What is the tightest thing you do on a regular basis?
Here I am heating my apartment with my gas stovetop, purely because the gas isn't individually metered so is included in our rent. It got me thinking, I wonder what the tightest thing ozbargain users do on a regular basis.
What are your worst tight-arse habits?
+2 votesrealfamilyman on 08/05/2012 - 18:10 ¶Remembered some more things…
We don't buy synthetic clothes. Apart from the fact they make us sweat and itch, later we can tear our worn out cotton clothes up into rags for cleaning the house/car. Have also used rags as rope at times for tying things like tomato vines, or the car boot lid down when carrying something oversize.
I'm currently sitting in the dark with a small LED light thingy on that runs on 3x AAA eneloops - the kind you buy in a pack of 3 to put in a cupboard - and press it to turn it on. It's to save electricity of course and light up my black keyboard (although I often forget to turn the lights off and it on).
Buy a pressure cooker. The last few years there's been a slow-cooker fad. I don't understand why. Apart from the fact nearly everything is made in China and I wouldn't trust a chinese appliance on all day in my home unsupervised… they take hours to do what a pressure cooker does in minutes. About one third of normal (non slow-cooker) cooking time they claim. You've got to check its operating pressure before buying though. There are cheap and nasty ones that have a low pressure. You may as well just cook in a casserole dish in the oven instead of buying one of those. It needs to be up around 14psi I think it is. Anyone interested, look up "Fagor Duo", which is fairly cheap but still at the right pressure. Do a beef roast in one - and the gravy later in the same pot - best roast meat I've ever tasted!
We bought the same quality Wahl hair clipper barbers use. Myself or my wife cuts our children's hair. Wife cuts mine. I cut hers (just with scissors, because she has really long hair, it's just a straight line). So guys… TELL your woman to grow long hair, and tell her it's so she never has to go to the hairdressers EVER AGAIN - and she'll thank you for it! No, really!!! Plenty of how to videos on youtube. A boys short clipper cut is so EASY, I can't believe we used to pay for it.
Potatoes… buy them unwashed in bulk (10kg) and ask at different veg shops until one gives you a hessian bag. Keep the potatoes in the bag in the dark. (We keep them under the laundry sink.) They'll never go off before you finish them again. Same with onions. Because you're buying 10kg, you'll pay less per kg too.
bigosmallo on 09/05/2012 - 21:08 ¶I've been cutting my own hair for the past couple of years too.
It always turns out better since I know exactly what I want (and it isn't just a simple buzzcut either).
Probably saved a couple hundred bucks already.
- bigosmallo on 10/05/2012 - 00:39 ¶
It involved a lot of trial and error, and it also depends on the hairstyle you're going for.
- realfamilyman on 10/05/2012 - 00:56 ¶
There's a guy I've seen online do it. Darn, can't think of his name. He's a rep for Andis products in the USA. I think on youtube he's called "clipperguy" - so maybe look that up, then find his site that way. The video was on his site, or maybe in his facebook comments. It's for a product that is basically three folding mirrors. He was promoting it by using the different reflections to cut his own hair.
I do this randomly too.
If you can, buy one of those layered scissors from ebay or something. It seriously makes it easy, and very pro looking. Also even if you slightly mess up its not too bad because it hasn't cut 'all' the hair in that section.
I have friends who go for a wash and cut every 1.5 months. Thats $30-35. Crazy, especially the wash since i need to shower afterwards with due to the itchy hair bits anyway.
- realfamilyman on 08/06/2013 - 20:02 ¶
Yeah, I hate that… Get a haircut and you forget and keep pouring too much shampoo in your hand. By the time you finally adjust the amount, your hair is getting long again, grrr…
+2 votesWe don't buy synthetic clothes. Apart from the fact they make us sweat and itch, later we can tear our worn out cotton clothes up into rags for cleaning the house/car. Have also used rags as rope at times for tying things like tomato vines, or the car boot lid down when carrying something oversize.
Couple of things.
If you want the best tomato ties. Get old plastic bread bags, cut the bottom off (so it's a tube), run the scissors down one seam only (so it's like a piece of paper), then cut it into 2cm wide strips.
