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It can be a lot more than shoe/ boot laces

kaththomas700

Come on you lot I'm sure you've got your own ways of living a fun frugal life, it's endemic in Bulgaria.

When we bought our village house there was loads of furniture and other stuff left in the house and out house's, we've lived with them and when it's time for the old stuff to go we leave it outside our gate for someone else to take or make use of.

So to start you off, besides saving the laces from footwear on it's way to the bin, I've heard of people cutting the tongues off leather shoes destined for the bin to use as hinges on cupboard doors. Either screw or nail on as required.

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kaththomas700

I'm known for pulling out hand knitted jumpers re- winding the wool and knitting something else from it. Most satisfying  and the act of pulling out and winding makes my fit bit go mad and it registers as steps walked as well.

janemulberry

Great idea, Kath!


I'm also living with the old broken furniture for a long as I can, and repurposing broken things where possible. My house has an old and beautiful big red fridge, which almost works, but unfortunately even after giving everything a good clean the compressor is so loud you can't talk in the kitchen when it comes on. So I waited till a smaller temporary fridge I'd seen on emag had a nice discount. Now the big red fridge is left switched off and makes a great rodent and ant proof food cupboard. Necessary, as my kitchen had no cupboards at all!

kaththomas700

Sounds good Jane. 

I don't have hot water in my basement  kitchen in Bulgaria not a problem when I'm there in the colder months because I have a kettle of water on the lit petcka, but in the summer I use a thermos flask , so when I boil water in my electric kettle the remaining hot water goes into the flask to either use on more hot drinks or washing up water.

janemulberry

Yes, I do that one, as well. The kettle on the petchka is so useful!

wtruckyboy

@kaththomas700 thats called ott or being frugal..i prefer to buy hinges

Fair play to ya..

kaththomas700

I think that the leather tongs from shoes were an idea f4om the second world War wtruckyboy , you know the old " make do and mend" way of life.

kaththomas700

I usually use butter, but my mother in law buys butter spreads in plastic containers with matching lids.  She washes them out for me and I use them instead of tupperware in the freezer and fridge as required. I label and date them on the lid, when they're almost past their useful life or I get a new batch I use them again to plant seeds in.  I make a few holes in the bottom and stand them in their lids when I've watered them. Believe me it's very very rare for any of them to end up in the bin .

kaththomas700

I buy lettuce and other veg that has a root system and soil attached from supermarkets the last time a couple of weeks ago from Lidl.  Then I split the lettuce up and pot them up on to my balcony, they always seem to wilt a little at first but two weeks on I'm still plucking the leaves to add to my salad or sandwiches. It's a great saving for £1.25 I've had two weeks worth of fresh lettuce and it's still growing strong.