Sneaky ways to save the pennies

EagerLearner · 11 May 2009 at 10:12PM

I love the idea of finding a use for the Bridget Jones blue string... presumably *not* in a soup ha ha....

2nd hand love - I have repainted a cheap table we bought 2nd hand, turning it from something we would have almost given away when we next move, to a new valued shabby chic-esque table we love and will go perfectly in any place we move to (click my username 'homepage' to see piccies on my blog). All for the price of a £8 tin of paint and some elbow grease. I now look at 2nd hand items very differently, in terms of what can I *do* to it...

Elastic bands. Yes, the ones you see postmen throwing about all across our pavements... I save them, wash them, then keep in the kitchen junk drawer to tie up spice bags, to keep bags of nuts closed, eventually to use around plants perhaps when my plants are needing canes to keep them straight...

Jars - I keep all pretty jars right now, so I can make chutney / marmalade etc in Winter.
I have also learned that with 3 vanilla pods (cheap on ebay, £2.99 for 10 pods) and some basic vodka, a person can make their own delicious vanilla essence, which is normally excruciatingly expensive.

Easy Vanilla Essence Recipe
3 vanilla pods
1 jar
basic vodka

Simply cut the vanilla down the pod lengthways, place 3 such cut vanilla pods in a jar, fill to the top with vodka to cover the pods completely, close lid tightly.
Keep somewhere dark and shake once per week. It will be ready in 2 months. Use as required, then top up once in a while with vodka. One jar of 3 pods will last ***years*** like that. No more £4 per tiny bottle of vanilla essence! This way it's around £1 for a jarful, and vanilla essence for years from that one jar.
You could then decorate your pretty jar with some homemade labels, string (blue string perhaps he he), whatever you wish...

Marcie · 12 May 2009 at 9:00AM

This thread has some great ideas!!! I have now started to boil the kettle once in the morning and fill a Thermos jug then put that into a bottle 'cooler' bag which keeps it hotter for even longer

I use vinegar in the wash but use cheap malt vinegar on dark clothes - at 13p a bottle it's much cheaper than the 56p white vinegar!

My cleaning cupboard only contains vinegar, bicarb, sometimes lemon juice and disinfectant (not all together, of course!) oh and bleach which I only buy once every 6 months or so as I rarely use it. I do buy Ecover multi purpose cleaner which is really only used on the floors so lasts ages.

If stains (organic - not pen etc) aren't removed using soda crystals added to the wash, I hang them on the line and let the sun get to work - doesn't have to be a particuarly sunny day, it even works in the winter especially on a frosty night for some reason. For REALLY stubborn stains on whites, put a drop of lemon juice on them before hanging them on the line.

karenccs67 · 12 May 2009 at 3:08PM

What alot of brilliant ideas, I'm deffinitely going to try the ice cream cone idea and maybe a drop of water in the milk, otherwise I'm going to have to invest in a cow!

rosemary54 · 12 May 2009 at 7:45PM

when booking hotels,try all the usual sites like last minute and when you find a hotel you fancy check it out at the hotels own web site,I have save money twice by doing this recently for a 2 night stay £136 on LM down to £102 hotel site and also go through ipoints or similar to add to saving

also go for non refund options and don't eat breakfast as this can add £14 + a night per person(and who can eat that much food to make it worthwhile?)

pupsicola · 13 May 2009 at 10:28AM

I leave the oven door open after cooking and it heats the kitchen up really well.

I use save a flush bags in the toilets and it greatly reduces the amount of water used. Water companies send them out for free.

Sarah

Stephen_Leak · 13 May 2009 at 10:52PM

I have to admit to actually mending a supermarket "if it gets damaged, we'll replace it free" bag with brown parcel tape (from work, BTW). I'd only just got the bag, and a corner of a box went through it.

moneysavinglaura · 14 May 2009 at 1:40PM

This thread is fab, I'm now on page 18, reading them ALL! Can someone answer some questions for me as I want to put them into operation this weekend.

Firstly, if I were to add grated carrots to a bolognese sauce, could we REALLY not be able to taste it?
I am making a beef bourgignon tihs weekend. What would people suggest I add to that to bulk it up? I will add mushrooms to it anyway. When would I add the extra veg? I was hoping to bulk it up so that I would not need to eat it with potato to cut down on my calores. However, would replacing potato with beans or lentils or vegetables be a calorie-efficient way of doing it? Would it be just as healthy eating the mashed potato?

Secondly, People have mentioned that the neck of lamb or brisket are the cheapest and tastiest cuts of meat to order at a butchers. Now, I've only ever ordered standard things from a butcher in the past, ie. sausages and I have no idea how to go about ordered brisket or neck of lamb! I don't know how much to order! Would the butcher be able to help me with this? I just don't want to look like a complete novice. In general, are butchers cheaper than supermarkets? Do they have set prices? Would you suggest that I do my meat shopping there? How much would brisket cost for 2 people with some spare to freeze? Are there any other cheap meats that anyone thinks I should try?
And is anything else particularly good value at a butchers, so that I can order it while I am there?

Lots of questions, I know!!

Boodle · 14 May 2009 at 1:43PM

This seems a good place to post a little tip I've been harbouring for a while

If you make flapjacks often, save the bits that fall off when you cut them and any disasters that don't stick together in an airtight jar and use a breakfast cereal.

Ex_Gas_Guzzler · 14 May 2009 at 2:03PM

I've been filling up a Persil washing powder box and a large lenor bottle with own brand stuff for ages, the o/h hasn't noticed!!!!!!!!:rotfl:
Sometimes she even comments how you can't beat Lenor!:rotfl:

rosemary54 · 14 May 2009 at 5:39PM

start saving those sachets of shampoo etc that come in magazines to take on holiday to cut down weight in suitcase.i also buy bathsheets in the sales(the more "unusual" colours are generally cheaper ) to take on holiday abroad.they are cheaper than "normal" beach towels and if my case is full I take them in hand luggae and leave them at the resort so i can fit pressies/duty free on the way home

also for puds recently I have started to serve up a platter of assorted dried/semi dried fruits and nuts from health shops to save time with fattening puds,try golden raisens(as oppossed to normal ones) to give kids for treats and in lunch boxes ,they taste like sweets but are much healthier and cheaper

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Sneaky ways to save the pennies

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