Britain's thriftiest pensioner dishes out her top tips

Britain's thriftiest pensioner, Ilona Richards, dishes her top tips for saving the pennies. Report by Jessica Wakefield.

[@connieso199]

We should not knock her down for being frugal , one should learn from her , becouse there so manys people's out there that are homeless now, living beyond your means does not help. She inspires me to watch on what I buy and spend on.

[@ashleybosvik3031]

With just getting what she gets for a pension I admire her.

[@jazzybleedo2770]

Being thrifty, frugal, cheap, miserly, whatever you want to call it, is not a sign of mental illness. It's about the most sensible way to go in my opinion. Isn't it crazier to go into debt, buying silly material possessions you don't need (come on people, i-phones, really!?!?) and feeding your fat face ?? Trying to keep up with a lifestyle you cannot afford is foolish, stressful, disingenuous, miserable, and moronic.

[@levimacdonald5188]

💯❤❤💯💯👌👌👌 agree I follow her vlog and KZbin channel llona Richards but on internet she uses meanqueen take a look and subscribe to her videos..

[@llll309]

100% correct

[@Greenpoloboy3]

She's AMAZING!!!

[@meanqueensuperscrimper8908]

+Greenpoloboy3 Thank you. Ilona

[@Greenpoloboy3]

+Meanqueen Superscrimper WOW. A Celebrity in our midst :P (your welcome too)

[@xiaohuli27]

I swear I must be related to this woman

[@billyboy17ify]

The Government and Banks could learn afew things from this Lady..

[@LiveForPanda]

+William. Arno. nah, governments and banks don't spend their own money

[@MajorAlenko]

Yeah be prepared to fight for those reduced items though, I work in a Tesco and you would not believe the level people stoop to, just to get their hands on reduced items.

[@whereivecame5506]

AdmiralAlenko our reduced isn't like that not many people go to our reduced food area, usually by the end of the night there's around 20 bags of reduced mixed salads for 5p which I get for my rabbit rescue :)

[@ajtronic]

Thrift is amazing.

[@braxfan683]

It's good to buy reduced food, you can save a lot. However, I think asking people to bring their own teabags is going a bit far, Tetley tea doesn't cost very much ☕

[@scaussie75]

I agree and friendship is more important than pennies.

[@wendybrierley5412]

Tea bags are very cheap, esp buy them when on offer. I stock many boxes in the garage. Buy them when on offer, good dates. Coffee, tuna, washing up liquid, toilet rolls, kitchen roll, freezer food etc.....I buy them before Winter for bad weather preparation every year. It is just me, just in case. But I also give some away too.

[@garethifan1034]

Ilona Richards - the original 'Lady trucker' from the 1980's - early 90's...often in Transport magazines of the day

[@jazzybleedo2770]

She's not that old and is not about to kick the bucket!!! She looks like she has another good 25 years in her at least.

[@levimacdonald5188]

Ilona is 71 🌻

[@simmy1739]

Good on her

[@meanqueensuperscrimper8908]

+simmy1739 Thank you. Your comment is appreciated. Ilona

[@jacqui2651]

This lady has made me rethink my life.

[@bumboseat1235]

Totally amazing, this really helps, Thankyou

[@theanimalkeaper]

The microwave is cheaper than kettle? Gotta try lol

[@johnballard6725]

I checked this out and it said for boiling 500 ml the kettle was cheaper.

[@pamelamckenzie2685]

All what you are doing is great, this nation waist too much out there.

[@llll309]

So what if someone is stingy, you spend as little as you want, good for her, if more people were like that there wouldn't be millions of people stupidly in debt and losing their homes, why should you care if people think you are stingy so what, the fool buys expensive food then means that they have no money, this lady is funding herself, and spending her own pension

[@jazzybleedo2770]

See i made my comment before i read her response. 25 years at least!!!!!!! Young people might try to rediscover approaching others with a little respect.

[@Goldedguy]

When someone did this sort of thing back in 2005 it looked poor and cheap, now its seen as smart and economical??

[@summerbee133]

What's her blog??

[@lydon65]

Meanqueen Superscrimper

[@ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas]

What she do is not frugal but normal .I have the same habits as her sometimes not because i want to save but because it easier and faster .

[@MJAli89]

This World is designed on being frugal, its when spending more than you have which causes the destruction of humanity.

[@clb24]

How is microwaving cheaper?

[@moominmay]

lol how many friends does she have? 😅 Just wondering since a supermarket own brand teabag is not too costly - the milk and sugar and boiled water she supplies though I’m guessing!

[@iadorenewyork1]

The microwave uses plenty of energy! (???)

[@wyntresorrow403]

you cant put the kettle on the stove?

[@tinajaneoxnam.8866]

we live in plymouth Devon. please can somebody who might know jeanette tell her to stop phoning our number in plymouth Devon.

[@scaussie75]

Hahaha has it stopped

[@caesar131]

deceased family members can be cooked and eaten as an alternative to supermarket shopping

[@jakedoingmusic]

excuse me

[@waynemorris6907]

Caesar you got best comment of the year!!!!

[@Greenpoloboy3]

Don't throw away old bread just cut the green bits off. Get free pens from the bank. Take out the lightbulb from the microwave and fridge. Turn TV off for 5 minutes during ad breaks. When ringing someone up, call them, say "Hi", put down the phone and they should ring you back.

