Being thrifty...saving money...

it's what helps our world go around!
It may not be particularly on trend being savvy and watching the pennies, but we avoid additional stress and I personally find it a far more interesting way of life.

Some ideas to try:

In the kitchen - 

Cooking once, eating twice. Cook double the quantity for a meal and eat it over two evenings. 

Use appliances, switch them off or give them away.  (Not all at the same time..)

Tidy and sort through the freezer and ensure you are keeping what you will use within three months.  By tidying you release space for foods to be stored, and you can find foods to use up while they are still useable.

If you use a coffee machine (or similar) - switch it off at the wall after use. All appliances use a small amount of electricity just to keep active.

If you have items you just don't use - give them away or sell them for a few pounds.

Cook it yourself - don't pick up a takeaway menu, except to throw this in the recycling bin!  If you don't know how to make something, look on YouTube and follow a recipe.  It is cheaper to buy the ingredients and make it yourself, and often much quicker than phoning a takeaway and waiting for something to be cooked for you then delivered - and yes, I know it's hard when you've worked a 12-hour shift, Yadda Yadda, but plan in advance.
Own brand products vs named brands: there is no contest - huge savings to be had, and they are made in the same factories anyway!

Rinse a tin.  Once you've emptied a tin, rinse it out with water and use this water - either to add to a recipe to stretch it further or to start off a soup for tomorrow. Yes, honestly.

Doing laundry - wash clothes that are dirty. No, really. Some things need hanging up and airing and wearing again before washing. Other bits might need a sponge clean on a mark or spill before drying / airing. We wash clothes that need laundering - socks and underwear, regular uniforms, dirty clothes - and wash them when our electricity is at its cheapest tariff, using a timer plug.  This usefully means we have damp laundry to hang out first thing in the morning.

Repairs.  I'm replacing two zips in items of clothing before the Winter - one for my elderly uncle, one for my grown-up daughter. This little task on my behalf saves them from either buying a new item of clothing or having to pay for a repair to be done.  Home repairs are not hard, and can be learned on YouTube if needed.

With the festive season fast approaching, what are you doing to be thrifty and save money?

Tracey x


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