Weezl's phase 1- recipe testing and frugalisation- come one, come all!

Sian_the_Green

artybear wrote: »

Weezl and everybody

I have told quite a few people about this project now and some have been interested, some dismissive. However a topic keeps coming up (probably because I am at Uni) and that is

-Is any debt good debt?

A few people have felt this may be a slightly judgemental plan claiming that uni fees and mortgage are debts too so would you frugal people not take on such things?

I know this is off topic so please feel free to ignore me, I was just a bit stumped when they asked this and wasn't sure how to explain the project then.

Sorry edit-actually I did know how to explain the food project it was more the reasoning behind why some of my internet friends (hope I can call you that) are so anti debt to the point of making a plan and testing etc....

artybearxxxx

I had the maximum amount of student loan I could get, only the non-means assessed bit and my lovely parents helped me a LOT and I got a job in the holidays to keep me afloat imbetween. Last year I got my statement through to find out that I had paid my first chunk off after earning the right amount. I paid off £300 for the year, the interest was £350 . So, I think that when I signed up they said it was going to match interest, I don't think that is the case any more which is very, very annoying but am just going to carry on regardless, paying it back as I can
I live in rented accommodation with my housemates and I don't have any other debt, don't have much in the way of savings either though!

Ceridwen, the way I saw it was that it would be a plan that could be followed as long as necessary as it is balanced and healthy and carefully created. If Bob and Shirley and the kids use it for a year I think Weezl said they would save £4000, pretty remarkable. I think the money is the key thing, the key selling point. For those of us who don't have to be quite so frugal it is easy to say "Well I'll still use Balsamic vinegar as I have some in the cupboard" or "Well I'll use free range eggs as I would prefer it", however I don't think the spirit of the challenge needs to change for that, Weezl is very aware that we are mostly helping formulate a plan that may not be for us in its entirety and I am happy to be along for the ride and helping if I can and picking up some recipes too. I don't have a Bob or a couple of kids and there is no way I could persuade my housemates to do all this but we will try the recipes and give the feedback, and fill in the survey and work out what to do with the other 450g ReadyBrek if it helps with the noble aim of helping a theoretical couple get out of their pit of despair. Phew, that got to be a very long message, sorry! Was hoping you weren't leaving, your other post made me sad, that you might not be around so much

Time to wash off the hair dye (he he, got it cheap but still, I know, not so MSE, just don't want the greys at 27!)

Oooh, what about, for our possible get together, we do some kind of bring and share thing? Or... Lesley can bring lunch for us all

ceridwen

TAKA

Re your point on mortgage - I also saw/see having a mortgage as part of normal life - rather than as debt.

That didnt preclude me also deciding that I would - by choice - pay it off early if I could. The reason for that wasnt anything to do with whether it was or wasnt "debt" (as it just plain WASNT in my book). It was in order to have greater freedom/financial security/etc. Basically because I knew the Government was finding every excuse they could to cut back on mortgage help for the unemployed and I didnt want to be put in a position where an employer could "back me into a corner" and force me to take a job I had decided not to have because the DWP wouldnt given me enough help to cover my mortgage if I had refused the job and stayed on benefits.

shanks77

princess_loki wrote: »

hello to everyone who is still awake! just making bean pate - got bread OR ready brek to put in has anyone tried with some ready brek? what is the verdict please and any idea on quantity?

Sorry cant help i used shop bought bread :eek:didnt have HM (please dont shout at me im sorry) used the heel of a loaf.
.....goes away to hide in a corner after people find out i dont make all my bread......

ceridwen

shanks77 wrote: »

Sorry cant help i used shop bought bread :eek:didnt have HM (please dont shout at me im sorry) used the heel of a loaf.
.....goes away to hide in a corner after people find out i dont make all my bread......

