Hard Times: How to cope with everyday living.

budgetboo

Deffo noticing the lack of chrimbo toy bargains available this year in the charity shops! I suspect more people are selling stuff on/passing onto relatives what they would once have gifted to chariity.

I've also noticed reserve prices for ebay second hand toys are set much higher this year than last - though this may have more to do with the continually rising fees than sellers greed to be fair.

Also the cost of a turkey leg (very versatile) has suddenly gone up from £1.25 to £1.75 this week. As this has traditionally been my "emergency budget" meat I'm not a happy bunny. A turkey leg in the slow cooker is my last resort choice for a sunday roast + 2 days lunch sarnies for DS & I.

GreyQueen

prepareathome wrote: »

I have noticed that and also people freecycling less, plenty of wanted requests but about half the offered posts there were a year ago

I've noticed this about my Freecycle group, too. We're a huge group (upward of 20,000 members) and there used to be several hundred emails going into my Yahoo account each week. It was a major struggle to keep up with them. Alas, it is now a far more managable 20-30 a day, tops.

The volume really tailed off from about 2-3 months ago. I wonder if people in poverty or fear of poverty are hanging onto their stuff which they might need at some unspecified point in the future, or are trying to sell is as are in need of every penny. A lot of the things offered are not the sort of things you could easily sell, such as piles of old wood for burning etc but people are taking them.

I know that, in my family, unwanted stuff is first offered around inside the family, then to the next degree of association (friends and neighbours and friends of friends and neighbours) and only then goes to Freecycle/ the charity shop if appropriate. I expect most people do something similar.

I've given away quite a few things in 2011 and haven't really anything more to offer on Freecycle, and am fortunately not in need of anything at the mo, but I will keep on as a member.

quintwins

Cat501 wrote: »

Wouldn't mind a peeled stud myself for winter.....:D

ets - never normally take notice of typos but sometimes they just work out brilliantly....mine never do though!

love it :rotfl:

tiff

The OP didnt post again, hope this thread was helpful for their situation?

forgottendreams

Loving this thread. Thank you all for the hints and tips!!
I'm looking forward to a happy and frugal 2012 (with a little guidance and help from fellow MSE members)

[Deleted User]

I want to recommend a wartime cookbook

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Victory-Cookbook-Celebratory-Food-Rations/dp/0600602540/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1323272462&sr=8-5

it is marvellous and full of good os hints and tips as well as lots of basic methods. I got mine for 1p. I already know many of the tips as I was a ration-time baby but it is ideal for anyone open to learning about the os ways during rationing years

rosieben

tiff, I'm sure the op was a regular user under a new name

tiff

But why would they start a thread and not contribute to it?

vegasmags

Hello everyone

Please excuse me if I am stating the obvious as I am new to this forum! I've been really impressed by this thread and by the ingenuity shown.

I am a single pensioner finding it quite difficult to manage, but fortunately (!!) I spent many years as a single parent so since retiring have reverted to some of the tricks I used then. The funny thing is that my kids, who are now in their 30s, remember with great fondness some of my cheap meals and always demand them at family gatherings. So don't despair you young parents - your children will remember the things you made and the things you did with them not the things you struggled to buy them.

Some of our family favourites are:

Corned beef, onion and potato pie - gently brown the onions, then bung in a sauecepan with a cubed tin of corned beef and cubed raw spud. Boil up with a beef stock cube and some water, simmer til tender. Allow to cool then use as a pie filling.

Home made biscuits - the roll out kind. Still using the Christmas cutters bought 40 years ago!

Home popped popcorn - little oil in a pan, add the popcorn and don't remove the lid til it's stopped popping - although some smart alec always had to look 'to see how it was getting on'. Add salt and a bit of melted butter. A small handful feeds an army and feels like a treat.

Can I put in a plug for the pressure cooker? Yes, the initial outlay is quite significant, but especially when time is short you can cook a huge pan of fresh veggies in 8 minutes, and use the concentrated veg water in gravy or sauce. You can cook a stew from scratch in 20 minutes and tough cuts will be well tenderised.

I feel so sorry for all the families struggling to cope but am really heartened by all the resourcefulness people show.

oldtractor

Welcome Vegasmags I look forward to more of your wisdom and money saving ideas.