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Five thrifty uses for old maps

I don’t know about you, but I love old maps. Ordnance survey ones are my favourites but really, any will do. Thanks to our penchant for thrifty road trip holidays, we have a fair few maps kicking around. Maps, like … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty16 August 15, 2012

PiP Studio bedding discount 2

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PiP Studio: half-price bedding sale

PiP Studio is a Dutch brand, named after an Amsterdam designer called Pip and the studio in her attic. Products include bedding, wallpaper, bags and stationery. I’ve heard a few people talking about PiP Studio in recent months, in the … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty0 July 19, 2012

waitrose ice cream bowls

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Ice cream bowls from Waitrose

Despite Waitrose’s reputation for being on the expensive side, there are still bargains to be found in this most genteel of British supermarkets. I’ve just been out and picked up these pretty ice cream bowls for £2.25 each, reduced from … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty1 May 21, 2012

bug house

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Nurture nature in your garden: build a bughouse

I love working opposite Rob, aka Harrogate’s very own Wild Man of the Woods. In he bounds, first thing on Monday morning, to tell me about his latest adventures. A couple of weeks ago, he found a stash of wild … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty1 May 18, 2012

EDF free loft insulation

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So we got the loft insulated for free…

We recently had our loft insulated for free by EDF Energy. Did you know about this scheme? I heard about it a while ago, but held back at first. This was partly because it sounded too good to be true … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty9 April 4, 2012

make your own toilet cleaner

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How to make your own toilet cleaner

After posting about N’s super-glam and ladylike flat in Chelsea, I had to bring the tone down, didn’t I? I couldn’t resist… It’s so easy to make your own toilet cleaner that, when I received my latest delivery of household … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty12 October 20, 2011

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This Chelsea flat was furnished by eBay, thrift shops & salvage yards

On the face of it, my friend N isn’t a poster girl for frugal living. She lives in Chelsea, works in fashion and plans to celebrate her next birthday in Versailles. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and there is more … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty10 October 15, 2011

milkman

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Why I *heart* the milkman (and milk&more)

We recently got ourselves a milkman – and haven’t looked back. So when milk&more (the Dairy Crest website) approached me approached me and asked if they could sponsor a post about the joys of having dairy products and countless other … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty10 July 8, 2011

pots for tomato plants

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Reader tip: free pots for your tomato plants

Short of big pots for your tomato plants? Here’s the perfect tip, from Miss Thrifty reader Sharon: Are you having to pay out for buckets for your tomato plants, or other veg etc..? Take a trip down to your local, … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty1 June 27, 2011

clean copper with tomato ketchup

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How to clean copper with tomato ketchup

I was pleased to discover that tomato ketchup can be used to clean copper. I don’t like using those relatively expensive, stinky, finger-burny cleaners. I usually rub copper with lemon halves dipped in salt to remove tarnish, but it’s sticky … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty11 May 29, 2011

vacuum world

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Vacuum World: don’t buy a new vacuum, buy a vacuum part

I’ve just had a delivery from Vacuum World: a website filled to bursting with spare parts for just about every vacuum cleaner you can imagine. It carries more than 1,000 products for 30 different brands, from Hoover, Vax and Panasonic … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty3 April 10, 2011

uses for baby-oil

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Five thrifty uses for baby oil

Most households seem to have an aged bottle of baby oil sitting around, even if there aren’t any babies. After all, it takes forever to use up and it isn’t as if baby oil has a best before date. We … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty13 March 19, 2011

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How to clean a REALLY dirty oven: repeating it for good measure

About a year-and-a-half ago, I wrote a post called How to clean a REALLY dirty oven. It was more of a recipe, really. I’ve just had an email from a reader who found it and tried it: Dear Miss Thrifty, … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty6 February 25, 2011

kitchen roll tube

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Five uses for kitchen roll inners

Kitchen paper tubes, kitchen roll inners, “cores”, cylinders or whatever the official term is… First of all I composted them. Then I saved them for use in a (predictably abortive) attempt at poisoning all the bindweed in my garden. So … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty10 January 27, 2011

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Clean your shoes with a banana skin – and three other fruity tricks

When Frugal Grandma emailed me the other day to say that you can use a banana skin to shine leather shoes, I was chowing down on a banana and it seemed like fate. Or at least, too good an opportunity … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty9 January 10, 2011

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Yorkshire’s Thriftiest Granny!

Remember Yorkshire Water’s summer competition to find Yorkshire’s Thriftiest Granny? I was invited to judge some of the entries and featured a selection of the thriftiest tips. Here’s a video of the eventual winner, Katrina Cowell from Colton in Leeds, … Get the lowdown >>

Miss Thrifty2 September 22, 2010