I think synthetics are good for outer layers anyway, they're not on your skin, and they dry out much quicker (saves on drying during winter)
we always save buckles, ropes from bags etc before throwing them out. that way every time you need an odd bit of rope for tying x job, you just reach into the draw and pull out some rope. As for the buckles/clips, when a bag breaks you can replace the clip quickly
- +2 votes
AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Hey OP, just spend a few hundred dollars and buy an unflumed gas heater off ebay. Either get some type of T adapter, or just disconnect the stove and plug in the heater. imo a dedicated heater with shut off valve etc is a lot safer than using a stove top to warm the house.
I bought an aldi pod machine for the office.
whilst pods are 36cents each I get coworkers to drop 50cents into a jar.
the thing has paid for itself in 6 months (paid for iteslf in 2 months actually) and the extra money goes towards chocolate biscuits. back stock of pods in the cupboard is up to 120 pods whilst pod holding buckets hold a similar number.aldi pod machine. the coffee is ok. beats the crap out of instant. not as good as the fresh ground espresso that I used to make on my little breville machine using de bella beans, but I'm not certainly not complaining.
+5 votesCUT empty two and three litre plastic milk and juice bottles in half. Wash them.
They make excellent:
Drawer and box organisers - my drawers and boxes are full of them each with sorted, easy to find items.
Great for men to put hot water in when shaving - you don't need to waste electricity by running the hot tap.
Excellent for storing make up and bathroom items.
Much cheaper than tupperware etc
You will also reduce landfill
ALL Stored items are easy to find
clear plastic juice bottles are best because you can see what's inside from the top and the side.
- +4 votes
cut a 2 or 3L milk container in half (on an angle). The handle end can be used as as a scoop
http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/plant/p_jugscoop_09280...
- on a boat, to scoop out water
- dishing dog food etc
+1 voteeatwell365 on 20/05/2012 - 05:34 ¶.use it to clean leaves on the roof gutters - the best tool. remember safety first as any DIY.
kobrien456 on 11/06/2013 - 08:26 ¶Recycled gift wrap for drawer liners. Store bought Xmas puddings come in a plastic bowl that's good in the kitchen to whip up a couple eggs in or use to apply hair colour with a tint brush. Remember the old silver insulated drawstring bag coolers that were filled with bean bag beans? What were they called? The Frig Bag? They hold a 2 litre milk bottle full of frozen water to take to the beach, make a great pillow (with the bottle in it) while catching some rays, and ice melts to give 2lt of icy cold water- your daily requirement. Large Jalna yoghurt buckets to hold soapy water for household cleaning.
- realfamilyman on 18/05/2012 - 12:04 ¶
They can count!? Well, I guess my wife did get pregnant twice on the pill… so I always knew mine were clever dicks.
supabrudda on 28/06/2012 - 14:08 ¶newbies…gave my dad an IBM 386 back in 92, he still fires up win3.11 just to play solitaire.
even more of a bargain, he doesn't require a virus scanner. (he does ask from time to time)
+20 votesI do not know if this fits the definition of tight but it is still something I suggest all Ozbargainers do.
When you receive a credit card offer in the mail you can put the enclosed reply paid envelope to good use. Dispose of any other junk mail you received that day (that do not have your personal details on them) in the reply paid envelope and post it to the credit card company at their expense.
+1 votegreenpossum on 11/05/2012 - 12:34 ¶Maybe this should into "the meanest thing you do on a regular basis" thread. :)
- greenpossum on 11/05/2012 - 13:58 ¶
Seems like a waste of energy to me. I just put the letter in the shredder and reuse the free envelope.
- greenpossum on 13/05/2012 - 21:43 ¶
Hahaha, when did I say anything about using it to send letters? Envelopes have other uses. In fact these days I maybe buy a couple of stamps a year.
- illusionarybreeze on 18/05/2012 - 00:56 ¶
Surely turning on the shredder is a waste of energy when all you have to do is tear out the portion with your name and address on it.
- +3 votesgreenpossum on 20/05/2012 - 12:04 ¶
I actually toss it in the shredder at work since they recycle paper there. I didn't buy a shredder for home, waste of money. Next thing you'll say waste of energy carrying the paper to work. :)
+1 vote
+6 votesMy partner is a serial shopper, has absolutely NFI about saving money. It's made me into a bit of a scab, because otherwise we couldn't pay the mortgage, bills, etc.
