# Practical but good cost saving tips



## deanpark (12 Feb 2021)

You can get two separate mugs of tea out of a Barrys Red label teabag. Any other good suggestions?


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## odyssey06 (12 Feb 2021)

Don't throw out leftover wine \ wine that has been open too long or oxidised.
Pour into smaller bottle and add a pinch of salt.
Keep to add flavour to stews and casseroles.
Alternatively, some people make ice cubes and add to stock when needed.


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## Firefly (12 Feb 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> Don't throw out leftover wine



Friday joke thread?


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## Laughahalla (12 Feb 2021)

Switch your lighting to LED. Especially if you have Halogen lighting. Halogen bulbs will cost you a small fortune to run compared to LED.


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## Baby boomer (12 Feb 2021)

Don't vote for leftwing parties  - they will up your taxes.


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## odyssey06 (12 Feb 2021)

Firefly said:


> Friday joke thread?



This is no laughing matter I can assure you!


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## Purple (15 Feb 2021)

Don't get takeaway's. 
Bother to learn how to cook properly.
Don't use a tumble drier.
If you are cold at home put on a jumper. If you are still cold put on the heating.

Don't buy Barry's Tea. The own brand stuff is the same and Lyons is nicer.


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## Purple (15 Feb 2021)

Oh, don't have kids. That's a really important tip.
If you do then sell them while they are young. The older ones don't get a good price (they are not like cattle that way).


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## W200 (22 Feb 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> Don't throw out *leftover* wine


Please explain further. Ive never seen any of this substance . Is it a brand name ?


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## Thirsty (23 Feb 2021)

Stop buying stuff you don't need.

Ditch the TV subscriptions (Sky & the like)
Walk or cycle

Shopping is not a pastime.

Next time you take bags of stuff to the charity shop  reflect  on how many hours you had to work to buy that stuff in the first place.

Give foody items as gifts, there's a better chance it won't end up in the charity shop after someone else's clear out.

Learn some DIY skills

Learn to sew.

Drink your wine, you paid for it - enjoy it!   And always buy Barry's Tea - anything else is a false economy


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## odyssey06 (23 Feb 2021)

W200 said:


> Please explain further. Ive never seen any of this substance . Is it a brand name ?



It's a bit of a Sunday night phenomenon when you fancy a glass with dinner but don't finish the whole bottle.
So tend to open a bottle of something relatively cheap and cheerful.
Ideally I'd have more half bottles lying around but they are nearly the same price as a full one and limited selection.
And this way we end up with cooking wine.


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

Thirsty said:


> And always buy Barry's Tea - anything else is a false economy


I dunno, it's one of those things where for a few cents more you can get better tea like Lyons. 
Neither are really Irish anyway; Lyons is UK owned and Barry's is from Cork.


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## Peanuts20 (24 Feb 2021)

Is there other tea aside from Barry's?

Great value in books from the charity book shops

Register with your local library and down load the Borrow box and Press reader aps. Borrowbox allows you to download audio books for free (so you don't need audible) and has a great selection. Pressreader will allow you to read the digital issues of thousands of magazine and papers for free. Last night I read the Washington Post and then had a look at the BBC good food mag, all for free


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## deanpark (24 Feb 2021)

The Irish Daily Mail is on Pressreader. The Guardian, Telegraph and music mags like Mojo. Very good and free service.

I love my "spend €25 and get €5 back "  vouchers in the Dunnes near me.   I know I should do my shopping in Aldi, Lidl but I find them joyless and boring.


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## odyssey06 (24 Feb 2021)

deanpark said:


> The Irish Daily Mail is on Pressreader. The Guardian, Telegraph and music mags like Mojo. Very good and free service.
> 
> I love my "spend €25 and get €5 back "  vouchers in the Dunnes near me.   I know I should do my shopping in Aldi, Lidl but I find them joyless and boring.


You're missing out on the middle aisle fun of Aldi, and Lidl and buying something you never knew you needed!
Although I suppose, that's not a cost saving tip 

To continue the wine theme for earlier, now that you can't use money off vouchers etc for wine ALDI and LIDL are even better value there.


