Batteries.
We get through a lot of them at home.

Maplins sell boxes of them dirt cheap. You can buy 100 AA, or 100 AAA alkaline batteries for £14.99. Far as I can see they last just as long as standard Duracells, but are 1/5 the price.

It's also handy to buy 100 at a time, we never run out of the things.

I'm aware we could use rechargeables, but they're a faff, and also they're generally only 1.2volts, which for some equipment isn't good enough.
(username failed moderation, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 9:52, 10 replies)

I think we only need batteries for the remote controls for the telly boxes now, which last forever anyway.
And besides, everyone knows that pressing the button harder on them makes it work.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 9:55, closed)

We have
kids.

A kiddizoom video camera will munch it's way through 4 AA's in a couple of hours. I reckon we use 50 AA's a month, easily.

On the remote, I find repeately stabbing 'I' and saying 'come on you bastard' is a good way to compensate for the fact you're pressing the wrong button.
(username failed moderation, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 10:01, closed)

Ah, see - the trick is
don't have kids.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 10:03, closed)

That seems to be a popular
tip.

Wonder how much I'd get for them?
(username failed moderation, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 10:04, closed)

Depends - who were you thinking of selling them to?

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 10:13, closed)

your 1.5 volts
Quickly diminish to 1.2 anyways, so that bit of argument Is lost.
Think if all the extra energy used to make that many, and for sensible disposal as well.
(lordy lordy, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 10:21, closed)

I'm aware it's not the most
ecological of solutions, but it's a money saving tip, not earth saving.

Perhaps it's amps then - I could name quite a few things that object to rechargeables. My noise cancelling headphones won't use them at all, the controller brick for Lego robotics shows the 'low battery' warning on a fresh set of recharged AA's (6 of them).
(username failed moderation, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 10:26, closed)

IKEA do good alkaline batteries too
and if you (a) know the right brand name and (b) are happy to buy by the hundred, Duracells are 16p each at Rapid Electronics.
(ubergeekian, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 12:25, closed)

That's still
almost half as much again as the Maplins ones.

Guess I should do a proper comparison, but I'm sure I'd notice if the cheapos were 30% worse than Duracells.
(username failed moderation, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 12:38, closed)

The cheapest AA and AAA alkaline batteries listed on the Maplin website
are £17.99 for 40 (L47AL and L07AN), which is a whisker under 45p each.

Rapid will do you 1000 AA for £164 (18-1905) or 1000 AAA for £159.64 (18-1903). If those quantities are too high then 4-packs of AA and AAA are £1.343 and £1.281 (18-1912 and 18-1910) as long as you buy at least ten packs. That's 33.6p and 32p a pop.

IKEA are 99p for 10, either AA or AAA. Made by VARTA, I believe, so quite respectable, but won;t last as long as the Rapid GPs which they tell me are made by Duracell.

Maplin can be convenient but their prices rarely come close to the industrial suppliers.
(ubergeekian, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 18:47, closed)