We all have lots of items in our homes that we can use in ways other than what they are intended for. For example, mayonnaise makes an excellent conditioner for your hair - give it a try! Your hair will be super shiny after a dose of mayo. Also, if you want to have some highlights in your hair, use lemon instead of buying highlighting product.

Banana skins are great for polishing your shoes, so you don't have to buy products for that purpose. The inside of a banana skin is rich in potassium which is one of the primary ingredients of commercially produced shoe polish. What's more, it helps to prolong the life of leather. Just rub with the skin then buff with a soft cloth.

On the subject of cloths, if you have old towels or t-shirts, rip them up to use as dusting cloths rather than buying them. As for other old clothes, if your kids have clothes that they've grown out of, start up a recycling pool with your neighbors so that you can all exchange clothes. Another handy clothes hint is if you wear pantyhose or stockings, keeping them in the ice-box of your fridge overnight will help them to last longer and make them less likely to rip.

When you clean your windows, use a mixture of a tablespoon of vinegar to one pint of hot water. This can also be used as a great mouthwash though granted, it may not taste great!

Don't go shopping in the day; wait until about an hour before your store is due to close because you'll find some great reductions on perishables such as bread, fruit and vegetables. If you get any fruit in nets, keep the net because they make great scourers for washing up. When you shop, buy store- branded detergent for your washing machine and always wash at 30° instead of the normal 40°.

When you shop, don't buy bottled water - instead, keep your used bottles, fill them from the tap and refrigerate. Nobody will notice the difference! Another handy beverage hint is to always re-use a teabag. Using it twice won't make any difference to the taste but it will halve the amount you use.

Finally, if you watch TV in bed, make sure you do so with the lights off. You'll find you get plenty of illumination just from the TV. Make sure you snuggle up under your duvet as well so that you can turn off the heating overnight.