Susey

Get cleaning stuff in gell form and put half in another container add water to each thats your own buy one get one free.

Leanne

do you enjoy a toasted panini and/or sandwich?..and you own a george foreman grill? the good news is it works fine for toasting sandwiches...sliced bread, bread rolls and pitta's filled with your choice of filling and you don't need to buy another kitchen gadget.

Bannon Well

I am a fan of terry nappies! We bought 24 for our daughter, 25 years ago, used them for both children, and now we still have 10 left. We use them for towels, facecloths, washing-up cloths, anything! Cut them to the size you want, hem them to prevent fraying and prolong their life, wash as many times as you like, no need to buy dusters or J-cloths! I also regrout my bathroom tiles, but unlike your super scrimper, who used bleach and a toothpaste, I just painted them with some of my acrylic paint, and they look fine. Always make Xmas or birthday cards out of old ones, I find they are quite good for notelets or postcards as well. No need to buy notepads, just cut spare blank paper to size, maybe paperclip together, so the notes don't take up so much space in the kitchen - I have no memory, so write everything down, and my husband gets a bit tired of all the notes! No need to but tupperware containers, I like the containers for Chinese takeaways, they seem to be about right for one portion of soup, left over spaghetti bolognaise or curry, which can be put in the freezer and used later.Also foil containers, eg from quiches or cheesecakes, etc are ok for baking. I usually just put the yoghurt containers now in the recycling bag, but sometimes use them to make new candles out of left over wax, just need a piece of string dipped in wax to make the wick. Old CDs and bottle tops help dissuade pigeons, etc from attacking your peas, etc in the garden - less need to put up netting, easier to weed. Being a quilter I Never throw out fabric, anything can be used, I have recently made an old nightie into a few handkerchiefs, and use the rest for dusters. One of my quilting friends can use tiny scraps, as she makes quilts using 1 inch squares, so I save all the pieces that are too small for me and give them to her! Just a few ideas, I like your programme, and am in the right mindset. Thank the painter for his tip about using wet newspaper instead of masking tape - I painted my bathroom this week and it works - please pass it on to him if you can.

Sue Behn

When your pantyhose ladders don't throw the whole thing away - cut off the laddered leg and keep the one legged hose till you have another pair that ladder - do the same to that and you have a whole pair. Colours different? Put them into a saucepan half fill with water - add a used tea bag if you have one and boil the lot for several minutes, drain and rinse with cold water and you will find the colour is universal.

Spuddles111

I just use washing up liquid and a good sponge to clean my whole bathroom works absolutely fine gets all scum off the bath,sink and nasties off the loo, leaves a lovely shine and smells fresh too, why pay £2 or £3 or more for a separate bathroom cleaner when a drop or two of washing up liquid is pence! Ps I only found this out by accident when I'd run out of bathroom cleaner but needed to clean my bathroom and only had washing up liquid to hand, never looked back since - give it a try!

Spuddles11

Save money on plants by visiting small nurseries rather than large garden centres for plants they have less overheads and usually grow their own so plants are considerably cheaper often by pounds, I have just saved a considerable amount of money by doing just this, for example I needed several foxgloves my local garden centre £10 each, nursery £2.75 each, yes they may be abit untidy and not the same glossy shopping experience as a big garden centre buy it's worth it for the savings!

Spuddles1

save money on magazines, they are expensive, tot up exactly how much you've spent this month on magazines it may shock you! Then edit out the ones you can manage without and take out a subscription to the ones you really want to keep reading there are usually great deals to be had if you subscribe often up to ,50% cheaper than the cover price, especially if you use direct debit! Also another great way to save is if you work with a group of girls or have family or friends who all like to read the gossip mags why not form a co operative where you all take it in turns to buy the magazines you all read weekly and share them rather than each of you buying the same magazines, saves a lot of cash!

Trisha Puller

Use the greaseproof paper that your cereal comes in to line your cake tins etc. It works brilliantly.

Barzy

After your bath, let most of the water out (of course, using some to flush the loo and using the rest to water plants!)Add some biological washing powder to the water and put your oven shelves in to soak overnight. lovely and shiny and less elbow grease.

