28 and only just worked out how to run a house!

petite_anglaise_2

Having recently discovered this site I was amazed atthe money saving opportunities with online shopping, mobile and utility bills etc. and was fully embracing the whole 'money saving thing'.
Ha, I thought, I'm ever so clever -I'm 28, I don't have any debts, don't have an overdraft, own my own house, lived away from home since going to uni, etc. and now can make even more savings on my spendings......

And yet..... how is it I spend a fortune on food shopping when there's only me, I end up throwing everything out as it goes off, I'm always at the supermarket, i've cupboards full of flash cleaning products that never get used, and there's NEVER anything in the house to eat except 3 000readymeals and biscuits....???????????

I've discovered this board and now I know - I didn't know how to run a house!!!Have been feeling very very stupid in the last few weeks. Okay I've got a degree, been to uni and got a teaching career, but oh my god I'm sooo stupid!
My mum, fabulous as she is, has never taught me about running a house. It's just not done now, neither have my friends' mums. Was at school in the 80s and 90s when we were learning about having careers, taking over the world and going to M&S to get your microwave lasagne for tea.

So thought I would amuse you all by listing the most blindingly obvious things I have learnt in the past couple of weeks which are helping me to both save money and time and have a much nicerlife!!

1) I can make my own 'ready meals' like lasagne and spag bol and freeze them so I spend less and know what's in them!
2) I can freeze things other than ready meals and bread, so don't have to throw things out.
3) I don't need 28 different cleaning products - stardrops does everything, and it actually achieves the shine I've always been searching for.
4) You don't have to put the recommended amount of washing powder & conditioner that it says on the box
5) You can make the same soup as the Covent Garden Soup company and it doesn't take 3 weeks to make!
6) You can make whole meals using bits in the cupboard and don't need any more bl**dy ready meals!
7) Finally working out what to do with herbs, spices etc.
8) Freezer boxes - Ahh that's why they're called freezer boxes - they're nt for storing the chocolate biscuits in.
9) Freezing bread in bags of a few slices stops me having to defrost a whole loaf
10)Using up left over apples to make apple compote, ditto slightly soft potatoes - get off my bum and do something with them rather than binning everything i spent a fortune on last week..

The list goes on, and yes I know these things are blindingly obvious to you lot, but they weren't to me. Sorry for waffling but its been a revelation, and I'm still learning....

bobsa1

Completely agree.

I'm part of the women can have it all generation and for a long time wasted a fortune on food, threw away left overs and fed kids muck!

Now left overs become soup, very little gets thrown away and I try not to buy as much stuff.

I'm having a massive clear out and been shocked at how much I've got, obviously bought when I beleived the marketing hype that I needed it. I don't

Do have ready meals now and again but trying not too and we all feel a lot better.

Got to say my work mates are shocked and do suggest that it would just be easier to buy it!

mouseymousey99

just using the local library prob saved me from spend ***** knows how much (I have a book habit)..

bluemoon_3

I'm 26 and did Home Economics for GCSE - I came home one day with a shopping list for next weeks lesson, making a fish pie. My dad looked it over, rubbed his chin in puzzlement, and said he didn't see why we had to buy fresh fish, etc - no one cooks nowadays, they just buy the fish pie ready made. I think he saw Home Ec as a waste of time, but I was silently thanking my teacher last christmas when I cooked christmas dinner - I used the exact method of timeplanning that I learned in her classroom (even though at the time I was cursing her for being such a stickler!).

I've always had an OS instinct, but I'm still learning so much from this board and the wonderful posters here. I think people of our generation can be one or even two generations removed from those who can pass on these skills so a forum like this is fantastic.

fwoodles

This line just cracked me up. I have no idea why - but I think it's cause I realise that for a while I was doing the same thing.

petite_anglaise wrote:

8) Freezer boxes - Ahh that's why they're called freezer boxes - they're nt for storing the chocolate biscuits in.

I must admit that I do smilar thigns - fruit and veg seems to be thrown out a lot - I'm getting better but it is such a waste.

Now - I've these apples that should be used. Any suggestions?

squeaky

fwoodles wrote:

Now - I've these apples that should be used. Any suggestions?

Direct from the MEGA Index...

Fruit:
- Apples - Home made apple pie recipe?
- Apple sauce
- Apples - What To Do With Apples?

jessicamb

I totally agree with the cleaning products - I used to spend a small fortune on Flash that and that and Cillit Bang and Fairy power spray etc etc. Now stardrops does most of it and it lasts soooooo long its saved me loads. The only thing I dont like it for is cleaning the bath where I still keep the Flash

petite_anglaise_2

Thanks for that ladies - thank god i'm not the only one!

Even managed to con the cat into moneysaving this week. He thinks he only likes IAMS (ever so expenive cat food) , but conned him into eating Tesco's own by pouring it into the old IAMS bag first. (Ha, seduced by labels just like I used to be.. he'll soon learn!)

daphne_descends

I used to love my collection of expensive cleaning products. And the more I spent on them, the better...

Never really got acquainted with my freezer before now, I just thought it was for ice cream or already-frozen pizza.

Oh how we learn! Your post made me smile, sounds a lot like me.

I'm 26 and did Home Economics at GCSE but I don't remember doing a great deal of cooking to be honest... there was a lot more theory than practice. I do remember making bread and pizza but that's as complicated as it got.

Yesterday I made flapjacks, enough soup to take to work for lunch all week, homemade lasagne and two batches of bolognaise sauce for the freezer - not a bad start!

lil_me

I'm 28 and just getting to grips with it, I was quite OS with some aspects of my life like the children in terrys etc, but the cooking and just being organised enough to do it is taking some time. My challenge at the minute is to UNSTOCK my cleaning cupboard, I think I have a chemical for everything all seperately under there, if there is something new I had to buy it, well not any more. Double cupboard and it's bulging, the shelf that seperates the 2 packed levels is about to snap. So working through using them up and eventually I will have space to put my washing powder etc in there, and my stardrops (yes it is that bad)

sammy_kaye18

Hi All,

Im only 22 but ive never learnt how to run a household, cook, clean or anything else much for that matter. Now im a mum to a 2 and a half year old little boy, have my own flat which i share wiht my bf - nothign prepared me for this.

My dad is in the RAF and worked constantly when i was yougner and me and my sister were palmed off on whichever family friend would child mind us when my mother went to work and that was from the age of about 6 (my sister being 4). So needless to say when i found out i was pregnant in 2003 i was clueless. Me and bf moved into a hosue 3 weeks before my son was born and i totally had no clue.

Anyway when babe came along world was turned upside down and i managed to muddle us through on ready meals for 6 months. Then we moved back in with my bfs MIL and normality seemed to return. Then we moved into this flat in May 2005 adn i decided to try adn start getting life together.

July 2006 i found this site and its been a god send. Ive learnt so much about making food from scratch, have mastered baking, had an S level in design btu never used it (planning too soon when we start decorating - yey!) and making clothes etc. Cleaning is getting there - once the damn mould is sorted out!

One thign i know is that ill definately be bringing my little boy up so he can fend for himself in later life.