I need to spend in order to start living OS! Advice please

ubamother

If you possibly can, I would go and 'play' with a few different styles of food processor - taking the lid off, untwisting the bowls, fitting the various bits together - you might find one particular make is easier for you, depending on which bits of you suffer particularly from RA.

If it turns out that a particularly expensive one will suit you best (and as these things go it probably will!), how about trying to cut your spending, maybe by having a few meatless meals a week to cut your meat bill, and keep the savings to one side until you've got enough - good incentive and that way going OS doesn't start by costing you!

Don't forget, small things like training your family to turn all unnecessary lights etc., turning down the thermostat a little can make a significant difference to your bills - OS is as much about minimising household costs like bills as it is about cooking in an OS manner.

Edinburghlass_2

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Hi there. Sorry you have lost your job and good luck in finding a new one.

Your food shopping is a great way to cut back. The first thing you need to do is meal plan like a woman possessed and only shop for the ingredients for the meals you have listed. Start by looking at the threads on cheaper, helathy meals and then maybe join the grocery challenge which is stickied at the top of the OS board.

Secondly... you don't need a breadmaker (IMO), particularly if you are getting a food processor. I too have difficulty with my hands and cannot knead bread but if you buy a FP with a dough hook you can finish the bread in the oven when it has risen. I do have a BM but only ever use it for it's dough setting as my ancient magimix has no dough hook. (and my BM was free)

Good luck. x

Now she tells me I don't need a BM when I've just got one :eek:

In about two hours I'll be looking for some of your homemade jam complete with a little gingham cover please

oh and if soappie is about she would be proud of me, I've been swishing and swiping like a goodun

HariboJunkie

Edinburghlass wrote: »

Now she tells me I don't need a BM when I've just got one :eek:

In about two hours I'll be looking for some of your homemade jam complete with a little gingham cover please

oh and if soappie is about she would be proud of me, I've been swishing and swiping like a goodun

No, I think you probably DO still need a BM. I wouldn't want you to do yourself a mischief with swishing and swiping AND kneading, all in on week.

Butterfly_Brain

Argos have got a sale on at the moment and have some FP and BM with quite a lot off.
I have a Tefal FP that is about 30 years old and still going strong

Trinny

Hi there and welcome to OS:j
I realise that your post is about "spending in order to become OS" and i wanted to say - you dont actually have to spend anything.

I dont have a bread machine, food processor or slow cooker - but have managed to start making HM foods and stop wasting so much money.

I wonder if the last thing you need is to be buying equipment now that you have lost your job. My OH is great at making bread - probably because he knocks the living daylights out of it. ( you mention you have 4 adults in your house - is there someone who could do the kneading and pummeling for you)

As for food processors - i am an enthusiastic but not talented baker. I manage with an electric handwhisk for baking. Or i make things like Twinks hobnobs:D which are easy to make and need no special kit.

As for reducing the shopping costs - make a list of what you do have already - freezer, store cupboard and if neccessary cleaning materials and toiletries.

Only buy what you need and meal plan from what you have in already. There are great threads about shopping from your storecupboard.

Its baby steps really - choose a few things to change and make them part of your routine.

For me OS is something that has gradually become part of our family's way of doing things. Then it doesnt seem like an effort.

Still struggling to get our monthly food budget down tho. ho hum

Best Wishes

Trin

tessie_bear

what are u hoping to make in the food processor ?

Nargleblast

I suggest you sit down once a week, check what food you have in the cupboards, fridge and freezer, then work out the menues for the week. Assuming breakfasts and lunches are taken care of, you need to decide what the main evening meal each day will be (with dessert if you eat them) for seven days, using what you have in store already. If you plan a roast one day make sure there will be leftovers enough for the main meal next day. Plan in a cheap takeaway one day a week if you can afford it, if not, plan for a takeaway as a once a month treat ( you have got to have some reason for living!!!). Once you have your menu plans then work out what you need to buy and stick to that list. Only buy special offer stuff if it will be used that week anyway. Try local markets/greengrocers/butchers for fruit/veg and meat if you can rather than supermarkets. (Although I know Costco meat is generally quite good).
A breadmaker would be useful for you if kneading bread is a problem, if you shop around you can get a quite reasonably priced one to start with - you can always upgrade later when finances allow, and if you decide a breadmaker is not for you after all you won't have lost much. I would not be without ours, it saves so much time and makes better bread than anything I have found in the shops.

LittleMissAspie

paulwf wrote: »

£200 a month for 4 adults works out at £1.67 per person per day.

She said £100 a month in Costco and £100 a WEEK in Tesco - £500 a month!

I'm sure that can be halved even without making homemade bread, but anyway, you can get very cheap appliances in Argos or Tesco. Tesco have a hand mixer with dough hooks for £4.18 (http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-2025.aspx) and they even have a breadmaker for £33 (http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-7334.aspx).

The value stuff isn't the greatest quality but it will do you for starters and I think it's worth it to see how much use you get out of it. Pointless being taken in by a shiny £50 appliance that only ends up gathering dust.

Argos is really good for reviews too.

phizzimum

Please don't think you need lots of gadgets to go OS - far from it!

I stopped using my breadmaker when i found this recipe for no knead bread. We call it Weezl bread after the person who posted the recipe originally. the recipe is for 4 loaves, but of course you can half or quarter the recipe if you want less (or don't have 4 bread tins)

1.5 kg flour (I use half wholemeal and half self raising)
7g yeast
3 tsp salt
2 pints warm water

mix it all up in a big bowl. put into 4 greased loaf tins. leave to rise for about 40 mins. bake for 25 mins at 200 C.

it makes a quite heavy rustic style loaf - very nice if you add sunflower seeds and that sort of thing. It won't make a light fluffy white loaf - but then breadmaker bread won't taste like supermarket bread either. the bread isn't to everyone's taste I know but it's worth giving it a try.

my bread maker has now been freecycled!

paulwf

LittleMissAspie wrote: »

She said £100 a month in Costco and £100 a WEEK in Tesco - £500 a month!

Apologies you are right, I've deleted my post as I should have had more coffee before reading the original post