The most tightarsed thing that I do almost every week is to go to the local shopping centre, walk around and check all the clearance areas (K-Mart is good), all stock reductions, specials, etc. Check all the shops, Aldi, etc - takes me a few hours…
…then I walk out without buying anything = WIN
- +6 votesrealfamilyman on 11/05/2012 - 01:48 ¶
I'm surprised you can find anything worthwhile in KMart to buy. We didn't go there for months. Then when we did, they're suddenly selling all this JUNK. My wife bought three pairs of shoes. They all came unglued in the first few minutes on her feet. Bought a can opener the same day. It worked 3 or 4 times if we were lucky. Another time we bought a bunch of stationary… the lead in the pencils was cracked right through so it just kept falling out when sharpened. The ink in the pens didn't work. The drawing tools (compass, etc.) were so soft they were completely unusable. The rubbers (erasers for those Australians that talk yank) were also too soft. They melted into nothing after a few short rubs. I think KMart really now just wants to be a landfill supplier.
gaurav1504 on 14/06/2013 - 10:56 ¶KMart's MD just bought a $8m house in Caulfied North, Vic. They must be doing something right to make money!
- realfamilyman on 14/06/2013 - 11:37 ¶
One: Yep Kmart sells a lot of cheap junk.
Two: KMart's MD just bought a $8m house in Caulfied North, Vic. They must be doing something right to make money!
Three: See One.
samfisher5986 on 11/05/2012 - 12:45 ¶I also do that when I have time.
Otherwise I just look at all the catalogues online, only problem is you miss out on all the clearances.
- realfamilyman on 11/05/2012 - 12:52 ¶
Ah, catalogues - reminds me of another cheapskate tip. A few years ago we decided we "owned enough". So we started throwing the junk mail out without reading it. Might have to start doing that again, methinks.
- +15 votesrealfamilyman on 11/05/2012 - 01:27 ¶
The milk bottles reminded me of more things we do. (We do so many savings things, I forget they're not "normal" for other people.) Anyway…
A. We buy powdered milk but add 20% more water than the packet says. Forget $1 per litre milk. 1kg costs $5.99 and is supposed to make 10L. We extend that to 12L. So that's 50 cents per litre. Skim tastes better than full cream. You get used to the taste, but even if you can't, still use it in cooking/baking. Never taste the difference then. People would comment on the taste until we started keeping it actual 2L milk containers. They don't notice it tastes different anymore, LOL.
B. When we empty a box of corn flakes, weetbix, etc. - my wife now washes and dries the plastic bag. Then when we buy meat in bulk, she uses the bags to separate the meat before freezing.
Am I the winner yet?
C. Dented cans at the supermarket - ask for a discount. (Haven't done that for a while though. I think too many people saw us do it and get to them before us.)
D. The one thing we do the most is buying in bulk when on sale. UBank is only offering 5.51% now. So when I see something marked down that we normally buy anyway, I work out if the sale price means we make more by leaving the money in the bank, or, by buying the bulk item.
For example:
A few months ago Bi-Lo (Coles) had these large 300g red tubes of toothpaste (from Europe!?) for $1. We track all our groceries in a spreadsheet. So we knew we buy one 300g tube of $1.19 Aldi toothpaste per fortnight for a family of 4.5. We check if there's a use-by date on the product, and/or decide how many months of it we want to store. Because they were more than double the size, 12 months of toothpaste at one tube per month = about 13 tubes.
E. When deep frying, overheating the oil ruins it. So we bought a $12 oil thermometer from a kitchen supplies store. You can look up the smoke point of different oils online, then never heat oil above that temp. Then the oil can be used several times instead of just once or twice. We filter used oil through a clean tea towel too.
BTW… I mentioned pressure cookers earlier. Aldi is selling one atm for about $50. Had a look at it today. It's build quality is far from wonderful, and I think the sealing ring is made of rubber instead of silicon. But for the price… It's highest pressure is 12psi. So at least it's in the vicinity of the ideal 14psi. I wouldn't buy it myself. I'd be concerned about finding a replacement gasket when needed. And even the pressure valve was pretty poor in design/quality. So I would still go with the quality Fagor Duo which you'd probably never need to replace. But there are ozbargainers reading - so…
- +7 votesrealfamilyman on 11/05/2012 - 16:55 ¶
Or put the bag up to your mouth, suck out all the air, and then twist & seal with a rubber band and into the freezer to keep for ages.
