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Old style MoneySaving

Archives for April 2008

hand wash only?
looking for some advise fellow msers - i have a debenhams dress i wore to a wedding - its 100% polyester and says hand wash only - its got a couple of marks on it (dont know what) and i really wanna wear it again - wouldnt mind paying for dry clean but not sure if they would as it says hand wash only - any ideas? if i was…
Has anyone managed to make a Lidl breadmix
that doesnt look like something from an outer planet! i have now made 3 and they all look awful. and taste leathery. the breadmaker makes lush white a brown and i use the lidl flour daily. is it just me am i a breadmix failure!!
Homemade cakes/biscuits-good for how long?
I am new to the forums on here so apologies for the stupid question! I like to make my own victoria sponge cakes and biscuits etc. How long will they keep in a tupperwear type container? Thanks
9"/23cm madeira cake
I'm trying to make a madeira cake for my birthday this weekend. I have a recipe which is for a 8" cake tin but does say it's for a deep 8" tin. The tin I have is 9" and I was hoping to find out the quanities for that sized tin. Thanks in advance.
HM Kitchen Warming Present - Ideas?
My mother's having her kitchen redone at the moment. She's been helping me out a lot lately so I thought it might be quite nice to make something as a surprise prezzie for her kitchen; trouble is I don't have any ideas. I've got an electric sewing machine so I could use that; there's no point in doing anything food-based…
Husband doesn't like my homemade bread....
I don't make it with the bread maker anymore... it's easier to knead it myself than it is to get the machine down off the top of the cupboards (where it's collecting that horrible scummy grime things get up on high kitchen shelves.) Anyway... I'm trying to bake my own bread more often. I don't think I'm going to beat Asda…
Gah! Double whammy!!
Today I found slug trails and a healthy looking colony of ants in my kitchen!:eek: I've not had to deal with this kind of problem before so I'm hoping there will be some good advice on here. I've read through some of the threads already covering slugs and ants, but what I really want to know right now is should I just…
Re - Stocking Freezer
I have just been to the supermarket and restocked my freezer mostly with meat and fish. It is a 4 drawer freezer, so not huge. I have spent £145 and its not even full. I dont know whats the best thing to do, just buy food when its needed - so keep the freezer almost empty, fill it up every 6 weeks, or just keep a small…
egg substitute
I have been doing my own baking lately in an attempt to cut down on grocery spending and seem to be using up a lot of eggs as a result. I usually buy free range so that bumps up the cost even more and I am now looking round for a cheap ('cheep cheep'! sorry!) source of eggs. I came across this egg substitute…
Using up Ovaltine??
I've got a jar of ovaltine left over from the dreaded morning sickness days when tea just tasted sooo wrong!! _pale_ I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for using it up in baking maybe? ;) It is the ovaltine original that you add milk to, rather than the instant type that has milk powder in it. Thank you!!!
Opinions on menu
Hi all, haven't posted in ages but I need some opinions. I've invited my boyfriend's pregnant sister and her husband over for dinner so we can catch up, have something tasty and not spend loads on food by doing it at home. I'm just a bit nervous about the menu as I don't want to give her something she shouldn't be eating.…
Plastic tub lids won't come off easily! HELP!
Hi I purchased a set fo 4 smallish tubs from Wilkinsons a couple of weeks ago. The lid of each one is made from the same stuff as the freezer ice packs. I got them thinking they'd be great in the kids lunch boxes for hm yogurts etc. I used one for the first time on Monday, DS2 (10 yo) brought it home unopened bless him he…
Cheap ways to clean out the car?
Not sure if this is on the write section of the forum, if so please move it. Anyway, what I am wondering is I have a mk4 fiesta and am a 21 year old student on a tight budget lol. I am wanting to know the cheap ways to clean out the car. I.e windows. And the seats are the worst, I have paid up to £6 for a tin of foam for…
cooking with peach schnapps?
Hello, Have a nearly full bottle of Asda peach schnapps. It has a yucky smokey aftetaste. Any ideas with what I can do with it? If not guess I'll pass it onto my sister - at 18 she will prob drink it regardless of tase! Thanks.
This might be a really stupid question......
This might sound like a really dumb thing to ask but...... I have 4 chicken breast steaks at home in the freezer, i would like to make my own breadcrumbs, coat the chicken in them and cook it :) but where do i start? How do i make the breadcrumbs stick to the chicken? Egg/Milk?:confused: Also what temp do i cook it at and…
moving to the Netherlands
Since finding this site a couple of years ago now I have been on and off the OS wagon but have gone in a generally upwards direction thanks to the excellent advice from you all; thing is that now my husband is being posted to Holland for a minimum of two years by his firm. We have been on a trip to see what it is like…
Chicken Cookup
I made this a while ago and it is sitting in my freezer as there was loads. It's basically chicken and peas in rice. I made it by bunging it all in pot and cooking the rice with the water. That way everything was nice and cooked. But how do I heat it up. The microwave would take forever as I need about 5 portions. If I do…
Capers,what are they used for?
Anyone?............................
Old Style Wednesday 30 April
Morning; off for the sticky.... Hi, this is the Daily Thread for today. This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything OS and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already.…
Any tips for OS saving from abroad?
I've been looking at the tips for recipies and meals under 50p etc online. I tend to save money all year round, so I can go on holiday somewhere special... was wondering if I could think of any ways they save money on this kind of thing abroad, that I've brought back with me. I know that for almost every lunch and evening…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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