Now that the credit crunch has given way to full on hefty recession lets try and share some thrifty tips to get us through the hard times

They could be serious ones such as;
Add a little pasta to veggie soup - it is filling and goes further.

or they could be totally ridiculous like the ones from Viz comic;

Save a fortune on laundry bills. Give your dirty shirts to Oxfam. They
will wash and iron them and you can buy them back for fifty pence.



You never know, it could save you a few bob and make you laugh at the same time

Thicken up runny low-fat yoghurt by stirring in a spoonful of lard.

Then maybe we should teach them about it, starting by making some lard lollies


Ok heres a serious one...

Buy a nice big cook book and start cooking meals from scratch more often instead of buying prepacked and processed foods from supermarkets. It should be cheaper, more healthy and you learn a new skill

Walk whenever you can. This also allows you to spot bargains in local shops as you stroll past them ...

Cheap body sprays that I get for Christmas. I used to chuck them away, but now I spray my trainers out with them. Its very good, makes them smell fresh

mirrorpool wrote:

sc0ttie wrote: Thicken up runny low-fat yoghurt by stirring in a spoonful of lard. Haha!! ....but just a little worried that somebody may take this seriously.... mind you I don't thin my offspring would even know what Lard was.

That could almost be aimed at me, I'm asking about things to do with yogurt at the moment, on a cooking forum. Thickening them is one thing I'm asking about

One for the ladies.....

An empty aluminium cigar tube filled with angry wasps makes an inexpensive vibrator.



and one serious one.....

Avoid using your credit card for small purchases as you are charged a service fee for each transaction, and this can add up to a substantial fee over a few weeks.

A packed lunch in a town centre can save you from buying more expensive food in town.

A weekly Big Issue is far cheaper, and more entertaining, than Hello magazine.

Cant afford contact lenses? Simply cut out small circles of cling film
and press them into your eyes.

Save money on expensive personalised car number plates by simply
changing your name to match your existing plate.

Don't waste money buying expensive binoculars. Simply stand closer to
the object you wish to view.

Heres another top 10 serious tips I found

1. Buy two ply toilet paper and pull the sheets apart (a top tip from many money saving websites) ! Why not unravel the two play paper and wrap a whole other roll? That’s what I call a 2 for 1 offer!

2. Water down expensive branded shampoo - keep a bottle only half full and top it up with water. It will last you twice as long. As for conditioner - olive oil is meant to work best but may leave you with really greasy hair.

3. Washing up liquid, fabric conditioner etc can all also be watered down to make them last longer- not sure if you’ll have to use twice as much to get a good result though.

4. If you’re a soap lover, save all the last skanky bits of soap then after you’ve gathered about a handful of them, squash them together and make a new bar. I now see the true benefits of showergel.

5. Share a bath/shower. Why waste water? Simply bathe together.

6. Cancel your gym membership - the credit crunch is the perfect excuse to get rid of it.

7. When you go out for dinner say you’re on a diet - it’s the perfect excuse to skip starter and dessert. Just drink water and have a salad. Much cheaper but far less enjoyable.

8. Instead of buying friends birthday presents/ wedding gifts make your own card then add details of how you have donated money to chairty on their behalf. After-all, it’s the thought that counts.

9. Don’t drive all the way to a ‘really cheap’ retail park just to stock up on good in bulk that you have no room for anyway. The petrol will cost you more than you are actually saving anyway.

10. Serve food on smaller plates. It will seem like your portions are bigger.
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Save money on xmas decorations by packing them carefully each year. My cheap ceiling decs are about 12 years old now and some of the tree baubles date back to my eldests 1st christmas... 19 years ago!
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"Always look on the bright side of life..... tetum tetumtetumtetum....."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo

One for the ladies

Dont buy expensive face creams that quote things like 'pro-retinol, xylobase, crease reducing wotsitsnames' etc....they are all basically the same standard moisturiser but with added perfumes etc and a lot of advertising which ends up in you paying £60 for 100ml. Buy a basic but decent brand of 'ordinary' moisturiser (mens face moisturiser is identical too) and mix in a few drops of your favourite scent. Most big retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda etc all get their top selling own-brand lines made by the same companies that produce the 'branded' product.
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