NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Jo4

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated. :beer:

dND

Jo4 wrote: »

Can I ask do you use milk and if so how do you only manage to purchase milk twice a month, is it long life milk rather than fresh milk?

I am trying to go to the shops less and be more organised however milk and bread are the two things that I always have to go to the shop for.

A bit late to the party as I am really busy (and kn*****ed) at the moment
Here in my area of France nearly everyone uses UHT milk as shops are generally a distance and home delivery isn't an option! I've got used to it although I do occasionally treat myself to a litre of full cream 'fresh' milk once or twice a year.

Having the UHT (which is bought in bulk) means that every so often I can decide to make paneer/curd cheese and when I do, I save the whey to make soda bread. The soda bread is really quick to make and freezes well. I divide the loaf into 8 portions rather than the traditional 4 as I find it really filling. It also keeps well for a few days without freeing. The whey from 1 litre of milk is enough for 2 or 3 one pound loaves.

I'm still trying to read the thread each day even if I'm not managing to contribute much so a quick welcome :hello: to all newcomers, you'll gain so much from this thread. :grouphug:to all those who need one and :j:beer: to everyone else. NBI is the way to stop that hamster wheel and not be ground down by unrealistic aspirations portrayed by marketing people. You can be sure that as soon as you have purchased whatever they deem is the 'thing' to make you eternally happy, the goal will be changed and they will try and convince you that you 'must have' something else. Happiness, in my opinion, comes from within.

WeeMidgie

Another user of UHT milk here. I buy Morrie's 6 packs of full cream milk. More than any other brand, it tastes just like the Danish UHT I was brought up on in the Middle East, fresh milk wasn't available in those days. It was the post WW2 era, and nothing got wasted. I remember my mother sieving the flour when she got home from the oil camp's only food store, to remove the weevils which were just accepted as an inevitable hazard! Flour was a staple, and none of it arrived without the wee beasties. So it was sieve them out, or go hungry. Our life would be considered very primitive by today's standards, but that was normal at the time.

Drinking water was a precious resource and was filtered then stored in empty Haig whisky & Gordons gin bottles in the fridge. Tap water was desalinated and was unfit for drinking. I couldn't believe when we came home to the UK for school, that we were running baths of drinking quality water and then sitting in it and getting washed! It felt totally decadent!

As well as using UHT with my breakfast porridge, I use it to make yogurt in my Easiyo, instead of buying the expensive sachets, or having to heat up fresh milk and cool it. I always have enough in stock to keep me going in bad weather, or if I'm not well enough to get to the shops for any reason.

Like JackieO, I no longer eat bread, but I'm not a fan of crackers and so I have oatcakes instead. As these are also long lasting, my trips to the shops are more infrequent and usually I'm just looking for fruit, veg, protein for me and of course cat food for the cats!

[Deleted User]

Ah great another non-bread eater,some of my friends seem to think it odd not to eat bread but I just got fed up of it going green as I never was much of a bread eater anyway I don't miss sandwiches at all or toast for that matter I will buy the Rice cakes as a change from Crackerbread or Ryvita and enjoy scrambled eggs with rice cakes.

I used to have a breadmaker which was unused, and sat growing a nice layer of dust on top of the kitchen cabinet I did offer it to someone on here who lived locally, but although they said they would love it and pick it up they never appeared, so I have now donated it to my DGS's G/F Katie who carted it off to Norwich along with DGS Ben to Uni, and I believe she has found excellent use of it as she shares a student house with five other hungry young men.

She is the Mother Earth of making bread for all the boys in the house,but she makes sure they do the washing up in exchange :):) Atta girl Katie ,she's learning fast :):)

candygirl

That's so clever of Katie, Jackie O! I used to have a breadmaker, and followed all the instructions, but always ended up with bricks, so I freecycled it :mad:;)
In the spirit of NBI I have just made an agreement with DD, for her to buy the DGKD'S prezzies from me, and I will give her the cash, as I have no idea what they want