BTW. We make our own bread (do yourself a favour folks and buy a Panasonic). It's ridiculously easy to make. Literally 20 seconds to put in the ingredients and press one button. But if someone doesn't want to make their own bread and they see some marked down - do the same as with the cereal - into the freezer. When you thaw it out, it lasts nearly the same length of time as it would have from the shop. And it stays soft and fresh too. You wouldn't think dry stuff would freeze, but it does. We've even frozen torn bags of flour. So I think it must be the moisture in food that creates all the ice buildup you see.
Find milk marked down - into the freezer too. If it had 2 days left on it, write "2" on the bottle and use it in two days when you thaw it out.
Yoghurt doesn't work quite as well (especially diet - it separates or goes lumpy), but if you mix it after you thaw it out, it's bearable. We see easiyo yoghurt makers in op shops all the time for $2-$4. Buy one of the smallest container of plain yoghurt and make your own with a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt and skim milk powder (instructions found online). It doesn't always work for us, but that's because we don't do it that often. If you don't like plain, chop up some fruit, squash and put blueberries in, the leftover juice from canned fruit, a small tin of passionfruit pulp, etc.
We use the freezer a lot to save. Make biscuits, cakes, old bananas to be used later in cakes… all into the freezer.
If we buy something like apples and they start to go off, my wife makes something from them - like apple pie. All the recipes say to use granny smiths (I think because they stay harder). But we've used different types. Some of the other varieties were the best apple pies I'd ever tasted. (The worst, softest, failure of a home-made apple pie is still better than those filthy homebrand things that only contain applesauce.)
Someone was giving away chokos the other day because no-one knows what to use them for. She chucks in half apples, half choko. The choko absorbs the flavour of the apple so you can't tell the difference between the two, apart from the consistency if the apples are softer.
Anyway - if she's making one, she makes two - or three. It halves the amount of electricity used to cook them too. Into the freezer again.
Ice cream - my wife recently found out how to make vanilla ice cream from skim milk powder and a little bit of white vinegar I think it was (of all things). Probably find that online too. No ice cream machine needed - just a mixer - but a machine would probably make it easier, because I think she has to mix it twice. It tasted somewhere between homebrand and more expensive types.
Spring onions (supermarkets call them shallots, but I think it's purple onions that are really shallots). We buy them and only get to use a quarter before they go limp, brown, and mush. We send the kids outside to literally just shove them in some dirt. Tip some water on them, then in a couple of days they recover and you can use them again. Actually, even if you use them - and cut them down to say a cm above the roots, you can regrow that little bit the same way. They regrow fast too.
Gravy… Forget buying gravy powder - look up how to make your own from pan juices of roast meat/chicken - DELICIOUS!
Can use an onion that has started to sprout as a stand in for spring onions instead of chucking it out, just let them grow until the bulb has expended itself. Shallots to me are a bulb Allium cepa aka French shallots easy to grow plant the smallest for best results don't need to be fussed over.
koreainhyuk on 21/05/2012 - 02:50 ¶My family does the exact same thing with spring onions :)
We do eat a LOT of spring onions! (Korean food) So its good
+1 voteCheap Steve on 11/05/2012 - 06:19 ¶You are definitely the winner Imo. Keep posting your tips. I am loving them.
- +1 voterealfamilyman on 11/05/2012 - 11:32 ¶
Nah, a 3 year old. Oldest is 15 - so yes, we notice a difference in the amount of food eaten between the two. ;-p
- +2 votesrealfamilyman on 11/05/2012 - 17:32 ¶
I've looked into it only a little. Babies need the fat from full cream, so they shouldn't be given skim. They (doctors, scientists, whatever) reckon everyone is lactose intolerant anyway and shouldn't drink milk at all. (Although I've read differing views of that too.) Anyway… As for adults/teens, I don't know. I do know we've been drinking it for a few years and we're all still fine.
