General Chat

I put water in shampoo/conditioner/fairy liguid bottles to get the last dregs out :-D

buy reduced food.

make homemade meals in bulk and freeze.

put a jumper on when its cold.

grow my own veg and salad in summer.

wash my own windows :-(

and cycle instead of using the car for short journeys. :-D

If you decant your shampoo into a pump bottle it lasts much longer.

I use one washing capsule per wash, Fred does anyway.

Now I don't have oily overall and Fred has long since stopped sucking up s**t, (OH has never had a dirty job) , we don't have filthy washing any more.

I don't use fabric conditioner either.

If you put all your citrus peel into a jar of vinegar, white preferably, it makes a brilliant cleaning product.

Suzanne Ive always done that....must admit,don't cycle any more...I do live up a big hill....and am a great gran of 5 ..soon to be 6!!
Being brought up in the war years it's been instilled into me.
I don't use fabric conditioner either...we have very soft water here in North Wales.

I use fabric conditioner - water like iron here - well chalky, but very hard.
If plug holes aren't dried, limescale forms around them :-0

I know this, as life's too short to dry plugholes. :-|
Occasionally attack them with wire wool and vinegar.

I've never considered paying someone else to wash my windows.
Their cleaning may be sparse - but it's all my own hands :-D
I use white vinegar with a drop of washing up liquid in it.

Our water is crunchy too but I have never seen the need to use fabric conditioner, apart for a drop on the towels sometimes.

You can use fabric conditioner on your hair too but I don't use hair conditioner either.

I have grey hair in a lesbian haircut (bit longer than a crewcut). That is mighty cheap to maintain.

Not only to save money, but also because I really hate wasting stuff.
My saving tips are...

I always put a bit of water In shampoo bottles etc to get the last dregs out.
I also park everything upside down when it's almost finished, deodorant, creams, olive oil, ketchup etc, again, to get the last dregs out.

If anything is in a plastic tube, then when it appears to be finished I cut it in half - it is amazing just how much is left inside!

I use fabric conditioner, but dilute it loads, at least 5-1. This makes it go much further AND keeps the washing machine from clogging up.

With bits and pieces of left over veg, if I can't do anything else with it, it goes in the blender with a stock cube and some water to make a soup.

Old t shirts etc I use for dusters and cleaning cloths. Old toothbrushes are kept to use for cleaning around taps and other awkward places.

Karen

Lavender in white vinegar (then decanted after a while) makes a lovely smelling cleaning fluid.

Sloggi knickers.

Pure cotton, last much longer than cheaper ones and, when they are worn out for wearing, you still have some good, substantial cleaning cloths.

I never thought to put lavender in vinegar, good idea.

I use citrus peel because I couldn't think of another use for them but I have been told of somebody who saves them all up in the freezer to add to marmalade.

I do most of these things, apart from the Sloggi knickers and lesbian haircut :-D

I also save all my husband's San Michel pants for cleaning when they're blown out :-D

I wash and re-use sandwich bags

Collect the seeds from annual flowers so I can grow them again for free next year

If I am in Brighton I go round Wend's house for acup of tea because it is cheaper than going in a café.

We only buy stuff we use regularly when it is on special ................ like toilet paper, paper towels, washing up liquid, laundry soap, fabric conditioner, shampoo .............

also cereals, tea, coffee, etc

We do have room in a dry basement to store this stuff

I pick and dry my own sage, for use in sage and onion stuffing

Like MC, I wash and re-use plastic bags.


Sharron .............. I always remove and chop finely lemon peel if using the lemon for something else. I freeze the peel in a bag, and then add it to stir fries or other cooking.

I always make double or triple quantities of stews, fish pies, etc, then freeze in individual portions for later.

Hi there, I do most that have been mentioned but a few extra
Add water to jars of curry or other sauces-they go further
Used hubbys old tshirts for cleaning and dusting
Save eggboxes and inserts of kithen and loo rolls-cheaper than firelighters and far better
hang out washing at every opportunity-wind is free
save all the free cards that come in the post and reuse at xmas or whenever.

Its amazing really what we can do so easily to save money but there are a lot i know that dont bother!

florence
in the hebrides

ps if you are on a water meter, do you have a water butt or leave the cans outside to collect rainwater to feed your flowers?

Tea and cake at my house - you're always welcome Sharron if you're passing by :-P

And I don't spare the tea-bags either :-D

Wonders what SylviainCanada does when toilet rolls are not on offer.... :-S :-S :-S

Have to admit to vacuuming only 'when necessary' - never more than once a week. The dust isn't going anywhere!!

I spent a lovely half hour this evening breaking up old bits of grape vine (I never planted the grape vine, but it likes growing up my wall :-|) to use as kindling - I have an open fire

I usually trim my own trees etc, but have a 'dwarf' ceanothus that is now 12 ft wide, and 12 ft high - and dead!! Also a bit of my leylandii hedge (not planted by me) has grown to about 16 ft high.
I have friend of a friend coming to cut them down next week at 'mates rates' :-D
He's also going to cut them to log sized bits for me :-D

5 pence coins go in a tin to save for holiday money, after a year it is amazing how it helps if you are abroad or not with taxies or car parking.

Mr_M ....................

I have about a 6-month supply in the basement, and they come on special at least every 2-3 months


Don't worry ......... we won't be caught short :-D



I don't know how toilet rolls are packaged in the UK ................. ours come in packs of 9 double rolls or 12 single rolls. A pack of 9 double rolls lasts one person about 5-6 weeks (in our house, anyway!).

Not sure how much it saves,, but it certainly saves time if I wash a load with spin cycle at 800 revs, then take out washing, refold neatly, then re spin on 1600 revs.
This way I can avoid ironing almost everything.

I wash virtually everything during the cheaper-rate time of Economy 7.
I also dry washing outside when possible.

Gwyn

In our house they're on the holder on the wall and when they get low another one appears.......... :-D ;-)