BobBob

people underestimate the power of penny's i always keep old jars topped up with them around the house, especially by the washing machine to collect odd coins from pockets and down the sides of the sofa i recently paid for a whole shopping trip on saved up coppers. also picking up loose change in the streets is a great money saver.

Gwening

Keep all your plastic bottles;both with screwtop lids and spray nozzles,as these can be reused for travel after decanting from your bigger bottles.Not only do they save space,weight and money (on special"travel size"),but they also comply with the 100ml airport rule!Once used up while on holiday etc,bring them home,wash and reuse for another time.I've had some for quite a few years.

Missmargaret

Before you rush out to buy anything tell as many people as possible what you are after and you will find that most of the time there is somebody who is just about to throw out what you are looking for.

Countryboy

# Whilst individually a lot of these tips are really good, the best way to use money efficiently in the long term is to spend as much of your time as possible either earning it or saving it. 'Earning it' refers to doing paid work, but 'saving it' means doing as many things as possible for yourself. The most expensive part of a tradesman's bill is the labour, so the more DIY, gardening, car maintenance skills, etc you can learn then the more you'll save. Some things you'll have to get other people in to do, but otherwise pick tasks where the 'conversion' rate is really high and do those yourself. If you have the kit and space to do it, firewood is one of the best - cutting and chopping timber saves 10-20 times over the cost of nets of logs from the garage. Maybe a bit of a specialist tip, that one! # Make a simple list of your income and outgoings at the beginning of every month. Write a separate wish-list of non-routine things you want, then buy them in the month that money becomes available. Put emergency buys on credit card, but forego something else the next month so you can pay it off immediately. # The more stuff you do yourself the more satisfaction you'll get; you'll also save money and be fitter.

go gina

when cooking rice for a ie curry. boil a kettle of water add to the rice. when it comes to the boil turn of and the rest stems itself.

go gina

to clean saucepans and large roast tin, soak washing powder a very small amount and hot water work like a treat the dirty the better.

Leanne

buy vegetables when they are at their cheapest which is usually when they are in season and/or coming to the end of their shelf life. cook and freeze then they can be used as required and also mixed into meat dishes to make the meal go further. mashed cauliflower can go into minced beef bolagnaise to make it go further.onions, peas and carrots can go into a chinese chicken dish also.

Bilinan

1. Invest in roller blinds, to shut out the cold from windows, when you pull the blinds up the cold from the windows hit you, I also have lined curtains, we are cosy wintertime and saving on heating bills. 2. Cut off the handles of old toilet brushes, they make good paint stirrers or dibbles for small plants, the handles of toothbrushes can be used as dibbles for seeds. 3. Line terracotta or ceramic pots with plastic bags snip drainage holes, the pots won`t dry out so quickly. 4. If you have a favourite vase for flowers but it`s cracked, line it with a plastic bag and put the water in it then the vase won`t leak. 5. Save old compost plastic bags, cut the bottom and one side to open it up, then you can empty compost in it, when you have finished potting up it will be easy to pick up the plastic bag and empty the remaining compost back in it`s own bag. 6. When digging a hole to plant a shrub/tree lay an old opened up compost bag nearby to shovel the soil onto. plant the tree/shrub pick up the plastic bag with the soil on it and pour it into the hole. 7. Save plastic bags from bread, and vegetables, wash them, roll them in a towel to dry them and use them to cover food fastened with an elastic band to put in the fridge, it saves on clingfilm 8. Rub brown shoe polish on brown wooden furniture, and light shoe polish on light wooden furniture, to cover scratches and bring them up to a nice shine. 9. I have one more tip to confuse a burglar but I won`t mention it in case a burglar reads this. Can anybody please suggest anything I could try to remove a water stain running down from my cast iron bath taps which a member of my family left the tap dripping? I have tried lemon, vinegar salt and a lot of products which is supposed to remove the stain but no success, I tried one stain remover and it tarnished the chrome plug hole and overflow.

ukdiane888

If you have money put by for bills which only need to be paid later in the year you can take out a 6 month bond which pays 2.24% at present copared to nothing in some current accounts. You do need a thousand pounds and understand that there is no access to it till the maturity date.

