calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

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izzy_mack
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calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by izzy_mack »

I'm always trying to stretch the pennies and often look on various self-sufficency sites or frugal living sites for ideas on how to do this. Most of the stuff there is just common sense. I have picked up some tips from this site, like the one recently about using newspaper in the bottom of a raised bed rather than buying expensive membrane. I also got a tip on making your laundry conditioner last, if like me you don't measure it but just bung it in and use too much, especially if it's the concentrated stuff, keep your empty bottle and when you buy a new one , decant half into the old bottle, top up both with water and use. I tried this and noticed no difference except my conditioner costs were halved.

So any good ideas out there that I'm missing? Being frugal makes sense unless you're so well off you don't care, as the more you save, the more you have to spend on preps.
jansman
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by jansman »

Good post. Money is getting tighter for most folks I know; everything is going up and wages ain't. We have been poor, we've been rich ( by our standards anyway!) and we are back to being financially 'challenged ' as it were. All through our life though , we've never wasted money. Personally, I abhor waste.

Anyhow, I have always grown food. My dad did, and I carried on. You can spend a lot of cash on a garden. To me that defeats the object of food growing. So, to start some tips off on izzy macks thread, I like to save seeds. Most of my seeds in fact. Here's a link.
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedsavinginfo.html
They sell good stuff too if you HAVE to spend money. :lol:
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

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featherstick
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by featherstick »

Don't use laundry conditioner - use washing soda - big spoonful in the drawer with the the detergent every wash. Dirt cheap and effective. Oh and unless your clothes are very soiled, you only need half the amount of detergent that is specified.
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shocker
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by shocker »

Come to that, a place that sells Soda Crystals will sell Borax (or substitute) and powder laundry bleach (oxygen based) for a quid a go, which will replace Oxy Action just fine at a fraction of the cost. Barry whatisname and cillit bang eat your heart out ;)
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yorkshirewolf
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by yorkshirewolf »

Shopping around, thats saving me money at the moment, costing me more time but saving me a few quid.

I won't go to a one specific shop at a time, i usually try and coincide with going in that direction anyway, but it's shocking how different prices can be a mile apart, we use a lot of dettol (dogs) and in big supermarkets it's £5 a bottle, go to Home Bargains it's £3.29. thats a big difference on 10 bottles.

We also use local shops, markets, butchers, they'll all look after local, loyal customers for repeat business.

And there's nothing wrong at all with scrimping and being frugal, it's funny how those who think of themselves as 'middle clarse' are often seen scrimping in Aldi same as everyone else when times are tough!
Moneys one of those things that we'd all like a bit more of, but not having much should never be mocked or laughed at...
jansman
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by jansman »

yorkshirewolf wrote:Shopping around, thats saving me money at the moment, costing me more time but saving me a few quid.

I won't go to a one specific shop at a time, i usually try and coincide with going in that direction anyway, but it's shocking how different prices can be a mile apart, we use a lot of dettol (dogs) and in big supermarkets it's £5 a bottle, go to Home Bargains it's £3.29. thats a big difference on 10 bottles.

We also use local shops, markets, butchers, they'll all look after local, loyal customers for repeat business.

And there's nothing wrong at all with scrimping and being frugal, it's funny how those who think of themselves as 'middle clarse' are often seen scrimping in Aldi same as everyone else when times are tough!
Moneys one of those things that we'd all like a bit more of, but not having much should never be mocked or laughed at...
I see money as a resource: not an end in itself.Money buys stuff you need.In our case we make it or grow it,for instance. If we can do neither,then we buy it.Today I went and fetched my stash of hazel poles ,6 bundles of 12.Local prices for garden canes run at about £3 for ten.Another few bob saved!
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
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Deeps
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by Deeps »

yorkshirewolf wrote:Shopping around, thats saving me money at the moment, costing me more time but saving me a few quid.

I won't go to a one specific shop at a time, i usually try and coincide with going in that direction anyway, but it's shocking how different prices can be a mile apart, we use a lot of dettol (dogs) and in big supermarkets it's £5 a bottle, go to Home Bargains it's £3.29. thats a big difference on 10 bottles.

We also use local shops, markets, butchers, they'll all look after local, loyal customers for repeat business.

And there's nothing wrong at all with scrimping and being frugal, it's funny how those who think of themselves as 'middle clarse' are often seen scrimping in Aldi same as everyone else when times are tough!
Moneys one of those things that we'd all like a bit more of, but not having much should never be mocked or laughed at...
Totally agree, I take great pleasure in being able to reuse things. As for the 'middle clarse' stuff, a couple of years back we were in a Lidl's and we overheard in a frightfully well spoken accent "Eliza, don't do that, its soooo unbecoming" to a small child. :lol: the Lidl's wasn't even in a nice area so I'm guessing they'd travelled. It will be interesting to see if long term we all start going back to Tesco's and Sainsbo's or we all stick with the bargain end. I know what we'll be doing in Casa Deeps, we get most of our gear from Aldi's (no Lidl's close) but go to Asda for some of the things we can't get at Aldi, one of those is my nippy chillies but we're growing our own again so that won't be an issue until this years harvest runs out.
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shocker
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by shocker »

Another cheapskate move : buy Dairy Hypochlorite from a Farmers Supply place, its super concentrate household bleach and 25L is around £7. Water that down 10 to 1 for household use. Lasts me about 5 years a time. And I use A LOT of bleach, homebrewing and so on.
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BlinkingCory
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by BlinkingCory »

dilute shampoo with vinegar.

not good for girlies!
i never get dandruff.
my hair is super shiny.
JDandCoke
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Re: calling any scrimpers (cheapskates)

Post by JDandCoke »

I never go as far as "make your own washing powder", "flush toilet once a day" or "let whole family wash in same water" but if you fancy this sort of tips then try
Thesimpledollar.com . Also many normal tips there but with focus on US financual market. He also wrote book about saving few years back. Personally I think there should be balance in everything and saving on some things has no point as the saved amount is not worth it.
Lets say saving on flushing water in toilet (i seriously knew families who used to do it) - how much will you save this way? 10 quid a year? And lets say family has 20 "ideas" of this kind. They will save 200 quid a year for making fools of themselves. There has to be balance. Its better to think twice before buying new gadget, checking price comparison pages before buying stuff, shopping in cheaper places etc. Also raising qualifications for better job prospects rather than saving on not flushing toilet or washing in soda. If you want to have more you need to push your career rather than sitting for 10 years in dead end job and moaning how much you hate it. ;)