Balancing not just the budget

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

I also stopped off at Ald1 and fell in love with them again :rotfl: . I'm going to go back to the plan of getting meat from Wa1ro5e as it's the best I can find for British, ethical and reasonably cheap when frozen or on offer. (By way of contrast, the frozen chicken in Ald1 is from Brazil if you look at the cheap stuff and Poland for the premium.)

Have you thought of looking at the farm shops near you? Provided they don't call themselves something like "biodynamic" (Poncey means pricey! What does poncey mean? ) then they may well be competitive with the supermarkets' meat prices.

MuffinTops

I have a spiralizer Rosa, one of the full blown gadgets and, I hardly use it as it's big and needs putting together each time I want to use it. I did buy a vegetarian friend the spiralizing peeler type thing which was almost half the price and a lot smaller and he uses his loads as it just fits in the kitchen drawer.

Also, lots of people spiralize courgettes but it's too course for me. I much prefer cucumber for this as it's a much nicer texture for me. Mix in some tomatoes, chopped onions and other veggies or even fruits you like and pour over a home made sauce (tomato or an alfredo type veggie sauce) and you've got a full on meal with all of your 5 a day that stores well in a large mason jar to take to work for lunch! Mason jars store salads well too and, for me, are much nicer than using a plastic lunch box.

Writing all of this has just pulled out that information which had been buried deep! So thank you for making me think about that as I've just figured out another lunch idea for myself too.

MTxx

doingitanyway

Hello MT and Rosa, here to add my 10 cents to the spiralizer talk
I have a hand held device I bought in Lakelnd. It's stainless steel, just went to look but there isn't a name on it. I use it now and again but it works well. I have a tiny kitchen space but I'd love a proper spiralizer.

I also love a mason jar but also plain old jars do. I have been known to buy a particular brand of yoghurt just for their gorgeous jars (500ml and gold lids)

I've recently dumped all plastic containers in favour of glass

Hope your day is going well
DIA x

RosaBernicia

ZTD wrote: »

Have you thought of looking at the farm shops near you? Provided they don't call themselves something like "biodynamic" (Poncey means pricey! What does poncey mean? ) then they may well be competitive with the supermarkets' meat prices.

Hi Z, there are a couple of meat sellers at the farmer's market but they are really expensive and what I've tried doesn't seem any better quality, so even though I'd support them on principle I'm not prepared to pay the extra. Haven't looked at shops, though now I think of it there's one on the way home from the nearby office that I keep meaning to try out. I can investigate next week

Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Thanks MT and DIA

I'll have a Lakeland trip and look at spiralising things at the same time as risotto cooker. Best to make a trip of it as I need to take a friend along to drag me out again / hold onto my credit card :rotfl:


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

Today's chores:

• Cleaned the bins, also brought to you by FlyLady tip 'Soap is Soap', this is why my bins now smell of an expensive shower gel I didn't actually like and wasn't using for anything else
• Put yet another set of charity shop stuff in the car, ready to be taken in tomorrow. I am so pleased the charity shops now send you letters with the donation totals for Gift Aid - it means I know they get more from my stuff than they ever did from my direct debits and they will be doing particularly well out of me this year.
• Renewed the car breakdown cover
• Got annoyed with YNAB which took ages to pick up a transaction I put in via phone. But it seems to be sorted now and the budget looks OK. I'll reconcile it with accounts on Sunday.

I'm out Friday night and Saturday so everything else now has to wait! And I've had a note from next door that they are having the fence redone, and I will need to move stuff in my garden - so good timing to do that next week.

Rosa xx

doingitanyway

I must remember that 'soap is soap' So true.
I can really see since you finished your exams and became debt free that your focus has shifted to other areas of your life. It's nice to witness

ZTD

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Hi Z, there are a couple of meat sellers at the farmer's market but they are really expensive and what I've tried doesn't seem any better quality, so even though I'd support them on principle I'm not prepared to pay the extra. Haven't looked at shops, though now I think of it there's one on the way home from the nearby office that I keep meaning to try out. I can investigate next week

Don't forget this...

I like this place, but it's a bit far for you...

RosaBernicia

doingitanyway wrote: »

I must remember that 'soap is soap' So true.
I can really see since you finished your exams and became debt free that your focus has shifted to other areas of your life. It's nice to witness

Thanks DIA, that's really good to hear :A :T

I think it's true, but it's not so easy to keep track of when you're in the middle of things, so it's good to hear an outside perspective.

I really feel it's a new era of freedom :j


Rosa xx

RosaBernicia

ZTD wrote: »

Don't forget this...

I like this place, but it's a bit far for you...

Thanks Z, will look at that if the one on the way home from nearby office doesn't work out.

Rosa xx