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## Purple (24 Feb 2021)

deanpark said:


> I love my "spend €25 and get €5 back " vouchers in the Dunnes near me. I know I should do my shopping in Aldi, Lidl but I find them joyless and boring


I'm with you on that. The bread from the Bakery in Dunnes is excellent. Lidl also have good bread but the offering from the bakery in Super Value is appalling.


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## odyssey06 (24 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> I'm with you on that. The bread from the Bakery in Dunnes is excellent. Lidl also have good bread but the offering from the bakery in Super Value is appalling.


The brown bread from SV is great. The white baguettes are inexplicable.


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## deanpark (24 Feb 2021)

In fairness to Lidl their ' 4 for €2' croissants and '5 for €1' white rolls are grand.  But thats about it. 
 As long as you go early.   Queues at the tills are crazy after 9am. Staffed by stern Eastern Europeans mainly. 

 Dunnes though has a much nicer vibe and less stern people on the tills. Life's too short for dealing with glum shop people when I'm spending my hard earned cash.


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## Thirsty (24 Feb 2021)

deanpark said:


> Staffed by stern Eastern Europeans mainly.


It's likely caused by the xenophobic racism the staff encounter.


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## EmmDee (24 Feb 2021)

deanpark said:


> Staffed by stern Eastern Europeans mainly.



I find them quite chirpy. And really quick. Maybe quite efficient and business like but not stern


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## odyssey06 (25 Feb 2021)

I think ALDI and LIDL check out very fast, you're not expected to bag the stuff up off the checkout conveyor but put it into trolley and bag up at the window counter. Can be taken aback by it.


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## Ceist Beag (25 Feb 2021)

On tea, buy the loose leaf, not the bags. Flavour is better and you get more from it. Barrys would be my preference too. Most important thing here is to buy what you like, not what is cheapest.
On the vouchers, absolutely keep these, they are money after all. You wouldn't throw a tenner in the bin!
Make a shopping list and stick to it.
If you like sauces like Dolmio, learn to make your own. It's half the cost, tastes better and doesn't take very long. You can also easily tailor it to your own tastes by adding bits and pieces (i.e. herbs, chillis, spices, etc.).
If you like baking, your own brown bread beats anything you will buy in supermarkets.


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## joer (25 Feb 2021)

I cannot agree about the loose tea. I hate it. Barry"s tea or Lyons or McGrath"s tea are all equally as good as each other, tea bags, in my opinion.
I agree with everything else though.


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## Purple (25 Feb 2021)

deanpark said:


> In fairness to Lidl their ' 4 for €2' croissants and '5 for €1' white rolls are grand. But thats about it.


I find their rolls and bread good. Not as good as Dunnes but far better than Super Value (though I agree their brown bread is excellent).


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## Purple (25 Feb 2021)

Ceist Beag said:


> If you like sauces like Dolmio, learn to make your own. It's half the cost, tastes better and doesn't take very long. You can also easily tailor it to your own tastes by adding bits and pieces (i.e. herbs, chillis, spices, etc.).


If you cook your own you'll realise just now vile Dolmio actually is.


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## Ceist Beag (25 Feb 2021)

joer said:


> I cannot agree about the loose tea. I hate it.


The funny thing is, it's probably the same leaves in both loose and the tea bags and we're both just imagining our preference tastes better!


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## deanpark (26 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> If you cook your own you'll realise just now vile Dolmio actually is.


If it's handy could you post how you make your own pasta sauce. I use Dolmio and other shop bought pasta sauces but agree that they're a bit bland. But I wouldn't know how to make from scratch.


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## Ceist Beag (26 Feb 2021)

deanpark said:


> If it's handy could you post how you make your own pasta sauce. I use Dolmio and other shop bought pasta sauces but agree that they're a bit bland. But I wouldn't know how to make from scratch.


