Top Tips

[Alan Medic]

I seem to remember there was a thread called this, possibly started by a long departed woof. So given my experience this morning, I'd thought I'd start another one.

I received my usual annual renewal notice for buildings and contents insurance from ironically another 'dog', and as I had been on a filing spree with my new shredder (thanks for the suggestions and particularly Laddy as I bought one of your Which options) I noted the 13% increase in the cost. I didn't work that out in my head by the way.

So I decided to use a price comparison site. I ended up getting the same policy with the same nodding dog for almost 50% less. The moral of the story is don't accept automatic renewals.

Feel free to share any more 'top tips'.

[Robert Poste's Child]

My top tip is that in John Lewis you can often negotiate on larger items. I got an extra ?80 off an already considerably reduced laptop recently and I'm still the proud owner of a ?1200 coat which I finally negotiated down to ?250. You need to have the conversation with a manager, though.

[Salsaboy]

My Top Tip is always leave a few tea bags in your hot water tank and Hey Presto! no need to wait for the kettle to boil. Tea always on tap.

[Robert Poste's Child]

Doubles as fake tan and a brunette hair rinse. Blondes could use chamomile tea bags instead.

[New Girl]

Never eat yellow snow.

[TheArtfulDogger]

Fed up with always misplacing your contact lenses ?

Drill a small hole in the corner of each of them, thread a piece of cotton through them long enough to go around your neck and hey presto every time they fall out you will find them hanging around your neck ...

Thanks to VIZ 1995 for that one...

[Dopamine1979]

?Discarded pizza boxes are an inexpensive source of cheese.?

[BrandNewGuy]

Drivers! Don't waste thousands on expensive vanity plates. Simply change your name by deed poll to HJ08 TRW.

[New Girl]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

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> Drivers! Don't waste thousands on expensive vanity

> plates. Simply change your name by deed poll to

> HJ08 TRW.

Now why hadn't I thought of this? Genius.

[Salsaboy]

These are all very reminiscent of Viz from the mid 90's!

[Alan Medic]

HIJACKERS. Avoid a long stressful siege and the risk of arrest, imprisonment or death by simply making sure you book a flight to your intended destination in the first place.

[????]

It was me who started this before - it was soon flamed by Viz Tips and the scorn of Snorks, deservedly so. It is probably buried around page 200 or somewhere.

[red devil]

The one I remember form Viz late 80's went something along the lines of...

Don't waste ????'s on expensive carpets for your home, just tape a couple of free samples of the most expensive carpet to the bottom of your feet

[phobic3000]

If you fancy a cold one but your beer's not chilled, wrap it in a bit of wet kitchen roll and shove it in the freezer.

It should be chilled nicely in around 10 minutes.

[TheArtfulDogger]

An actual tip (not from viz.) told to me a year or so ago

Vinyl lovers, fed up with fluff and dirt ruining get that record you love, smear wood glue over it and when dry peel it off to remove all dirt and debris in the grove , then wash with warm (not hot) water to remove any residue from the glue

Never tried it but heard it works well..

[Jeremy]

phobic3000 Wrote:

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> If you fancy a cold one but your beer's not

> chilled, wrap it in a bit of wet kitchen roll and

> shove it in the freezer.

>

> It should be chilled nicely in around 10 minutes.

It's a myth - the wet paper doesn't add any benefit.

[Loz]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> phobic3000 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > If you fancy a cold one but your beer's not

> > chilled, wrap it in a bit of wet kitchen roll and

> > shove it in the freezer.

> >

> > It should be chilled nicely in around 10 minutes.

>

> It's a myth - the wet paper doesn't add any benefit.

I thought it did, so I went a'googling. I found two people that did the experiment with temp probes and they found opposite results.

I am now no wiser on the subject.

[DulwichFox]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> phobic3000 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > If you fancy a cold one but your beer's not

> > chilled, wrap it in a bit of wet kitchen roll

> and

> > shove it in the freezer.

> >

> > It should be chilled nicely in around 10

> minutes.

>

> It's a myth - the wet paper doesn't add any

> benefit.

Theoretically :-

Wet paper around the bottle in the sun will cool the beer as the water evapourates..

It's kind if how a fridge works..

Might need to repeat several times..

Just put it in the freezer for 10-15 mins and DO NOT forget it is there..

Foxy

[Loz]

Well, yes foxy - the change of state as the water evaporates needs energy, so it uses surrounding heat.

That's not really going to happen in a freezer, though. The change of state from water to ice, as far as I can remember, doesn't use that energy. I suspect this effect, if it occurs, is to do with water being a better transferrer of the heat in the bottle with the chill of the air in the freezer,

[Jeremy]

Wet paper around bottle in the sun - yep

Wet paper around bottle in the freezer - don't bother

[numbers]

Where's waynetta when you need her?!

Or daizie!!

[phobic3000]

OK then... How about

If you fancy a cold one but your beer's not chilled, put it in a bowl with ice cubes and water then add some salt.

Something "sciencey" happens and it cools the beer a lot quicker than in just iced water or in the freezer...

[Loz]

phobic3000 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> OK then... How about

>

> If you fancy a cold one but your beer's not chilled, put it in a bowl with ice cubes and water

> then add some salt.

>

> Something "sciencey" happens and it cools the beer a lot quicker than in just iced water or in the

> freezer...

That's a bit easier to explain. The salt lowers the freezing point of water. So, instead of the ice/water mix being about 0c, it can drop to about -10 (or even further with the right mix of salt and water). And even though that makes it a similar temp as a freezer, water transmits heat more easily, so it should cool the drink faster.

It's the same reason putting salt on roads stops them freezing.

[holloway]

Put a couple of tea bags in your trainers or shoes overnight. Nice and fresh the next morning. It works, I've tried it!

[DaveR]

"That's a bit easier to explain. The salt lowers the freezing point of water. So, instead of the ice/water mix being about 0c, it can drop to about -10 (or even further with the right mix of salt and water). And even though that makes it a similar temp as a freezer, water transmits heat more easily, so it should cool the drink faster"

Very roughly, every 50g salt per litre of water = 2 degree drop in freezing point, down to -20.