Money Saving tips

[retroHelen]

In these ever straitened times we all have to live more frugally to make our 'hard earned' go that bit further. if you have any money saving tip to share, please add to this thread. My tip is, if you use rubber gloves and they get a hole, don't throw them away. They are made of the same stuff as elastic bands so cut them up as I do:

the bands have loads of uses I use the larger thicker bands from the arm section to go round boxes to keep lids on. Smaller bands can go round bag necks to keep the contents from spilling out.

[GrumpysWife]

My best one for me, never carry cash..........If I don't have the cash, I usually say, guess I don't really need it.

[retroHelen]

Similar idea to that is another good money saving tip - Don't go shopping when you are hungry. It makes you overspend on food!

[Áine]

Always take a list and stick to it !!

[rocket]

put an internet ban on the shopping channels. QVC, etc.

[Willow]

I almost never shop at retail stores. I always check the second hand stores first and if I need something new, i will go look at it in the retail store, try it on if it is clothing, and then shop online to save as much as 99% (you can often find things for $.01 on the auction web sites)! I just found a new web site called "freecycle.org". It is operated through a yahoo group that you have to join. You can post things you need to get rid of for free and also find things you may need for free! It's an attempt to keep things out of the landfills and reuse.

[rachee]

I almost never shop at retail stores. I always check the second hand stores first and if I need something new, i will go look at it in the retail store, try it on if it is clothing, and then shop online to save as much as 99% (you can often find things for $.01 on the auction web sites)! I just found a new web site called "freecycle.org". It is operated through a yahoo group that you have to join. You can post things you need to get rid of for free and also find things you may need for free! It's an attempt to keep things out of the landfills and reuse.

Yes Willow! Im on Freecycle! Its great I got a petrol lawnmower on there it was never used! I was almost going to fork out £100 + to buy one.

Great for people starting out. You can get all household white goods for free!

Back to topic...

When it comes to buying things, I like to sleep on it. If I'm still not sure the next day then I dont bother.

In fact the few times ive done that I end up being given the item or find it dirt cheap else where.

[retroHelen]

I found this site that is full of ideas for recycling and re-using stuff you would normally throw away:http://www.junkk.com, so I added my rubber gloves idea and found a useful tip I will use myself: "The other day my mini brolly was pulled inside out in the wind, and sheared one of the spoke struts. I cut a section from one of a plastic drinking straw, and slid it over one side. I then Squeezed/poured glue (Gorilla seems strong and effective) along the length and down the straw.Then slide the broken section into the straw to meet the other half. This I then pulled into a halfway position over the break as a splint, and then clamped into position (I'd suggest with clothes pegs or paper 'bulldog' clips) as the glue set with the brolly fully open.So far... works OK. The glue has the strength and the plastic has contained its brittle nature in a high tensile sleeve."

[retroHelen]

When cooking on the hob, keep the lids on your pans as much as possible to reduce heat loss, so you can turn the heat down. The best thing I ever bought was a steel triple steamer. I can cook greens or rice in the bottom pan and other vegetables in the upper steamer sections all on just one hob ring.

When using the oven, keep the door shut as much as you can and make big batches of food/2 or 3 days dinners, whenever possible to improve your energy efficiency. For most cooking except things that need to rise (bread and cakes) turn the oven off about 10-15 minutes before end of cooking time and keep the door shut so food cooks in residual heat.

[LeslieDean]

My husband is always ready to suggest showering together...come to think of it that is his suggestion for alot of things...

[Holly]

My husband is always ready to suggest showering together...come to think of it that is his suggestion for alot of things...

That's a good one!

[Holly]

In these ever straitened times we all have to live more frugally to make our 'hard earned' go that bit further. if you have any money saving tip to share' date=' please add to this thread. My tip is, if you use rubber gloves and they get a hole, don't throw them away. They are made of the same stuff as elastic bands so cut them up as I do:

the bands have loads of uses I use the larger thicker bands from the arm section to go round boxes to keep lids on. Smaller bands can go round bag necks to keep the contents from spilling out.[/quote'] Good idea... I look at the sales adds, and buy it on sale with a coupon I can double. IE: yogurt, on sale 20 for $10. I then use a coupon for .35 off of 3. I have 3 coupons. I buy 9 yogurts at $4.50. I then receive an additional .70 off (double coupon) of 3 which is a total of $2.10 off of the 9. That makes them $2.40 for 9 or about .26 each. I do this with cereal, crescent rolls, biscuits, butter, eggs, pop tarts, frozen foods, canned or frozen veggies, ice cream, etc.... For meat, I buy when on sale only, never full price and meal plan around the sales. I also make lots of casseroles. My family likes them and they are very economical. I cook for 5 so I have to really be careful! I also shop at off-brand stores: Aldis, Value King, Save A Lot, but only the products they have that I like. Some of their items are not very good. Cereal, eggs, cheese, veggies, frozen stuff... etc., is usually pretty good. Some fresh produce, but not all....

