Save the pennies and....

I’ve just bought a hot water bottle which you heat up in the microwave. I put this on my lap in the evening along with a fluffy blanket and we have avoided putting on the gas fire or heating. I was quite surprised it was so effective. Cost around £11 from amazon. I have also bought a couple of thermal vests from marks, also a good buy at £15 for two. I do seem to feel the cold more now I am getting older (67). I always used to be too hot!

I reuse a teabag for another mug of tea, have never bought fabric conditioner, use cloth handkerchiefs, have never bought paper tissues.
As plastic carrier bags have to be paid for, I use newspaper to line small bins, make my own greetings cards, never buy wrapping paper (there are lots of ways to create your own), never pay for parking in my own town, just walk a bit further.
No expensive or even mid range creams, they make no difference. Vaseline is good for everything, including removing makeup.
Use a root spray between hairdresser visits, it gives me quite a bit longer.
Often have a strip wash (one sink full of water) rather than a shower.
Take the bus with pass more often, even having a car.
Wash my hair once a week or even longer.
Ask for soap for presents so never have to buy it.
When the washing up liquid gets near the end, fill up with some water and give it a good shake, diluted yes, but works well.
Turn your knickers inside out for another day ?

,,

Years ago I started “using half” so things like detergent, shampoo and all chemicals I use half the amount I used to use. Mostly you don’t notice a difference. If the result is unsatisfactory then I add a little more until the result is as required. It doesn’t take long to get used to knowing just how little product you can get away with.
It wasn’t an attempt to save money but was sparked by a wish to reduce my contribution to water pollution.
I used to spray bathroom cleaner liberally round the bathtub. Now I spray the scouring pad side of the sponge and two squirts is enough to clean the whole bath. I shampoo my hair once rather than twice as suggested. Think of it as being kind to the planet.

My washing machine spins at 160, thank goodness. Rarely need to use an iron, drape washing over airer in my spare bedroom, leaving window there wide open. In very bad weather will use my heat pump tumble dryer.

I also have a couple of little gadgets into which I put my toothpaste tubes, or any other tubes and not only does this provide them with a safe stand, but the small screw at the side takes out every last piece of anything in the tube. No cutting, no waste.

Leaving lights on seems to have been around for sometime. Back in the 1990's I can remember coming back home where there were some of my teenage children, and looking at the 'Christmas Tree' effect in that every light was on and not a single curtain closed!!!!

Once those youngsters set up their own households they tend to be the ones insisting on turning off lights as anyone leaves the room.

I keep looking at thoio0se liss of how to save money - and find that I have been doing all of them for a very long time.

The thing that most annoys me is food waste, people throwing out perfectly good food just because a date stamped on the package had gone past.

In all my (many) years of washing, I’ve never used fabric conditioner, I don’t think my Mum did either. Washing is always done at 30deg, yes to an extra spin and dried on an airer in the spare room if it’s wet outside. I’m much better now at a full load only.
I’ve turned the temperature down on the boiler for hot water, run a cooler shower, that encourages a quicker one and stopped conditioning my hair, which seems to be fine.
Hoovering upstairs is down to every 2/3 weeks, we only use our bedroom, it had become a weekly habit, similarly washing the floor in the family bathroom, our ensuite is cleaned as it’s used.
Small changes.

I always put some washing soda in with my soap powder, I also use white vinegar and a splash of floral disinfectant rather than fabric conditioner..

My washing would still be very wet if spun at 800. Dripping. I know because I accidentally pressed the wrong button last week.

HousePlantQueen

I am not sure about this washing at 20 degrees. Firstly, items such as underwear, towels, dish cloths can be full of bacteria which will not be dealt with at such a low temperature, and secondly, using detergents repeatedly at such low temperatures will likely end up bunging up your washing machine. It is becoming comically competitive on how mean people can be, to my mind. Just wait until your washing machine has a full load and wash it at an effective temperature.

Spandex
Nylon
Polyester

... are best washed in hot water according to this site:

4jlaundromat.com/washing-clothes-in-cold-water/

As are "knitted" garments.

Like you, I wonder if the washing powders, gels and liquids build up a residue.

I assume also that all or most clothes attract bacteria of some description or other.

Surely an 800 spin means clothes take forever to dry?

In the Winter I have always dried clothes on an airer in a spare room, if we have one, or in the bathroom. Most things these days dry in 24 hours or less, even sheets. Heavier duvet covers and towels might take a bit longer. Might not be the case if you have a cold house though.

The only things that get tumble dried here usually are large bath towels when the weather is bad.

So that’s how the trickle down economy works GSM ! Thanks for the tip. ?

I am not sure about this washing at 20 degrees. Firstly, items such as underwear, towels, dish cloths can be full of bacteria which will not be dealt with at such a low temperature, and secondly, using detergents repeatedly at such low temperatures will likely end up bunging up your washing machine. It is becoming comically competitive on how mean people can be, to my mind. Just wait until your washing machine has a full load and wash it at an effective temperature.

