It isn`t tough for us. We are OS and we COPE

CRANKY40

If anyone shops at A*da and has given up checking the price guarantee receipts, it's worth starting it again because of the new 10% thing. I got a 31p voucher today, which is my first one ever.

When I went shopping today I bought something on special offer, and paid for that item separately as I knew if it was on my receipt with my normal shopping, there would be absolutely no chance of a voucher :shhh:

fedupfreda

Justamum wrote: »

Have you tried the Doves Farm yeast in the orange packets. It's about £1.25, but you should get nearly 40 loaves from it.

The tins of allinsons yeast are good value too. About £1 a tin last time I looked. You cant use it in a bread maker - it needs to be 'started' first - but its fine for the traditional hand method. If you use it sparingly - I use about a tablespoon for 4 loaves - give the dough a long overnight rise - a tin will last for about 10 batches of bread:j

MrsGSR

I have to say I am really enjoying this OS way of life. We are on week 3 of our shopping budget and every week have been at least £9 under budget so thats reallly good. Made my own pasta last week as I get eggs from a girl at work £1.50 for 15
I want to make more bread but I want a large loaf tin, the biggest I have found is a 2lb one but I want bigger than that, any ideas of where I could get one from?

CrazyNerd

I really want to start OSing, the news this morning scared me, and I think even tougher times are coming. I have a huge barrier, my DH.
Any ideas about how to get him convinced its the way to go?

Bitsy_Beans

Justamum wrote: »

Have you tried the Doves Farm yeast in the orange packets. It's about £1.25, but you should get nearly 40 loaves from it.

I tried that stuff but just couldn't get it to work I even tried added citric acid (vit c) to it and still couldn't get it to work.
I stick to the sachets now, not cost effective but I was wasting more money in ruined loaves.

bellaquidsin

zarazara here's to a long and happy 'retirement'. Sounds like your home based activities are going to keep you well busy. Just keep OSing and you will cope.

Bella

countingthepennies

I work in a Catering department and this week we got an email warning us of the continued rise in food prices. Basically because of extreme weather conditions across the world, such as flooding, and the bitter cold winter here we can expect to pay more for pretty much everything. Rice, wheat based products, meat (presumably because the cost of animal feed has risen), tea, coffee, sugar, cocoa, orange juice (because of a combination of a lack of rain and a disease of the fruit trees), butter, potatoes and vegetable oil are all creeping up in price. :eek:
This emphasises to me the importance of a store cupboard. I know I am preaching to the converted here but definately we should be storing dry goods such as rice, pasta, noodles, tea, coffee etc and I am adding olive oil and long life juice to my stores.

It also makes me think that in this country we have become far too dependant on exporting in so much of our food, and I think that we may as a nation have to change our eating habits so that we grow more of our own food, eat local produce and use seasonal produce, rather than relying so much on other countries to feed us?

MrsRogers

Justamum wrote: »

It definitely is cheaper to buy the flour rather than a loaf. The last time I looked at bread here it was £1.59 a loaf! And it's nowhere near as nice as homemade.

Have you tried the Doves Farm yeast in the orange packets. It's about £1.25, but you should get nearly 40 loaves from it.

I use Doves Yeast and so far its been fab.. no complaints at all :T

FatVonD wrote: »

So, once you've done all this you'd use the stock as a base for soup? What else could you use it for? I don't love soup but I'm guessing it would make great gravy? (I use the water from the bottom of the steamer for gravy at the moment.)

*Bear with me, this is going to be a steep learning curve!

I use my homemade stock for, Soup, gravies, rissoto's, liquid for stews/casseroles, anything that you would put a 'stock cube' into really.

We are coping well at the moment.. went through a dodgy patch when my dept was issued letters advising of redundancy but fortunately I am fine for now. Little concerned over the increasing costs of food, petrol etc Especially considering we have just had to fork out for a 2nd car 'cos of my shift changes :mad: Been managing on one quite happily up to now.

I'm bulk buying when stuff is on offer. We have everything budgeted, doing the grocery challenges, only buying clothes when desperate and unmendable and trying to save as much money as a nest egg just in case. We bought a house middle of last year & with the 2nd car its wiped us out of savings but thankfully no debt (except mortgage).. so not a bad position all in all.

Here to a very very frugal year in the Rogers household... :beer:

MrsRogers

MrsGSR wrote: »

I have to say I am really enjoying this OS way of life. We are on week 3 of our shopping budget and every week have been at least £9 under budget so thats reallly good. Made my own pasta last week as I get eggs from a girl at work £1.50 for 15
I want to make more bread but I want a large loaf tin, the biggest I have found is a 2lb one but I want bigger than that, any ideas of where I could get one from?

Try this one for a 3Ib

http://www.siliconemoulds.com/extra-large-loaf-bread-mould-p-116.html

This for a 4Ib but a bit pricey :eek:

http://www.headcook.co.uk/silverwood-vpan-4lb-14x5-5x4in.html

Maybe worth a look on Ebay too

HTH

Penelope_Penguin

Bitsy_Beans wrote: »

I tried that stuff but just couldn't get it to work I even tried added citric acid (vit c) to it and still couldn't get it to work.
I stick to the sachets now, not cost effective but I was wasting more money in ruined loaves.

I've just started making sour dough bread, which uses yeasts from the air It takes a bit of investment in time and ingredients to start with, but it's then very easy to make chewy, but not dense, delicious bread :T

Justamum - I love your sig :rotfl: