It's Official...We are in a recession.....Some Advice from a Wrinkly!!

[victorfrank]

Bring back the Iron Lady.

[MagnetsAndHangers]

We have been making our own bread and rolls for a long time now.

I dont know what a loaf costs now, but I know we used to spend over £50.00 a month just on bread, rolls and cakes.

Breadmaker flour is only 48p in Tesco, and you will get 3 loaves, or 45 rolls from it.
I use the breadmaker every day now.
A loaf every 3rd day, French bread twice a week, and on average, I make a batch of 12 - 15 rolls every 2nd day. Works out at 1/5 of the price of shops, and it is ALWAYS 100% fresh. You also have the wonderful aroma of fresh bread.

The 2 recipes I use for my rolls (using the breadmaker to mix and knead it all) can be seen here.....
http://www.recipezaar.com/97096
and
http://www.recipezaar.com/71373

Both are totally different tasting rolls - the second one can also be left in the breadmaker to cook as a loaf.
Takes about 2 minutes to put all the ingredients into the breadmaker, then just leave it.

There are hundreds of different Breadmaker recipes for cakes, garlic bread, biscuits, rolls etc on google.

[SalusLibrorum]

Go back to eating meat once or twice a week only. Or go vegetarian - pulses are cheap compared to meat, as is soya mince and chunks.

Stay out of supermarkets and do shopping at local market and shops. Local shops might be a bit more expensive, but you can walk to them and don't get tempted by all those supermarket special offers for things you don't really need.

In the last recession I was a single mum in East London, we ate like royalty thanks to buying very cheap sacks of potatoes and string bags of onions, and other food from the market (they went in the pushchair), if you go at the end of the day, the traders are normally selling veg off at very low prices.

Another thing is if you must eat meat, stop being squeamish about eating offal, cook liver, heart, kidneys etc. they taste great and are very cheap. I used to love my mum's stuffed hearts, and her faggots in gravy were wonderful.

Before you buy anything stop and consider if you really need it, its surprising what we actually need to live rather than what we want because it's nice to have.

[centre7]

The making bread thing is a great one.. Mmmm the smell of freshly baked bread every day! Nice

[opalsmoon]

Buy a "Slow cooker" for stews and soups cheaper cuts of meat can be used and your not heating an oven just to cook one pot.
Use a steamer for cooking spuds and veg so that your only using one ring.

[opalsmoon]

I just realised posting on this thread makes me a wrinkly.

[redmerlin777]

I must be a cheapskate

I read that first post and it is how I always live.

I dont have holidays, dont run a car, dont buy convenience food and buy clothes from charity shops.

I also make full use of freecycle and end up getting lots of stuff for free.

My daughter is about to leave home and she will leave our household income short of about £150 per week and I will lose £50+ per week in carers' allowance so have no idea how I will be able to cut down expenses.

We will be having weetabix for lunch and I havent bought meat for years - too expensive.

(((((((((((((Sunnybooks ))))))))))))))

You are not a cheapskate.... just very skilled at surviving on little.
I haven't had a holiday for over two years...(we always went camping)
I have made my own bread for the past 40 years. My son got me a breadmaker a couple of years ago and it's marvellous cos the kneading was not doing my hands and shoulders much good!!
I buy from the charity shops, I buy on line if it's a bargain.
I used to make all my children's and some of my own clothes, now that isn't an option as the material is more expensive than buying second hand ready made.
I wish we had a nearby market. we don't the nearest one is over eight miles away. petrol and parking make's it not an option as adds to the expense. I grow a little myself and make do with lidls... they aren't too bad on fresh veg.
Meat? Now and again... depends what's going cheap..

So you see Sunny you are one of many..... Be proud that you can manage...many have not yet learned these skills.


But wouldn't it be lovely not to have to live like this????

Some smashing ideas coming out of this thread...

[Armstrongs]

If you've got kids.......don't forget to squash the loo roll.....stops it from freewheeling off at 90mph

Yv x

[madelaine]

Another thought.. Consider whether you are a dysfunctional shopper. Apparently the definition of one is someone who buys the same thing over and over. My mother-in-law was one. She can no longer get out of bed let alone shop, but she was a demon shopper. Most of it was in sales and was a bargain BUT I have found initialled handkerchiefs for people who have died without being given them, I've sold over 200 pairs of stockings and I've given away 6 unopened bottles of Oil of Olay. Her sister was also one. She never had the amount of money to spend but her flat is full of tea towels, aprons and face flannels - but no decent plates (you think I'm joking? I wish I was!!!). The same went for both of them in the food cupboard - too many of many items.

So the moral.. look at yourself seriously and check whether you are doing anything like this and if you spot a bargain but don't need the item, it isn't a bargain.. leave it!!!!

[JanetB]

What a great topic!

When I was a youngster, my mom taught us valuable 'survival' skills and she always took me aside on Sundays to teach me how to cook ie roasts, veggies, sauces, gravies etc - I hated it, but on reflection I am so very very grateful to her because I've done most of my own cooking as an adult. Shopping was agony with her as I would accompany her but it taught me a valuable lesson and I've followed in her footsteps throughout my life. A bargain is only one that you will use/consume.

Hubby and I have just moved to a new location and the first thing we did was to change all the light bulbs that were here. 18 bulbs at 60watt each!! We changed them all to energy efficient ones at 15watts each just like we've had in our table lamps for years.

~Jan~