BIZ

For a cheap and affective face mask put about 2 tablespoons of honey in saucer;add a few drops of your favorite aromatic face oil eg.lavender or neroli.Microwave for a few minutes until it is runny. Check that it not too hot ,and spread on face and neck.Leave for 10 minutes before rinsing off.Honey is a natural humecant and adds moisture to the skin.

BIZ

Always, but always steam your veg. In a three tiered steamer, with potatoes in water at the bottom, add any sort of veg above......sprouts, carrots, asparagus, cabbage etc. They all work very well. And you are only using one gas/electric ring.

Bestman

When tasked with buying a card for a colleague, there is no need to spend a fortune on a large one. Buy a smaller one and so everyone can add thier best wishes, measure up a sheet or two of A4 paper to fit inside the card. A line of prit sick along the fold of the card o secure and there you have a card, with room for everyone to add a good wish, a ditty or even a poem at nil extra cost!You can also 'volunteer' to get a gift bag for the pressie. Of course you will use one from your 'stash'. Your contribution has cost you pennies and no one will ever need to know.

Bestman

If you use concentrated washing liquid and softener, you can stretch it by adding 50% water to it. There is no difference to the cleanliness of your clothes and you save loads of money.

Leebmonds

for the toilet and washing machine i collect and use rain instead of the mains i also buy my drinking water this saves me from big meter bills

BBDD888

To cheaply and effectively de-scale a kettle, simply use a tablespoon of citric acid (available from any pharmacy, around 38p for 50g) dissolve in water in the kettle, heat up then leave for 10 minutes. Much faster than vinegar, less smelly and cheaper!

Rae Brown

if we have any red wine left over in the bottle that has maybe stooda little too long then puor it into an ice cube tray and freeze it, then when making a sauce, casserole or bolognese then pop a couple of cubes in for flavour, or when the recipe says add red wine it saves you opening a bottle.

Happybus

To shed weight fast for a day! and get a great reward from your lord how cools that.

ice-me-babe

1.don't throw away broccolli stalks theycan be boiled simply with a small onion, vegatable stock cube ans seasoning to make a lovely broccolli soup once blended. better still add a small amount of stilton for an even tastier soup. 2.don't spend a fortune buying expensive shower screen cleaner simply wash with a sponge and some washing up liquid when in the shower and rinse off all the soap scum, it will sparkle for pence much cheaper and can be done when showering. 3.use washing up water to water plants in the garden.

ice-me-babe

1 Cut up chives, grate ginger, cut up chilli,add water and freeze in ice-cube tray. Works for any herbs. 2 Freeze slices of bacon separately for a bacon buttie or cut up to add to sauces etc. 3 Cut up cabbage, and keep in plastic bag in fridge to use when needed.

KEZZALEX

GARDENING TIP: Instead of buying a propogater for new seedlings, plant them in a normal plant pot and get an empty bottle of pop and cut the head off it. Then put this over the top of the plant pot creating the same effect as a propogater.

Winfield

Always buy the largest can of tomato puree, then put spoonfuls of the size you usually need (I used tablespoon)onto a plastic board and open-freeze in freezer. When solid, keep in plastic bag in freezer, ready to use.

Anne

When draining potatoes or vegatables save the hot water from cooking them in the washing up bowl and then use it to rinse greasy dishes after the meal. This makes washing the dishes easier and keeps the water clean longer so you can wash more dishes and use less liquid soap.

Beegee

save water for your garden. Keep a watering can by back door,put tap water before hot comes also from cooked pasta/boiled eggs/veg etc

Kynthia

Old bread can be frozen until need and make into great bread sauce (onions, cloves and marge seasoning!) Light-weight discarded shirts cut up to make great hankies and the best of worn-out sheets can serve as pillow cases, cot sheets and again hankies.

Cenners

Great idea about using old shirts for hankies, never thought about using them. It's becoming increasingly different to find them in even charity shops these days.

Kerry Kim

Why pay for red capped milk when you can buy blue capped milk and water it down to taste. I mix mine 5 parts to one and get 24 pints of milk for about £1.00.

