It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

Sequeena

Happy early birthday seabright!

[Deleted User]

I save my jam jars and give them to a lady who works with my DD at her school, and she usually gives me a couple of pots of jam and marmalade in exchange so we are both winners. Boot sales are brilliant for finding small oven ware dishes that you can put single portions in and freeze.I have bought most of my stuff from there and usually at about 20p each.Why buy tinfoil dishes that will be discarded.When I batch up sliced bread in the freezer in lots of four slices at a time when ever I defrost a batch I always reuse the tinfoil to line my remoska to save on washing up or as today I will be wrapping some chicken breasts in bacon and cooking in foil in my 'mosky.I have saved so much money by cooking with this it has paid for itself.I only use my big oven for cooking cakes.As for my SC I wouldn't be without it ,one of the best pieces of equipement in my kitchen as the cheaper cuts of meat can be cooked to taste delicious overnight in the SC.
P.S.if you live near a pop-in parlour for pensioners why not ask there if one of the ladies will teach you to knit .They will be delighted to pass on their skills and it will give them a new face to chat to.I can knit o.k. but sewing is not something I have ever mastered.I can do buttons on blouses and sew up kids rips in their clothes but thats about it.But I have a great friend who does and machining for me

Primrose

Sequeena - I can only tell you my own experience. Last year we were short of jars when making marmalade and I emptied a jar containing Indian spices & put them in a plastic box so I could use the jar. I ended up with one jar of curry flavoured Seville orange marmalade ! I did wash it thoroughly first but the smell still lingered. I suggest you perhaps try rinsing them really thoroughlly and perhaps leaving them in the open air for a while to try and get rid of the smell. As for lids, I don't know whether these Morrisons have a firm seal lid, which you do really need if you're going to keep the jam for any length of time, otherwise the jam will become dry & hard and shrink in quantity. (Some of mine is 4 years old and still in good condition. I must have thought I was cooking for the whole British army!). You could always try putting some of the little waxed circles on the surface of the jam first. (If you can't buy them, cutting circles from the inner packets of cereals like cornflakes will substitute).

MrsBartolozzi

Hi guys, don't know if you've seen it yet but Sammy, a regular poster on the old thread has posted a pic of her new baby over on the pregnancy thread in Moneysaving in Families board. Little Holly May is gorgeous!!

<goes off to go through all the new posts since I visited here last>

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=34898711&postcount=7934
edited: link to pic

flipperOSN

Fighting_Back wrote: »

Another lurker who would like to contribute to the positive and generous discussion going on here.

Underwear - I've recently bought lots of knickers at Lidl - Jolinesse brand - several different sorts over the last few months, excellent fit, very comfortable, wash well and keep their shape.

If you live in an area with a large ethnic population, then do try the Asian grocery shops. Excellent range of fruit and veg to choose from and you will soon realise that you are being over-charged in Tesco et al. Also spices in large packets that cost not much more than the tiny jars you get from the supermarkets. I have found the shop-keepers are extremely helpful in telling you how to cook the more unusual items.

Kindest wishes to everyone

Ooh, good tip. Also, we've got a chinese supermarket near us and the range of cheap noodles is to die for!

Sequeena

Just a quick question; I've got 2 sets of Farmfoods vouchers totalling £70. If I go there can I use the vouchers to pay for my entire purchases? The vouches say 'This voucher can be used with any other vouchers for larger purchases. Redeemable only at Farmfoods.' Both sets of vouchers are valid until August 31st.

It would be great if I could take advantage and pay nothing!! Would help a great deal actually x

maryb

Kittikins wrote: »

Hi Hester, if I lived closer I'd love you to teach me knitting, sewing and crochet. I can knit but it usually gets lopsided as my knit rows are tight and my pearl rows very loose, not sure why - even the lady at Jon Lewi$ couldn't understand why I did it

Kittikins, lots of people, most in fact, have a slightly different tension on purl rows, it sounds as if you are just a bit more extreme. I read a tip years ago which suggested using a smaller needle for the purl rows and I have done this ever since. It really does make the knitting much more even. I only go down one size but you could try going down two. It doesn't really matter as long as you get even stitches and adjust for tension to make sure the overall size is right

narabanekeater

Sequeena -You can combine them but they mean use a £2.50p and a £5 on off a £75 shop. Sadly you wont be able to get all your shopping for free
Jam Jars - you can get one of those large thick cardboard tray type boxes that fruit comes in to the markets/shops. Put it outside your local bottle bank with a sign saying jam-jars please for jam making and people will fill it for you. I havent ever done it myself but I used to work outside a shop that had recycling outside and it was a common occurance. If not I know Ikea has some lovely ones with kilm lids for about 80p which would last for years

lilac_lady

When I reach the till at the supermarket I'm still not used to seeing how much grocery prices have shot up in the last year. How can inflation be so low when food prices are going up every week?

I don't know how people manage when they're not following the MSE code of wise spending.

Kittikins

Thanks Maryb, I'll try that, not sure how I'll sort out my knit row being too tight (hard to get the stitches down the needle by the end of the row!). Maybe I need to have one larger and one smaller needle and be lopsided, lol.

Have put away my dented tins and bashed up loo rolls from yesterday's shopping spree - 95% of what was in my half full small trolley was reduced, and the rest was on special offer, and it still came to £28. I'm aiming for a NSD today and am working from home as that'll help! There are far too many temptations in town....the tshirt to go with my new skirt can stay in the charity shop for another day