I want to be OS!!

LowRob16

Good morning.
I live on my own and would like to become OS!
I want to eat healthily and save money, I also want to live in a tidy & clean house.
I know this should be easy as it's just me, but it isnt!!
I think the main problem is that I'm away a lot with my work, and I also have lots of things on in the evenings and weekends ie I don't have much 'me' time.
I would love to cook things from scratch but can't find the time.
In other words... please help me

TNG

Rule No. 1

When you do find time to cook from scratch, make loads and freeze what you don't eat

Icemaiden

Try not to do everything at one go as it can be quite overwhelming at the start. Choose one area first, like cleaning, (the fly-lady thread should help you here) and then once thats sorted move onto the next area, meal planning, batch cooking or which every fits in with your lifestyle. Good luck and welcome to O/S.

LowRob16

Thanks for your replies.
I tried flylady and failed miserably!!!
I would like to start with food - maybe by doing a store cupboard challeges, as I know I have lots of food in my cupboards and freezer, but seem compelled to go and buy more :eek:
Any advice on this, and cleaning, as it's a bit of a lost cause!!

newlywed

I agree, don't try too much at once. Look through the threads for ideas you think you can do. Then pick one tiny bit. when that becomes a habit and an easy thing, then choose another little bit. Gradually you'll start to wonder why you never did it all before!!

newlywed

Work out what foods you would normally cook and what there is in your cupboards that you can use to make those foods. Write it down.

If you need a couple of extra ingredients then write them down and see how many day's worth of food you can get with the least amount of extra ingredients.

Then through the week, just pick from the menu list you have.

sammy_kaye18

Im a young mum so trying to keep the house clean is a ngihtmare especially with a 2 year old who insists on unpacking behind you!! so i started with batch cooking

Once every 2 weeks i make sure ive got lots of ingredients in (veg, meat etc) and have a total day of cooking and baking.

On that one day i have

*soup going in the slow cooker.
*Shepherds Pie, cakes, crumbles,biscuits going in the oven
*Pasta sauces in a pot on the stove cooking down (basic tinned tomatoes, garlic,and onion

and on the side boards i tend to line up bowls and cut up onion and then freeze it in freezer bags so it is ready when needed. I also get a big block of cheese and spend some time gratign that down and i freeze msot of it in freezer bags and put som ein an air tight box in the fridge to use on top of spaghetti bolognese, pasta dishes and pizza toppings.

One day a week is all you need to get you started and i find it quite theraputic once i get started.

squeaky

GETTING STARTED

A collection of assorted threads where people have asked "How and where do I start?" There are lots of different answers to browse here.

Rage_in_Eden

and above all remember it doesn't all have to be done at once and it doesn't matter if you fall off the wagon at any point. It's a lot to take in at once but if you do have some time during the day e.g. if you're travelling and it's not you driving - use it to make a list either mentally or physically of what you need to do. If you do make something like a chilli one night try and get into the habit of making double. It's easy to do and voila another meal in your freezer!!! As for cleaning - do it as you go along. Wiping down the kitchen counter takes nothing and then that's a tick off the list. Good luck

Shortie

Hi Rob

If you're away alot, why not purchase the Money Diet book by Martin to read on your travels and keep you company? And while you're at it pre-order the Thrift Ways book? I recieved my copy of Money Diet from Play yesterday and am reading it on my train journeys to and from work.... highly recomend it!

Above that, if you have time to cook, say just once or twice a week, cook way too much and freeze spares. You'll slowly end up with a running stock of quick, cheap, nutritious [sp] foods to keep you going!

As to tidying, I know what you mean as I work lots plus have a 3 and a h;af year old so we're never tidy and I won't pretend I'm a naturally tidy person anyway... But I would suggest getting your 'things to do' listed in order of prioirty and tackle them bit by bit in that order

beer2006

Rob, You have to help yourself mate, we can't cook it for you.
It is easy, no matter what you think, it takes the same amount of time to cook 2 nights meals as to walk to the takeaway or order one in.
I always keep in my cupboards.
Mince, sweetcorn, peas (in the freezer),
Onions, garlic, rice, potatoes, pasta, canned tomatoes (lots), lots of different sorts of spices, chilli/curry powders etc.
Mushrooms, peppers, milk in the fridge.

Now with that lot, I can make loads and loads of things, currys, chillis, pasta sauces, shepards pie, other savoury mince mixes. And always make at least 2 nights worth, I always go for 3, but always end up eating too much

Add a few fish fingers in the freezer and some decent sausages, some veg in the fridge and you have your basic meals right there.

I can't help with the cleaning, but with the cooking no excuses, put some musc on and dance around while you cook, thats what I do.