Stop a squirrel with a Slinky: Everyday life hacks that will save you money
We’re going old school this week with our hacks to save you money.
From swapping your Christmas sweaters to gluing your TV remote to string, and spin-drying your smalls to keeping your darks dark using a little seasoning, we’ve got your back when it comes to pinching those pennies.
We’ve even got a fail-safe way of keeping squirrels off your bird feeder among this week’s little slices of sound advice.
So read on and help stretch that budget…
Swap your sweater this Christmas
It is estimated that one in four Christmas jumpers are thrown away each year, or never worn more than once. So, this year, instead of throwing that jumper away, why not give it a new lease of life with someone else?
Christmas jumpers are often created using man-made, plastic-based fibres such as polyester so they will never really breakdown in landfill.
But this year instead of buying a new jumper, why not arrange a swap with friends and family.
Give it a spin
If you have some articles of clothing that shouldn’t go in the tumble dryer, you can remove excess water with a salad spinner. Then hang them on a rack to dry.
Remote-on-a-string
Remotes are one of the most commonly misplaced household items, with research suggesting that you will spend two weeks of your life looking for them.
If you have several in your house, it’s even more likely that you’re going to lose at least one of them – and they can cost a pretty penny to replace.
For a foolproof way to never lose a remote, glue one end of a string to the end of the remote and fasten the other end to your sofa or chair. This remote leash will ensure it never goes missing again.
Stop squirrels in their tracks
If you love to watch birds stop by your feeders, you’ll know how hard it is to keep pesky squirrels away, which will plough their way through £££s worth of feed in minutes.
But it’s possible to banish squirrels from bird feeders in your yard with a classic children’s toy – a Slinky.
Just hook the metal spring around the pole of your bird feeder and attach it to the very top. Gravity will do the rest, so when squirrels try to venture up, they will weigh down the spring and end up back on the ground.
Keep your darks darker
Want to stop your clothes from fading in the wash? Add a scoop of table salt to the drum before adding your laundry and it’ll do the trick.
Sneaker cover
Chances are you have owned a pair of Nike trainers at some point in your life.
But even the most brand-loyal consumers might find their kicks are falling apart a little earlier than expected and, if that’s the case, you may be able to save them (or at least get some store credit) thanks to Nike’s generous return policy.
You can easily check if your trainers are still covered under Nike’s two-year manufacturing warranty by looking at the tag located on the inside of your shoe.
In addition to your size, you’ll see two dates printed on either side. The date on the left is the purchase order date, or when the retailer decided to order some kicks from Nike itself.
On the right is the actual manufacturing date, which will determine your return window. Check out Nike’s return policy for more information.
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