The commonsense thread

mummysaver

Thank you OP, finally a proper OS thread about preparing ourselves

I love all the great ideas that everyone has come up with, whilst I can panic as much as the next woman, I do feel it's only sensible to prepare for 'normal' emergencies.

My best tips are all food related, as I enjoy cooking and am greedy lol! I bulk buy items I use a lot when they are on offer, but only if they are things that won't go off obviously! I stocked up on tinned toms when they were 25p a can in our Tesco, and I shall do the same with baked beans next time they are on offer. I always buy heaps of flour, as I bake our bread, and make a lot of cakes, pastry, etc, and there are seven of us. To some my cupboard may appear as a stockpile, but we get through the food fairly quickly, and my cheffy OH is very good at stock rotation (or at least nagging me about it!) I do however like to keep good supplies, it makes me feel relaxed!

I do my utmost to use up leftovers, disguised as something else: Spanish chicken leftovers became the basis of a pasta bake; or simply frozen down as a ready meal for when I'm in a hurry or cba! Sunday's roast chicken was stripped, half the meat has gone into a creamy tarragon sauce to be served over brown rice tonight with some leftover green veg, and the other half is waiting with the leftover baked ham to become a pie. This is possible because tonight I only have four meat eaters for dinner, and the pies require next to no chicken if served with plenty of veg and potatoes - I can do a rubber chicken with the best of them, but I can't work miracles!

I have started to grow my own veggies more seriously too, whilst we aren't at the stage of self sufficiency, we currently have plenty of spinach, squashes, courgettes, beans and raspberries, which all help with the budget. Now is a pretty good time to stock up on seeds too, as most places are selling them off cheaply.

I think the advice about not being a superhero is very wise, we all have different abilities, inclinations and priorities, so judging ourselves against others is daft, but carefully thinking about adapting or adopting others' ideas is good old style behaviour

lilmisskitkat

taplady wrote: »

very posh!:D maybe thats a tip we can all use too - make the even the plainest of meals sound posh by giving it an exciting title;) if it makes the kids eat up the leftovers its a good idea in my book:T

I'm always giving things grand-sounding names for DH and the kids too lol

This is a great idea for a thread. I'll admit that some of my os ways have slipped in the last couple of years as money was easier but now we've moved house it's back to belt-tightening again so it'll be good to refresh my memory with some common-sense

One thing i always do, because it's easier for me as well as money-saving is have 'carry-over' meals quite often. If we have a meal with new potatoes i always cook extra and the next day will be Spanish Omelette. Stew will be had with dumplings one day and then leftovers topped with pastry and served with chips and peas the next. Sausage and mash i cook extra sausages and chop them up in a pasta bake the next day. There are loads more ideas too, i think there is a thread on here somewhere for 'planned leftovers'.

It means i spend less time in the kitchen (very, very clingy DD2 at the moment, not even allowed to wee on my own ) or if i'm not well then DH can take over cooking and not have to do too much (which confuzzles him bless!)

And we always take our own drinks/snacks when we go out. Hot chocolate in a flask and a hm biccy is a real winner in winter with the kids.

K xx

fuddle

bubble and squeak cakes is how we use leftovers here. I also use left overs from mince and onions the next day by adding a bit of potato and popping a crust over the top.

One thing I don't do like my grandma is use corned beef for pies and hash. Was it cheaper back then? I can't justify buying a tin really.

Karen_

I would agree that over stocking is a waste of time and money. I have a larder with some basics that I use regularly (flour, suet, gravy powder, sugar, eggs, butter, stock, cinnamon, pudding rice etc), a few tins (I mean 2 or 3) of baked beans, chopped tomatoes and tuna and some pasta. I do not see the point of buying loads of things and storing them just in case we are invaded by aliens/end of world/nuclear war.

I can see that it is sensible to have a few days/weeks food supply in case of bad weather/illness etc but I think people can get too carried away. I'm sure much of what people stockpile does not get used and that is a real waste.

My tips would include meal planning (use up that stockpile!). Since doing this my weekly food bill has gone down from £50 to £25 ish. I have a good sized veg and fruit plot and also forage for lots such as nuts, fruits and mushrooms (this saves loads of money). Also eat fruit and veg that are in season if possible.

Cook from scratch and bulk out meat dishes with plenty of veg. For example, to a packet of turkey mince I add a tin of value tomatoes, grated carrot, any other surplus veg etc, some stock and this will make enough mince for 3 cottage pies.

Make your own lunches/drinks for when at work or out and about.

Do not wash clothes just because you have worn them once. I don't smell honest:)

errm...I'm sure I can think of some more tips

lilmisskitkat

fuddle wrote: »

bubble and squeak cakes is how we use leftovers here. I also use left overs from mince and onions the next day by adding a bit of potato and popping a crust over the top.

