Do you have any money saving tips to share?
Please add them here!
When I was eating chicken I bought one of these meat cleavers:
…and I started to buy whole chickens, and would could them in half, use half and put the other half in the fridge for the following day. This is much cheaper than buying smaller packs for about £3/4, and since many supermarkets (inc Waitrose) often sell 3 whole chickens for £10 you get half a chicken for about £1.50! Roasted in the oven they taste amazing too 
Similarly, I have just ordered one of these:
…and I am going to use it for when I buy lamb shanks, for osso bucco type slabs:
Lamb shanks are great because they are often on offer (pack of 2 for about £10) and I find that you can’t find osso bucco type cuts (i.e cuts with bone) - they are usually diced or stewing lamb with bone but is often gristly. (I want it with bone for the nutrients in bone broth.)
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I am still getting over the fact that Lamb Shanks are a meal. My butcher used to give them away for your dog if you bought something or he would charge you 50c for a couple, now they cost nearly as much as beef.
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How times have changed Bruce! They are actually quite nice roasted, or a substitute for chicken in this chicken chasseur recipe:
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Give your money to my wife if you want to save money, just one problem your can’t even open her purse with a crowbar so you may never see it again
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I don’t have any tips at the moment, I think buying that hacksaw is a great idea, .i haven’t had lamb shanks in ages, they have got to be one of the tastiest meals ever, if cooked correctly, I used to have creamy mash and greens with it, absolutely delicious…a real heart warming meal for those winter months.
When I buy lamb shanks, I get them from the butcher. In our local country market.
When I cook them , I cook them as a stew, with onions, carrots ,swede, and cooked very slowly in the oven, the meat after cooking, just falls away from the bone and so ,so ,tender…the stock imo from the lamb shanks, made into gravy, has got to be one of the best tasting gravy ever.
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Turn the hot water thermostat on your boiler just slightly down by a few degrees, it will still be hot enough but will save money
Buy a 1.5/1.7 stainless steel flask ( not glass type) fill with hot water and use for your hot drinks, it will save boiling a kettle every time you want a cuppa…
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With Primus suggestion in mind (I think Pauline mentioned something similar a few days ago), I’d suggest keeping kettle warmed water in flasks near sinks and use these to wash where possible.
I’ve explained before somewhere that if you turn on a hot tap and capture the amount of cold water that passes before the hot water comes through, then that’s how much hot water is now left in the pipework, which you’ve paid to heat, and which will most likely go entirely to waste. Depending where the tap is in the house, this might well be more than the amount of hot water you’ve used to wash your hands, face, or dish. How mad is that?
If you’re on a water meter, you’ll also save a bit of money there too.
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I went round Sainsbury’s in Newbury yesterday and saved quite a bit, I got their own brands, you’d be surprised how much more expensive these other well known brands are…
I also cook from scratch and cook in batches, then freeze, I waste nothing…
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Am mulling this idea over…if you’ve cooked eg veg by boiling, then use the strained/colandered hot water to wash up in, since the detergent will do its stuff anyway and rinsing in cold water will remove residue.
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I’ve done that.
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Thanks Pauline. Not sure how well or suitable it’d be in some cases, eg starchy water from potatoes might not work too well??
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I’ve only used veg water, I have tried potato water, there are tiny bits of potato that get stuck all over the plates and as you say, not to mention the starchy water…
I have usually tipped the veg water into my washing up water and washed up that way and as you say, rinse it off…
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Another tip which depends on what sort of hob you’ve got, but should work on any oven is to turn the appliance off before you’ve finished cooking since the residual heat will be sufficient to finish things off.
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How strange you should say that.
That’s exactly what I did last night, when heating my chicken pasta bake,
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It’s a good point, and this is why I always turn the hot tap off before I’ve drawn enough water, and run the cold tap to use up the rest of the hot water. Only works with a mixer tap of course.
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Here’s perhaps a huge money saving tip…chat with one’s other half and make sure you’re all singing from the same bleeding hymn sheet!!!
E.g. both understand that it’s not necessary to wash clothes at 40 when 30 will be more than ample. Also the eco wash on the dishwasher really will most likely suffice most of the time and that a 55 degree wash is superfluous and rarely to be used. Grrrrr 
etc etc…
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Listening to This Morning on ITV (by accident I hasten to add!!), there’s a claim.that cold homes will cost children’s lives. These will seemingly largely be due to breathing in cold air which causes respiratory problems, especially for those with asthma.
Maybe a solution will be to wrap up warm, and find a way to warm the air one breathes somehow, rather than heat a whole room? Any thoughts anyone?
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I mostly cook one pot meals , today I have some nice quality mince , ill fry with peppers onions , garlic etc then add chopped cabbage , carrots , potatoes, any veg I have , adding a stock cube and simmer for half an hour .
I do use my top oven mostly rather than larger fan oven , not sure of the savings though .
I’m dreading the cold winter 
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Fairly sure there is a law which prevents the heating from being turned off if you have young children / sick people / are over a certain age, is there not?
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