It's very straightforward. Here's an example but like I said, you can play around with other ingredients to suit your own taste.
Ingredients: Onions, Garlic, Olive Oil (not Extra Virgin), Tin Tomatoes (we prefer Passata), Tomato Puree (not needed if using Passata), herbs, drop Worcester Sauce, bit of sugar, salt and pepper
Method: Gently fry the onions first until translucent. Add the garlic for a minute or so (garlic burns easily so don't fry for long). Add tomatoes/passata and cook for maybe 20 minutes. Add tomato puree, herbs, Worcester Sauce, sugar, salt and pepper as it cooks. Leave to cool and then blitz it all with a hand blender to a smooth consistency.


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## Firefly (26 Feb 2021)

Ceist Beag said:


> It's very straightforward. Here's an example but like I said, you can play around with other ingredients to suit your own taste.
> Ingredients: Onions, Garlic, Olive Oil (not Extra Virgin), Tin Tomatoes (we prefer Passata), Tomato Puree (not needed if using Passata), herbs, drop Worcester Sauce, bit of sugar, salt and pepper
> Method: Gently fry the onions first until translucent. Add the garlic for a minute or so (garlic burns easily so don't fry for long). Add tomatoes/passata and cook for maybe 20 minutes. Add tomato puree, herbs, Worcester Sauce, sugar, salt and pepper as it cooks. Leave to cool and then blitz it all with a hand blender to a smooth consistency.



I make big batches of this and when cool, divide into Ziplock bags & lay them flat in the freezer

Also, Mutti passata is fantastic


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## Purple (26 Feb 2021)

Dice 2 onions, 2 carrots and 2-3 sticks of celery. Sweat them down in a poy with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Dice a jar of sundried tomatoes (the ones from Lidl have capers in them. Add them too). Add to the pot. Add two anchovies, mashed. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic. Add about a quarter of the oil left from the sundried tomatoes. Add a heaped tablespoon of tomato puree. Fry the puree for about 5-10 minutes. Don't let it burn. Add a heaped teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, and thyme and about a half a teaspoon of chopped rosemary.  Add a quarter bottle of red wine (something with some body). Cook it off so that nearly all of the liquid is gone. At this stage if you like a smooth sauce blend it with a hand blender. If it's too dry to blend add some water.
Add two tins of tomatoes (buy good ones, they are worth it). Add a teaspoon of sugar. If you like you can drizzle some olive oil over an entire bulb of garlic, wrap in tinfoil and bake it in the over for 20 minutes and use that instead of the raw garlic. If you do that then add a few more crushed cloves at this stage. The roasted garlic makes a huge difference.

Add more wine to taste, a beef stockpot and some water if necessary. Cook on a low heat for 2-3 hours. Season to taste.

You can add a Leek at the first stage if you want to load in some more veg. The green bits of the Leek are the tastiest part


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## Purple (26 Feb 2021)

Firefly said:


> I make big batches of this and when cool, divide into Ziplock bags & lay them flat in the freezer
> 
> Also, Mutti passata is fantastic


Same here with the zip-lock bags.
I generally use tins of tomatoes when I'm slow cooking.  

Any pasta that's made using a Bronze Die will have a coarser surface and so absorb sauces better.

NEVER put oil on the pasta. It stops it from absorbing the sauce.

I usually cook the pasta until it's about 2 minutes away from done. then deep a mug of the cooking water and add the drained pasts to the sauce to finish cooking, adding some cooking water if necessary. Then the cheese and lemon zest and juice and some fresh herbs.

the great thing  is it can be used with just about any meat or with lentils or Tuna or meat balls or on its own.


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## Ceist Beag (26 Feb 2021)

Nice variations there Purple. Agree on the roasted garlic, I could eat that spread on toast as garlic bread! The red wine addition is something I personally love but the kids hate it so unfortunately I lose out there.


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## Firefly (26 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> I usually cook the pasta until it's about 2 minutes away from done.


I'm teaching my small one to cook and have already been through the 2 most common mistakes people do when making pasta:
(1) Not using a large enough pot (pasta sticks)
(2) Over-cooking pasta (_horrible_ mush) by not stopping when al-dente


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## deanpark (26 Feb 2021)

Brilliant thanks. 

One thing will avoid is the anchovies!!


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## Purple (26 Feb 2021)

deanpark said:


> Brilliant thanks.
> 
> One thing will avoid is the anchovies!!


