MONEY SAVING TIPS?

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Mrs Muggleton

MONEY SAVING TIPS?

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17-04-08 11:31

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I think we are all feeling the pinch this year, with rising costs of food etc and I think this works rather well with the recycling of things. I thought maybe we could have a "money saving tips" thread (I think we had one a long while back?) I'm sure you've all got lots of recipes for left-overs, recycling ideas etc - lets share them!

For a start - these are gardening ones:

1. I use my toilet roll/kitchen roll/wrapping paper tubes for plant pots (they have the benefit of disintegrating in the soil too)
2. I cut up milk bottles / margarine pots (those that aren't being used to store things in!) for plant labels
3. I use pop bottles with the bottoms cut off as mini greenhouses over tender plants

Home energy saving:

1. We've got snuggly fluffy fur throws for use in the evening - the heating is now OFF! (The kids are warm in bed)
2. We've got a water saving brick in the toilet cistern to safe water on the flushes
3. We freecycle anything we don't want and get lots of stuff in return (picking up a kids bike seat on Saturday!) and just got rid of a baby swing
4. I compost all the food waste.

thats a start ... anybody else?

Pip at Home

#1

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17-04-08 12:02

The Boss

A rather obvious one, but one I find works a treat - never use a credit card, only a debit card - that way you don't get yourself into debt.

Mrs Muggleton

#2

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17-04-08 12:11

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We use our credit card to pay for the monthly shop Pip, it's a tesco card and we then get points on the shopping AND points for using the card, so we gets loads of money off vouchers (usually about £30) every quarter. It all gets paid off each month though so there's no extortionate rates to pay!

We did the same with the kitchen - even though we had the money in the bank, we used the credit card to get the points and then paid it straight off.

I am only using the landline in the evenings / weekends when the calls are cheaper. Or texting on the mobile which is pay as you go.

Last Edited By: Mrs Muggleton 17-04-08 15:53. Edited 1 time.

cwmhill

#3

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Mature Shrub

Posts: 2204

17-04-08 15:45

Mature Shrub

I get trish to do the house cleaning and the car to saves loads on a daily and car wash

CWM

bilnrobn

#4

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18-04-08 09:39

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We must be twins Muggs. We do everything you mentioned except the evening phone calls. We used to that too but now we use the computer and make most calls, local and long distance, using Yahoo Messenger Voice. Local calls cost 2c a minute instead of 22c a call and long distance 2c a minute instead of 22c a minute plus a 35c connection charge. Saves us a fortune.

LynneBee

#5

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18-04-08 10:50

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I got a special deal with the telephone people regarding cost of BB and cost of local and international calls, for a connection fee of 69 öre we hae local calls (within Sweden) for free, and for 69 öre connection fee and 22 öre a minute for international calls.

That works out as 0,05p for connection and 0,016 a minute for international calls, so I can chat to dad and son and friends without breaking the bank.

there are 100 öre to a kronar and the rate at present I think is 13 kroner to a £
but today it seems it is 11.66 kroner to the £

PaulineM

#6

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18-04-08 12:26

Retired Auctioneer

Well, three things immediately spring to mind:

We have a water filter under the sink and a special tap for water from it (the normal tap water here is 'orrible!) and we have a couple of glass bottles in the fridge that we use to chill drinking water. So we never buy bottled water.

We do, however, cadge other people's empty plastic water bottles, cos we buy huge cans of olive oil that we syphon off into manageable-sized bottles.

My phone's breaking gave us the opportunity to 'invest' in VOIP phones for the house. Not Skype phones - these use the SIP protocol (whatever that is). They don't rely on a computer's being on to work as VOIP, and you can still use the regular landline by holding down the call button a bit longer. I'm signed up with VoipBuster, and this means that all calls within Belgium are free and overseas calls are much cheaper - cheaper than SkypeOut. (Siemens C450 IP in case you're interested - you only need one 'base' unit; extra handsets are much cheaper).

Ah - a fourth - no half-way decent fabric ever gets thrown out - there's always something it can be made into. One old set of bedding has become tablecloths, cushion-covers and curtains - all in current use.

Dot2

#7

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18-04-08 14:39

I got a Mobile phone using Vodfone network family plan, Daughter, son, grandaughter, and Ty can ring me as many times a day or I them for £5 a month, so rarely use the land line only at weekends which are free.

LynneBee

#8

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18-04-08 15:06

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I have my own well and we have a jug filter so we filter the drinking water and it goes into the fridge, so no bought water in bottles or bought corporation water, i have my own cess pit which is emptied once a year, so no paying for those services, just the once a year bill.

Old bedding like Pauline does is re-used again, I am at present making new bedding from it in the form of a quilt pattern.

