort of packaging they have, etc etc?:mad:

sophiesmum_2

Asda sell the soda crystals. Look in the cleaning product aisles, I think it is near the bleach in ours. It s sold in a bag, and costs about 60-70p can't remember how much exactly as it lasts a long time in our house.

nannaC

Andy_Hamilton wrote: »

I also went on the hunt for soda crystals but i don't have a clue what I'm looking for. Does anyone know where I can buy these? What sort of packaging they have, etc etc?:mad:

I think Wilkinsons still sell soda crystals or sometimes called washing soda.

Another tip coming up. To clean really dirty silver/silver plate/ simply scrunch some tin into the bottom of a plastic washing up bowl add a good sprinkle of soda fill the bowl wih very hot/boiling water [ I use the water from cooking to save elec] then imerse the items. You will see the dirt/black transfering to the foil. After a few mins take out rinse inclean water and buff up to a shine. This can also work on old brass and is great for getting rid of those awful laquer finishes but its best to do a test bit first [some brass may react]. O copper I use a great product called BAR KEEPERS FRIEND. Its a white powder and is fantastic on copper/brass/glass/ceramics. Comes in a little tub about £1.75 from Asda but goes a long long way.

janb5

nannaC wrote: »

I think Wilkinsons still sell soda crystals or sometimes called washing soda.

Another tip coming up. To clean really dirty silver/silver plate/ simply scrunch some tin into the bottom of a plastic washing up bowl add a good sprinkle of . Comes in a little tub about £1.75 from Asda but goes a long long way.

I agree but it is easier to line the washing up bowl with tin foil and wait until the fizzing stops before taking out the items

exlibris

nannaC wrote: »

Another tip coming up. To clean really dirty silver/silver plate/ simply scrunch some tin into the bottom of a plastic washing up bowl add a good sprinkle of soda fill the bowl wih very hot/boiling water [ I use the water from cooking to save elec] then imerse the items. You will see the dirt/black transfering to the foil. After a few mins take out rinse inclean water and buff up to a shine. /quote]

I vaguely remember an aunt of mine wrapping her silver jewelery in foil sweet wrappers (I think) She said it stopped it from tarnishing as quickly. Can anyone confirm this please?

Tiger_greeneyes

If you have silver jewellery which has become tarnished, don't bother cleaning it, just wear it - the tarnish will soon disappear