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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:35:41 GMT
Any tips to help us save money?
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:36:15 GMT
Swap 'snacks' for 'cooking ingredients'
Many of the dried fruits and nuts in the 'healthy snacks' aisle can be found costing a lot less in the 'baking ingredients' section. Don't be taken in by the pretty packaging!
Tip: Swap these Sun-Maid Natural California Raisins Mini Snacks (costing a whopping 91.1p per 100g) for this bag of Sainsbury's Californian Seedless Raisins , which works out at just 19.8p per 100g.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:36:38 GMT
Swap bought desserts for homemade crumbles
I'm a big fan of homemade crumble. It's easy to make, you can rustle up a huge one for well under £2, and you'll even be getting one of your 'five a day'.
Tip: Swap this Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Tarte aux Pommes (priced at £3.99) for a crumble made from this 35p Sainsbury's crumble topping , these £1.29 cooking apples and a big spoonful of sugar.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:39:08 GMT
Putting petrol in a diesel car can be an expensive mistake but, really, it's not as bad as diesel in a petrol car!
Misfuelling is a very common problem. I see it every week. It's one of the big three: along with flat batteries and running out of fuel.
More and more people are getting diesel cars and - force of habit - they fill up with unleaded. I don't know how they do it, to be honest. Many modern cars, including all new Fords and BMWs, have a grommet that won't let you put an unleaded nozzle in a diesel filler. Yet I have a customer who recently filled his new diesel 5-series with petrol. You have to admire his persistence.
You really should guess that something's not right if the nozzle isn't the right size. But people still do it, and it can be an expensive mistake. Most companies will charge you a few hundred to drain the tank. And it's money you really don't need to pay, if you're careful.
There are a few things you can do to prevent yourself from misfuelling in the first place. You can buy a gadget [from Caparo, makers of the T1 supercar] for about £50 that works with most new cars.
And you can always do what the police do: put a little sticker on the filler cap that says 'diesel'. It's a simple solution, but it does the job.
But if you do pour some petrol into your diesel engine, don't panic. If it's just a few litres or so, fill the rest of the tank with diesel and carry on. It's not going to do much damage. It might even do some good! I'll explain why...
Diesel cars are always failing their MOTs on the emissions test. Diesel is oil. Do you remember those adverts in the 1980s where the oil sticks to every part of the engine? It's like that. It coats every single surface it touches. And if those surfaces are hot, it's going to burn and produce some nasty emissions.
Unscrupulous mechanics will charge you an arm and a leg to get it ready for the retest. In truth, all you need is a £5 bottle of diesel cleaner. This cleans your fuel lines and your fuel injector. But it's basically a petrol-based additive. So if you do put a tiny bit of petrol in your diesel car, it's not the end of the world.
What you don't want to do is to drive off with a full tank of petrol before realising you've made a mistake. If you did you'd probably notice that your car has difficulty starting, it will smoke under acceleration and it will misfire until you hit high revs. If you notice any of these things, pull over straight away and call a breakdown service. You are likely to cause serious damage to your engine if you continue.
If you're at the forecourt and you realise that you've pumped a full tank of unleaded into your diesel car, you're going to need to get the tank drained (and the fuel filter replaced). Don't drive away, call the breakdown service.
I don't want to give the impression that misfuelling with petrol isn't a big problem. If you do have to have your tank drained, it's going to cost you money. But it's a lot less expensive than replacing an engine.
If it's the other way round, mind you - putting diesel in a petrol engine - you're going to want to drain your tank straight away. Otherwise it won't run. It might start up and chug down the road making awful noises. But I wouldn't want to see the state of your engine after a few miles.
Remember that 1980s advert again? The diesel coats the tank, it coats the fuel lines: the diesel will get right through the engine, coating everything. If it's just a splash it will eventually burn off. You might get a bit of smoking, but probably no major damage.
But if it's anything more than a splash then don't start your engine, call your breakdown service or a specialist mobile fuel drain company. It's better to be safe than sorry.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:41:23 GMT
Pause for thought
The four-day wait works. If you are about to buy something which isn't a necessity, and you have a little quiet voice somewhere whispering to you, listen to it, and wait four days before you make the purchase. It gives you time to compare prices elsewhere, or to come up with an alternative, or even to decide that you don't need or want it.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:41:45 GMT
Watch the pennies
Keep a record of every single penny you spend for at least one month - you'll learn a lot.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:42:51 GMT
Get every last drop
Get every last drop out of citrus fruit. Roll a lemon, or other citrus fruits, with your hands, back and forth on the worktop surface before squeezing it and you will get more juice. You can also heat the lemon to get more juice, but that means paying for the heat, so warm the lemon and yourself with the exercise - it's free.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:43:29 GMT
Stop running
A process that can prolong the life of your tights is to wash them before you wear them, preferably by hand. Use soap, not detergent. Plunge the tights into lukewarm water, getting them completely wet. Rub the soap on to your hands, not directly on to the tights. Get a nice sudsy lather and gently wash with a squishing, not rubbing, motion. Rinse thoroughly, blot with a towel and let them dry naturally.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:44:19 GMT
Never mind the cornflakes - just look at the packaging
If you have inadvertently bought packaged cereals, make sure you get your money's worth by using the packaging, which is MUCH more valuable. Did you know that in scientific tests, rats that were fed the cereals were poorly nourished; those that were fed the packaging fared better. Surely you can learn from a rat?
