What thrifty things do you do that you're surprised no one else does?

Chicken love the tip about grating the orange before eating. I have an orange most days---will be able to make orange flavoured sponge cakes now

If you have a tube of cream or foundation that is empty (?) Do this, you will be amazed at how much more there is hiding in there: firstly, hold tube with the cap off and facing downward. Take a suitable scissors and cut the top 2 inches off the other end of tube. You can take any cream from the cut off part and scrape with your finger into the lower part. You can then replace the cap. When you want to use the cream, use the cut-off end as a cap which can easily be replaced by tucking the lower part into it. I've regularly done this and gone on to use foundation for a week +. Only problem is my favourite foundation had changed packaging to a glass bottle. ?

When the washing up liquid or liquid hand soap has about a 1/4 left in the bottle, I put a little bit of water in take it up to just below half full and give it a shake. Get twice as many days out of what is left. Also, people buy those expensive plastic clips for sealing a half pack of peas? Clothes pegs do the same job. When making a pasta dish, pour a little of the pasta water into your sauce, it thickens it. Italians call the pasta water "liquid gold". Lastly, I have to say, all my favourite clothes have come from the charity shops and most come from shops I may not have the purse to be able to venture into.

As someone who tries to make a living selling books (my historical novels take around 3 years to research and write), I hope you buy the occasional new book too...

I enjoy foraging. Nettles make the best pesto, just blanch for 4 mins then pound with pine nuts, salt, oil. Even better if you throw in some wild garlic.
The dry end of a cheese in homemade soup is very tasty - fish it out before blitzing if it's really hard!

All of my clothes come from charity shops. So too bedding, curtains and virtually all household items such as crockery and drinking glasses. I never buy books these days - it's the local library. Cut the ends off all tubes. I shop to a menu plan and regularly avoid shopping for food for as long as I can until the cupboards and freezer are virtually empty. Sell anything I no longer want via eBay or Gumtree.

Just remembered that I do re-use gift bags and wine bottle gift bags ( although I imagine everybody does this.)

good friend!!

A goof friend and I have been exchanging the same 2 Christmas cards for the last 18 years! In laws and grandchildren added on as the years go by!

Have enjoyed reading this thread, but have to say it’s become
A bit of a Four Yorkshireman sketch.?
Clogs? You ‘ad clogs?! Etc.

Can’t think that I do any really thrifty things, especially not
Reusing teabags or only boiling t’ kettle once a day.
Some things are just good household sense of course, especially not wasting perfectly useable food, or growing your own veg.

I always keep nearly finished chutney/relish/sauce, etc. jars and bottles in the fridge, add a wee drop of water/stock, swirl it round, add to soups/stews, etc. Just adds that wee bit extra flavour, but make sure you don't keep them too long, obviously don't want them to go mouldy.
Lots of great suggestions on this thread.

Great tips here. Another one - collect bubble wrap for free from the supermarket - usually in the fresh v eg and fruit boxes. Have always asked first and never been refused.

I buy large washing up liquid from Aldi for 85p, and decant into the smaller bottle (59p) I bought first, I can get 2 and almost a half times out of it, so saving money. I also get the bit that remains in the bottle out by holding it over the washing up bowl and letting hot water into it, so it spills over the sides of bottle, (possibly twice) every last drop helps. I buy large bottles of Vimto, and do the same. You just have to remember not to throw the original bottle out!!

I always make sure I get the last drop of wine out of the bottle by turning it upside down and patiently watching the last drop drip into my glass. ?

Great thread btw!!

I do all of these things except cutting up rubber gloves for elastic bands, I never thought of that one.
I save loo roll tubes, I shred any paperwork too personal to go into the recycling bin, stuff the loo roll tubes with the shreds, wrap in a small piece of newspaper, then save them for DD to use as firefighters for her wood burner, sometimes I put some odd bits of dried spice or herbs in them.
I save yogurt pots cut them down in strips to the bottom, then use the bits as labels for seedlings in the greenhouse .
I also slice any unused lemon, orange, or lime, pop it into the freezer on a tray , then when frozen put into a bag, then put a slice of it into a G and T and use the orange in lemonade or Pimms.
Batch baking and freezing of course.
Save any cardboard to make into little pots for seedlings, or old magazine pages.

I reuse gift bags and use most of my veg and make soup try to be thrifty as have limited income without being mean.

I have just spent most of the afternoon repairing some of my hanging baskets with garden twine as i cant get out to get some
new ones. Some of the basket weave had started to unravel but with the twine i was able to tie it all together. DH said order them online, but when i showed him that they are perfectly usable he just smiled. I try to find a use for most things rather than throw away. The plastic lids from yog pots are brilliant for small flower pots as individual covers for growing seeds and also they just fit over my coffee mug so when in the greenhouse i dont get bits floating on the top. Like many others i reuse buttons, old t shirts for clothes an always wash out and reuse zip lock plastic bags. DH smiles when he sees me hanging them on the washing line to drain. lol.

I cut the broad part of old rubber gloves into elastic bands.

I cut the ribbon tabs from inside the shoulders of tops and use them to put through the hole in the top of brushes, mop etc to hang on a hook.
I bet that's a first!

I never ever pay full price for my clothes.

I make my Christmas cards

I try to grow all the flowers for picking for the house

I made hand sanitiser, as still can’t find any in shops. Combined Dettol with Epaderm lotion (comes in massive bottle from chemist. Great for those with eczema etc). No idea if it works, but it’s all I’ve got!
I’m another that cuts toothpaste, hand cream tubes etc in half when seemingly finished. Amazing how much is in there.

JaneRn Pears soap is still in the shops.
We didn’t have it in our house, my mum bought Lux soap bars, and my aunt had Camay soap in her bathroom.

maw, I do the champagne thing but I read in the paper that it doesn't work - I have news for them - it does.

Pan scouters: I cut into thirds or quarters into a size that covers the ‘scrubbing area’ of my fingers. This was all of the scrubber gets used, rather than a patch, so the pack lasts longer.

Small thing.

Most of mine covered here. I buy black sock from the same place so if there’s a hole in one you only have to throw one away. Me and my sil use the same card every year for our birthdays. Literally the same card as we pass it back and fore. It’s never been taken out of the cellophane. It’s become a standing joke in the family now.

I cut up DH old shirts to use as pressing cloths or cleaning cloths, having first removed all the buttons for my button box.

I also turn the collars and cuffs on his shirts when they look worn. It's easy to do and can add another couple of years to its life.