The Great "Extreme MoneySaving" Hunt: How far do you go?

A question about : The Great "Extreme MoneySaving" Hunt: How far do you go?

In these credit crunch times, how far do you go with MoneySaving? Whether it's making your own lemonade in restaurants (ask for tapwater with lemon & add sugar), the old ‘reuse teabags ten times’ or more – then tell us all.

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Best answers:

• I often sneak in my own snacks and drinks to music venues; I get away with water every time by saying I'm pregnant, and if I want to take cola or something, I say I'm diabetic. I'm actually hypo-glycaemic so it's not that far from the truth.
  I also request tap water (free) or soda water (free or about 50p a pint) when out. Healthy and cheap and no nasty hangover in the morning.
  The latest thing is I walk the 3 miles into town when I go, to save on the bus fare, but I get the bus back.
• We've swopped the same Xmas card with my parents since 1987 (1988?) as it was very expensive & innovative (= it played a tune!) when new. Now it is an Xmas family tradition, but a bit battered!
  I take an empty plastic bottle through the security checks at the airport, then fill it at the water fountain. Ј1.50 for a small bottle of water (needed for medication) is just robbery, even if it is once a year.
  For 13 straight years our annual 'holiday' was a fortnight staying with MiL....now if that is not 'money saving' it is certainly EXTREME!
• I always take a packed lunch and snacks if going out for the day (or even part day). Not only does this save money but also means you know exactly what you are eating (shop bought sandwiches are usually full of butter, salt and poor quality ingredients).
  Some of you might say that this is not exactly extreme but in the eyes of quite a lot of people these days, taking a packed lunch is looked upon as extreme by such a lot of people (more often than not those that really should be taking a packed lunch!)
• Depends on your opinion of extreme, but I once washed the car (well rinsed) with water from our 3 water butts (not all of them of course !) as we are on a water meter.
• Not really extreme but a tip I picked up from the small things DF thread was to use your make up remover wipe to clean your sink and taps in your bathroom when you've finished with it. Double the value and keeps the bathroom spick and span!
  I also rescue empty Innocent Smoothie bottles and such like (the 250ml ones) from colleagues who have had them, rinse them out and then refill with Aldi's 69p 1 litre pure orange juice with bits to take to work - 4 days worth of pure juice for 17.25p a day, much cheaper!
• MY OH baths every night in about 3 inches of water and leaves the plug in till the following morning and uses this to water her veggies.
  Also, 2-3 nights a week my OH and I get a great deal of excitement raiding the local Greengrocers waste bin. Its like Xmas every visit.
  It all started when I received a Juice Extractor (for free) from Freecycle.
  Now, bruised apples get juiced for a fantastic drink. Strawberries are usually good enough to eat but because there are so many and they also get pureed for sauce, jam, Etc or used to make strawbery ice cream.
  Mushrooms in huge quantities. They taste much better when they just start to discolour.
  Butter squash, Ginger root, Kohl Rabi, Swede, Peppers, Garlic. All thrown away.
  I could go through the entire list of what comes out of the bin but suffice to say that anything a greengrocer sells has been retrieved and most of it used.
  Beautiful food and totally free - and more than we can handle.
  Now. Do you have the nerve?
• I'm with you on the packed lunches - I never leave home without tap water and stacks of egg sandwiches.
  Another extreme habit of mine is spotting fruit trees on roadsides (not on private property) & taking any ripe fruit home with me. I then use these to make alcohol, jams, jellies & chutneys - most of which go into Christmas hampers for family.
  A particular favourite last year was the tarragon jelly - perfect caramalized on grilled chicken breasts or as a glaze for carrots. Apples from the roadside & elderly tarragon from the dusty jar in the spice rack. Job done.
• This is not new nor extreme unless your MIL lives just down the road. In the 60's & 70's our family holidayed with relatives and vice versa for years. But as a kid it doesn't matter where the holiday location is and we the best holidays of my life! Unfortunately this is no longer an option.
• i work in a fashion shop, people often go in to the fitting rooms and when they get changed money falls out their pockets, so when im doing security checks i pick any pennys up from the floor. ive made about Ј25 doing this over 6 months! my car appreciates the fuel from all my pennys lol