Kerry Kim

Why run a Freezer in the Day time when you have Economy 7 Electricity. A freezer will retain it coldness for over 24 hours. Using a timer to switch the freezer on to run only at night thus paying the lowest rate possible. I have used this method successfully for many years and saved myself about 70% of the freezer running cost.

Kerry Kim

I have PIR controlled lights with energy saving bulbs in all the 'through' areas of my house and in 'security' areas. This means that the lights are only on when required and automatically swithch off when finished with, stopping the waste of electricity if lights are left on.

Rita

Use your baby's electric bottle steriliser to steam vegetables when you start weaning! (carrots stain the inside a bit but it doesn't affect the steamer).

HPlant

When you think you have reached the end of your tube of mascara, remove the rubber plug in the top of the tube and you will find loads of product magically appears! Just insert the wand and wipe the excess off.

Niceboots

We never buy wrapping paper anymore, we use designer wallpaper! Home decor stores ( like Habitat ) often have designer wallpaper at knock down prices, we buy a roll and it lasts for ages, all birthday and xmas presants from us are wrapped in high quality, thick paper..saves us pounds in wrapping paper.

C Ali

I bake my own bread as the cost of a bag of flour is less than a bought loaf of bread and youb can get aprox 3 loafs fom one bag. When I slice the bread I collect the crumbs and store them in a tub in the freezer. They come in when I make anything needing breadcrumbs, such as chicken kievs and can be used straight from the freezer. I also buy tinned tomatoes rather than jars of sauces. They are cheeper and just as good when you add your own herbs and spices. Don't throw away potato or veg peelings. If you already have the oven on, place them on a tray with oil and cook for 5 mins to make your own crisps.

Elaine79

I attached some black "material" the stuff you use on the garden to stop weeds coming through, and before putting gravel down. I folded it over twice, to each curtain and pinned it to the back of my bedroom curtains. It stopped the sun - light coming through early in the morning. and costs half the price of proper black-out curtains.

Parsons

Little tip to avoid spending money on expensive fabric freshners, when you get an empty bottle maybe from antibacterial cleaner for example wash the bottle out and fill with luke warm water and 1 cap of your favourite laundry softener and if your anything like me you'll enjoy the smell of washing around the house.

Prettygirl

If you finish your toothpaste/handcream/body cream in a tube - cut off the top and you will find there is still plenty left!

SYM

Rather than buying bin bags save your plastic shoppin bags and use them as bin liners instead.

Testy

Butchers will often give you bones for free. Cover with water and some herbs and simmer for an hour or so , let it cool and then skim the fat (which goes solid) off the top and you have amazing free stock for soup, stew or risotto. My baby loves lentils cooked in stock. If you are too shy to go in the butcher, simmer the bones of your sunday roast chicken to get an extra meal out of it.

Simon3x3mar

Using white spirit to clean brushes after painting?, leave the used spirit in a jar or closed container and the paint will often settle to the bottom and you can decant the white spirit to a clean container and re-use. You can repeat this many times, saving a lot of money on spirit.

Ruth robertson

i use old clothes to clean thing in my flat like the windows and the funiture.

W sharon

If you have any pallets - cut down and make planters for the garden.

Tom4usa

I keep all my Christmas cards then cut around the pictures (with funky blade scissors) and reuse them for tags for next year presents!

copper goodday

spilt red wine on your clothes? rub with a slice of lemon straight away and then soak overnight in cold water. wash as soon as you can.

Milky

Tired pitted rusty chrome. Scrub with screwed up tin (kitchen) foil and coke-cola (full sugar not diet) Rinse with cold water. Works a treat and much cheaper than a chrome cleaner.

Sandry

Teeth Whitner. Keep a tub of biarbonate of soda, or baking powder with your toothpaste.Use with toothpaste.

Laura

When you've used a soap filled pad pop it in a little bag in the freezer, stops them rusting, just get out 1/2 hour before using again.

Miss GK

Has anyone got any advice on how to get white gloss paint off a brown leather settee ( a lot of paint)

BettyBoos

When one of my necklace / bracelet breaks i keep the charm/charms and thread them on a cheap piece of elastic for a pretty charm bracelet !