We hardly ever buy takeaway, soft drink, chocolate, etc. though. So we probably make up for anything "missing". The closest thing to lollies we have honey, jam, the choc chips in the biscuits, and fruit toast that my wife makes. We did buy some cans of American softdrink the other day (cherry coke and grape fanta) because I was interested what it tasted like. That's a once in six-month occurrence though.
- realfamilyman on 16/05/2012 - 10:39 ¶
RFM - Got a brother? You sound really sweet.
No. But I am open to Polygyny ;-)
- +1 voterealfamilyman on 16/05/2012 - 18:00 ¶
Aw, deal off then!
Nah, we enjoy it - learning/saving that is. Well - both things actually. (I hope. Ahem.)
Most of the time we enjoy it anyway. Like… The second last apple pie my wife made, I suggested she try adding some cherries we bought months ago dirt cheap. She had cut them in half, removed the seed, cooked in a saucepan, and into a bag in the freezer. When we tasted it - just - WOW. It was DELICIOUS! But she would say she's not a good cook. She had to learn.
So you'd just have to as well. :-| [Stern look.]
We'd love some acres, grow stuff ourselves, swim in the creek, motorbikes for the kids… Never manage it in Newcastle NSW tho' - property is just ridiculous here. :-(
So maybe once we get into our own home… Since she DOES get tired of it sometimes… Maybe we could… Aw, never mind.
I must say. I feel like my honour is a bit —— damaged. what wifely duty did you think I was talking about? ;-> lol
I am actually an excellent cook, but I like doing fancy things. I belong to a cooking club where we pick a theme and we all cook and then come together to share our products. This saturday is thai night.
Maybe cooking was the wifely duty I was refering to…..
One tip that saves money is that you can buy some really cheap cuts of meat and convert them to restaurant quality with slow cooking. I only eat beef two ways. Raw or a piece with a lot of connective tissue that breaks down over a 8 - 18 hour period. Beef cheeks are what come to mind if you want a wow factor. They are about $6 a kilo and it is mostly prepared in advance. It takes about two days. You need to get some beef bones - I actually use venison. You roast them, then make a stock. Then you slow cook the beek cheeks in the stock. I favour 12 - 18 hours. Then you remove the beef cheeks. Wrap them up so they don't go dry while cooling - or cool them in the stock. Strain the stock (you would have done this already, but do it again. Then you reduce the stock until it becomes a thick sauce. Store the beef cheeks in the sauce. At some stage you'll want to sear the cheeks in a pan. Then you reheat the cheeks in the sauce (so they don't dry out- always heat them in the sauce and let them cool in the sauce or stock). Warm and serve. Serve with what I call dolphin potatoes. RFM, you and your wife will be able to use up some of your excess veggies this way and I'm sure you run across bones cheaply every now and then. I buy my venison bones for about $4 a kilo. For the most part, you don't get venison cheeks as they are too small. Never add salt until the end. You probably won't need it. I can not stress this enough. Do not add salt to the stock or sauce until the very end.
For dinner parties, you can not go past a whole salmon/ocean trout. Sure it might cost $60 or $80, but you will feed up to 10 people and have leftovers. The wow factor when you put this huge massive fish on the table is hard to replicate with other dishes. Simple sides are all that are required. Learn about the midline and make sure your oven will fit your fish and that you have a big enough platter.
Risotto is a magnificent dish and cheap to cook. The fewer ingredients you use the better. Our fav is mushroom.
Paella is intimidating to most people. You can use arborio rice and should until you have the hang of it. Then you can use the more expensive rices. I use Bomba. It is expensive, but the incremental cost per serve is negigible. Paella is the lazy man's risotto and you can throw all your leftover and excess things in there. You will find recipes where there are so many ingedients that you think - far out! - but you can pare them down. The thing is, after it is mixed - don't stir, have faith. Let it get that crust on the bottom. Until you get the hang of it, you can skip the saffron and use just some smokey paprika. A little saffron goes a long way anyway. If you absolutely can not afford it, tumeric will give you the yellow colour and most people will not know the difference.
