Living the Frugal Life (Semi-lighthearted) ?

Have also done that for many years!!!

These hot dry days are perfect for collecting seed from flowers, poppies, snapdragon, marigolds etc., which I shall store in labelled envelopes ready for next spring.

When I have boiling water from boiling eggs or veg I go outside with it and pour it on any weeds growing in the cracks of the patio.

The simplest thing to do with rice is cool it and freeze it. Even if you want to eat it the following day. That or fold some salad dressing through it, when it should be safe for 24 houra. But freezing is the easiest. I rarely have leftovers in my fridge. All go straight to freezer.

cc

ShazzaKanazza

This is a great thread I always thought there should be a tips and life hack thread on the forum.
I love the soap one I remember piling bits of soap onto a new soap it brought back memories.

Pears soap was actually made with an indentation so that you could stick the old bar on the side. I don't use it any more so not sure if this still the case.

Yes, I bought some recently and the old bit stuck well on to the new bar.
I did notice that it was Made in India now though! That most British of soaps ?

ShazzaKanazza

This is a great thread I always thought there should be a tips and life hack thread on the forum.
I love the soap one I remember piling bits of soap onto a new soap it brought back memories.

Pears soap was actually made with an indentation so that you could stick the old bar on the side. I don't use it any more so not sure if this still the case.

I shower never bathe. I don't need to shower as often as I would if I did not have a bidet which of course takes only a washbasin amount of water.

Thanks AussieGran59.
The thing about online is that like text messages, no one can quite "hear" the intended tone!

I don't have a dishwasher or tumble drier. I cook in batches and freeze portions. I buy in bulk when appropriate. Rarely use ready meals. Don't have a bath only a shower.

My ex-husband has living frugally down to an art form.
Don’t think he will be a bit inconvenienced!

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bazza

Some great tips here, but my favourite is how to cook a whole chicken in less that half an hour. Place in saucepan, cover with water, add salt, an onion, any herbs you fancy and bring to the boil. Simmer for between 20 minutes to half an hour depending on the size. A tight lid is essential. Turn heat off and leave overnight or until cool. You will be rewarded by the most tender and that m word we all hate. Use for risotto, coronation chicken, curry, whatever. Do not remove lid at any time until cool. Never failed.

Hi Bazza, thanks for this and I am going to try it. But could you not just have said tender and left it at that?

For anyone wondering, please look at the "words that make you cringe or snigger" thread.

I bought a set of mini spatulas to scrape the last of the sauce etc out of the bottles or jar.
I catch the cold water that comes out of the hot tap until it runs hot in a jug and use it to rinse the flannel or water the plants.
I have just made a quiche using up the odd bits of bacon/ham, cheese, tomato and mushrooms. It was very tasty and filling.

MerylStreep

Narrowboatnan
I lived onboard for 20 years. All that time off grid.
Cad I ask why you don’t have solar panels and wind generators.
They supplied our bank of batteries. From them we had an in-line converter which automatically clicked in if I used the microwave, iron, Hoover, hairdryer etc.
All our domestic hot water came from our gas bottles.

We did have solar panels, but didn’t have any solar dump to heat the water. We did think about a wind turbine, but when DH researched it he didn’t think they were as efficient as the solar. We had a 1000 watt inverter, which powered my washing machine. We didn’t have a gas water heater.

Auntieflo ??that would indeed be sight for sore eyes !!

Callistemon21

^If you do not have enough wool knit your jumper in two colours one for the back one for the front two for the work of one.^

That's fashionable again, Yammy ? Or wide stripes.

Make leftover yarn into blankets and throws.

If you make stripes it uses the same amount of wool but they actually wore their jumpers back to front somedays. I have a photo of my mother and you can see another colour at the back of her jacket. Fancy it coming back into fashion.
We crocheted blankets as students with wool from relatives and then joined all the squares with black. It put in time between lectures. Not much study going on.

nandad

Yammy, my DH dries himself with a a flannel after he’s showered, whilst standing in the shower tray. His towel is dry.

My mum told me to do it when I was a student it meant we did not have wet towels everywhere. Glad to hear the trick lives on.

If you do not have enough wool knit your jumper in two colours one for the back one for the front two for the work of one.

That's fashionable again, Yammy ? Or wide stripes.

Make leftover yarn into blankets and throws.

Fleurpepper

Shinamae

BlueBelle

I ve always reheated cooked rice I use a rice cooker and use it up in different dishes over two or three days Arent you supposed to ?

You have to be very very careful reheating rice, it is a major source of food poisoning

Yes, you have to be careful. If you put in fridge and re-heat properly the next day- it should be fine. I have done this all my life and never ever have had an issue.

Rinse what you're not going to eat immediately in cold running water, put in a container in the fridge asap.

Rice contains toxins which can develop if it's left warm.

Just for general information, I had the worst food poisoning ever after a Chinese restaurant meal. I contacted our local council who had a food safety department in those days. Someone came to my place of work the same day with sample tubes (don’t ask!) and the eventual results was bacteria off their testing scale caused by rice. I’ve always treated cooked rice with the greatest respect ever since. Incidentally the restaurant was closed down because of many complaints but no one had been willing to give a sample. Apparently cooked rice was just chucked in a bin without refrigeration and reheated. Lots of other hygiene problems.

SusieB50, you did make me laugh in your post where you say "Can't get in my bath anymore. Use the slow cooker a lot"!
I had visions of you contorting yourself to squeeze into it.

I add some water to the last bit of hand wash or washing up liquid to.get it all out. Cut up.potatoes quite small, bring to.boil with lid on turn off gas, go way. Come back.in.20 mins or half an hour and they are cooked. I usually cook a whole bagsworth and put some in fridge to.use later.

My oldest cleaning cloth was a nappy for my first child in 1970.

When our old white facecloths go grey they are repurposed as cleaning cloths.