Linda Smith

Cooking / Food Try cooking every other day, especially if there are say two of you in a household Ie sunday roast, cook enough then eat leftovers monday, cook tuesday and same again. If you have the family over for sunday dinner, then just start on Monday and follow suit. This method is used a lot in the caribbean and very hot countries where cooking every single day is too much. Reheating is quicker plus it saves time and money.

Dorean-Kiss

Use a sink strainer to make sure bits never go down the plug hole. Occasionally put some soda crystals in the plug hole and pour over boiling water to get rid of any greasy bits. Your sink will never get blocked. To keep cereals fresh in their packets, save the bag from an empty packet,crumple this and put it on top of the bag in the new packet. Before using dried milk made up with water as a substitute for fresh milk, check the price. Fresh milk in the supermarkets is cheaper than made-up dried milk. I keep a bag from a cereal packet filled with half sheets of newspaper in a kitchen drawer to use instead of paper towel rolls where appropriate - like picking up anything yucky that's fallen on the floor, or wiping out the bits from the kitchen sink.

Brandy

instead of buying weedkiller, salt works just as well (this is just for weeds that grow in patio cracks etc - do not use on flower beds as will stop everything!) mix in some boiling water, pour away and watch those weeds die!

Gen

Do not waste money on specialist stain remover. Put a little neat washing up liquid directly onto the stain and rub gently and put directly into the washing machine as usual. If all the stain is not removed repeat in the next wash. Works every time.

James Dickson

Instead of buying sink unblocker, use crushed egg shells instead.

Rich-man

Make your own hair removal wax by melting sugar with water and lemon juice.

Rich-man

Put your candles in the freezer - cold wax burns more slowly and they will last longer.

Rich-man

Use a banana skin to clean silver instead of spending money on silver polish.

Rich-man

Don't buy deodorisers for your shoes; put cat litter in them overnight instead.

Sucarmich

We constantly live on a tight budget in our house, so I have become excellent as creating nutritional but frugal meals for all the family. I always make 1 pack of meat go at least two meals....for example a pack of 4 chicken breasts - meal 1 is chicken escalopes feeding 4 from 2 pieces of chicken by flattening each chicken piece, flour egg and crumbing and cooking. The other two pieces are used to make chicken curry for 4 or spicy chicken rice or even country French chicken. Its saves so much money on the food bills!!!! Roast on day one, pie on day two........nothing goes to waste in our house.

Jackson

Now that the gardening season is here, don't waste money on buying expensive plant ties from the garden centre. Instead, just cut up a pair of old tights (across the legs) to whatever width you require. These are very stretchable and will not damage the plants.....and they are essentially free!!

Amy

Instead of buying expensive waterproof covers for mattresses, buy the cheap shower curtains that most supermarkets do. They can also be used as waterproof sheet for picnics. you can spend just a small amount extra and buy patterned/coloured ones for this job.

Pommie

When I was a teenager in Australia in the 1960's, my parents were saving up to return to the UK. In order to save milk on the breakfast cereal, I used to pour on hot water, drain the cereal, and then add the cold milk. Not only did I get hot cereal, but it saved on milk. Every little helps...

Chrissie

A tip I was given when I first married by a friend was to always cut soaped scouring pads in half, through the bound edges, as they rust long before they're used up. I've done it for nearly 40 yrs, rarely have to buy them. Another good tip is to always soak burnt or dirty pans immediately after use with a drop of washing up liquid in them, cold water works as well as hot. By the time you,ve eaten they'll clean off easily.

Wendy

You can also use a cream bar as a substitute for shaving foam/gel. Dove is the one I use but supermarkets have their own brands of this which is cheaper. There is no soap in it, just cleanser and moisturiser, so it works really well and lasts for ages. Another way to get out the last remaining toothpaste is to add a small amount of water and shake. I also do this with moisturiser and then add to my next bottle. You haven't wasted any and don't even notice the difference.

Betty

Ever wondered why hand and bath soap comes in waxy packaging? To keep it from drying out; so when you buy it open immediately, letting it dry out and it lasts much longer!! If you have a temperature control on your boiler for hot water, turn it down slightly; when do you ever need water that's almost boiling? Just over hand hot is more than sufficient, think how many times you ADD cold water to hot? Don't let it run till it gets hot either!