Linda32

#9

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20-04-08 18:56

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We use cream bath at about 40p a litre as liquid soap, just refil the liquid soap bottles.

Don't buy kitchen paper, use cloth napkins instead and wash them in the machine which is already on doing the washing anyway.

Use liquid instead of washing powder, you can't use too much as you measure the capfull.

If you use powder, use one part decent powder, one part economy and one part soda crystals.

Use white vinegar instead of fabric conditioner, and no it doesn't make you smell like the local chippy.
I havn't used fabric softener for years as I don't see the point nor notice the difference so I don't use vinegar, but I know you can.

Only use a credit card for points if you will pay the balance off each month. Asda offers 2p of a litre of diesel

and Egg do 1% cashback upto £200.00 payable every February.

Laura Penstemon

#10

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20-04-08 19:24

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Blimey I couldn't imagine NOT using softener.. horrid rough towels yuck..

I must say I have tried to stop using the tumble drier so much, and dry socks and knickers on the radiator.

Stopping smoking and not drinking alcohol during the week has aved a fortune!

Mrs Muggleton

#11

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20-04-08 19:31

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The chap who gave the talk we went to this morning said that one of the best things you could have in your garden to be a greener gardener was a washing line!!
A tumble dryer is the most energy consuming item in the house apparently!

Linda32

#12

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20-04-08 20:12

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Oh I forgot about the tumble dryer, we do have one but only use it about three times a year, I've always got a clothes horse up.

I can well imagine that not drinking wine during the week saves a fortune, but we do go out to work after all, I take my hat of to you Pens

LynneBee

#13

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20-04-08 20:27

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I have a line for summer but do need a tumble dryer in winter we have an economy one, they seem to have them a lot here. I don't smoke and haven't for 3 years and boy does that help with the pennies, drink on special days and high occasions, xmas, mid summer, b'days X2 and wedding anniversary thats 5 days a year and maybe once every other month, so I make that 11 days a year. When I cook something it lasts 2 days, if I see something like fruit of vegetables that are getting a little old I will cook them and pop into the freezer, I use bread bags for freezing things in. When the washing up liquid is getting low I add water to it, Fairy or is it Yes in Uk now as well is so thick it can take this and lasts a lot longer. And one big saver is, I grow everything from seed except shrubs and they I have enough of.

Laura Penstemon

#14

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20-04-08 20:36

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Nope I am not going to give up my tumble drier sorry, although I do hang out the washing when I can..its that 'towel' thing again.

bilnrobn

#15

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21-04-08 14:18

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and we make our own bread and our own yoghurt. Saves us a fortune over a year.

Pip at Home

#16

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21-04-08 14:49

The Boss

I've fitted the longlife light bulbs through the house now, except for where I have dimmer switches. £1-99 for 5 from Robert Dyas

mammaj

#17

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Posts: 2644

07-05-08 07:02

Mature Shrub

Blimey aren't you a clever lot! As broadband isn't avaiable in my area I've now got a fixed rate for dial up which costs me 12 euro a month (bb here is 24e a month) it's not as fast as bb but it's a big saving. It seems to me that if instead of having money off this & that offers the supermarkets etc just lowered the flippin prices & the politicians earnt a bit less we'd all be better off!

Oh & my washing is often dry in 1/4 hr outside! & I wouldn't give up fabric conditioner tho I changed to a cheaper one. I think it's worth trying the cheaper things at least once, I thought they'd be rubbish but I had a pleasant surprise, especially with w.up liquid

h2yoho

#18

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07-05-08 07:19

Ulodrendon majus

Quite a few of the above, plus I use any of those clear punnets with lids that grapes etc come in, as mini propogaters.
Tumble drier is an almost

in this house. We have a Sheila Maid, plus her indoors is looking a new outside line. Not a whirly this time, but a straight line. Should be enough galvanised piping around to sort that.

Laura Penstemon

#19

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07-05-08 21:02

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Do you know I have just had one of 'those' moments

and I have realised what the biggest money saving tip of all would be, plus it would also hel save the planet

DON'T HAVE CHILDREN!!!

Ok I am off to

www.realgardener.me.uk

shirleyellenp

#20

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07-05-08 21:57

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We have a chicken, so we don't have to buy any eggs. LOL

Except for toilette paper, we don't use ANY paper products. We even use hankies instead of tissues. They're way softer.

I'm like Linda and use vinegar for almost all my cleaning and washing.
I use a clothesline and when I want things softer, I just put them in the dryer on fluff for a few minutes...works a charm.

We could do alot better, that's for sure. I adore spending money.

I love the toilet roll idea for planters.

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