One thing I don't do like my grandma is use corned beef for pies and hash. Was it cheaper back then? I can't justify buying a tin really.

Not sure about your Gran's days but a few years ago Corned beef hash was a cheap meal for many on here, since then the price has shot up, even Smartprice was £2 a tin :eek: it has now gone down to £1.54 which is the same as Lidls. I like to have a few tins in stock in the winter for an easy meal. DH and DD can both also take leftovers to work/school. If you pad out a corned beef hash with lots of veg then a tin will go a long way

K xx

OrkneyStar

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

On the sales issue, I disagree especially in the New year, I buy all of my paper, cards, gift tags and crackers and sometimes if I see something that I know someone in the family would love I buy that and have done for years. This has not only saved me a lot of money, it helps me to avoid the pre Christmas panic buying, being disabled it is a total nightmare for me.
I have always had a stock cupboard which has saved our bacon no end of times and enough money put by to pay the mortgage and cover bills for three months. This is because I know how long it takes to get any form of financial help from the DWP.
We grow our own fruit and veg and go foraging as well and we all love bargain hunting as a family, it has actually made us closer.

Are you sure you disagree? The OP said buy things if you need them, I would interpret wrapping paper and the bits you describe as things you (or your family) will need. I think if you bought bits for the next 50 years, for your whole street then I'd disagree, but Christmas reliably seems to come year after years, so I'd say that is sensible buying, more than stockpiling ?
Also the stock-cupboard is different than excessive stock piling. A couple of months supply of basics is a really good idea, 5 years worth of tinned something or other less so.
Just my tuppence-worth

fuddle

I must admit I don't know whether I'm coming or going with whether it's a good thing to have a stock or not so I'm going with the idea that I have no more than 3 of any item in my pantry (it's an upstairs cupboard ) Except for my months worth of beans and tinned fruit/tinned custard.

I have a had a wobbler recently about how my stores will not see us through these predicted food price rises but I calmed down and give myself a pinch. The whole reason I began to have a store of food was so I could make wholesome meals with items that I have a store of, buy it when I can at a cheaper/bulk price and not have to shop at the Coop daily to buy things as it's very expensive imo.

I do have a stock of things like toilet paper, path salt, candles and matches, bottled water etc in case of really bad weather or we loose utilities for a little while.

I don't like to really think further ahead than that but sometimes it's difficult and I do get sucked into ideas and experiments. I guess I'm enthusiastic and eager to learn more about frugality but I need to keep grounded and take what is relevant to me so I can do my housewife job and look after my family in our home.

faerie~spangles

Oh I've been reading the zombie thread and others, and have gone from panicking because of my lack of stores to what will happen will happen.

I have neither the finances or the storage space to stockpile food stuffs.

Weirdly I have two wall cupboards full of herbs, spices, stock cubes and pre-made flavourings.

charlies-aunt

Loving this thread!

I enjoy reading all the OS threads, lots of great ideas and lots of support. Along with many others on MSE, we have struggled with debt, unemployment, redundancy etc and its a constant battle to make ends meet on a day-to-day basis.

For me, a good stock cupboard is the way to go and buying what's on offer and planning the weeks meals around the offers rather than to a rigid meal plan. Having grown up in the countryside, having a well stocked pantry/store cupboard of HM jam, preserves plus tinned and dried goods, candles, fuel etc is just a way of life.

Bring it on for commonsense :T

Popperwell

I think we mostly agree. Most of us that have a stock cupboard(I turned my dining room into a store as I don't sit down at the table for meals)it could be any room. It's dry and tinned foods and I do it for protection against price rises/income reducing. To take advantage of offers, most of the items have good dates on them(I have some that are ok into 2017 already)It gives choice and variety. Most of my plans are not for emergency scenarios...

The gadgets I have are mainly purchased in case I cannot afford them in the future but also to make life easier(especially when preparing meals)and to try not to use too much electric.

And like many on here I do eat lots of meals/snacks that require no cooking or as little as possible and as one poster said I'll eat cereal at any time not just Breakfast nor do I stick to set meal times and I too often carry a meal over to the next day...it might be the same one or just changed ever so slightly.

And like many to stay warm I'll wear suitable clothes or dive under the duvet to avoid putting the CH on. And I do think it is a good idea to have all the other bits and bobs like candles, torches, matches etc...

I don't think we are much different on the whole...

I sometimes wish that my neighbours shared items more(not in a hippy/commune sort of way)but it could save time and money if you could share a meal with someone or buy items in bulk, as many sites are on the net and food is cheaper than in the shops and then we could benefit by getting food sometimes cheaper than in the shops. And doing so get some of the more expensive/good food that many can no longer afford. I suppose its a bit like a cooperative...

That's not to say that a lot of the food that are brands that are advertised in the media are not good quality. For years most of what I buy are rarely in an ad and are own brands.