Enrich your life list for under a fiver

livalot

gailey wrote: »

Going to update the enrich our lives list , not sure if told you me and hubby do that .
basically its a list of mostly low value small things that we consider we need that would improve our lives.

last year got new serving spoon for stews 1pound from ikea,
Very large saucepan with lid
new can opener
some cake tins.

The above post on an on another thread has inspired me to ask what you would all add to your list to enrich your lives for under a fiver. I have been doing something similar for a while but I alway make sure they are things that last for a while so for example a bottle of wine would be out. Something I bought but which has cheered me up no end is a basil and a parsley plant that sit in my kitchen. Not exciting but I love them and add them to all the soups and breads that I have been making recently. Always planned to get these plants but never did now wonder why I waited so long. I am now making the old fashioned orange pomanders so for the princely sum on £3 i have 5 of them studded with cloves that were lurking in my cupboard. Never bought oranges to make things with before. The smell is amazing.

angeltreats

Nice idea for a thread

I would nominate my chilli plant. It's an Habanero chilli plant and I got it for £4.99 from a farmer's market. It's always covered with bright orange chillis that look really pretty and brighten up the kitchen on a dull day, and they've certainly brightened up lots of dinners too. I'm really quite attached to it

jaxx46

Top of my list would be a pallette knife. Somehow I go all year without needing one but the minute I make mince pies I'm kicking myself 'cos I still haven't got one.

Bogof_Babe

I bought a gorgeous red floral patterned enamel lidded casserole dish for £5 in a charity shop last week. I didn't really need it but it was screaming "buy me", and I'm so glad I did. It really cheers the kitchen up (I don't have enough cupboards in the flat to put pans away so it sits on the back ring of the hob).

I'm doubly pleased as similar on Amazon are about £39, and those are just plain colours.

gailey_2

Well I really could do with

new baking trays
more tupperware.
more plastic bowls/plates for mircowave and kids.
measuring jug and measuring spoon.
new knives.

things in past that have enriched my life for less than fiver is

serving spoon-cheap plastic from ikea.
some designer allessi bottle stops for wine make me smile whenever I look at them.
Old temporary ikea buy is huge wooden chopping block was sold as rejects for just 5quid normally cost 20 used lots and looks fab in my kitchen.
new plastic mixing bowls from ikea think were less than a fiver as wanted nice deep bows for mixing.

my mate brought me the best presnt not 5quid but 7quid think she said.
its a large deep saucepan from sainsburys tu range, she brought if for herself and nothing sticks so she brought it me and one other person and we both rave how much we love it. infact do most of my cooking in it, sauces, frying stuff, currys, spag bol, casseroles on hob as even when things do get burnt it cleans like a dream and holds loads.

do dream sometimes may spot le crusset in charity shop or carboot for a fiver but think thats wishful thinking.

Would love an indoor herb garden so doing that in new year as be so handy.

rachbc

I really want some little old fashioned scoops to got in big flour jars...they cost about £1 on amazon but the postage is about 4 times that so never buy them but never see them in the shops

babyshoes

One little thing I got in a pound shop is a plain white crockery spoon rest. It is simple and functional and makes a big difference to the cleanliness of my counters! Sure, I could use a saucer or something, but it just makes sense to have something specific to put your cooking tools on which doesn't look out of place!

Kitcaboodle

- I second the spoon rest idea! I have a sturdy drink mat that I use and it gets a LOT of use!

- A plastic measuring jug and a sieve are two very useful items as well.

- Poundland sell plastic tubs with lids that you can use as microwave 'saucepans'. I bought one and use it exclusively to make air-popped corn.

- Greaseproof/baking paper. It makes baking (and clearing up) so much easier when the biscuits and cakes just lift off the tins and the paper with ease!

newlywed

I was bought a present of a small pair of wooden tongs to fish crumpets out of the toaster without burning my fingers. They have made a huge difference (we eat lots of crumpets ).

My silicone spatula - hate wasting cake mix inside the bowl

Silicone cup cake cases - saves OH moaning that the paper sticks to the cake - and I got mine in poundshop.

I've just treated myself to a silicone pastry brush too - as the left behind bristles annoy me!

ali-t

What would enrich my life right now is a small plastic bin to store salt for gritting the path. I currently have a big plastic sack of it in the kitchen and it looks terrible. Granted it will only enrich my life short term but I have a feeling the snow and ice are going to be around for a while!

sparrer

A pinny I bought for £3 in a charity shop for little other reason than it will match my new kitchen beautifully, but have found that the big pouch pocket is so useful for carrying dusters, pegs, keys, mobile, post, anything that needs taking up/down stairs etc etc that I wear it almost every day now