As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

lovebargainshatewaste

Hi everyone. Thought I'd tell you about my super bargain this weekend:

Yesterday, I went to a local fair with my friend. They were serving free food, so had a large hot-dog and lots of salad. We did ask for a portion of hog roast each as well, but took that home with us. That meat was enough for 4 large wraps (so lunch and dinner today) and also got some bones for the dogs, who are deliriously happy.

After the fair, we went for a walk in the woods and found a £10 note! Now, if there had been anyone around, I would've asked if they'd lost it, but we were the only ones there, so it's gone into the holiday fund.

Been snuggled up on the sofa under a duvet most of the day, as I refuse to put heating on Was up v early to do a boot sale, so think I deserved doing nothing this avo. Good news: just need to do one more boot sale and then we've covered a mini holiday (accomodation, petrol, food and spending money)! Can't wait to go! It's nowhere fancy, a little cottage in Lancashire for 4 night. 4 of us going, so not costing a lot.

Sorry, I just thought maybe I shouldn't post about going away, due to the title of the thread. I hope I don't offend anyone, I'm just so excited! My friend hasn't had a holiday in years, so she certainly deserves a break. If me posting about it upsets anyone, I'm happy to edit my post.

Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday, everyone. Stay warm and snuggly. You've inspired me to get the knitting out, so thank you!

freudianslip

bread was a success!! Thanks mardatha

I haven't gotten through to the middle yet but it 'sounds' better and smells a whole host better. Job sussed.

What do you store your HM bread in? Mine is wrapped up in a clean apron as have ran out of t-towels. Is it worth buying a bread bin?

saveabobortwo

found lots of bargains today including a whole football birthday cake was 8.49 bought for 79p.whole cooked chicken top price 4.49 bought for 1.99 .been to youth hostel for weekend break paid 28 pound:jfor a family room for 1 night. so have had a great couple of days for bargains just need to get the house straight but iv been driving for most of the day so ill start on that tomorrow just off for a bubble bath and a homemade fullers earth face pack :rotfl:have a giggle now as won t be abe to in the next half an hour with face pack on.have a great day bye from Saveabobxx ps also stocked up on Robinsons squash today for 50pence last day today on offer so got enough to last for a few weeks.

saveabobortwo

You sound like you ve had a fabulous weekend too free lunch and found a tenner sounds good to me hope your good fortune continues have super week best wishes from Saveabob ps must get off this computer or face will never get beautified :rotfl:

Petlamb

Wow, LBHW, I wish we had fairs like that one 'round here! *jealous* :P Sounds great!

Haven't done a great deal this weekend, though I was proud of the small changes I made last night when cooking dinner - I poached our chicken (for a curry) in stock (cube, made up) and once it was cooked transfered the chicken into the sauce (yes, I know, naughty - jarred. But Mr A's cheapy that doesn't actually have a great deal of nasties in it, is low in WW points and is cheap!).

I then added a splash of soy and approx 1tsp of sesame oil to the stock plus about half a chopped onion (could be more or less, or substituted with things like spring onion if you had it), and added an egg in 'egg-drop' fashion (stirring quickly) for what became a tasty chicken and egg soup for us! Sat and ate that, cooked rice and heated the chicken + onions in the sauce and hey presto, chicken curry became the main

Went down pretty well with the mr, and meant we were much more full (and warm - which right now is appreciated!) than we might have been otherwise.

Also turned into my mum today and went to Mr T's for the last hour of trading (granted, for her it's Mr A's). Didn't find anything amazing at first - though it is a metro store, so its stock can be less than some at times... (And has Mr T's Value pasta gone mysteriously AWOL in any other shops or is it just ours trying to force people into splashing more cash?)

But then got some cheapy lettuce, basil, hummus and bread amongst a few other things. The Mr will be having hummus sandwiches this week methinks! :P

A bargain ninja beat me to the for-pennies rottiserie chicken though. Oh well, can't win 'em all!

Tomorrow spells the stage 2 interview at a shop for me - fingers crossed as we really need me in work already!

ceridwen

Re our recent discussions on fuel:

I'm not technically-minded - but my overall instant reaction to this article was "If I had millions of £s to spare (ie our Government - judging by how much it can find for certain directions...:cool:) - then my reaction would probably be to reach for my cheque book and ask how much money they wanted to work on this."

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-2001548/Electron-Model-Many-Applications-Technology-save-world.html

Also of interest - on a related front:

www.channel4.com/programmes/the-pipe

(ie a tv programme coming up on Tuesday on More4).

suzid

Evening all,

Many thanks to you all for your posts, so many good ideas and possitive notes. Luckily did the garden bits yesterday, mowed the grass and put the netting over the fruit before the birds helped themselves to the ripening blackcurrants.

Despite miserable weather today, which has done a good job refilling small pond thanks to re-routing of down pipe, I've really enjoyed it. When I saw the forecast I thought it would be ideal so set to in the kitchen and do some batch cooking. To my shame I found my bread flour was some what out of date :whistle:. DH is the bread lover and used to use it in the BM. That bloomin' thing drove me crackers. No matter how exact I kept to the recipe it was still pot luck how they turned out. Determined to be OS I found a Marguerite Patten recipe which I attempted to follow baring in mind I had the wrong flour, some white not all wm as it said. I used the Kenwood instead of the BM from hell and it all worked brilliantly. I can't believe I made it. OK one of the loaves looked a bit odd and DH said it looked more like a sculpture but hay ho.

Also today I've made the Christmas cake, batches of boiled rice and large batch of gluten free sauce to go with rice. All in the freezer for DH and DS to take to college and work. I've done the ironing, cut DS's hair and been to buy another loaf tin as the one I used today was excellent. We're lucky to have a shop that sells everything from pet food to paint, cook wear to tools all at very good prices.

Better hop off and get tea before the natives start moaning. Have a good evening folks.

saveabobortwo

stop rabbiting and get a bath but we ve got really good at spotting the absolute bargain basement at morrisons we stand behind the man with his clicking price gun waiting for him to reduce the items what was amusing with the cooked chickens is that moments before people were walking of with the top prices ones completely in a trance when they could of got one for a fraction of the cost,also watched an interesting episode of the Apprentice this weekend ie people making money from finding rubbish a great eye opener anyway must definitely fly:D

Sequeena

saveabobortwo wrote: »

stop rabbiting and get a bath but we ve got really good at spotting the absolute bargain basement at morrisons we stand behind the man with his clicking price gun waiting for him to reduce the items what was amusing with the cooked chickens is that moments before people were walking of with the top prices ones completely in a trance when they could of got one for a fraction of the cost,also watched an interesting episode of the Apprentice this weekend ie people making money from finding rubbish a great eye opener anyway must definitely fly:D

Oh you're not one of those who crowd and pounce as soon as the stickers are on are you? I used to work on the oven fresh department and LOATHED that part of the evening. It got to the point where I had to tell people to back away because I felt like I couldn't breathe :eek: I'm surprised there weren't full on fights between customers some days :rotfl:

I got to know some cutsomers really well and would always keep them a chicken behind the counter come reductions time

legio11

Hello can i join you please. I have been reading the threads over the last couple of yrs and have been slogging along alone for that time trying to get us in a better situation. I am 30 this yr and partner is a bit (much lol) older than that we have a ds aged 4 and a mental dog my friends all think i am mental as they live in the world where they can buy what they want and throw away when had enough although most of what they buy is put on credit etc. where as we live as close to the breadline as possible knowing how quickly things can change and suddenly be short of much needed money. We have always had well stocked cupboards of tines etc but i now need to get a bit better at it and here comes my question lol-
what do you all use to store things like pasta and rice? My plan is to get it from macro in bulk and shop ahead if that makes sense but have nothing to store it all in was thinking along the lines of weigh and scoop tubs but have no idea where i could get them from.

will stop waffling for now lol xx