Try them with it. They give a kind of a hint of a background umami taste but they is no taste of fish at all.  
The same works in a beef stew.


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## odyssey06 (26 Feb 2021)

Anchovies seem a bit pricey no?
100g showing as €4 in Tesco.


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## Purple (26 Feb 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> Anchovies seem a bit pricey no?
> 100g showing as €4 in Tesco.


That's for a jar. You just need one or two. They last forever.


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## EmmDee (26 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> Dice 2 onions, 2 carrots and 2-3 sticks of celery. Sweat them down in a poy with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Dice a jar of sundried tomatoes (the ones from Lidl have capers in them. Add them too). Add to the pot. Add two anchovies, mashed. Add 2-3 cloves of garlic. Add about a quarter of the oil left from the sundried tomatoes. Add a heaped tablespoon of tomato puree. Fry the puree for about 5-10 minutes. Don't let it burn. Add a heaped teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano, and thyme and about a half a teaspoon of chopped rosemary.  Add a quarter bottle of red wine (something with some body). Cook it off so that nearly all of the liquid is gone. At this stage if you like a smooth sauce blend it with a hand blender. If it's too dry to blend add some water.
> Add two tins of tomatoes (buy good ones, they are worth it). Add a teaspoon of sugar. If you like you can drizzle some olive oil over an entire bulb of garlic, wrap in tinfoil and bake it in the over for 20 minutes and use that instead of the raw garlic. If you do that then add a few more crushed cloves at this stage. The roasted garlic makes a huge difference.
> 
> Add more wine to taste, a beef stockpot and some water if necessary. Cook on a low heat for 2-3 hours. Season to taste.
> ...



I like some of the additions though an Italian might baulk at that recipe  

An option instead of the dried basil / oregano / thyme - if you have fresh basil or a basil plant, just throw in a dozen basil leaves and leave it at that. A bit more subtle maybe but I like the freshness


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## Purple (28 Feb 2021)

EmmDee said:


> I like some of the additions though an Italian might baulk at that recipe
> 
> An option instead of the dried basil / oregano / thyme - if you have fresh basil or a basil plant, just throw in a dozen basil leaves and leave it at that. A bit more subtle maybe but I like the freshness


I love fresh Basil but I like the sweetness of thyme and oregano has to be in any tomato sauce. Anchovies are used extensively in Italian cooking, including tomato sauces, especially those with chilli in them.


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## peemac (28 Feb 2021)

W200 said:


> Please explain further. Ive never seen any of this substance . Is it a brand name ?


It's called "domaine Arnaud" only in Tesco and always "half price"

Anyone who can actually drink a full bottle of it needs to get tested for coronavirus cos their taste buds are shot


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## odyssey06 (28 Feb 2021)

peemac said:


> It's called "domaine Arnaud" only in Tesco and always "half price"
> 
> Anyone who can actually drink a full bottle of it needs to get tested for coronavirus cos their taste buds are shot


I pity anyone who buys it on its rarely listed full rrp price!
Theres a few of those French and Chilean wines in Tesco where the half price offer seems like their actual price.


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## peemac (28 Feb 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> I pity anyone who buys it on its rarely listed full rrp price!
> Theres a few of those French and Chilean wines in Tesco where the half price offer seems like their actual price.


A few? - I'd say all of them.  

I was given a bottle of the DArnaud once. I still remember the sensation of drinking bad vinegar.


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## WolfeTone (28 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> If you are still cold put on the heating.



A brisk, well paced walk outside for 10-15 mins will go along way also.


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## WolfeTone (28 Feb 2021)

Since working from home, I have taken to filling up flask to have at my desk. I drink about 10 cups of tea or coffee a day, that is alot of kettle usage, invariably boiling too much water over and over again. A flask cuts a lot of that out.


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## WolfeTone (28 Feb 2021)

Take note of which way your house is positioned. The back of our house, with kitchen and spare living room, starts to get a lot of sunshine from this time of year onwards. It only takes a small bit of sunshine to warm a room. I turn off the radiators from about 11am, turning them on again before bedtime for ready for chilly mornings. 
It may seem a dull, mostly inconsequential chore, but it is surprisingly satisfying, especially if the heating bill is noticeably reduced (or perhaps I'm just turning into my mother?)


