Economy Gastronomy - new budget cookery programme; BBC

ANY_CHANCE

WASHER wrote: »

it really isn't easy reducing your food bill to £60/£80 per week which I would call reasonable nowadays, without having help and understanding how to cook from scratch and some people find that daunting...I know I did before I discovered the OS board, so bearing that in mind I thought the family did really well.

I find it very hard work to plan shopping and cook healthy meals from scratch on a low budget. I can do it and feed everyone beans/egg on toast, cheese on toast etc etc but i am sure that we would be deficient in many nutrients if i did that continously. So it is long term learning for me adding new recipies to the usual things as i go along.

Now its the holidays it is even harder to stick to a budget as they have huge appetites

patchwork_cat

I disagree about the inverted snobbery -even when the family are saving £120 a week at £210 it is still well beyond the reach of most people. Also how many people live in £630K houses? It is a very small minority of people - the average house price in this country is about £160 000. They should be helping the likes of my friend who is divorcing her husband and currently spending £120 on shopping and desperately needs to reduce this to feed her 2 kids. ( yes I have told her about MSE, but ...) She is an example of the average.

[Deleted User]

I am finding it very enjoyable to watch an above average programme

keletubbie

There is a lot of snobbery here. Yes, they have a big house and spend too much money. But like all of us, they're really feeling the pinch in the current climate and having to make ends meet.

I'd rather follow the tips on this show than resort to eating rubbish - i.e. Smartprice sausages.

patchwork_cat

Why is it snobbery inverted or otherwise to want a programme that is relevant to average circumstances. I would not eat a smartprice sausage and don't. I also counsel against the addition of non-protein additions to eg mince in order to stretch it.

I agree to some extent with the ethos of the programme, but feel that perhaps the gastronomie rather than the true meaning of economy is the more predominant aspect of the programme.

Do you really feel that the average watcher has £210 per week to spend on food - I am a double Doctor's daughter and can assure you that our weekly shopping bill was never anywhere near that figure .

patchwork_cat

This thread is such a double standard. You are calling me an inverted snob for thinking that £200 a week on food is excessive and yet on the same board one of the most popular threads is feed your family for £20 a month!

Jolinar

I think the inverted snobbery comments were more directed towards a few of the somewhat blaise long term OSers who come out with things like "well that's all very well but I can do that for 30p a week etc".

For me the program isn't about that it probably took some people on here a long time to get their spending levels down to an amount that suits them. Some of us are just starting out on our OS journeys and really appreciate the core message of the program, plan, buy what you need and buy quality, cook from scratch and waste nothing. This is who the program is aimed at not people to whom this is second nature

bargainlover08

I am loving econonmy gastronomy and can't wait til the next episode! I already plan my meals but I am keen to find new recipes.

patchwork_cat

Thank you Jolinar I do just wish that they would make it easier for most newbie economists to relate it to their own circumstances. As you can see by my ID I am not new to OS or MSE . I second the quality and as I said would never buy value sausages, more likely to buy more expensive and make a cassoulet and use half the sausages.

Jolinar

I know what you mean patchwork cat, the budgets are a bit beyond my means too. That said I do think it is possible to apply most of the principles in the program. The hardest part for me is having the energy to cook from scratch all the time after doing a days work and being utterly tired from being pregnant lol.