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Is OS *REALLY* cheaper?

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  • Bargain_Rzl
    Bargain_Rzl Posts: 6,254 Forumite
    Supermarkets are getting less and less attractive to me these days. I increasingly look at items on the shelves and think, I could make that, mine would be nicer and then walk on by.
    Sorry if this is off topic but... I do this in restaurants too :o If I'm in, say, an Italian restaurant, I will generally choose the chef's special or something else interesting. I just can't bring myself to pay £8 for a medium quality tagliatelle carbonara, spaghetti alle vongole or gnocchi alla gorgonzola when I know I could do it at home for a tiny fraction of the price!
    :)Operation Get in Shape :)
    MURPHY'S NO MORE PIES CLUB MEMBER #124
  • troll35
    troll35 Posts: 712 Forumite
    Funny thing reading all these posts and agreeing with them wholeheartedly, I suddenly realised that I have never bought or eaten a supermarket readymeal ever. Of course I've had take-aways as treats or when DH or I have really not wanted to cook but it's never crossed my mind to buy a readymeal. Maybe it's because I've been OS from the tender age of 13 when I took over the kitchen at home due to being thoroughly fed up with my dad's limited choice of menu (I hit the big 40 this summer).

    OS rocks!! :)
    I like to live in cloud cuckoo land :hello:
  • daysieblue
    daysieblue Posts: 406 Forumite
    lil_me wrote: »
    Difference I noticed the most, today unlike every time we've had a take away curry or one of those bags from supermarket, I don't have an upset stomach!

    LOL! This made me laugh so much :) Last week we were treated to a curry by the ILs, and the following morning DH was making some monstrous smells! Unfortunately the kiddies said it smelled like Mummy's Beef Stew (Last week's slow cooker offering - didn't go down too well!)

    Thank you every one for your comments, trust me, you are only confirming what I have always believed, but with your testimonies I feel I have a bit more strength to stand up for myself a bit more! First thing is, I will wrestle supermarket control form DH and do the shopping myself. He's always leaned towards doing it to give me a break (we both work full time and shopping is a trade off for homework duties) I think it may be time to take over :)

    db xx
    Official DFW Nerd Club - Member no. 360
    Thrilled to be member 21 of the "DMP mutal support club" LBM - 21.03.05
    Proud To Be Dealing With My Debts :T

    Trying SO hard to be O/S ;)
  • I look at it long term as well. Yes, it may be cheaper for a couple to eat 99p vlaue meals every day now, they will probably pay for it in later life with health problems that will end up costing.

    As well as looking at the cost, I would analyse the nutirional content of ready v homecooked and put that to your OH as well. Not sure how you can do that easily but I'm sure someone here will.
    NSD 0/15
  • Ive put 2 recipes on the April food challenge thread.They work out at about 35p for a serving! That is a decent size serving.
    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=4852926#post4852926
    Annual Grocery budget 2018 is £1500 pa £125 calendar month £28.84 pw for 3 adults
  • dizzy_lizzie
    dizzy_lizzie Posts: 2,952 Forumite
    Whilst out today in Windermere we were looking for something to eat. Difficult being a vegan and the usual beans and jacket potato was £5.75 in one place. I know why because of the facilities etc.but I refused to pay that much for something which will cost about 50p tops to make at home.
    Slightly off topic but you know what I mean. :D
    Official DFW Nerd Club Member no:219
    In the Court Of The Crimson King
    I don't believe in the concept of hell, but if I did I would think of it as filled with people who were cruel to animals.
    Gary Larson
  • likabu_2
    likabu_2 Posts: 408 Forumite
    Difficult being a vegan and the usual beans and jacket potato was £5.75 in one place. I know why because of the facilities etc.but I refused to pay that much for something which will cost about 50p tops to make at home.
    Slightly off topic but you know what I mean. :D

    I totally understand that. I find that I have to bite my tongue now on the rare occasions that we eat out, especially if we are dining with friends or family rather than just the 4 of us. What I want to say is "omg look at the price of that, what a rip off and I bet half of it has come from a packet/microwave".

    I have learnt that not everybody shares the same views and how people choose to spend their money is up to them. If we do eat out, then we tend to choose something off the menu that we wouldn't eat at home - otherwise what's the point of going out just to eat the same as you would have had at home but paying a premium to have someone cook it for you and not knowing exactly what has gone in it.

    I find restaurants to be heavy handed with the salt since everything has been cooked from scratch at home, you really notice the difference.

    Lisa
    Brassic!
  • Queenie
    Queenie Posts: 8,793 Forumite
    daysieblue wrote: »
    Thanks everyone, you have more than proved my point :) All I need to do now is print this off and stick it under DH's nose and see if he can digest it!

    db xx

    Before you do that ... remember, he's a bloke, he'll throw up other "logistics" which he may well feel backs up *his* theory ;) So, be prepared!!!

    As an example, he might well throw up the fact that, even though the cost of ingredients has been addressed, you still need to factor in the cost of the gas/electric of cooking the meals.

    I would answer that no self respecting OS'er would put the oven on *solely* for a lasagne or solely for a cottage pie, or solely for a pasta bake or casserole; because yes, he'd be right, the fundamental cost would soar - especially with energy prices as they are. A real OS'er would also use the other shelves in the oven to utilise the energy being used and whip up a rice pudding for dessert, a batch of muffins for the next days packed lunch, or even to bake ahead the next nights meal (ie a quiche perhaps).

    Or, your guy might well have a time and motion attitude towards cooking from scratch vs ready meals ... but, in reality, unless it's a stir fry, you are not tied to watching the meal cook throughout the whole cooking process. This means that while the meal cooks, you can be multitasking ... putting a wash load on or vacuuming or a quick flick with a duster or giving the kitchen a quick wipe down etc., etc.

    Maybe he's a bit shortsighted in the context which has been given in previous posts ie: not appreciating the longer term health effects of consuming goodness knows what in that 99p RM. Now, if either of you developed a condition, for example high blood pressure from the salt contents of those RM's, now you would need to factor into the cost all those prescriptions you'd be purchasing for the rest of your life :D And so on.

    Your question wasn't as clear cut as you first thought, huh! ;) :laugh:

    Good luck!!! But remember true old style wisdom: The proof of the pudding, is in the eating ;):D
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    PMS Pot: £57.53 Pigsback Pot: £23.00
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  • nearlyrich
    nearlyrich Posts: 13,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Hung up my suit!
    I don't do OS cooking just to save money to be honest, we enjoy cooking, we like quality food and I can't get excited about opening a box and sticking it in the microwave.

    I see people in the supermarket with a trolley full of ready meals spending a lot more than I do on my few bits to supplement my fresh shop at the greengrocer, butcher etc. I can add the fresh stuff and it still doesn't pay for the RM shop!
    Free impartial debt advice from: National Debtline or Stepchange[/CENTER]
  • tr3mor
    tr3mor Posts: 2,325 Forumite
    Queenie wrote: »
    remember, he's a bloke

    Why does this always boil down to a man/woman thing.

    It really annoys me. Most women I know can't cook for toffee, and virtually all well known chefs are men.

    I think you lot should give more credit to your partners. If it wasn't for them I doubt you'd have all the time to be a SAHM, post on here and mess around in the kitchen.

    :mad:

    Sorry, rant over! :p
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