cost of OS. Not always worth it. Maths only here

jackieglasgow

^^^Excellent post, Sunflower.

cheerfulness4

Zazen999 wrote: »

I save ALL my french beans as shelly beans rather than green beans. I also grow green beans during the winter in the greenhouse; some are germinating and starting to grow now....and I'll sow regularly once a month until next spring's proper sowing.

I had no idea you could grow beans throughout winter in the greenhouse. That's brilliant! I must give this a try.
Thanks for that really helpful reply.
I'd never have thought to dry french beans for soups/stews either. That would have freed up a bit of space in the freezer. Will know for next year!

ceridwen

geordie_joe wrote: »

Thanks, I don't mind a "time/benefit" debate, as I think it's good. It's the people who think along the lines of "The beans cost 79p, I boiled them for an hour costing 12p in gas, and my hour of time is worth £5, so adding those beans to a meal cost me £5.91" that puzzle me.

It doesnt puzzle me - makes perfect sense - but on the basis of, say, someone doing a reasonably-paid and enjoyable job. If one is doing a reasonably-paid and enjoyable job at, say, £20 per hour - then its a waste of time to do something that is going to take an hour of one's time to save £5 (as you will have lost £15 and not derived any enjoyment from that bit of OS-ing).

If you are in the position that many of us are in (including me) - of doing a low-paid job that you cant stand or that at least just "leaves you cold" - then you translate that equation very differently. It then boils down to "would I rather spend 1 hour of my time in my own home doing something O.S. to save a bit of money?" or "spend an extra hour of my time at work in a paid job - making much the same amount of money after tax and begrudging every minute?". No contest - you'll spend that hour doing something O.S. in your own home - rather than spend an extra hour in the hated job.

At that level - it just boils down to ones own personal circumstances. Personally, for instance, my ideal choice would be to spend the hour at the £20 per hour paid job that I actually enjoy - but, since that option isnt available to me and I CAN only get a few £ per hour at something I begrudge every minute at....then no contest....:rolleyes: - the result is "hand me my apron and my cooking pot"....

ceridwen

PasturesNew wrote: »

One of the reasons I don't cook a lot for myself is that I have to turn on a full/large oven to bake one tiny thing. So, one home made loaf = 1.5 hours of the oven being on full. It's just not really worth the time and effort and cost sometimes ... cheaper for me to just buy a nice couple of reduced rolls when I spot them occasionally and stick to long life loaves (last 10 days) the rest.

If I had a freezer, then I would be able to put a few things in at a time and it would make sense just to have nice tasting bread ... but I don't.

I can't actually find out how much my oven costs to run, but I guess it's 20p/hour.

Hmmm....well depends what energy rating ones cooker is of course. Mine is A rated and my homemade bread takes 40 minutes to bake. I'm very (very!) roughly guessing that my oven takes 10p per hour I think - so very roughly an extra 8p odd per batch of breadmaking. I theeeennkkk thats what that element costs anyways....But I do also bear in mind that the ingredients cost is a lot lower than shopbought bread/I know whats in it/etc....I just wish I had the time to make my own bread more often.....

Goes off contemplating whether I could leave my bread dough to rise overnight in the fridge - rather than 40 minutes odd on the worksurface. If that worked out - then I'd make bread more often - as I wouldnt have to wait around for the dough to rise, as I'd be at home sleeping anyway. I feel another experiment coming on.....

Olliebeak

I got a Breville Pie Magic for £2.00 at the local car boot sale two weeks ago. 2 individual pies cooked in 8 minutes - saves putting the oven on!

foreign_correspondent

I like to cook and to grow things and whilst I can earn quite a good hourly rate doing what I am employed to do, I enjoy growing and cooking.

In the spring and summer I even sell a few plants/fresh produce/chutneys via the local country market - I figured out the other day that is is actually a hobby, which I enjoy, and it saves (or makes) me money - I know other people whose hobbies cost them a fortune, so yes, it is moneysaving!

Tonight whilst working (on the pc) and posting on here, I have made a dozen jars of jam using fresh stuff I have grown, and we also have three (free!) carrier bags of apples in the kitchen, which we are going to try and make into cider!

twiglet98

ceridwen wrote: »

It doesnt puzzle me - makes perfect sense - but on the basis of, say, someone doing a reasonably-paid and enjoyable job. If one is doing a reasonably-paid and enjoyable job at, say, £20 per hour - then its a waste of time to do something that is going to take an hour of one's time to save £5 (as you will have lost £15 and not derived any enjoyment from that bit of OS-ing).

If you are in the position that many of us are in (including me) - of doing a low-paid job that you cant stand or that at least just "leaves you cold" - then you translate that equation very differently. It then boils down to "would I rather spend 1 hour of my time in my own home doing something O.S. to save a bit of money?" or "spend an extra hour of my time at work in a paid job - making much the same amount of money after tax and begrudging every minute?". No contest - you'll spend that hour doing something O.S. in your own home - rather than spend an extra hour in the hated job.

