Nice People 13: Nice Save

Nikkster

Lamb, okra and aubergine curry was good
Was slightly concerned I'd been too enthusiastic when I added the chillies, but actually I guessed it just right

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

My cardboard is minimal. Kitchen roll inserts, loo roll inserts, food packaging boxes. What I do is start with the first food box whole. After that fold the food packaging boxes down (open top/bottom, they then lay flat, fold in half) and pop that inside the first food box - and keep repeating until it's full. It can take a month before one, small, instant stuffing mix box is filled with other cardboard items. When it's full I'll start a 2nd one. When I take them to the tip, every 2 months or so, it tends to be the equivalent of two 15p/supermarket own brand small stuffing boxes filled with other folded cardboard items. No more than that really.

For cans, I've opened a coconut milk today - I opened a tin of beans two days ago. I probably open about 3-4 cans/month maximum. I lay them on their side and flatten them from the top down, then I press on the base so it flattens down in line with the side.

Plastic bottles is mostly milk bottles - 2 litres. Maximum of 2/month. When empty, I rinse them out then stand on them to flatten tHhem.

In the past, when I've had something huge like a shop pizza box, I actually used to rip them up, into about a dozen pieces, so they took up least room possible.... although I've not had a pizza in a box for over 3 years (and that one was free as it was a mystery shopping assignment, so not bought from choice).

I think the biggest thing I'd like to get to grips with left would be tetra packs. We recently changed cat food packets, but were using tetra packs, and it was a pain because our local recycling centres do not recycle them.

We've gone on to foil packets which are more easily recyclable, but are annoyingly fragile in transit. :mad: not reasonable offset to minimise environment able impact of pet ownership when you need to have food deliveries twice to get complete orders.


RP buys packeted vegetables and stuff. Its amazing how much waste there is in those things. Plus you pay more. I just don't get it.


Edit: I also dislike jars that come with an extra bit of cardboard on them.....as if to prove they are worth something extra. Either the product its worth its price and the price of the jar or it is not. The cardboard bit is nothing but litter to me.. Even if it has a competition or a recipe or a pretty gingham pattern on it. It makes the jar more likely to slip and break, it makes more waste, its cost me more,and its made rubbish. I dislike it. I might pay a penny more NOT to deal with it such is my dislike of it. And fly covers on hardback books. And any packet in a packet or around a packet of produce of any sort. Just package it suitably once, eh? Make it easy, and package it in something the right size. Not only does it make you honest, it means I can fit what you are selling in my cupboards. Maybe even buy two of what you are selling and stack them.

Nikkster

lostinrates wrote: »

RP buys packeted vegetables and stuff. Its amazing how much waste there is in those things. Plus you pay more. I just don't get it.

I don't mind packeted veg at the right price (e.g. tonight's aubergines were Sainsbury's basics bagged ones reduced to 20p). Come to think of it the okra were packeted too - also 20p per pack.
I draw the line at pre-prepared carrot batons though. I wouldn't take them even if they were free. They're disgusting. (apologies to any NP pre-prep carrot baton fans out there)

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

These aren't part of my life at all.

If I emptied my cupboards right now and stacked up all my jars there'd be: malt vinegar, white vinegar, a coffee jar, half a jar of today's paste, one jam jar, one Branston jar; one cheapo (22p) lemon curd.

The vinegars are both over 2 years old; coffee is one/month; today's paste was a first ever; jam jar is 1-2/year; Branston is one every 2-3 years; curd is one every 3-4 years.

No booze here - and ketchup/brown come in plastic bottles at the rate of one each/year on average. Squash is plastic, had a rush of drinking those last summer, but not opened a new bottle for 2-3 months now (6 in the fridge).

We have a lot of jars. I think the majority of our fridge is jars. . I sometimes start 'yelling' that if one more jar enters the fridge without two leaving it there will be consequences. But its an empty threat. We ( fir and I ) keep jars going for years, and like variety. RP gets through astounding amounts of marmalade and jam and catsup for a diabetic and produces a lot of jars/bottles. I cannot tell you how many jams / toppings we have in the fridge currently , but it is probably in excess of three per person. I am certain some of them predate our moving here :oI use a bit of redcurrant jelly when I cook and like horseradish and haven't made my own for years ( though we did plant some late last year so maybe in the future!!!!!)

Coffee. We have different coffees. Decaff, RP's ( which we don't like) and ours ( which RP doesn't like, which ever brand I buy). I've given up trying to find one we agree on, its easier to buy three. We get through coffee even when I'm not drinking it, and use real coffee too. I'm not sure where the coffee goes. We have a disgusting number of teas. I did a filter last year, and put my foot down, limiting my self to three and asked the others to do the same and said we could keep one low caffien, like redbush or white or something.....( I gave them the choice ) as number ten.

I believe we now have something like two dozen tea varieties again most of them abandoned because they aren't nice. I don't mind so much the herbals or fruits, I'll eventually drink them. Its the varieties of builders tea blends that are icky, heavy and unpleasant. I've almost entirely stopped drinking builders tea.

In fact, sorting through those would be a good job for the week after next, I hope I remember that.