• If we go out for the day or driving somewhere far, I always take a thermos of tea and a few biscuits or homemade flapjack in a tupperware box. Rather than pay the exotortinate amount at a service station/coffee shop.
  I steam off the unfranked stamps. I work in an office so deal with quite a lot of mail, and never buy stamps for myself. To get the stamp off the envelope place on a saucer and cover with boiling water, this melts the glue then dry the stamp and stick on the clean envelope using PVA glue.
• Buy big cheap bottles of 'bubble bath' (Aldis or Tesco) and decant into liquid hand-wash dispensers or shower gel dispensers.
• Well, I have never had a clothes dryer. Instead, we dry our clothes in winter on an old-fashioned wood and metal clothes dryer, which is on a pulley and is hung in the upstairs bathroom.
  I used this even when my two children were in nappies- the cotton kind.
  In summer we dry the clothes outside if possible.
  I always wash my hands in cold water, summer and winter, unless they are very greasy.
  We have two compost bins which we keep quite full with compostable waste from the kitchen and garden - although it's not a large garden.
  The resulting compost is used on our garden, which is organic. My daughter now grows summer vegetables and some flowers in the flower beds.
  We have two water butts which soon fill up after one rainstorm, to water the garden.
  When I boil eggs, I only fill the pan about an inch in depth with water, so that the eggs cook in the steam. This is from an old wartime recipe book.
  These measures not only help the planet, but all of them save money as well.
  I commend them to you.
• OK, this may not be extreme but it's a good money saving tip for anyone who has an apple tree, or likely to be offered apples from a friend with one (people with trees are often happy to give away fruit as they frequently get more than they can use themselves).
  Last year, we had loads of apples and quickly got sick of having apple crumble every night, so I decided to try making apple sauce instead.
  I chopped a bowl full of apples, zapped them in the microwave with a couple of tablespoons of apple or white grape juice for 3 x 3 mins (stir inbetween), then pur!ed in a blender and froze in 100 mL portions. These small portions are easily thawed and I've used them throughout the year. My favourite is for thickening smoothies - the sauce goes perfectly with all red juices (red grape, raspberry, etc.), as well as orange, pineapple (makes a lovely light, frothy drink) and apple/mango juices. It tastes great and is really healthy as it's all organic (provided pesticides weren't used on the tree) and compared with apple juice (bought or home-made), still has all the fiber left in it!
• Actually, an old ice cube tray is ideal for freezing sauces. just take out the number required and thaw when needed.
  Been doing it for years - Goes back to when I was single.
• Make your own breadcrumbs. I dry any bits of bread that are going stale and then zap them in a food processor. Crumbs keep in a tin indefinitely and are great for coating fish, meat, lining greased tins for baking, as an addition to meatball mixture or for use in puddings. Try frying the crumbs in butter and use this as a topping for cooked cauliflower - yum.
  It reduces waste, saves money and doesn't have the nasty yellow colour of commercial breadcrumbs.
• Buy tinned soup for luch at work and use the work's microwave to heat it up.
  I also buy a bag of apples from the supermarket for dessert.
  It means a hot, minimal preperation, low cost (about 65p), healthy lunch.
• I went back to using good quality tea leaves instead of "everyday" or cheaper tea bags (about 2 years ago now) and have been surprised how much less tea I am buying even though friends seem to be coming round and drinking more of my tea! Also, about 6 months ago I started just adding half as much tea again to the drained tea pot the next time I made tea during the same day. The tea is still the right strength for me, even though some of the tea is being reused, doesn't taste any less good and I'm saving even more money on tea. Plus, I empty the used tea leaves and any left over tea on the outside plants and they seem to enjoy it as much as I and my friends do.
• My husband and I both cut off the tops of the toothpaste tubes and use our toothbrushes to use up what's left inside. Can get at least 3 - 4 days more use then. Also, when you think you are finished with shampoo bottles / washing up liquid bottles etc, add a little water and swish them around, you can get several more uses from them.
  We also use old 'Fruit Shoot' bottles for the grandchildren, and re-fill them with ordinary dilute juice. So far, they haven't noticed!
  We also have an old fashioned 'airer' in our kitchen - no tumble driers in this house.