10 things you should never buy again

GraciesGran

Ma-in-law decided that she wanted a 'microwave omelette maker' - she's blind and although she copes with most of her cooking omelettes were beyond her - it was used once ' I really thing I prefer scrambled eggs' was the only comment she made.

knittingcathy

I think its all relative to your own circumstances. I have 4 children so for me to go out and buy pre packed side dishes would cost me a fortune. My mum is on her own so the pre packed works for her as it saves wastage. I do buy frozen Brussel sprouts as there just isn't enough time in the world to destock fresh ones.

goodgirl80

Reverbe wrote: »

Yay just seen this thread and I never bought any of them anyway. I think the best one there is the pasta sauces in jars ppl buy"to save time" it takes no longer to open a tin of tomatoes and throw some herbs and garlic in???? Yet the likes of Dolmio for a couple of quid has always struck me as scandalous..until recently you could get a decent tin of tomatoes for about 30-35 p,

I started off buying tinned toms because it was cheaper than the pasta sauce I was buying, but the value pasta sauce is 18p, so I get that now. Also froxen sliced peppers are usually better value than fresh because they last longer and are cheaper. 1kg for £1 rather than the Market Value fresh peppers which works out 2.26/ kg according to Tesco website..oops the frozen peppers are 500g.

Next step - using my home grown tomatos to make sauce

ProdigalScouser

When I read those ten items, I can't help thinking "well, duh!" All that stuff is bought as a convenience and you pay accordingly.

However, a lot of the excuses given in this thread for why people buy these things are just that: excuses, not reasons. I have a busy life, a long commute, a young child, damaged hands etc etc so have all the excuses in the world for using pre-prepared food.

But I don't, nothing I cook (and I cook every night) is pre-prepared, it's all done from fresh... kinda: I buy frozen veg because it's much more convenient and, from what I've read, better for you than "fresh".

My one concession to convenience in the kitchen is a couple of decent knives - I bought two Henckels knives and a steel to keep them sharp. Using these makes things much easier, as it takes half the effort and a quarter of the time to chop things. I have found out what fingernails are for though - they are there to stop expensive, German steel removing the tips of your fingers!

I also don't peel spuds, carrots etc. a quick wash is good enough (especially for mash) and most of the goodness is just under the skin. I do tend to cook in batches as well. Spag bol and chilli can be made by the vat and frozen for use on those days when a take-away is beckoning...

Get a couple of cookbooks and go for it...

alec_eiffel

ProdigalScouser wrote: »

When I read those ten items, I can't help thinking "well, duh!" All that stuff is bought as a convenience and you pay accordingly.

However, a lot of the excuses given in this thread for why people buy these things are just that: excuses, not reasons. I have a busy life, a long commute, a young child, damaged hands etc etc so have all the excuses in the world for using pre-prepared food.

But I don't, nothing I cook (and I cook every night) is pre-prepared, it's all done from fresh... kinda: I buy frozen veg because it's much more convenient and, from what I've read, better for you than "fresh".

My one concession to convenience in the kitchen is a couple of decent knives - I bought two Henckels knives and a steel to keep them sharp. Using these makes things much easier, as it takes half the effort and a quarter of the time to chop things. I have found out what fingernails are for though - they are there to stop expensive, German steel removing the tips of your fingers!

I also don't peel spuds, carrots etc. a quick wash is good enough (especially for mash) and most of the goodness is just under the skin. I do tend to cook in batches as well. Spag bol and chilli can be made by the vat and frozen for use on those days when a take-away is beckoning...

Get a couple of cookbooks and go for it...

But they're not excuses. People don't need an excuse to simply buy food that someone else has chopped.

CraftyMonkey

I buy frozen veg, it works out a lot cheaper. I also grow stuff at the allotment.
We use our breadmaker,slow cooker and coffee maker.

Craftyscholar

Nelski wrote: »

What a load of codswallop :rotfl::rotfl: but I do love people telling others what they should and shouldn't do with their time and money

Frozen veg is extremely convenient for people like me - single and busy. I can grab a portion as required and its done in minutes rather than the waste that does tend to happen if I get enthusiastic in the fresh veg aisle and end up chucking soggy veg. I also think frozen veg is frozen at source so is potentially fresher and contains all my necessary vitamins:) bit more healthy than the saggy cabbage currently waiting in my fridge to hit the bin

Bagged salad - love it and it is certainly not cheaper to buy all the constituents when most of it will be chucked

Whoever wrote that article must be very smug and have lots of time on their hands imo

Another singleton voting for the advantages of having a bag of frozen mixed veg in the freezer.

JillS_2

I don't think the original 'never buy again' item was frozen veg as such. It was frozen veg that has been 'tarted up' a bit - with a square of flavoured butter or prepared in some other way and with a huge premium on the price for a tiny bit of 'extra value'.

Oh-oh! Looking ahead I see that mermaid85 has pointed this out.

I'm still going to post this though - get me 1 closer to that second star.

rachbc

ProdigalScouser wrote: »

When I read those ten items, I can't help thinking "well, duh!" All that stuff is bought as a convenience and you pay accordingly.

However, a lot of the excuses given in this thread for why people buy these things are just that: excuses, not reasons. I have a busy life, a long commute, a young child, damaged hands etc etc so have all the excuses in the world for using pre-prepared food.

But I don't, nothing I cook (and I cook every night) is pre-prepared, it's all done from fresh... kinda: I buy frozen veg because it's much more convenient and, from what I've read, better for you than "fresh".

My one concession to convenience in the kitchen is a couple of decent knives - I bought two Henckels knives and a steel to keep them sharp. Using these makes things much easier, as it takes half the effort and a quarter of the time to chop things. I have found out what fingernails are for though - they are there to stop expensive, German steel removing the tips of your fingers!

I also don't peel spuds, carrots etc. a quick wash is good enough (especially for mash) and most of the goodness is just under the skin. I do tend to cook in batches as well. Spag bol and chilli can be made by the vat and frozen for use on those days when a take-away is beckoning...

Get a couple of cookbooks and go for it...

Good for you - but no I'm not make 'excuses' or apologies for my freedom to choose to occasionally spend a little extra for the convenience/ variety of buying a bagged salad or whatever item some Daily Mail journalist (nuf said) has decreed I don't need!

Nelski

ProdigalScouser wrote: »

Get a couple of cookbooks and go for it...

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: patronising or what

I have lots and lots and lots and lots ....I could go on of cookbooks and do love a good dabble in the kitchen.

My favourite at the moment is Jamie Oliver who flys the flag for convenient ways of eating healthily and within a budget. He almost always recommends packet pastry and on his 30 minute shows you often see him opening salad bags :eek::eek:

Why do people who do things differently like not peeling potatoes for mash (.....out of interest doesnt that make for dirty looking mash) feel they can tell others what they should not buy? I would think its much healthier for someone to grab some preprepared things like veg for dinner than decide its too much hassle and visit the chippy

One thing on my should not buy list has to be anymore cookbooks......but there is fat chance of that happening