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

Death can change your perspective. If you die with money in the bank, then it seems a waste to have scrimped on a few veggie costs when buying pre prepared would have made food easier.

My dad used to sometimes buy pre-made mash, when it was reduced. I used to go mad at the time as mash is so easy to make (and in my opinion better) ... on reflection, if he liked the taste of it, then I wish I'd never moaned at him for buying it.

No, I'd rather the money was used for the things that would really bring pleasure. Chopped veg aren't those. Plenty are mentioned, so they should go and do them. Money in the bank is NOT my concern except RP lives to a budget which after has paid for chopped veg and other parts of their lifestyle makes other choices impossible. Buys chopped veg then spends a long time making food which RP likes and I don't (long enough to chop veg, and no physical reason not to). Glad eating what likes, and free to spend how they like, but sad that cannot budget more sensibly and enjoy things more.

lostinrates

Nikkster wrote: »

I don't mind packeted veg at the right price (e.g. tonight's aubergines were Sainsbury's basics bagged ones reduced to 20p). Come to think of it the okra were packeted too - also 20p per pack.
I draw the line at pre-prepared carrot batons though. I wouldn't take them even if they were free. They're disgusting. (apologies to any NP pre-prep carrot baton fans out there)

Bags are ok at a push. its the bag and a tray combo that really pushes me.

That said . I bought grapes yesterday as car food. ( and would have accepted carrot batons). I HATE eating in the car but I cannot go along time without fluid ATM and I cannot drink without piddling either ATM, and I had to be in the car for just over three hours, so keeping my mouth wet with grapes seemed a not quite best solution. Same today without the grapes and I know grapes made a more comfortable option than no grapes.

Spirit_2

lostinrates wrote: »

There. You have one, let spirit be grandmama, she'd be amazing. It would have young grandparents and wise parents. Win win.

Spirit, I was wondering if there is some sort of mentoring scheme for young mothers who have not had the role model of stable family life. You'd be such a wonderful 'big sistery' or 'motherly' 'aunty' sort of mentor with no condensation, and a good blend of practicality and emotional support. When you feel ready maybe you could have tonnes of unofficial grand babies through such voluntary work?

( btw if I had babies I'd be signing up nice people for family......and you'd definitely get roped in for that compassion.......always good to pick people whose skills fill voids one struggles with )

There is an organisation called Home start that allocates volunteers to support families who have struggles. The criteria is that the family have a child under age 5. It is an organisation that is on my list.

Today we had a couple in the mid 30's for lunch. ////they have 5 children aged 9 months to 10 years. They are the nicest children I know, we had a fabulous time, there are two fabulous parks in the woods here, so got to see our 2,5 year old odd child playing in tee pees and tree houses then when her older siblings went to the older childrens park she went too and scrambled up nets, and had a good go at walking along chains and logs. She is very girly but fearless and confident. We had a wonderful afternoon, they also brought their 9 month old lab b i t c h, so Oh also took the kids and dogs out for a long walk. had rib of beef for lunch ( huge and delicious) then waited and had pudding of apple and blackberry crumble when we got back from the park.

silvercar

silvercar wrote: »

There is an initiative called Home Start. I think it has been rolled out to most of the country by now. It matches volunteers with parenting skills to young people struggling.

Spirit wrote: »

There is an organisation called Home start that allocates volunteers to support families who have struggles. The criteria is that the family have a child under age 5. It is an organisation that is on my list.

Great minds.

Tonight we went out to a local bakery/ cafe that has just opened a locally. I hope this is a soft opening, because they have some teething problems.

silvercar

vivatifosi wrote: »

I bet those prices still put people off. We have a completely new system here. Everyone I know thinks it is much better (unless they live somewhere like a flat, where the system is different). We have three huge bins. One is for household waste, one is for all recyclables, one is for garden waste. All are free to use. We then also have a kitchen caddy for food waste. I love not having to separate everything out and recycle way more than previously as a result. Very rarely is my household bin full, but the recycling one often is.

We have the same, our green bin is always empty, the recyclable bin always full and the household waste is about half full.

LydiaJ

Spirit wrote: »

You have role models on here about single parenting with Sue and lydia,

Meant to thank you for that comment, Spirit.

vivatifosi wrote: »

They charge you to collect recycling or garden waste? I don't see how they can meet their targets to avoid landfill if they charge people not to use landfill. Strange policy.

They charge for a garden waste bin here too.

vivatifosi wrote: »

I bet those prices still put people off. We have a completely new system here. Everyone I know thinks it is much better (unless they live somewhere like a flat, where the system is different). We have three huge bins. One is for household waste, one is for all recyclables, one is for garden waste. All are free to use. We then also have a kitchen caddy for food waste. I love not having to separate everything out and recycle way more than previously as a result. Very rarely is my household bin full, but the recycling one often is.

My dad's council is like that. The range of recyclables they collect is a lot better than here too. We have a sack on top of the fridge for "Grandpa recycling" where we put things his council will recycle but ours won't, and then either we take it or he collects it when we see him. Our recycling takes a limited range of stuff and you have to sort it or they complain.