DuranGirl

Oh pooh... I had planned for today to be a mini-spend today (£2 breakfast deal in the work canteen to catch up with a friend on maternity leave). On the plus side, I didn't spend that £2. On the minus side, my car lost power on the way to work. Thank goodness for the AA (35 minutes to get to me ):A - that's worth the membership. However, it turns out that my throttle has packed up, so needs replacing at £120 plus VAT and labour. :eek: My mechanic is fab and won't fleece me (been going to him since I bought my first car over 20 years ago), and I'll get it back tomorrow (so today is NSD!). Thank goodness I'd started to really batten down the hatches last month, as I will be able to afford it from my current account, even though I'd had an unplanned expense of college fees for my DS as well. I won't need to delve into the emergency fund or (worse still) ask my parents, although they have helped out massively today by helping me sort out the garage stuff and will be taking DS to the Drs tomorrow. Thanks to MSE Forums getting me on track, it's a pain but it's not a crisis. On another plus side, I'm having to work from home for two days which saves petrol! Going to make a lovely HM quorn cottage pie to feel warm and cosy now.

candygirl

I'm also an uht milk drinker, but only use it in brews n baking really, as am not really a milk fan! Wish I could day the same about bread, as have just got the luscious seeded batched loaf from ald1! Yummy
I thought I was new to this thread, but remembered posting about my poorly pooch Candy, earlier in the year:o
Have been to the retail park today for a refund on a top I bought! DD and I were meant to be Xmas shopping, but it was that hot in the shops, and my legs are really sore today, so we came home:( think i'll have to do it all online from now on

Lynplatinum

Evening All

I try not to eat too much wheat as well so I, like WeeMidgie, have oatcakes or HM museli for breakfast (toast oatflakes and nuts and add varieties of dried fruit yum yum ) I eat a lot of rice and am trying to loose weight so am on the low fat yogurt as well.

Son has been delivered back home to Hastings and have spent the day clearing up plaster dust - only to find another place it has nestled itself!!! A very kind friend popped in for an hour and gave me a big bag of faller apples so they need processing and putting into freezer tomorrow!:j

As son has gone home (with loads of his clutter) can now get down to NBIing. Firstly eating up food remains (quiche and aubergines!). Secondly though am going to try to up my NBI days (taking inspiration from you guys - especially Jackie O ( you only seem to shop twice a month! Wow!):j Plan to do this with using soup for lunch as it is now the weather for this rather than always salad for lunch. Salad seems to go off well before 2 weeks (except for iceberg lettuce - but that is just so boring - little gems sometimes last - any tips folks??????????) And eat up lentils etc.

Also need to do e-bay/gumtree stuff quickly!!! Although son was fed HM most of the time - the bill was obviously bigger than when on my own. £30 for each week (but there is enough left for me for a week) + a meal out for 4 which cost £30 as well (cheap and a very good time with my lads and DS1's lady). So compared to plan am £85 down. hopefully i can make some of this back

Trying to get back to frugal ways and getting used to being on my own. I did manage to do some reading as a treat which is something I haven't done for a week!!:T

Tomorrow is ceiling painting and then finances review - can I improve on the mortgage and should I move it even although I plan to move soon???
Will let you know how I get on
TC all Nite!

[Deleted User]

Lyn my Iceberg lasts well as I have a lettuce keeper which is a round bowl with a lid and inside there is a spike which I impale the lettuce on.I bought it years ago from Bettaware I think, but it has saved me a fortune over the years The little gem which I will buy if on offer some times I wrap individually in tinfoil and that also,like celery wrapped in foil lasts very well I did read somewhere that if you tear chunks of lettuce off with your hands and never use a metal knife lettuce will last longer and not get the browning edges I have a plastic knife I use sometimes or just my hands and so far the only bit to get binned is the stump :):)
I never buy those bags of lettuce leaves as they go off too quickly and get quite slimy.They are sprayed with chemicals to make them last longer as well. ugh

Today I am going this morning to a wood turning exhibition at Aylesford Priory that I was told about last night at quiz night.Then this afternoon I am off to the U3A Monthly meeting.so busy day today as I also have the dogs to let out at lunchtime and the DGS's snacks to get for when they get home from school. NSD foodwise though, but I may take some Happy cash with me to the wood carving place in case I see something nice to buy as a Christmas present for my DD. I have six birthdays before Christmas as well to find presents for !!!
Have a good day chums
JackieO xxx

candygirl

Arrrrrgggghhh!Just spent a mint on Frontline for the pooches at Pets at Home, then came home and saw it miles cheaper online! At least I know for next time:o Still they are so entertaining, they're worth it:rotfl: Both almost 13 and mad as a box of frogs lol;)