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Old style MoneySaving

Archives for April 2016

Question about eating artichokes
When I used to visit France as a child, I came across little porcelain wedges that are placed under a plate or dish to ensure that the vinaigrette runs to the corner making dipping of the artichoke easier. I still have a set. What are they called? .
soggy pastry base
I am having trouble getting my quiche bases crusty, can anyone give any tips?? I use ready made short crust for the base, bake it blind then fill with filling. That leaves the base soggy so someone told me to egg wash the base after its had 15 mins and looks cooked and to pop it back in to seal the base. That doesn't work…
Food in Cupboards
A friend of mines grandmother passed away recently and they are in the midst of clearing the house and have come across a stash of tinned foods in the kitchen cupboards. I suggested why not give it to the food banks, save binning it all but some is past the best before date - can that be passed on or should it be binned.…
O/S Daily Thread for Monday 25th April 2016
This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s welcome, please do come in, put your feet…
Weekly Flylady Thread 25th April 2016
Thank you to Piggers for last week's thread :D Do not lose heart if you cannot keep up with everyone else or reading the thread, don't try to reply to everyone and please remember to include something about flying in all your posts. Welcome to the weekly Flylady thread. If you need help organising your week or getting…
Batch soup disaster! Can it be fixed?
Hi all, I was making my usual Sunday batch of soup for the week aheads lunches when the top of the salt grinder came off and emptied itself in the soup!! It's a curried red lentil and vegetable soup (8-10 portions) which usually has 1-2tsps of salt in and I'd say about 2 tablespoons ended up in it this week! Can I fix it…
Meal plans wk 25th April
Going for another no spend week, so needing to use mostly defrosted produce, but also looking for a bit more variety as I'm starting to get bored of roast turkey... Lunch should be leftovers from each day. Mon - moussaka hash (potatoes, aubergine, onion, garlic, ex-lean mince, tomatoes, egg, nat yogurt, marjoram, nutmeg)…
O/S Daily Thread for Sunday 24th March 2016
This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s welcome, please do come in, put your feet…
Microwave disaster
I've had a meltdown in my microwave (in a failed DIY attempt to sterilise baby bottles) :eek: I'm not sure the toughened glass plate will be salvageable at this stage, such is the amalgam of plastic :o . When everything cools down, how do I clean the melted plastic off the plate? Instinct says WD40 and a good scrub down.…
Microwaving a Whole Chicken
Hi My main oven is currently broken, and to be honest I don't miss it that much. I am still get good results for smaller items of food by using my microwave in conjunction with a frying pan e.g. fish cakes, 3 mins in microwave, then fry for 2 mins. Anyway, I'd like to try and microwave a whole chicken. Has anyone done…
O/S Daily Thread for Saturday 23rd April 2016
This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s welcome, please do come in, put your feet…
Freezer turned off by mistake - advice please
Hi, Having some building work done. Builders by mistake been turning freezer off for power. Spotted it just now, but don't know if this has been all week.:(:(:( Goes against the grain but will probably have to chuck everything (soft meat, prawns , fish etc ) Murphy's law had done big shop. Don't want DD DH getting food…
Daily Mail Live Below the Line Article
Just wondered what people's thoughts were on this. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-3552397/Could-eat-just-1-day-Woman-restricts-food-budget-life-poverty-line-really-like.html This woman has irritated me a lot with this if I'm honest. Before kids I did the live below the line challenge a few times over the…
New to cross stitch
Hello lovely OS folks, I'm new to cross stitching and have bought myself a kit to get going. I have been watching a few online video's to help me get started but just wondered if you have any hints and tips to get me on the right track. My first major worry is that I'm going to loose the needle when I put the kit away, at…
Bit upset. Just got told off for adding up my groceries
I'm embarrassed as anything, and if you saw my first post you will know that I am attempting to re over from severe anxiety! So I have been taking control for just a few days, needed some food for the weekend, checked what was left in my budget and went to aldi on the way back from school. In there I lost count of how much…
O/S Daily Thread for Friday 22nd April 2016
This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s welcome, please do come in, put your feet…
How many clothes are really necessary? Wardrobes overflowing
I've posted on the site before about this and have made a real effort to 'downsize' my wardrobe/drawers. I still seem to have a serious amount of clothes. I've one double wardrobe full to bursting, a huge chest of drawers (length of half the room), another set of 5 drawers, a freestanding clothes rail, and a large underbed…
Handwashing clothes such as when on holiday?
I did bring a brand new pair of jeans with me and a pair of tracksuit bottoms and loads of underwear. Problem is despite being 2 sizes too big the jean button popped the first time I wore them and the zip snapped minutes later (Ebay cheap tat except they were £20!) Had to be aware of my surroundings and make sure I pulled…
any sewing experts here? making double duvet into single
I have a lovely double-duvet cover which I'd like to convert into a single-size one. (I was tempted to just look on EBay for a similar one in a single size) Has anybody attempted this before? It sounds fairly straightforward, but I'm not too confident of my sewing skills! I suppose the worst case scenario, I'll wreck the…
O/S Daily Thursday 21 April 2016
O/S Daily Thursday 21 April 2016 This is an “over the garden fence” type thread where we chat about everything Old Style and maybe a little bit more. It’s a great, inspiring and motivating thread we start each day to discuss what Old Style things we’re going to do today or what we’ve achieved already. Everyone’s welcome,…

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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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