Marie

Alot of people use GOOGLE as their chosen search engine but there is a more energy efficiant alternative called BLACKLE it has a black screen which uses less energy.

Lisa

To look glamourous for next to nothing, shopping for cosmetics and make-up in your local market can save literally hundreds of pounds a year.

Wendy

When washing your hair, there is no need to shampoo twice. Simply dilute one tablespoon of shampoo into half a beaker of warm water and mix. The shampoo spreads through your hair easily and lathers well, which is not always the case when applying it neat. This is especially good for people with long hair. The other benefit is that the shampoo is diluted and so not as harsh on colour treated hair. You can also make your own conditioning spray by mixing a teaspoon of conditioner with warm water and putting in a spray bottle (for a 250ml bottle size)

Sally

Put the fresh peelings of oranges, lemons and grapefruit into a pretty bowl and place in toilets or bathrooms. A fresh-smelling, anti-bacterial, natural room deodorant.

Wendy Gilchrist

Another way to keep nail varnish runny for years is to store it in the fridge.

Sue

Buy tescos own bubble bath (18p) and use it as handwash,if u got any the handwash bottles that u might ave got and fill them up. The bubble bath will fill just over 3 bottles (of handwash bottles)

Candy

If you use supermarket home delivery service, you can split the charge by combining shopping with either a neighbour, friend or family member. Perfect if you all live within streets or nearby to one another. Take it in turns each time a shop is done so everybody get points etc. One big shop only one delivery charge.

Katie

A mixture of soda crystals and washing up liquid in hot water to remove the grease and fat build up from cooker hood extractor/filters. You will be amazed how clean they become and no nasty chemicals either to strip or damage the filter plastic or make it warp. It really does make the grease dissolve and filters smell fresh.

Angela

tip for keeping nail polish from drying out or going gloopy: keep it in the fridge! odd i know but it really works and keeps nail polish in perfect condition for, literally, years!!

Peter

Washing up tips To save water, energy and drains: 1. Scrape off as much food into kitchen caddy. 2. For oily pans, scrape off as much oil into old margarine pot. Then wipe with kitchen towel. 3. As soon as the hot tap is running, use the initial cold water to rinse off all the cutlery and crockery. If need be, rinse once, leave standing, then rinse again. 4. Now the washing up will be easy and the water would stay clean much longer than usual 5. If you need to rinse (less likely now) then use cold water. 6. Drip dry as much as possible.

Sarah

When I receive a package in the post, especially in a padded envelope I keep the envelope put a white mailing label over the front where needed and just tape up the back with what I want to post in it!

Nicola

Our 2 children love milkshakes but need 1/2-1 pint of milk for each drink and this can be expensive, so I buy powdered milk and just mix it up, use it with cheaper milkshake straws or the cheaper powdered milkshake from tesco, morrisons etc etc. I also use this for cooking as it costs loads less, i even use it for porridge. If your buying this for the 1st time buy it in a tin, the second time buy a refil in a packet and re fil the tin.

Anne

We can make a chicken serve 7 meals each for two people. First remove the breasts, thighs, drumsticks and wings. Boil the skin and carcass with a carrot, onion and stick of celery (and any spices you wish) to make stock. (4)This is usually enough for two days soup (chinese chicken and noodle or leek and potato are favourite). (6)One breast is enough for a curry for two or rolled and stuffed. (8)The goujons can be used with left over rice for a stir fry. (10)One breast can be stuffed (haggis, black pudding or sun dried tomatoes and spinach) wrapped in streaky bacon or parma ham and then tinfoil and in the oven to cook. (12)The drumsticks and wings are roasted with potato wedges for another two meals. (14)The thighs can be used in a tagine or curry.

King

Buy full cream milk, and water down with equivalent amount of cold water...and you have 2pints of semi-skimmed milk at half the price!Tastes good! Economical too.

Sarah

I have an iphone app called fashionpixie that I always check before I go shopping. It tells you where all fashion sales and discounts are on the high street and they also do online. I;ve found it really useful- they even look at magazine discounts. I think they have a website aswell- fashionpixie.

Whereisthebear

Our drain was blocked and we found that it was all caused by putting egg shells down the waste disposer. Don't do it.

