Tips and Quick Questions on “How To Start Being Old Style”

Nargleblast

Oh, and people sometimes put white vinegar in their washing machine either on its own on a hot wash cycle, as a way of giving the machine a cleanout once in a while, or they use it with every wash in place of fabric conditioner. Fabric conditioners may smell lovely, but they are really expensive. White vinegar does not leave your clothes stinking of the local chippy as you might think, but it does the job of fabric conditioner for a fraction of the price.

tigerfeet2006

ILoveEoin wrote: »

Hello Lovely MSE ppl

quick question What advice would you give someone young/new, no money/hundreds in bank if they were setting up an new home what they need, dont buy, how clean os etc


in the kitchen what the basis they should have in terms of cooking stuff, pans, do need mixing machine? bread machine? slow cooker? I have a big stock pot type pan and 3 different size saucepans, a frying pan, a griddle pan and a wok. I asked for M&S vouchers for Christmas/birthdays and built up my collection. I went for the best quality I could. I have a Kenwood Food Processor, a Panasonic Breadmaker and a BIG Slow Cooker, again asked for Christmas/Birthday. All are used every week in this household.

best advice on cleaning? Stardrops is all you need mixed with vinegar and water, search for the Stardrops thread. I also have some bleach. Washing powder for clothes, use 1/3 to 1/2 recommended dosage, straight in the machine not the drawer. No need for softner, if you need something a dash of vinegar in the FB drawer will do. Washing up liquid as well.

cooking? Batch cooking, bulking up meals and making them stretch so you have HM ready meals in the freezer. Use the Slow Cooker when ever you can, see the SC recipe thread and what's in your SC thread.

and y does someone put vinger in there washing machine??See above

eleanor73 wrote: »

Hey!!! :j

For me I feel safer and more comfortable with a well stocked store cupboard (I am a bit strange though!!) Nope! I agree!

So I like to have rice (different types-basmati, long grain & risotto), pasta, cous cous, lentils. Yep! definatly

THen I like different oils and vinegars and obvs herbs and spices. Yep! second that.

Also my most important storecupboard ingredient-tins of tomatoes. And Kidney beans and a mixture of different beans.

Now I didn't get this all at once so what I did when I first started (and did it quite rarely due to not much money) was choose a cheapish recipe and get the stuff in for that. Then that was my storecupboard started. Good advice, also each week maybe buy an extra tin of beans etc. and it will gradually build up.

I don't have a bread maker as I get my bread dead cheap on yellow labels and freeze. I also don't have a slow cooker as don't really have the space and am happy to slow cook things in my oven/on my hob (although I think this is a bit more expensive fuel-wise)

Good luck!

I also have a piece of paper stuck inside my food cupboard door with a pen on a string and when I start to run out of store cupboard/freezer staples I add it to the list as I go and then buy it when I do a shop.

Mealplan.

Check out places like Poundland/Pounstretcher/Wilko's etc. Look out for bargains on the Approved Food and Rosspa sites.

I am sure there is much more.

Nanamia

Good to c u posting again I've missed you in ur previous thread. Most of us started with very little it's just that it was a very long time ago! I would bother with expensive machines etc yet. A large pan ( soups, cooking veg etc) a small pan, a frying pan, wooden spoon, baking tray (2 if u can) a balloon whisk, measuring jug, mixing bowl. I would try somewhere like asda or mr m they go very reasonable 'first home' range. You can always add little by little as you go along. I'm new to the forums n probably nowhere near as good at this as those who will follow but I do feel for you just starting out although it is an adventure :-) I promise in a few years time you will be advising people on here as to wher an how to start:-)

Food cupboard essentials ( the above advice is brill by the way I'll just put my twopenneth in) I never make my own yorkshires ( I bake often but can do anything with cakes etc but always by packet mix yorkshires. About 7p mr t or mr s value/ basic and just add water and an egg. Magic and perfect everytime ( when we were first starting out the doubled as a delicious pud as pancakes. The same cheapo mix makes yorkshires or pancakes:-) little squirt of lemon and sprinkle of sugar very quick, tasty and filling.
I'm rambling but a defo in my starter storecupboard!
Sugar, flour, salt, pepper, eggs, tea, coffee, oxos ( granules up to you) potatoes.
Buy sauces and spices gradually til you build your own stash:-)
In my fridge/freezer frozen veg, bread, pack of mince, any whoopsies!
Milk, butter ( spread of some sort)
Tins beans, spaghetti, pks soup ( I kno u will soon be making them) but handy til u stack your freezer with homemade goodies.
Oil (start with vegetable) each shop try and add as u go along,rice,lentils, couscous.