Well - if you're going to go off and hide in a corner for not making your own bread - then I guess that would be me hiding in the opposite corner (due to that expensive breadmaker I bought and never used since:o). Mind you - in my defence - I was mentioning said breadmaker to a friend in LETS tonight and he instantly asked for "first refusal" if I decide to sell it through the LETS Scheme. I've told him I'll think about it for a week to be sure on this - but if I do decide to sell it (errr...probably will:o) then he can have this £100 breadmaker for 80 Lets Credits (which he felt is fair). Nope - I'm not going to say JUST how far in debit my LETS account is..:cool::o:o:o

princess_loki

shanks77 wrote: »

Sorry cant help i used shop bought bread :eek:didnt have HM (please dont shout at me im sorry) used the heel of a loaf.
.....goes away to hide in a corner after people find out i dont make all my bread......

i have shop bread too - reduced and been in freezer for ages! maybe i should use that to be on the safe side or as i have done 2 tins beans i could do half and half... got 2 boxes of ready brek to use up so may risk doing small qty with that!! would be useful for calcium thingy too!!!

reet... back off to the hob!

ceridwen

...and further on that shop-bought bread front....:o

I have to admit to having bought a loaf of shop-bought bread again today myself - in my defence - it IS organic wholemeal as usual - but....errr....I did read in one of my recently-acquired books about the Chorleywood process that is used to produce shop-bought bread:eek:.

...goes off thinking "surely they wouldnt make organic bread by that method would they?:cool:" (has nasty feeling they would.....:eek:).

Thinks "maybe I should set myself a 100 lines to write....I must always make my own bread...I must always make my own bread...."

Reminds self JUST how much it costs round here to buy a homemade loaf of bread (second mortgage anyone?)......"I must always make my own bread...I must always make my own bread". The thought of paying not far short of £8 a week for 2 loaves of homemade bread (made by someone else) is a bit daunting...

taka

ceridwen wrote: »

TAKA

Re your point on mortgage - I also saw/see having a mortgage as part of normal life - rather than as debt.

That didnt preclude me also deciding that I would - by choice - pay it off early if I could. The reason for that wasnt anything to do with whether it was or wasnt "debt" (as it just plain WASNT in my book). It was in order to have greater freedom/financial security/etc. Basically because I knew the Government was finding every excuse they could to cut back on mortgage help for the unemployed and I didnt want to be put in a position where an employer could "back me into a corner" and force me to take a job I had decided not to have because the DWP wouldnt given me enough help to cover my mortgage if I had refused the job and stayed on benefits.

Definitely... me too. One of my friends was/is really agast at me paying more than I have to - she just doesn't get that it'll save me thousands of ££££s in interest in the longer term. :eek: I don't mention it to people now except on here and 1 other friend who is trying to pay it off earlier too.

princess_loki

right!

looking quite good! have not worked out my exact quantities (sorry weezl!). but bean pate is looking very nice and the half that i added ready brek (4 dessert sps) to (was worried it would be like cornflower so put 1/2 can of water in) tastes fine! BUT it is now a bit watery for pate! however, with the addition of extra chilli and paprika would be a lovely dip or sauce - you would not know there was ready brek in there :rotfl:

poohbear59

artybear, I agree with most that some debt can be seen as 'good debt'. I believe that debt can be used to serve a purpose such as student loans, mortgages etc. But then there is the other sort of debt that a lot of people have acquired by a need to have the latest shoes, clothes furniture etc.

For a lot of people having debt, whether good debt or not is very stressful. Lives can change whereby debt becomes difficult to pay off and that is usually when it spirals out of control. I was in a friends house when the bayliffs called and I saw the distress it brought to her and her children.

We have tried to live frugally for many years now and for us, and many people we know, it is subsistence living. It is a lifestyle choice for some and for others it is a necessity.

We have mortgage, loans and credit card debt but it has all been used to set up a small business. At the moment we are doing without so that we can pay off debt and hopefully get our business off the ground.

Lesley_Gaye

Sian_the_Green wrote: »

Oooh, what about, for our possible get together, we do some kind of bring and share thing? Or... Lesley can bring lunch for us all

A picnic is a fab idea, that would be really lovely

Hang on, I am planning the menu now......