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## WolfeTone (28 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> Oh, don't have kids. That's a really important tip.
> If you do then sell them while they are young. The older ones don't get a good price (they are not like cattle that way).



We sold ours awhile back. Got a reasonable price I thought, but damn, you better know what you are doing. The conditions on the warranty are pretty extensive, so any sort of flaw expect the consumer looking to return for a refund.


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## WolfeTone (1 Mar 2021)

Thirsty said:


> Ditch the TV subscriptions (Sky & the like)



Very true. I'm battling with my Sky subscription because sport is escapism for me.  Got rid of Amazon Prime, Audible and Spotify, but Im stuck with Netflix because of majority rule in my house.
Out of all those subscriptions, I consider Netflix the most over-rated pile of garbage. It is dreadful. Netflix series are an expanded form of formulated soap operas and reality TV series, about any bit of nonsense.
The last series I watched in full was that Tiger King series. Interesting story no doubt, but 6 hours? Six episodes of a story that could be told in one, maybe two, hours?
Then there is all those really good drama series, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul etc....some really good script, characters etc, but when it gets to episode 15 of series 9, isn't is just a case of watching the first series over and over again but in a different context?



Thirsty said:


> And always buy Barry's Tea - anything else is a false economy



No arguement there.


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## Leo (1 Mar 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> I pity anyone who buys it on its rarely listed full rrp price!
> Theres a few of those French and Chilean wines in Tesco where the half price offer seems like their actual price.



Yeah, always beware the supermarket half-price offers. I use the Vivino app on my phone to scan labels to check value & ratings for anything I'm not familiar with.


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## deanpark (1 Mar 2021)

joer said:


> I cannot agree about the loose tea. I hate it. Barry"s tea or Lyons or McGrath"s tea are all equally as good as each other, tea bags, in my opinion.
> I agree with everything else though.


I haven't tried McGraths but at 59c in the ads currently I'll try if for the craic. I can't imagine it can be the same quality/taste as Barry costing €3.49.  Lyons is manky. Its always laid on in those kitchenettes in offices  (as its cheaper than Barrys) so I tend to bring my  own stash of Barrys. 

I'll report back on McGraths. At that price I won't mind throwing out the other 79 unused tea bags if its rancid.


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## joer (1 Mar 2021)

We , in our house, like Mcgraths in the black box .


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## odyssey06 (1 Mar 2021)

joer said:


> We , in our house, like Mcgraths in the black box .


Not sure if still the case but I think I read somewhere that was supplied by Bewleys


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## Firefly (2 Mar 2021)

deanpark said:


> I can't imagine it can be the same quality/taste as Barry costing €3.49.



At less than 5c per cup I think I'll focus on cost savings elsewhere!


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## meepman (4 Mar 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> Don't throw out leftover wine \ wine that has been open too long or oxidised.
> Pour into smaller bottle and add a pinch of salt.
> Keep to add flavour to stews and casseroles.
> Alternatively, some people make ice cubes and add to stock when needed.


Never added the salt. Is that to keep it preserved?


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## odyssey06 (4 Mar 2021)

meepman said:


> Never added the salt. Is that to keep it preserved?


Yes. If you look at the ingredients of what is sold as cooking wine it has a pinch of salt.
But having said that if I fill the mini bottle to the brim so there is hardly any air in it I havent had an issue cooking with wine left for weeks without the salt.


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## mathepac (14 Mar 2021)

WolfeTone said:


> Since working from home, I have taken to filling up flask to have at my desk. I drink about 10 cups of tea or coffee a day, that is alot of kettle usage, invariably boiling too much water over and over again. A flask cuts a lot of that out.


Another little tip is to boil just what you need - fill the kettle to the minimum mark and once you've made your drink fill the kettle to the minimum mark again before it gets cold. This saves a few bits of energy, storing it in the water rather than allowing it to dissipate into the air.  One kettle might not save much electricity, but imagine thousands of them!


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