HTH in some little way. Small steps like everything else and you will soon do it:-)
Good luck in a little way I'm envious a brand new start for you and OH just for you:-)

ILoveEoin

aww what an lovely start thank you

thank you for answering the question on the vinger, i'll give it an go at weekend! and hopefully my clothes and i will not smell of chips.

any tips on how to clean the white bits between the tiles, from moving in it really black and i have try bleach but it not worked.

and anyone got an good banana muffin easy to do? i had one but lost bit of paper and tried on line and all very hard to do:)

tigerfeet2006

Have a look at the Recipe Collection at the beginning of the the March Grocery Challenge

Homeagain

ILoveEoin wrote: »

aww what an lovely start thank you

thank you for answering the question on the vinger, i'll give it an go at weekend! and hopefully my clothes and i will not smell of chips.

any tips on how to clean the white bits between the tiles, from moving in it really black and i have try bleach but it not worked.

and anyone got an good banana muffin easy to do? i had one but lost bit of paper and tried on line and all very hard to do:)

Hi there, this is such a friendly thread, I get so disappointed when I see how rude and nasty some people are on various other threads. Its a shame. Anyway this is my banana muffin recipe ... never fails and easy too. I even freeze 'old' bananas and defrost and use then, makes delicious moist muffins (and saves throwing out food).

4 or 5 large bananas, mashed (the more bananas the moister);
1/2 cup white sugar (white or brown - original recipe calls for 1 cup, but I don’t like them too sweet);
1 slightly beaten egg;
1 teaspoon vanilla essence;
1/3 cup oil;
1 teaspoon baking soda;
1 teaspoon baking powder;
1/2 teaspoon salt;
1 1/2 cups flour

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg, vanilla and oil together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together! Pour into paper cup cake holders, then into muffin tins, and bake in 350 degrees F oven for approximately 20 minutes. You can also add some nuts of your choice or raisins. They freeze very well too, perfect for lunch boxes straight from the freezer!

Linda32

Hi,

I thinking along the lines of things you don't need rather than what you want IMO
With Money Saving and Old Style going hand in hand, for example I havn't bought fabric softeners for years and year, way before MSE was even thought of, I imagine. I never could tell the difference then so stopped buying it. For that reason I don't use vinegar as fabric softener either. Give it a try and see how you get on

I use Fairy Liquid for washing up as it really does last longer than the cheaper brands. Same goes for cheap loo roll. I use Tesco Basic washing powder which is fine, mixed with about a desert spoon of soda crystals. I use this in a bucket of hot water for mopping the floor as well.

I use basic cleaners, bathroom cleaner and loo cleaner and thats about it.

I use good old fashioned bars of soap instead of shower gel.

I couple of decent sized pirex/casserole dishes are good for batch cooking of casseroles/stews. Make two at a time and freeze into portion sizes. I don't use a bread makers or slow cooker.

A hand held electric mixer is good for making cakes and a stick blender is great if you want to make soups.I do this sometimes but I'm not a big fan of soup really.

HTH

wantabetterlife

Great to see you posting again ILE. How are getting on with making the groceries last? Just wanted to recommend LIDL bread to you..i bought two of the wholemeal loaves the other day for 90p onoffer, they are usually 55p each. Up to know i have always bought hovis or kingsmill nut now i am definately sticking with the lidl one.
I like the slow cooker but i wouldn class it as essential...also you can buy a 10kg bag of basmati rice in tescos for £8 and it will last you forever.

Nargleblast

Cleaning filthy grouting between tiles - persevere with the bleach. Apply some to the grouting using an old toothbrush, leave it for an hour or two then scrub and rinse using the toothbrush. You may need to do this a couple of times to get a decent result.

Soft bananas are also nice blended with milk to make a milkshake - ideal for a breakfast in a hurry!

Nargleblast

Am currently reading a book called Grandma Knows Best by Jane Maple, full of all sorts of useful tips - ask at your local library, they might be able to get hold of it for you. And if you are not a member of the library, why not???? It is free education and entertainment (paid for out of your council tax) so make the most of it!