[@casse1458]

Greenpoloboy3 lol

[@summeronmars9663]

The phone one some people actually do that trouble is they realise very quickly and just don't bother and label you an asshole

[@evelynsaungikar3553]

The fridge light turns off when you close the door, so I don’t see it making that much difference.

[@Greenpoloboy3]

@@summeronmars9663 well less friends - less phone calls (Took 3 years to reply)

[@Greenpoloboy3]

@@evelynsaungikar3553 well keeping the door open the light which is not really needed comes on, using pennies of your money each time. All adds up

[@TheMinkyJ]

1st

[@user-gk3kr2yo9i]

First ;)

[@peggyghirardello275]

I am frugal we r retired we pay all our bills we don't ask government an u help or our children we shop discount grocery store hour away we have one two thousand sixteen vechi le we wanted reliable sun we use senior discounts coupons I have yard sales over twenty five years I I've rummage sales church sales consignment shops I shop koehles jcp only clearance eighty percent off with coupons my hair hubbies our daughter law owns hair salon we babysit a lot so our h a ir free I shop ye a r round for xmas birthday gifts and we save change al year for xmas we eat out a ND even take vacations every other year few days ocean we go September off season but weather still gorgeous cheaper we drive we also shop our dollar tree lots stuff we use I always stock up on just about everything at discount grocery store meats a ll kind stuff and we shop aldis so we do ok we do good on our utilities to every little bit helps we don't do with it heat water electricity or food I stop get my nails done three years ago do them myself saves lot money my hubby does soon much in our town house we been in thirty two years I a m blessed he can do a l most everything around ou r home saved us ton money over year sd I saved thousands over twenty five years yard sales I don't buy junk I saved on everything from clothe sd shoes furnitur r deck furniture patio furniture list goes on on

[@tinajaneoxnam.8866]

please. I don't know where eles to text this. would someone stop jeanette goodyear from bodmin from keep phoning my dad telling him she has no money and she's been starving herself. this has to stop . dad is 74 in January 2018. she has money. she has a son. she has epileptic. he's been friends with her since 2010 I think. he saw her on Facebook. she's been moaning that she has no money since .he's given her money. given her money . given her money. I met her and we've been in pubs in bodmin. she's moaned about her family and so on. she's moaned about the council .she's moaned about the doctors. I don't it sinks through to her that she needs to help herself. my dad has got health problems himself one of which is anger management problems.ive had to put with him ramping and raving all my life as I was growing up through the 80s. now she's wound him up even more by phoning him saying that she's just had a fit cos she's not eating. well that's her problem. he's in plymouth. he can't do nothing about it. why don't her son who is older than my son help her. ? why does she keep telling my dad that the government keep taking her money all the time? dad's a pensioner he can't keep putting up with this silly woman. shes the same age as me .46. I don't think my dad realises that this is abit odd. why don't she just bloody help herself. I don't think she's all there in the head. this is all her family's fault. her mum dumped her when she was just born. she can't be botherd to help her and the rest of her family well I dont know where they are. why can't the bloody bodmin council help her abit more. somebody help. I'd like her to stop bloody pestering my dad roger oxnam. in crownhill is that actually too much to ask.

[@casse1458]

Tina Jane Oxnam. Seriously?

[@myfrugalraggylife7104]

why don't you just get your Dad to change his phone number ? problem solved.

[@marycahill546]

Report harassment to police. They may be able to warn her off.

[@kottlu215]

What is the point of saving now when you're going to kick the bucket any time now? At her age, she should have enough money to splurge if she's been thrifty all these years.

[@meanqueensuperscrimper8908]

+kottlu215 I am 66, and in good health. I should be good for another 25 years. Ilona

[@EvelynDHaene]

You know she could leave a legacy for her family. Not everyone wants to leave their families behind wanting for things.

[@levimacdonald5188]

ilona as no kids ,, i am the same so you dont have to worry

[@mrsamjohnston95]

Pathetic, when she's on her death bed looking back at her life she'll be thinking 'why the hell was I like that?' Life's for enjoying not saving 2p as and where you can

[@sissyboislut3839]

She is smart and enjoys life. If she wasn't happy she wouldn't live so frugally. Cheap people do not need material crap or luxuries for happiness.

[@goddessmelanisia]

This is what makes her happy. It makes her feel smart and thrifty. She feels good about herself this way, and 75% of happiness is liking who you are.

[@scaussie75]

Admire her thrifty ways, but a tea bag???

[@llll309]

She maybe always worked hard, and probably claimed nothing, she is from a time when there was no such thing as a tax credit, so realises that money isnt always available, she is now living on a pension and is just trying to help others, I think its wonderful, she lives humbly without assistance except her pension and is trying to make it last, it is very good advice, and shes just trying to keep a roof over her head, houses are not cheap to run and repairs can be costly, and if inflation starting rising sharply everyone would have to live this way

[@debbieframpton3857]

You do know when you own a house or car emergencies come up I had a co-worker that said the same thing he used to say what are you going to do leave your kids all your money this man never saved a dime when he needed a new roof he had to take out a loan I paid cash for my new roof when his furnace went out he had to take a loan I paid cash for a new furnace and air conditioning unit this man is 74 and still working part-time because he has a mortgage I quit working at sixty-five 3 years ago with a paid-off mortgage. So yes there are many advantages to being Frugal and living within your income

[@robertanderson2142]

Brill ilona watch your channel meanqueensuperscrimper