Urms I then put them on a clothes airer, which gets them nice and flat.
Although I have to admit that I Always iron T-shirts, trousers, jeans, doesn’t everybody??
TBH it never occurred to me to not iron stuff.

Even here on holiday I’m ironing …… is it me??

I am pretty sure that a good number of older grans switch off lights when they leave a room. I am always amazed the number of lights that are always on in younger peoples homes. Bedrooms, landings, hall, kitchen seem to be lit permanently. The only exception my family permitted when I was young was the kitchen lights which were fluorescent tubes, apparently it took more power to turn them on or off than it did to leave them on for a while. (I say apparently because as mentioned elsewhere I grew up with some customs others might consider a bit odd so I am unsure whether this was a truism). We who grew up with blackout curtains were taught well!

linen and wool clothing for me, all hand made. No need to wash often, just air and they freshen up beautifully and last much longer

You can get clothes clean in cold water, if you either shoogle them back and forth or scrub them.

What cold water cannot do is kill germs - so items like dish cloths, tea towels, underpants might really need to be scalded if anyone is ill in the house.

You can wash floors in cold water too and by filling a basin with cold water and putting used dishes and cultlery into it to steep you will need less clean hot water to wash them.

If we get hard frosts, you can kill of germs by hanging the washing out, but viral infections are not killed by freezing.

Obviously, this penny-pinching is not saving great amounts, but every little helps.

The one my gran did which still makes me giggle is she had an empty Vim tin beside the cooker and put the used matches in from lighting the cooker. It must have taken her at least a year to fill it.

Don’t shower everyday.
Wear clothes several times before washing.
Use a Bissell carpet sweeper (no electric)
Cook more than one item in the same saucepan.
Cuddle up to your dog or dh to keep warm.

I have always turned washing up liquid bottles upside down (with the top on!) when they look almost empty. Amazing how much trickles down, several days’ worth. I’ve cut hand cream tubes in half for years too when they seem empty. I will get the last bit out of anything!

I give my clothes an extra spin.
Iron shirts with a dry iron instead of steam and hang in the airing cupboard on a hanger.
Buy sachets of hand wash to refill bottles, Caress or M&S.
Cut toothpaste tubes.
Use colour catcher sheets in the washing machine so I can do a mixed wash. They can often be used a few times.
Use dishwasher cleaner tablets that go in with a wash rather than running a separate cycle it works for us but soft water.
Buy basic rinse Aid seems to work as well as more expensive.
Leave the oven door open and try to cook everything in one oven ....doesn't always work.
Buy cheaper paper hankies and use less.
I did try getting rid of paper towels and found that DH had lots of uses for a good clean tea towel.
Stop calling DH Rohan man their clothes last forever.
Push my hair cuts further apart than the usual 6 weeks.
Don't buy anything on a whim DD taught me this.
Give in and put socks on instead of the Central heating.
I've also cancelled my online order of a plastic Halo.

Gosh, I do an extra fast spin every time and then give everything a good shake and pull. I virtually never iron anything.
Surely an 800 spin means clothes take forever to dry?

A heavy door curtain, absorbing draughts, cold, noise,
old fashioned but effective,
keeps the hallway cosy and quiet, keeps precious heat in the home.

Yes Oops but that makes clothes more creased needing to get an iron out which rather defeats the object if ‘saving money’. A short spin 800rpm means clothes can be eased into shape, but on a maiden, no rush to dry hen hung straight back up in the wardrobe. I’ve done this for years. I very rarely use an iron. I’d have to think where it’s kept to be honest.

An extra spin on your washing machine means clothes are a bit dryer, they are on mine anyway.

I have been doing most of these thrifty things all my life, as it were. DH thinks I am tight-fisted, but my mum was frugal. It is second nature. I do spend money when it is needed. DH is the spender, and he stays up very late using heat, light, TV much longer than I think is reasonable. No point trying to get him to change his ways.

Urmstongran

My parsimonious tips include:

After using the oven leave the door open to warm the room.
Use a lip brush to get at the stump of favourite lipsticks.
Cut an empty tube of moisturiser or tinted face cream when you can’t squeeze any more out - what’s still available will amaze you and it’s expensive stuff.
I’m restricting the use of the tumble drier.
I believe it’s possible to sell one of your kidneys ...

Cut an empty tube of moisturiser or tinted face cream when you can’t squeeze any more out - what’s still available will amaze you and it’s expensive stuff.

That is so true - the first time I did it (hand cream) I realised I'd been previously throwing away about another week's supply!

The trouble with looking after the pennies is that you have to be so disciplined. In that it's easy to negate what you've saved by one rash purchase.

Himself is like that, penny-wise and pound-foolish. He'll economise on his various tubes of DIY products and then buy something that "could be useful" but isn't and sits in the man-shed gathering dust along with all the other 'useful' items...