How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

budgetboo

Mardatha - I call it prep rather than stockpiling, sounds less grim .

Flour, coffee and sugar are all set to keep shooting up in price so I'm getting in a little extra of these as and when I can as they are store cupboard staples. Flour I pop in the freezer for a couple of days to kill weevils and then decant into old sweet shop jars to protect from mould and pests. Sugar - I have a glass storage jar that holds 3 bags at any one time. I keep a vanilla pod in the sugar jar so I don't have to pay for expensive vanilla essence when baking. (It takes about 2-4 weeks to get the vanilla flavour infused through the sugar). Instant coffee is a neccessity not a luxury so I'm trying to get to a point where I have a couple of spare jars in the cupboard.

For us sunflower oil is getting more expensive, (dairy free baker) so I will be trying to get a couple of litres ahead on my useage. Others probably have a slightly different list of key food staples that might be worth looking at. I know a lot of my African friends are so happy now they took advantage of a rice offer Costco did before Xmas. Every family has it's own "can't do without" items. Cos I'm skint I'm prioritising my prepping, partly to stop myself panicking.

I was working last year and took advantage of the sales to prep for the winter, extra blankets, hot water bottles, bed socks etc. Boy was I so grateful after my contract ended and the snows came this year! It helped my keep my gas bill reasonable. A poor winter is forecast for 2011 too so I'm gonna replace my geriatric living room curtains this year for new handmade thermal ones as an example of what I call prepping. I may not have a widescreen telly or surround sound but the flat will be warm!

Thinking ahead (e.g need new picnic plates for summer), buying stuff that you expect to have a lifespan of years, rather than seasons, (sensible classic warm black coat rather than trendy fuschia one) is all part of old style and comes under the heading of prepping.

Have organised a seedling swap this year on the veg plot so we'll add a bit of variety to our diet later in the year with varieties of veg that would be "organic and or/finest" in the shops. Going halves on some raspberry canes with a friend - again these are out of my budget to buy punnets at Tescos. It's all old style prep so what is for us a currently dire financial situation doesn't become totally unbearable.

Good job I loved my Granny, meant I absorbed by osmosis lots of tips she never in her wildest dreams imagined my generation would need. :eek::eek:

The worst is yet to come when a legion of married SAHM suddenly discover they are going to have their tax credits removed and have to sign on at a distant (cos lots have been closed recently) job centre. All sorts of families are going to face sudden, drastic cuts in their budgets. I'm kinda grateful in a sense because at least those on DLA (my kid) and lone parents, (myself) have been given fair warning. Many others aren't going to get the same courtesy extended before they have to make radical lifestyle changes.

zarazara

mardatha wrote: »

We have 3" of snow and it's not melting, more forecast for monday. Winter is very long nowadays ! We are wondering what is best in a time like now, of high inflation and rising prices. Is it better to scrimp and scrape and keep money -- or buy things we need now before prices go even higher ?

We were talking about this yesterday, we've decided that if its genuinely what we NEED ,for example tinned tomatoes are on offer locally at the moment so we bought extra,then we will buy it so long as it wont spoil,eg flour gets mites in it. We are also looking into buying more firewood and coal in the summer when prices are ,hopefully lower than in winter. Its all down to storage and available spare money.

zarazara

I think I've solved the fuel crisis the OS way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have invented the Make Your Own Methane recipe.
Ingredients:-
Large packet of lentils
6 Jerusalem Artichokes
5 kilo of Brussel Sprouts
herbs and spices to taste

Method:-
Combine all ingredients together in a large pan,cook thoroughly for 2 hours until all mushy and soupy.
Feed the nurishing broth to the entire family over the weekend, by Monday morning there will be enough gas to heat the home and power at least 2 vehicles.

ginnyknit

Well zarazara, you have solved the fuel crisis - its great on here isn't it! :rotfl:

Im still in my jama's cannot face the outside world today, cos its cold and wet and wet and cold. Got some seed potatoes yesterday - buy one bag get one free, which I didnt know till the cashier told me - it was hidden on the sign behind a bag of spuds, so I ran back and got another bag. They are pick and mix varieties so we got a bit of everything, all due to plant feb and march so it won't matter.

We were going to take Ds and Dgs to the local pet farm but the price has gone up to 3.50 per adult which isn't really worth it for a 30 minute stroll. So we may save our pennies to go when its warmer.

So I guess I had better go and get making stuff to while away the hours.

I made coleslaw last night and it was horrible, I chopped everything in the food processor and all you can taste and smell is an odd onion thing. Think I will chop the onions by hand next time!

mardatha

Oh yes, I prep! I'm lucky in that I have plenty room & its suitable for storage.... "cool & airy " is what they recommend and this house - apart from the livingroom - is cooler & airier than outside is :rotfl:
I agree that this year is going to be a total scunner .

ceridwen

I just got lost. Hiya gang!

Wonders/wanders off to see where we are now...

MaLarkin

Hello everyone what a nice thread to join thanks so much for starting it Jackie

Something i have been thinking about just lately is how this site affects your outlook on things in these difficult times.

Before i started using MSE and found the forums i was feeling quite low about things. Was being very self-pitying as in "it's not fair I've been through all this before"

I was cutting back but doing it very begrudgingly and in a hard done by sort of way.

Then i started to lurk around the threads and realised not just that i wasn't alone but that that i could turn things around and make this time into a positive experience.

Now i enjoy making good cheap meals and pride myself on not throwing anything away. My outlook has changed and i have stopped being a miserable whinging old sod and got my act together. Thanks everyone.

Looking forward the reading and sharing everyones good ideas.

maryb

Ginny, there's a huge thread on OS about a book called the Takeaway Secret. I was inspired to buy the book and one of the tips he gives is to soak the onion in cold water for 30 minutes after slicing it. It really does take away that 'burning' raw onion taste.

Mary Berry's recipe for coleslaw has you stir in a bit of vinaigrette before you add the mayonnaise. I find that helps the flavour too

mardatha

ZZ our coalman doesn't lower his price in summer, although all our previous ones did. We currently run the cooker on 19kg Propane bottles & I want to change to the 47kg size, it works out cheaper. But they would need anchoring or a box to sit in, I'd be worried it fell over. Am trying to get the OH interested but he's obviously switched his brain off for the day...
Trying to really pull the stops out now for this year..

D&DD

Well our 'emergency' fund has run dry due to the dogster having her ladybits done,being chipped and her eyes sorted :eek:
She looks better than me now :rotfl:
Nursemaiding a doglet is sooo much worse than kids tho..she has the collar of shame on at the mo and its currently being held together by sellotape as she insists on ramming our legs for a cuddle at every opportunity!

Oldstyle wise I need to get back with the programme as things have really slipped around here..I even bought cakes this week!! The shame!!

Have made a grudging start to the garden as its just too cold for me atm *wuss* so ladies you need to pull your boots on and give me [STRIKE]a kick on the rear[/STRIKE]a bit of encouragement