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General and miscellaneous tips

Ants

• After a sudden influx of ants on my kitchen windowsill I nearly went and bought some ant killer stuff (expensive and often not effective) when I remembered something I read many years ago. I went outside and traced the track of the ants and used a soft chalk crayon and drew a thick line across the track of the ants. It ***dy well worked! Sat and watched the darn things trying to cross the chalk line and they either turned back or just fell down! - BuzzyBee, Waiheke Island.
  
  
• Gloves of garlic send ants scurrying. I recently discovered this when for some unknown reason I found ants on my kitchen bench. Having no ant bait in the house I decided to improvise. I put 3-4 gloves of garlic and spread them around the bench top. I tell you, they left in a big hurry. Hurrah! – V.W.

Books

• Search out old community cook books at garage sales etc. They usually contain contributions with tried and true recipes that have been family favourites and are great low cost everyday recipes. - Julia, Nelson.
  
  
• A hate waster oily ragger has a tip - they read books before giving them away as presents. (Including the latest oily rag book!)
  
  
• Libraries sell withdrawn books cheap. - G.B.
  
  
• Charity Shops have an over supply of books.  They often have Fill-A-Bag and All-You-Can-Carry for a nominal amount. - G.B.

Candles

• Don’t throw away old candles. Melt them down in a saucepan. When wax is melted pour into tins (you can save old tins for this), to which a piece of candle wick has been added. Then allow to dry. – A.S.

Cardboard and bag ties

• If you have trouble tying cardboard for recycling use old tights. They are very strong and flexible. No need to purchase string. Also having trouble with twist ties, use plastic clothes pegs. Sometimes I think there are more pegs in my freezer than in the peg bag. - Jean S

Cards

• Once Christmas is over, mum cuts up her Christmas cards and uses the pictures on the front for present tags for the coming year. -2nd generation Oily Ragger, Wellington.

Computers

• If you have a computer and use the internet - check out how many hours a month you have used over the last year.  You may be paying for too many.  This is what happened to us - we were paying for 250 hours with one of the major ISP'S and we now have gone from 250 hours to 150 and saving us $5.00 a month.  - C.K., Christchurch.

Electronic gear

• Looking for stereo or computer? The worst thing you can do is buy the latest technology. It’s invariably expensive, even if it is on special. One of the worst things you can do when living off the smell of an oily rag is to be a technology junkie – its hellishly expensive.

Fires

• A Masterton reader has a good idea for the leaves shed by cabbage trees. Use the dry leaves as fire starters or in your garden as plant ties.

Flies

• To combat pesky flies around the home, use sticky ozone-friendly flypaper, not sprays, or engage in swap combat. Around our home the males have joined forces to form a SWOT team!

Freebies & cheapies

• Tertiary Training Providers aren't allowed to make profit. Have brought Haircuts, Cakes and Carpentry made, at cost value. - G.B.
  
  
• A Hamilton reader recommends making the most of freebies; free motel shampoo, etc. What she doesn’t use is given to the local woman’s refuge.

It measures up

• I started to measure as a weight watchers gimmick. Then I discovered the huge savings in it. 
  The flour has a cup, and the tea has a spoon. 
  I measure the cats dinner, soap powder and peas. 
  The porridge and Blitzen, sultanas and cheese. 
  I measure the milk for a cuppa as well
  (if visitiors come, you can easilly tell). 
  I count out the squares on bthe loo paper too. 
  And use the lid on the top of the cheapest shampoo. 
  What all started out as a vanity whim,
  has made my costs and my hips, exceedingly trim. - P.S. (What an excellent oily rag verse! - Oily Rag Ed')

Local councils

•  Yes agree councillors should pay for their lunches. I am a councillor we pay for our lunches on my council (Opotiki District Council) As a councillor I am not that well paid  (less than $14,000 P.A.) It is all the senior Managers who have the free lunches and the free use of council cars that is what is costing Ratepayers big-time. - anonymous.

Multi-plugs

• Don't throw away that old multi-plug board. Chop the cord off it and hang it on the wall. Plug all your phone chargers into it. We tried this after numerous hunts for the right phone charger was becoming a daily event for different members of the family. Now they are labelled and found in one place. - Sandra, Dunedin.

Plasters

• I brought some plaster from the supermarket 2 weeks ago, only about 30 plasters in the packet. And today I was in the famous $2 shop and they have a packet of plasters with 2 long strips, so came home and cut them up into normal size strips, and I got 85 plasters. What a good idea. Go for it. D.M.

Smelling good

• A drop of fragrant oil on a light bulb will add a sweet smell to rooms. (Health shops have various fragrances.)

Smoke alarms

• If your smoke alarm goes off e.g. burnt toast you can stop it by waving a tea towel across it. Providing it is not too high up. - J.S.

Smoking

• "I am a heavy smoker and grow my own tobacco, very easy to do" - GS, Te Awamutu.

Surveys

• If you are retired like me and have the time, sign up for online surveys. I enjoy cashing in the points I earn for $20 Farmers gift cards and some send cheques. Also I hate waste so when my plants grow too big I divide them and pot them up, once established I sell them on trade me. - Canny Scot, Christchurch.

Telephone

• To reduce telephone costs, adopt a user pays principle. Have a note pad and timer next to your fine. Ask shareholders to record their toll calls. Parents will find this a sure way of minimizing the cost of adolescent telephone romances.
  
  
• If you have a computer you really should download Skype which is free. Skype to Skype user calls are always free but even to a land line the cost is a few cents only and I am talking about overseas calls. I have not paid a toll call on my landline for years and my credit on my Skype account has not needed topping up in a long time either as most of my rellies and friends now have skype so I can talk to them and see them free. - Canny Scot, Christchurch.

Water

• As a man living alone I can do what I like, which can have oily rag advantages. I just got my water bill and it tells me that my usage is way below the average for someone in my circumstances. Reasons? I never use the bath; just have a quick shower every other day... I do all my washing in one load per week. I run the dishwasher on economy and only when it is full to overflowing. - Peeter, Auckland.