HOUSEHOLD TIPS NOT FOUND IN WOMAN'S WEEKLY

[Stanley]

Peter, I go on holiday every morning at 6AM when I go into the shed. It's a different world and I never think about the worrying aspects of life whilst I am in there. Exactly the same as your books and collections.
Today's tip.... If the cartridge runs out in the laser printer that Ric Starkey gave you ten years ago don't even think about getting a new one, just ditch the printer!

[Big Kev]

If the cartridge runs out in the laser printer that Ric Starkey gave you ten years ago don't even think about getting a new one, just ditch the printer!

Why? Is it broken?

[Stanley]

Can you remember how temperamental the early Laser printers were and how slow? That was why Ric's firm threw it out over ten years ago and why Ric gave it to me. It owes nobody anything.

[PanBiker]

Or just get a toner refill which cost a fraction of the cost of a new cartridge.

Urefill Toner

[Tizer]

It's a long time since the last post in this topic - 12th January! Kev dug it out for me, I couldn't remember the title. Under present circumstances useful tips on keeping down expenditure and reducing energy consumption are more important than ever.

I'd posted the following today in the Attention thread and have copied it here to get the topic going again...
We've seen a big drop in ambient temperature recently so I checked my tyre pressures and they were down by 3psi so I topped them up. It's not just a matter of safety but under-inflated tyres result in greater fuel consumption - something to be especially avoided as prices go up.

[Stanley]

Just because a courier firm bombards you with information about your driver, his route and how well he is doing (In this case DPD) doesn't mean you are actually going to get your delivery on the day. Message at 16:00 to say that the promised delivery would be today as the driver was too far behind.
(Can't grumble about being kept in the dark though!)

[Stanley]

The delivery happened yesterday.
Today's tip, if you are buying cotton corduroy trousers make sure they are washable, you don't want to be constantly buying them back off the dry cleaners! The Joseph Turner cords I favour are washable at 40 degrees. Experience teaches that on the first wash they shrink slightly but not seriously so allow for that when sizing as you buy.....

[Tizer]

If you haven't had your central heating on since Spring then check it works now before all the plumbers get booked up bailing out those who didn't check earlier.
(Probably doesn't apply to Barlick - I guess you've had your heating on already!)

[Stanley]

Correct Peter, it's on at constant low level now. However, that doesn't invalidate your advice. Even with industrial boilers it was amazing the number of firms who suddenly decided they needed emergency attention when the heating season hit. I had a theory that nobody bothered until the offices felt cold and then an instruction came down from upstairs! (A Memo travelling downhill always has more impact than one going upwards..... )
Needless to say my boiler had a full service about two months ago and (touch wood) is working perfectly.
The only thing I would add is that it's a good idea to check gulleys and drains before the winter storms hit us.....
(It's called preventative maintenance.)

[Stanley]

I notice that my weekly chicken from the butcher's is averaging over £7 now. Regrettable I know but we have to get used to the fact that if we don't pay an economical price and support local sources like my butcher, they will vanish and we'll be left with imported frozen chicken. The closer to home our food comes from the better. Not only in terms of transport but also the French concept of Terroire... It matters that our food is raised on our own ground.

[Big Kev]

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[Stanley]

I agree entirely. Now that I have given up booze, gambling, women and smoking the only pleasurable vice I have is my morning large milky proper coffee. I shall not be giving it up!
Today's tip.... If you are managing pain using pain killers even mild ones like Paracetamol or Ibuprofen try doing without them every now and again. You might be surprised to find it makes no difference. Taking them can become a habit and in itself cause pains.

