I'm Looking Forward to ....

.... The Ultimate Guide to Penny Pinching on Channel 4 this evening.  I'm hoping I can pick up a few more useful tips in the quest to save a bit of cash, although I'm not sure I could go as far as to eat roadkill - which apparently one of the penny pinchers featured does!!  Anyway, in the spirit of penny pinching, I thought I'd pass on a couple of very useful tips my Mum has given me - and they both work a treat, I can guarantee that.

1.  If you use the 'steam' function on your steam iron, it will conk out in no time - use a mist bottle filled with plain water if you need to 'steam' what you're ironing,  I went through three irons in very quick succession before I realised that my Mum was spot on, it's the steam function that seems to knacker them totally - don't know why this is but it's certainly true.

2.  Always wash underwired bras by hand to stop the wires snapping.  Again, it took me A LOT of broken bra wires to realise that Mum was right, we think it's the tumbling and banging they get in a washing machine that causes the wires to snap so if you wash them through by hand it's a lot more gentle on the wire.  I only have two bras and they both get washed by hand only, so far they've lasted me about 2 and a half years without snapping,  I really should buy a couple more bras but I'm so awkwardly shaped - extremely broad back but only need a B cup  - that I put off buying bras for as long as possible.  Plus, they're expensive little blighters to buy these days.

3.  Finally, a penny pinching idea that was all my own - although probably patently obvious to everyone else - ignore the 'rinse and repeat' nonsense on shampoo bottles and only shampoo your hair once.  Took me, oh, about 45 years to work that one out but it really does work just as well as shampooing twice.

 

Comments

[Vix]

I'm hoping it won't be as cringe-worthy as that Super Scrimpers programme, I'm sure they used the strangest folk ever to make us frugal types look like nutters!
Your Mum's tips sound just about spot-on. I've never had a modern iron for longer than a month before it conked out, the 1960s Morphy Richards one I use is much better, it must be that steam function that killed them.
I'm a shampoo once girl, too. x
PS Hooray for another Xmas hater.That's so funny about your name.

[Lakota [Faith Hope and Charity Shopping]]

I always start off with such good intentions for my bras but after a while they do get chucked in the machine. You're right though, if they don't snap, they twist instead.

I've never shampooed twice (and I use my kids' baby shampoo which lasts for ages!)

[mum]

I chuck my bras in the machine too. They've turned out alright so far.

Please accept the Leibster blog award from me. It's for blogs with less than 200 followers. I don't know how many followers you have but your on my favourites list so I'm sending you this award. There's more details on my blog.
Love from Mum
xx

[Donna]

I'm a shampoo once girly too :o)

Yes, I can totally back you up on the steam iron thingy.
I'd had my iron about 5 months, and the steam function stopped working. I cursed it, and thought oh well, I'll just have to buy a new one in a couple of weeks when it all conks out.
That blooming iron has now lasted 18years!!!
I still can't wait to get a new one, but I just can't throw it out if it still works! LOL
(Although I'm not really complaining! :o)

Yes, I think that program did portray us a bit as all nutters!
They do use the most strangest people!

Have a lovely weekend.
Donna x

[Caroline]

I'm looking forward to watching that, too -I recorded it and am hoping to sit down over the weekend to see it. I still wash my bras in the machine, but in mesh zip-up laundry bags (ebay), haven't had a single problem with underwires since starting this. Have to disagree on the steam iron one -my (el cheapo) steam iron is never used without the steam function, and (touch wood) has been going for 15+ years so far!

Have a good weekend.