50p a day til Christmas - healthily?! Weezl's next challenge...

acetate_monkey

cw18 wrote: »

there's no way I could reduce my bills as much as Weezl But I don't have lovely friends throwing food in my direction or anything growing in my garden (apart from a lawn full of weeds - or should that be a lawn of weeds!).

Hi cw18, sounds like you're doing well at all this.

I wanted to reassure you that the low costs per meal can be achieved without relying on others' food discards (though always welcome ISOM ) or turning your garden over to a mini-field (whilst toms are on the way, the main cultivars so far are sage and rosemary).

The vast majority of the saving weezl does is through careful planning of meals around food costs/offers (versus my approach of wanting to cook a specific thing and then having to get the ingredients for it!) like you're doing with coop/somerfields. I s'pose it's like ready, steady, cook: the offers are x, y, and z, what can I make with it that's nice/nutritious? the other saver is the batch cooking. Obviously freegan helps, but as a non-planner I have to admit it's all in the planning.

Glad you're here :T , hope it's an interesting/helpful thread :A
Acetate monkey (Mr weezl)

boredofbeingathome

weezl74 wrote: »

Thanks for including the Halwa recipe too, a sure fire one for the index! Now we need some sweet things involving turnips for BOB...:D

Love Weezl x

I like turnip, chips...is one of my favourites..i think it was from the days of the potato blight..in the 70's .....now that gives my age away..and does anyone else still make turnip lanterns for Halloween? I do, it is a good excuse to have carrot an turnip mash after, with sausages and a big pile of mashed potatoes, if i wanted to do it SW style i can have quorn sausages, but sometimes..only pork sausages, or othere favs will do:rotfl:

BARGAINHUNTER!

weezl74 wrote: »

Morning Sian!:hello:

grrrrrrr, Cardiff has no netto! Thanks for the tip tho, loads of other folk will benefit from knowing that. That's what asda smart price pasta used to be, but it more than doubled recently.:eek:

Thanks for including the Halwa recipe too, a sure fire one for the index! Now we need some sweet things involving turnips for BOB...:D

Hello wyebird, :hello:yes they were teeny little windfalls. I had to put double the sugar that the recipe said, but it's very lovely! It's from my friend's '1000 indian recipes' book. Would you like me to post it?

Alfie, welcome!
:D
Glad it's a motivating thread to read. I do hope so!

Just sat feeling very happy while having a mug of coffee, poached egg and 2 slices of wholemeal bread. total: 13p :money:

And when Mr Weezl gets up, he can have his freegan crumpets with homemade marmalade!

Love Weezl x

Tesco are still selling their value penne pasta for 19p a bag - I got 4 bags yesterday in case it jumps in price to match the Asda Smartprice ones!

weezl74

acetate_monkey wrote: »

Obviously freegan helps, but as a non-planner I have to admit it's all in the planning.

Acetate monkey (Mr weezl)

:rotfl::rotfl:and do I have your permission to remind you of this when you're wanting a little more spontinaeity (see I can't even spell it!) from your DW?

Seriously though, good points AM, and welcome to CW18, siziQ and Vandanfc, very pleased to make your virtual acquaintances and look forward to us travelling together on this 'ere journey.

Have just loaded some pics of the stuff we're growing to m'blog.

With my photography, our cucumbers are suddenly, surprisingly looking fabulous and enormous. Wonders.... Hmmmmmn what else can I photograph?!:D:rotfl:

I think the latest comments on there prob'ly answers your question about how the budgetting for the growing our own works out plum pie, but I'm happy to post it on here too, if people want?

cw18

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

i think it was from the days of the potato blight..in the 70's .....now that gives my age away

I think I remember that -- just about !!! I certainly remember the cost of potatoes going through the roof to the dismay of my Mum --- and the local chippy not being open every day

acetate monkey/mr weezl - had taken me a while to figure out, but twigged about an hour ago you were one and the same thanks for the welcome to the thread I've almost always cooked around what I see in the shops that I fancy instead of pre-planning, but while I've always checked out the clearance sections it's only in the last 12 months that I've hammered those areas (to the point the staff in Co-Op are surprised if I get to the till with something NOT from there, and several of the Somerfield staff are used to me standing along side them as they do the reductions 'cos I've worked out roughly when they do them everyday :rolleyes: )

BilberryCharlotte

Squelchy wrote: »

Have you tried making plant food from it (aka "comfrey tea")? It's free to make and very effective, although it stinks to high heaven. Basically, you soak comfrey leaves in a bucket, then use the liquid to water with, but there's more detailed info. here: http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetable/comfrey/index.php. But perhaps that's what you were putting on the compost anyway?

Hi, I saw that a lady on this thread was asking for a use for comfrey. It used to be used as a home remedy for sprains. When I was a child (a long time ago now) most homes round our way had comfrey growing in the garden.

Use it to treat sprains by boiling leaves and stems, then when the liquid is cool enough, immerse the wrist, ankle etc in it. I think that they used to make a poultice of the leaves then and fasten it around the affected area.

Apparently it is not wise to drink it.

I have found this link on the net


http://www.gb0063551.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/comfrey/


Please accept my apologies if this has already been posted by someone else.

Thank you for all the great hints, tips and sheer motivation I get from reading your posts.

Good luck weezl, I shall be watching with keen interest.

vandanfc

Thanks for the welcome Weezl. Is your greenhouse heated ? My toms have only just got flowers starting. Picked my first 2 courgettes this morning and a handful of pea pods. Yummy. Potatoes should hopefully be ready in next couple of weeks too.

boredofbeingathome

vandanfc wrote: »

Thanks for the welcome Weezl. Is your greenhouse heated ? My toms have only just got flowers starting. Picked my first 2 courgettes this morning and a handful of pea pods. Yummy. Potatoes should hopefully be ready in next couple of weeks too.

ooo, i have planted my courgettes outside, but have two indoors which seem to do better...hmm, off to look on freecycle.:D

phizzimum

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

I like turnip, chips...is one of my favourites..i think it was from the days of the potato blight..in the 70's .....now that gives my age away..and does anyone else still make turnip lanterns for Halloween? I do, it is a good excuse to have carrot an turnip mash after, with sausages and a big pile of mashed potatoes, if i wanted to do it SW style i can have quorn sausages, but sometimes..only pork sausages, or othere favs will do:rotfl:

maybe with your turnip obsession you should change your avatar to Baldrick!

vandanfc

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

ooo, i have planted my courgettes outside, but have two indoors which seem to do better...hmm, off to look on freecycle.:D

My courgettes are outside in tubs. Looked at my Gourds this morning too, and can see a small one starting. First time growing these, so will see what happens.