Sneaky ways to save the pennies

consultant31

allycat999 wrote: »

No its double base, my son tried diprobase as its cheaper for doctors to prescribe but it was useless on him. Double base is really expensive but its fab, it also has an anti itch effect.

Thanks for the clarification, will tell DD about this so she can perhaps ask the doctor for it next time she needs a prescription - it's the itching that drives her mad!

BilberryCharlotte

Sian_the_Green wrote: »

Go and stay with your parents.
They have nicer food than you
They cook you nice food
They have a dishwasher
It's like the cheapest hotel ever

This really made me laugh Sian, not an option for me now, but I have done this in the past. Now my daughter still lives with me, but my son stays here twice a week and I bake for him and cook roasts and the things he likes but doesn`t make himself, do his washing etc. It is a treat for most of us to be pampered a bit I guess.

It works both ways though I suppose, he does the techie stuff for the pc that I don`t understand, and anything that requires a bit of muscle!

Uniscots97

I remember when I was little my gran used to pleat my hair after I washed it (towel dried first) and let it dry overnight. Thinking I might start doing this again, especially when the winter months come in. Right now I'm washing my hair in the morning and having breakfast in the back garden and let my hair dry in the sun.

Does anyone still pleat their hair after its washed?

Valli

EssexHebridean wrote: »

OH is a bar Manager and I'm a deputy bar manager. During the course of the five day festival we look after about 29 different real ales, making sure that as many as possible can be on sale in superb quality at any given time. we work from about 9.30am to 7pm for the three setup days and then from about 9.30am to midnight the five days the festival is open - by the end of it your feet and back are screaming!

Wow - that's devotion to duty - and yet another fine example of how much unpaid (and probably unthanked) work is done by people to make the world a better place. What an example all unselfish volunteers are - in many sectors and in many ways.

I salute you all.:T

consultant31

unixgirluk wrote: »

I remember when I was little my gran used to pleat my hair after I washed it (towel dried first) and let it dry overnight. Thinking I might start doing this again, especially when the winter months come in. Right now I'm washing my hair in the morning and having breakfast in the back garden and let my hair dry in the sun.

Does anyone still pleat their hair after its washed?

When my daughters were young and their hair was quite long, I always used to plait it after it was washed. It used to look lovely next day when unplaited and gently combed through.

Not strictly a 'sneaky' way of saving money, but if anyone's trying to decide whether to have a water meter fitted I'd say go for it. My Mum lives alone now and since having the wm fitted, her water bill is almost exactly ¼ of what it was - it's been a massive saving for her,

Magentasue

consultant31 wrote: »

Not strictly a 'sneaky' way of saving money, but if anyone's trying to decide whether to have a water meter fitted I'd say go for it. My Mum lives alone now and since having the wm fitted, her water bill is almost exactly ¼ of what it was - it's been a massive saving for her,

i think the rule of thumb is that it's cheaper if you have the same number or fewer people than bedrooms so most appropriate for one and two people households. We moved into our house this year and discovered a water meter. On some estate agent details, it was mentioned but not on this and on the solicitor enquiry form, the question (and many others) were answered 'not known' because it was sold through probate.

Anyway, we (family four adults and two teens) have been checking the meter readings and I think we'll be paying about what we used to pay £35 a month) through water rates on our old house. We've set our monthly payment at what we used to pay so should be OK. My brother's neighbour who lives on her own pays about £12 a month.

Money_saving_Diva_2

Ok, I have been trying to read my way through this thread and loving every minute of it, especially how sneaky some of us have to be to beat the OH. :rotfl:

So, I haven't read all the posts so apologies for anything I might repeat that has already been said..

When cooking rice or pasta, I bring the pan to the boil, then turn off the heat, put the lid on and let it sit for 10 to 12 mins when it is all cooked perfectly. I also cut my potatoes up fairly small when making mash so they cook quicker.

If lazy garlic or lazy chilli in a tube is on offer I buy it and keep it in the freezer. Due to the high oil content they do not freeze solidly so you can just use as normal without them going off!

If I only need half a lemon I cut the remainder into slices and freeze. Sometimes as whole slices, sometimes as half slices in icecube containers with water to make icecubes and lemon ready for summer drinks.

Like everyone I buy value products and decant into premium containers I just happen to have around. Some things I wouldn't change due to taste, but a lot of things I defy anyone to know the difference when eating! I also decant my cereals straight into my plastic containers.. not only do they keep longer but noone can tell what brand they are then! You do have to hide the boxes though.. my OH once found a value crunchynut cornflake box in the recycling bin cos I hadn't buried it deep enough!! I assured him I was just trying them and would be back to the normal the following week.. :rolleyes:

My mother never used the full amount of washing powder and so I never have either, I use just over half I guess, and I buy the biggest box possible and preferably on offer. I use vinegar and newspaper to clean my windows and always have and I noticed that the gentleman who cleans the big windows at my local railway station every sunday was using exactly the same and said he would never use anything else!

My mother used to make a face mask from oatmeal and honey. She would mix it up, paste it on and leave for about 10 mins and she said it made her skin really soft. she still has great skin so it must work!

Not many people seem to know this but you can freeze eggs. Crack them into an ice cube container or two or three into a small freezer container and then just defrost and use as normal. Better used for cooking - if eating as 'eggs' then better fresh.

If you love gardening - get a water butt! Everyone probably has but it saves so much water, and some councils give them away free or at a reduced price, it's always worth finding out. Plus washing up water can be used to water the garden too.

Ok, hope that wasn't too dull to read... I really enjoy this thread so please keep up the good work you guys, you are inspiring and so clever, I love it!!:T

Oh! and P.S. I still plait my hair when it's wet - love the crinkled look the next day!

annamc75

unixgirluk wrote: »

I remember when I was little my gran used to pleat my hair after I washed it (towel dried first) and let it dry overnight. Thinking I might start doing this again, especially when the winter months come in. Right now I'm washing my hair in the morning and having breakfast in the back garden and let my hair dry in the sun.

Does anyone still pleat their hair after its washed?

I add a small amount of mousse to my hair and then plait it to give that modern wavy look. Cheap mousse can be bought at the £ shops and will last ages - no money spent on hair dryers or straighteners.

Primrose

A word of warning about water meters. They're probably fine if you live on your own, or are a couple using very little water. But if you're a gardener and grow your own vegetables you will probably use huge amounts of water, especially in dry weather, even if you have a water butt. We have four water butts and grow a lot of soft fruit and veg, and I'm sure our water usage is very high, especially in this warm weather as we have a light soil which dries out quickly. Although n mulching the ground regularly helps, water use is still high.

Magentasue

Primrose wrote: »

A word of warning about water meters. They're probably fine if you live on your own, or are a couple using very little water. But if you're a gardener and grow your own vegetables you will probably use huge amounts of water, especially in dry weather, even if you have a water butt. We have four water butts and grow a lot of soft fruit and veg, and I'm sure our water usage is very high, especially in this warm weather as we have a light soil which dries out quickly. Although n mulching the ground regularly helps, water use is still high.

Yes, that's a good point. At our last house, we had a large veg plot and a hose connected to the outside tap. Small garden here and just a watering can so big difference. Also, we have no shower here. I know they're supposed to be water-saving but my kids can stand under a shower for way too long and we jump in the bath after each other (funnily enough I always have the first bath ) so I think that uses less water.