Cereal boxes can be used as file-holders. You can cut off the top, trim the sides down at an angle, or use them turned sideways to hold files. The bags inside cereal boxes are excellent for storing breads and for using in the freezer. Wash them and use them again, unless used for poultry products.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 25, 2009 17:46:29 GMT
In winter put a duvet under the botton sheet on the bed and them one on top. You wont need an electric blanket.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 26, 2009 7:30:37 GMT
Ladies if buying magazines go for ones with free lip gloss or eye shadow on the cover.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 26, 2009 7:31:48 GMT
Store wet wipes upside down it keeps the first ones out moist and saves you having to throw away those that dry out.
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Post by banger on Aug 26, 2009 11:54:08 GMT
After having cereal boxes for breakfast I found that they need more milk and sugar than usual so increasing the cost Rats To That
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 26, 2009 13:10:28 GMT
After having cereal boxes for breakfast I found that they need more milk and sugar than usual so increasing the cost Rats To That You toast them.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 26, 2009 13:50:27 GMT
If you have a few newspapers, you can use them to clean your windows! Simply spraying on the cleaner, use the newspaper as you would a paper towel - great streak free clean.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 26, 2009 13:52:44 GMT
Going dotty. In preparation for the sales, shops often put a red or black dot on the laundry label of a garment to secretly indicate to staff that it's going to be lowered in price. If you see this on a full price item you want to purchase, hold back! You'll kick yourself if you buy it and a few days later it's 50% off.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 26, 2009 13:53:12 GMT
Every penny counts. Large electrical appliance stores sometimes use a price code to secretly communicate to staff which product models need to be sold as a priority to make way for new stock. The key to this code lies in the last digit of a price. If the price ends in an 8 (i.e. £19.98, £47.88, £109.78, etc) it usually means the particular model has been discontinued by the manufacturer. If the price ends with 7, the item is usually clearance stock, therefore definitely ask for a discount with both.
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Post by banger on Aug 26, 2009 14:03:13 GMT
After having cereal boxes for breakfast I found that they need more milk and sugar than usual so increasing the cost Rats To That You toast them. Cheers
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 26, 2009 18:27:10 GMT
Supermarket error? Get double bubble! If a supermarket over-charges you for an item, don't inform the cashier of the error. Instead, immediately take your receipt and goods to customer services; sometimes not only do they refund the entire amount, they let you keep the goods too!
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Post by banger on Aug 27, 2009 11:26:36 GMT
Some really good advice here
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Post by BC on Aug 27, 2009 15:43:50 GMT
Some really good advice here I agree Banger... it must be a relief to know that you won't get any more runs in your tights. (sorry - couldn't help myself)
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 28, 2009 12:17:14 GMT
If you own a torch check the batteries in it to make sure they are not leaking. Leaking batteries can ruin a torch.
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Post by banger on Aug 28, 2009 15:45:32 GMT
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Post by liz on Aug 29, 2009 7:23:52 GMT
If you are interested in a new book and can wait until a few weeks after publication, look round the charity shops and buy at much reduced prices.
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Post by BC on Aug 29, 2009 15:11:44 GMT
If you are interested in a new book and can wait until a few weeks after publication, look round the charity shops and buy at much reduced prices. Or as I say to Mrs. BlackCat "order it from the library".
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Post by BC on Aug 29, 2009 15:15:35 GMT
I bought a course once on how to save money. It was one page, and only had this one tip: "Don't waste your money buying courses on how to save money. If you hadn't bought this course, you be £15 better off".Personally, I thought that was good advice.
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Post by BC on Aug 29, 2009 15:37:38 GMT
Seriously though, I did buy a course called "How to turn debt into wealth". The first half focussed on getting out of debt. As many people have credit card debt store cards and loans on top of their mortgage, the course got you to focus on just one at a time. This is my in-a-nutshell version: 1. make a list of your debts. 2. rank them in according to the size of the interest % (hightst at the top) 3. Make minimum payments to everything except the highest % card or loan. 4. Whatever you can spare towards paying some off goes only on that item. As the months go by, the minimum payments reduce, but you keep paying the same off each month, so every month, more and more is being offset against the balance. 5. When that is paid off, you take whatever you used to pay it off, plus whatever the minimum payment was, and you put all that towards paying off the second highest %interest debt. 6. And so on... the payments gradually cascade, so that as you target the next debt, it becomes much faster to pay off. Psychologically, it is a great feeling to pay the first one off, which spurs you on. And because you see more coming off every month, it feels better and better. Of course, you have to agree with yourself not to take any more debt on and stick to it. I managed to accumulate quite a lot of debt while I was funding a business, and so I actually followed this plan, and it worked a charm. By using an excel spreadsheet, I was able to track what was being paid, and plot what was going to be paid and how long it was going to take. In my case, it was a five year plan - so not a quick fix. I only have a mortgage left now. I kept a couple of credit cards, but they are paid off in full every month. Hope that helps someone out there. BC
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 29, 2009 18:32:45 GMT
Some really good advice on here. Come everybody I am sure you have some tips.
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Post by Kimmy on Aug 30, 2009 8:55:53 GMT
Usr your old toothbrush for cleaning round taps and those difficult places to get to.
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Post by Kimmy on Sept 2, 2009 10:40:51 GMT
Empty your purse/wallet every night and put all your loose change up to 20p coins into a jar. Its surprising how it mounts up.
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