At that level - it just boils down to ones own personal circumstances. Personally, for instance, my ideal choice would be to spend the hour at the £20 per hour paid job that I actually enjoy - but, since that option isnt available to me and I CAN only get a few £ per hour at something I begrudge every minute at....then no contest....:rolleyes: - the result is "hand me my apron and my cooking pot"....

Makes sense to me.

I earn £6/hour in a routine job I've had for 10 years, with one pay rise in that time. It's close to home, and gives me the flexibility I need as a lone mum. Off sick all last year, I started growing salads, soft fruit and veg at home. It's a labour of love, we eat more, and better quality than I can afford to buy. Half an hour pottering before work, more in the evening and at weekends, how can that be priced at £5/hour, certainly not £20/hour (an unimaginable fortune, and even I am richer than many). Tending the veg plot is recreation to me, and none of the work is preventing me from attending my paid employment. I wouldn't cost my time out for walking the dog, washing up, or browsing the MSE forum - but I see time outside, doing what I like most, as a reward for the dull time I have to spend indoors, earning my pittance.

Whatever my income, I would not choose exercise with a lot of sweaty posers in the horror of a gym, over being outside walking/running/cycling/riding... or gardening... and wouldn't even have done so decades ago when I might actually have been able to pose!

Zazen999

ceridwen wrote: »

It doesnt puzzle me - makes perfect sense - but on the basis of, say, someone doing a reasonably-paid and enjoyable job. If one is doing a reasonably-paid and enjoyable job at, say, £20 per hour - then its a waste of time to do something that is going to take an hour of one's time to save £5 (as you will have lost £15 and not derived any enjoyment from that bit of OS-ing).

If you are in the position that many of us are in (including me) - of doing a low-paid job that you cant stand or that at least just "leaves you cold" - then you translate that equation very differently. It then boils down to "would I rather spend 1 hour of my time in my own home doing something O.S. to save a bit of money?" or "spend an extra hour of my time at work in a paid job - making much the same amount of money after tax and begrudging every minute?". No contest - you'll spend that hour doing something O.S. in your own home - rather than spend an extra hour in the hated job.

At that level - it just boils down to ones own personal circumstances. Personally, for instance, my ideal choice would be to spend the hour at the £20 per hour paid job that I actually enjoy - but, since that option isnt available to me and I CAN only get a few £ per hour at something I begrudge every minute at....then no contest....:rolleyes: - the result is "hand me my apron and my cooking pot"....

This only works if you have taken unpaid leave to cook your beans. You have to do your job, paid, regardless of what you do in your spare time; and unless someone is paying you for your spare time [ie you've given up an hour's overtime to specifically cook beans] then your spare time isn't actually worth anything, as it is not being paid for.

And, it actually only takes 2 minutes to cook beans - 1 to put them on, 30 seconds to turn the heat down when they hit the boil and 30 seconds to drain them. Anyone taking an hour to cook beans must surely be told that they can walk away from the hob and do something else; possibly some cleaning which would save on a cleaner.

Penelope_Penguin

ceridwen wrote: »

It doesnt puzzle me - makes perfect sense - but on the basis of, say, someone doing a reasonably-paid and enjoyable job. If one is doing a reasonably-paid and enjoyable job at, say, £20 per hour - then its a waste of time to do something that is going to take an hour of one's time to save £5 (as you will have lost £15 and not derived any enjoyment from that bit of OS-ing).

You're assuming that if you're in a well-paid, enjoyable job, then you don;t enjoy OS tasks I can assure you, that's not necessarily true

And anyway, your assertion of having "lost" £15/hr is erroneous - if I do such tasks at the weekend, I've not lost any money

Penny. x

zippychick

ceridwen wrote: »

Hmmm....well depends what energy rating ones cooker is of course. Mine is A rated and my homemade bread takes 40 minutes to bake. I'm very (very!) roughly guessing that my oven takes 10p per hour I think - so very roughly an extra 8p odd per batch of breadmaking. I theeeennkkk thats what that element costs anyways....But I do also bear in mind that the ingredients cost is a lot lower than shopbought bread/I know whats in it/etc....I just wish I had the time to make my own bread more often.....

Goes off contemplating whether I could leave my bread dough to rise overnight in the fridge - rather than 40 minutes odd on the worksurface. If that worked out - then I'd make bread more often - as I wouldnt have to wait around for the dough to rise, as I'd be at home sleeping anyway. I feel another experiment coming on.....

Do it! I am trying to get into the habit of doing this and it is so much easier ! I come home from work, knock it back , quick prove and have bread approximately an hour later = which is great so i can incorporate it into my dinner. Any excuse he he