Turffle oil is fairly expensive. I think I last paid $55 for 500ml, BUT I did so with a group buying voucher, so that brought the cost down to about $20. You need so little. I made a cauliflower soup with roasted walnuts and put some truffle oil on top. About 2 teaspoons. Way too much. Lovely. I am off truffle oil for a bit, but you get my drift. Expensive, but powerful. You can use a bit on risottos. It is magic and soooo affordable when you consider serves per bottle.
Creme brulee is cheap n easy to make and just brilliant.
If I were sufficiently motivated (ie enough friends who were willing ;-> ), I am sure I could do a magnificent restaurant quality dinner party for 8 for less than $100. That would be 6 courses. Not including grog. My grog would probably be over $80 by the end of it! Normally my cost per head is more than this as I like to try new things without regard to the price.
Bet you thought I only wanted sex.
- realfamilyman on 17/05/2012 - 00:35 ¶
I must say. I feel like my honour is a bit —— damaged.
what wifely duty did you think I was talking about? ;-> lolWell, I'm a guy. So the answer is, the one that really matters - at that moment in time - of course. And in keeping with the thread, is tight but not enough to make one miserable.
Only?
- +1 votekoreainhyuk on 21/05/2012 - 02:57 ¶
@voteoften
You foodie :)
I wish i could be like you in future
Not the tighest thing i do (still trying to think of one) but when I have my mates over I always take advantage of the Free Super Slurpee offer, and i always rotate around 7eleven stores so when i get back to my loacl one they've either forgotten me or have a different employee working.
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/51971
Also I've taken good advantage of the cokeunleashed diet coke offer. Only my second day but so far i've gotten $11.10 worth of diet cokes :P I wonder how many more times this lady will let me get one All though in the T&C's it says "one per customer per store per day" :P
Extend the life of your soaps by:
Slice a bar of soap into five or so slices.
Wash and dry torn stockings.
Put soap slices in stocking.
Tie off tightly and cut stocking to seperate each piece.
Use soap in stocking - works very well.
The stocking stops the soap going soggy and extends the life of the soap.
Great for travel to make soap last and keep luggage light.
- +4 votesrealfamilyman on 11/05/2012 - 11:49 ¶
Yeah - soap - what a wasteful product. We bought some soap holder trays from a $2 shop, so the water drains away and the soap can dry out. It means the next person doesn't immediately lose all the soft outer part down the drain. I had to drill some holes in the bottom though, because the water would slowly fill to the top and cause the same softening problem.
We bought heaps of soap, cheap, in bulk years ago. Since then it's gone off - and stinks. So my wife grates it, adds water, heats it on the stove - adds this or that to it, and makes hand liquid soap out of it. (I think the reheating "renews" it, because it no longer stinks.)
Something I've been doing irregularly (hey, it's cold)… Get in the shower, wet all over including hair. Turn water off. Soap up and wash completely before turning shower back on to rinse. Turn off and on again for hair. It slows down the use of soap too, because the water isn't washing it off just as quick as you're putting it on. Easier to do in summer though. (Hey, it's cold.)
When I have a shower I have 2 half showers. First half wetting myself down. Taps then turned off while I wash myself. Then water back on to rinse off. We are on tank water (which also uses a pump) and when the level drops too far the town water will top it up, so this saves us water and power.
- +5 votes
From a purely financial perspective it may actually cost you more to pay for the pressure pump than you would save in the water costs. An engineer friend of mine was actually considering using the mains water pressure to generate power (ditching the water down the drain, pre water restrictions, pre desal) but I think the business case was marginal at best!
This same engineer friend of mine was in the process of hooking up an excercise bike to a small alternator which was run through some circuitry to power the TV. The idea was that if his wife wanted to watch the box she'd have to sweat for it. I'm not so sure how his marriage is going…
Marriage? What marriage?
Why do you think the pump costs more than the water saving? The water pump is already fitted to the household (inground concrete) water tank that feeds all taps apart from the kitchen. Unless you think I bought the tank and pump etc just for showers.
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blitz on 06/05/2012 - 19:23
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endotherm on 04/05/2012 - 23:24+23 My girlfriend…
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voteoften on 16/05/2012 - 14:50
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marcusv on 10/05/2012 - 17:27
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madmouse58 on 04/05/2012 - 23:48
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Rofl.