Household hints & tips to save money

[cookie1]

We've had our solar panels since early June and now get a nice credit on our power bills. I said that I washed etc at night when I worked and WILL not do it now.
DH still goes out every evening and checks the electricity meter and the solar panel readout and notes them down. He can't use the computer so no spreadsheets for him and I won't suggest I do it for him.

[Nay-nay]

Seeing the kettle in the shopping thread made me remember to add a splash of vinegar every now and then into the kettle and boil with water. Tip out the water. Do this every so often to keep the element and the kettle clean inside, and it should last longer.

Now that's a Handy Hint Creampuff!! Thanks 

[judydawn]

Ahh Faulding is a name I haven't heard for a while.  I worked for them for 12 years !! Products are still branded Faulding, but they are no longer owned by Faulding, sadly.  Was a great Company to work for until all the takeovers !  Judy, it was Famous in SA hey ! I lived in SA for a while whilst working for them too. 

Taken over like a lot of companies Deb - nothing ever stays the same.

[KarenH]

New photo again Nay-nay!  My sister-in-law is your twin 

[andiesenji]

I was chatting on the phone with my best friend last evening and I mentioned the discussion about solar panels (they have had them almost as long as I have) and she mentioned her son, who divides his time between SoCalif, Brazil and Australia, where he owns or is part owner of gem mines.  He has a semi-underground home in Queensland and a field of solar panels some distance from the mine he co-owns with two other people.  He didn't want to be too close to the mine area because of the dust kicked up by trucks and even so they have to sometimes dust the panels twice a day to keep them working efficiently. 

[jkmt]

Not quite as money-saving as many of the tips here, but I buy the Entertainment Book each year, so that I can purchase my Coles giftcards online through it, giving me a 5% discount on the price. I then use those gift cards to do my grocery shopping. Only downer is that I have to be organised in advance, as it takes a week for each new card to arrive.

[judydawn]

Great idea though Jen - I would never have thought to use the gift card myself for that reason but then I don't shop at Coles so I guess that is not surprising 

[leesmac78]

When we lived in Australia (and still do here in Germany) we always shopped at Aldi FIRST and then completed the rest of our shopping at supermarkets and other stores and shops.  This is THE BEST place to stock up on flour, sugar, butter, emergency pasta and so on. 

Make a list and stick to it but start FIRST at Aldi. We have another version of Aldi here called Lidl and they are excellent too for the basics.

We buy fresh yeast at it costs us 9c, (12c AUD) and 1kg of plain flour 25c, (24c AUD) and that makes our bread.  Seriously, we are saving so much money having a Thermomix!!!

xxx

 

[CreamPuff63]

wow how much yeast do you get for 12c  and a whole loaf of bread for 24c Is that the generic supermarket bread?

[judydawn]

CP, Lee means the flour is 24 cents for a 1 kg pack which makes a loaf of bread.

[Cuilidh]

My Cuisipro foaming soap dispensers just arrived (they were mentioned earlier in this thread).  I had an all but empty soap dispenser in the bathroom but, with just the wee drop that remained in the bottom of the empty dispenser, I have now got a full foaming soap dispenser.  It really will make a difference to the quantity of soap we use.  Thanks for that tip.

[judydawn]

It's a great little gadget isn't it Marina? A 25 year warranty too - can't beat that  Would make lovely gifts for Christmas.

[CreamPuff63]

Check out the cinemas too, the cinema where I go has an annual membership card which entitles you to cheap tickets, 2 for 1 offers, and the membership has paid for itself over and over.
Use body wash in the shower instead of soap and it will cut down on the soap scum on the tiles.
Wipe the shower down after use either with a window wiper or chamois to eliminate mould
In my food scrap bowl, I place a paper towel on the bottom to make emptying and cleaning easy
Use a lobby brush and pan set to target spots & dirt as they occur eg. crumbs as it saves having to bring out duster busters and makes the worst part of the floor good again until you have time to sweep/vacume the floors thoroughly

Last week on Sunrise they also had some household hints, which I have copied and pasted here for those who missed it:

REMOVING RED WINE STAINS
White vinegar
Bi-carb soda
Wait for it to dry
Vacuum

REMOVING STAINS
Grease: use hair shampoo
Scuff marks: use an eraser or rubber gloves
Mould: use Vinegar or methylated spirits

REMOVING STICKY LABELS
Eucalyptus oil

CLEANING STAINED CUPS
Chux magic eraser

CLEANING MUST HAVES
White vinegar
Bi-carb soda
Eucalyptus oil
Cream cleanser
Magic eraser
Sugar soap

SAVE TIME ON HOUSEWORK BY:
Keeping a doormat inside
Wipe down shower after use
Clean loo with toilet brush daily

[JulieO]

After reading about the foam soap dispensers on here I ordered 2.  They arrived yesterday, how good are they! 

[fundj&e]

I use the entertainment book, and give the voucher that i know will not using to family and friends