Hello where does a newbie OS start?

oakdale_minx

hi there - a little step that might help - have a look through all your cupboards and do a reccyof all the stuff hidden away - you'll be surprised how many meals you can make with all the bits in your kitchen!!!!

i've got the freezer defrosting at the moment, a situation I never thought possible as I've never managed to fully empty it, but a steely determination to eat everything up before I do a 'proper' shop (and a lack of cash!) has emptied it over the last week - ten days. I'm hoping it will make the fridge run more efficiently . Being very OS foodwise wouldn't have given me the motivation before now! There is a store cupboard challenge to use up ingredients, and it you have odds and ends , tell us and we'll see what we can do - I did today and had a choice of puddings to make from virually nothing!!

I was spending £350 a month last September on two adults (how did I manage that??!) and my budget (enforced rather than choice I'm afraid) is £120 - although I reckon i'm going to do it, however hard it has been! It takes a while, but little changes here and there quickly add up.

Good luck!

Queenie

:hello: Welcome Andrea

Galtizz put together a welcome and Where to Start in OS last year that you might find useful to read.

You can find it here: Welcome to MoneySaving Old Style

ana123_2

Thanks everyone for all the advice - I got my slow cooker today - I didn't buy it exactly, I took back a faulty vacuum cleaner that I had just bought and exchanged it for a new printer and a slow cooker. I'm going to have my old vacuum cleaner fixed instead. So this is how I can justify buying my new slow cooker! Will have a go with it tomorrow.
I would like a bread machine as the kids have packed lunches. I will have to wait a while though before I can justify that spend - perhaps if I do really well with my shopping.

You've all given me some great ideas. I think I will concentrate for now on making more sensible decisions with my shopping. I suppose bottled water for the kids lunches could go - I'm not giving up my wine though!

Thanks again Andrea:D

brokenwings

andrea

i bake around three loaves a week ( all at once ) without a bread maker
i make the dough around 9.30 am ( 15 mins max )
knock it back at 11.30 ( 10 mins max )
put it in oven around 12.15 and its out by 1pm

in between times i'm in and out of the house and doing chores

id never buy a bread maker but there again i dont have a dishwasher either

ana123_2

brokenwings wrote:

andrea

i bake around three loaves a week ( all at once ) without a bread maker

I am thinking of doing this too as I can't afford a breadmachine at the mo and thinking back when we did have one before my OH didn't like the bread.
Im going to have a look at the making bread thread for a few tips. Do you bake your three loaves at once , I mean all together in the oven? or separately (I know with cakes they have to be baked separately not sure about bread).
Then do you slice and freeze them or freeze them whole or not freeze them and keep them fresh another way?

Andrea

brokenwings

i bake two, then one
( my oven is tiny )
i usually leave one out to use ( cant receommend the bread bag from lakeland highly enough - a loaf stays perfect in there for up to seven days! ) and freeze the other two whole

ana123_2

Thanks Will have a look for that bread bag