[destiny]

I like making my own wine.

[retroHelen]

When you can't get squeeze any more out of a tube, cut the top off down about 3/4" inch/2cm on the bigger tubes and get to the rest of the contents that way. What I particularly liked about this money saving idea was the using of the cut-off top part of the tube as a new 'lid.'. I always cut the tops off toothpaste and hand cream tubes in order to get the most out of them, but had never thought of using the end as a lid. It is amazing how much is still lurking in the hand cream tubes, especially as I could no longer squeeze any more out throught the nozzle, and it should last another few weeks at least. This tip was one of many shown on the UK TV channel 4 series Superscrimpers. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/superscrimpers-waste-not-want-not/articles

[betlee]

Thank's, Sisters! These are some great idea's! Since I've had to quit work I look for all the breaks that I can get. I think that this "Money Saving Tips" would make a great topic that we could continue to add posts.

[LeslieDean]

My son has many great money saving tips! Since he worked for us for 12 years he would arrive early in time for breakfast, work OT then stay for supper! If he was in the neighborhood at lunch time he would swing by to spend some time with me and see "what's up". Gosh I miss the little rat! He's been in China now for a year and I wish he was here to say What's up"

[retroHelen]

We are always sawing up scrap wood for our stove and end up with loads of sawdust. Throwing it directly on the fire tends to smother it ,so I'm going to try this idea - making briquettes with sawdust and shredded newspaper soaked and stirred to slurry in water then pressed to get most of the water out and left to dry in our shed for a few weeks. May even add in some of the coal dust from the bottom of the coal-bunker when it eventually goes empty (I've been stocking up in summer while it's cheaper). Here's the link to the instructions, if that's OK:

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bio-fuel-briquettes-compress-paper-pulp-and-sawdu/?ALLSTEPS

[retroHelen]

This is a handy idea if you are on a water meter, or only have a tiny space available for a bathroom facility.

 

There is a commercial product made in the USA and also available in the UK (and similar devices from Japan),called the Sinkpositive = integrated loo lid sink that saves water by using the clean water that fills the cistern before it is flushed down into the toilet bowl, to wash hands when you flush it. However, although it's an ingenious device it is a bit pricey for frugal folk. I looked on google and found some simple ideas with a site called Instructables, but you can't share it, just pay to download the instructions. Then I found this lady's blog and it was as good (ignore the first sentence about her birthday - it's not vital to the narrative/instructions) Hope it's OK to put the link here: 

 

http://croffcreative.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/new-birthday-new-projects-lid-sink.html

Edited August 21, 2013 by retroHelen

[CHecker]

I almost never shop at retail stores. I always check the second hand stores first and if I need something new, i will go look at it in the retail store, try it on if it is clothing, and then shop online to save as much as 99% (you can often find things for $.01 on the auction web sites)! I just found a new web site called "freecycle.org". It is operated through a yahoo group that you have to join. You can post things you need to get rid of for free and also find things you may need for free! It's an attempt to keep things out of the landfills and reuse.

 

I am a frequent user of freecycle. I have placed many things and have received things (don't need much) from this site. I really feel it serves a need among people.

[cricket246]

Has anyone here ever tried printing their coupons off the internet?  Smartsource.com, couponnetwork.com, redplum.com, coupons.com are all great places to find coupons for various items.

Edited September 4, 2013 by cricket246

[Doug]

My husband is always ready to suggest showering together...come to think of it that is his suggestion for alot of things...

 

Ah, yes.  VERY PRACTICAL .  .  Yes indeed

[Allabord4Jah]

Thrift stores, and Good Will Tops my list.  If I don't need it, I don't buy it.  Heard we are in for a ruff winter, so like the "ant" am going to try to store necessary things that later, the prices will be going up.  

[surfergirl]

If you want to save water. 

As I have no garden hose out the back in my new area. & am keen at growing some plants.

My washing machine is conviently near a window at the back.

So the drain pipe I stuck out a window. & connected a smaller hose shoved inside it & fastened it with duct tape around it.

So the water can go on the lawn & the plants instead of wasted down the drains.

[paulc]

put an internet ban on the shopping channels. QVC, etc.

 

You must have a death wish. Your wife would NOT be happy!

Edited September 9, 2013 by paulc

[LeslieDean]

If you want to save water. 

As I have no garden hose out the back in my new area. & am keen at growing some plants.

My washing machine is conviently near a window at the back.

So the drain pipe I stuck out a window. & connected a smaller hose shoved inside it & fastened it with duct tape around it.

So the water can go on the lawn & the plants instead of wasted down the drains.[/quot

Does the soap and bleach not harm or burn the lawn? We have a "green" septic system and the water is held and purified some way then in comes up through sprinklers and waters the lawn. I think it is an anaerobic system or something like that.