[Tizer]

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...and put out of work those people in India, Africa etc whose job it is to ferment green tea leaves to make our usual dark tea leaves. Do you know that numerous research projects worldwide have shown that green tea makes people depressed whereas seeing that golden liquid pouring from a pot of brew made with fermented tea sends those wonderful endorphin `pleasure' molecules into your bloodstream? (Well, no, you won't have heard of it because I just made it up! )

[Big Kev]

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...and put out of work those people in India, Africa etc whose job it is to ferment green tea leaves to make our usual dark tea leaves. Do you know that numerous research projects worldwide have shown that green tea makes people depressed whereas seeing that golden liquid pouring from a pot of brew made with fermented tea sends those wonderful endorphin `pleasure' molecules into your bloodstream? (Well, no, you won't have heard of it because I just made it up! )

Made up or not I'm running with it

[Cathy]

I’m drinking more tea than coffee, but it has to be English Breakfast Rich and Invigorating.
I noticed when my family gathered together this week, there was a lot of Yorkshire Tea.

[Whyperion]

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...and put out of work those people in India, Africa etc whose job it is to ferment green tea leaves to make our usual dark tea leaves. Do you know that numerous research projects worldwide have shown that green tea makes people depressed whereas seeing that golden liquid pouring from a pot of brew made with fermented tea sends those wonderful endorphin `pleasure' molecules into your bloodstream? (Well, no, you won't have heard of it because I just made it up! )

I do tend to think that Green Tea is over-hyped. There is a difference in both the age of the leaves when picked, and the ageing after picking + the steeping / drying which gives White, Green and Black Teas differences in the chemical mixes. Quite indeed why the British tend to prefer the stand up black teas is probably due to our use of milk in the tea , and the consumption by the pint , rather than the more smaller , and wider, cup infusions used in China which went for a more subtle long-term health benefits.

Coffee gives me a headache, even the Jamaican Blue Mountain filter brewed one.

[Stanley]

You ought to be working for the Tea Promotion Board Peter... (If there is such a thing....) (There is but simply known as the Tea Board....)

[Big Kev]

I’m drinking more tea than coffee, but it has to be English Breakfast Rich and Invigorating.
I noticed when my family gathered together this week, there was a lot of Yorkshire Tea.

Yorkshire Tea is the preferred blend at Chez Kev

[Tizer]

We have `Miles Tea' from Porlock in Somerset! I'll bet you weren't aware of the tea plantations in the Exmoor hills? Mind you, tea bushes really are grown in Cornwall and tea produced from them: Tregothnan

[Stanley]

I have had favourite teas at times including a period when I had a tame tea merchant in London but of late have become a Philistine, I just get Tetley's tea bags in industrial quantities.....

[PanBiker]

Monkey bags, (PG Tips) the only ones that have biodegradable bags. All the others use plasticised paper which leech micro-plastic particles into the environment. Only a small thing but why haven't they all swapped to the eco friendly bag? Clarion is still on loose tea.

[Big Kev]

Monkey bags, (PG Tips) the only ones that have biodegradable bags. All the others use plasticised paper which leech micro-plastic particles into the environment. Only a small thing but why haven't they all swapped to the eco friendly bag? Clarion is still on loose tea.

https://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk/brew-new ... d-tea-bags

[PanBiker]

I stand corrected, we chuck ours in the garden compost bin, the brandlings seem to take care of them OK. My RSGB RadCom magazine which is sent by post has been shipped in a corn starch bag for a couple of years now. Tatie peelings and other veg bits go in there before going into the compost bin. Worms don't have a problem with those either.

[Stanley]

They tell me that some boilers are difficult to adjust to fet economy settings. I have just worked out how to alter the setting on mine. In case you don't know what they are, it is a way of limiting how hot the boiler can get when firing on demand for the heating. Most boilers are set on high flame which is the automatic hot water setting but heating is more efficient if it's lower temperature and on for longer.
Well worth seeking out and limiting to 60C seems to work in my case.

[Big Kev]

My boiler has a manufacturer's 'eco' setting for the heating which, according to the manufacturer, uses the least gas for efficient heating. The hot water temperature has been a trial and error exercise, turn it down a bit at a time until you can fill the washing up bowl, without having to top it up with cold to put your hands in it.

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The 'manual' timeswitch is redundant as I have a combined, wireless, programmer/thermostat.