Beimao

Exercise, at least walking and running, is FREE! Yippee!

Gilly

If you have half a lemon left over that has gone dry on the surface, don't throw it away. Simply slice off the dried surface and you have a a fresh juicy lemon that's good to go. Also keep slices of lemon and lime in the freezer to add to drinks.

Dave

Instead of buying cotton wool pads to remove make-up, use a muslin face cloth. Have enough for one per day then you can throw them in with your weekly laundry. Larger Boots sell a 3 pack or you could make your own.

Sheila

To make lipstick last longer buy a lip brush and use the inch of lipstick which is inside the holder.

Willow

To clean any Gold jewelery dont buy expensive cleaners, just pop rings, earings, bracelets, chains etc in to a cup/glass of Coke, leave for a few hours or overnight and then rinse them in warm water and buff with a clean cloth..

Kay

Put rolled up newspaper in smelly trainers and shoes - next day they are fine to wear as the charcoal in print soaks up any odours.

Frankie

dip your toothbrush in water then salt and brush once a week. salt makes your teeth really white! may not taste nice but at least you'll have a sparkling smile.

Bella

Use leftover crusts to make breadcrumbs in the food processor then freeze in bags so you always have some handy. I freeze them in old plastic bread bags rather than use new bags.

rose

going out for a meal can be quite expensive at some places, so what i do is go to the reduced sections at supermarkets where you can get many cheap products which are still perfectly ediable, cook them up for some friends and everyones happy.

Kitty

Take your iphone when out shopping and use the 'pic2shop' app. It scans the barcode and tells you where else you could buy the product and how much for. I paid 50% less for my electric toothbrush last month by using this app.

alf

when your washing machine dies, or you find one in a layby, remove the drum and use it as a barbeque, also remove the glass from the door to use as a salad or fruit bowl

John

go shopping late at night at supermarkets that don't stay open all night (I go to Morrisons) buy bread and meats cheaper, also buy some own brand sandwich bags, when your home make sure you split the meat (say chops) into individual bags and if your always end up throwing half a loaf away, seperate the bread into bags, then freeze and take out, I save a fortune, my bill has been coming down unlike everyone else who bills go up but they still end up throwing nearly half of it away.

Simon

If you are going to the USA on holiday, look into joining a bank like Citibank which is an American bank. You will get a ATM card and you will get a better exchange ate than Bureau de Changes, plus you wont pay any charges.

Alexandra

Leave new bars of soap to sit for a few weeks before use, they dry out and last twice as long.

Sandra

Rather than buy a Laundry bag to go in the bathroom/bedroom I use an old plain pillowcase a sturdy hanger from the wardrobe and make a hole big enough to thread the hanger head up into the folded opening end of the pillowcase. The hanger is concealed and it's ready to hang. I decorate mine depending where and which room it's going in. With the sewing machine I use bits of old fabric make a name lablel and using the zigzag stitch write e.g Laundry, Kids toys etc then sew the label on using the same zigzag stitch. How cool and tidy.

Princess

When shopping online and using the Chrome brower. Try installing this extension InvisibleHand - Automatically get the lowest price on whatever you?re buying. The app will show you on a banner if you can buy the product cheaper elsewhere.

Louise

Kids love playing with bubbles. I mix up my own bubble mix in a large bowl cold water and washing up liquid. The children find all manor of thigs to dip in to find what makes the best bubbles. And when they have finished I put any water thats left in my veggies to keep bugs away.

Liz

Toilet rolls. Have you got children who think they are the Andrex puppy? Well just squash the new toilet rolls before putting in the holder (so that the centre is oval instead of round)and the rolls won't run as freely when the little darlings need just a couple of sheets of paper.

Bakewells

Cleaning mucky DVDs with white vinegar and a cloth brings them up clean and they are perfectly playabLE. Cleaning flat screen monitors/TVs with a solution of half white vinegar and half boiled water works well, spray it onto a microfibre cloth and wipe over the screen. Cleaning an Iron with salt and vinegar/lemon juice works well, salt is abrasive so gets the burnt stuff off with a good scrub without ruining the bottom of your iron!