Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Lynplatinum

Hiya All

Have been out for the past few nights so am having a relaxing day today and have spent time catching up on the thread! yesterday afternoon I spent in a nice warm kitchen because the oven was on - thus saving on the central heating - and used all the oven space by cooking a shepherd's pie (some for tea and 3 portions for the freezer); a jacket potato for lunch; and baking raw beetroot (wrap them in tin foil with a sprig of thyme - bake for roughly an hour depending on size). Using all the oven space is a very old idea but it really does save money!!

Also turned out another kitchen cupboard!! Cs here I come !!

I never have SR flour in the house because my dear old cookery teacher at school taught me that for every 8 oz (200g) of plain flour you add 1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder and it works just the same - in those days SR flour was a few pence dearer than plain flour so you saved money. Now my cupboard space is tight and so doing this saves on space as well! Hope this helps you Cheerfulness 4 in our 'lack of SR flour' - you dont actually need it (if you have plain as well in the cupboard!

Of now to iplayer the 'Eat Well for less prog - I am intrigued given the various comments on here!

cheerfulness4

What a bargain, Silvasava! I love charity shops. In fact when we go on holiday its one of my thrills pottering around the different ones there. Mum and Dad come with us and we have a lovely time as even DH enjoys 'the thrill of the find' too.

I've just had the last fishcake leftover from yesterday for my lunch and bizarrely found it really good. :huh:
The flavours seemed to have mellowed and were delicious. Perhaps the way to go with those is to make the day before and then cook the next or cook and then reheat the next.
In my little book the recipe goes.

cheerfulness4

Lynplatinum wrote: »

I never have SR flour in the house because my dear old cookery teacher at school taught me that for every 8 oz (200g) of plain flour you add 1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder and it works just the same - in those days SR flour was a few pence dearer than plain flour so you saved money. Now my cupboard space is tight and so doing this saves on space as well! Hope this helps you Cheerfulness 4 in our 'lack of SR flour' - you dont actually need it (if you have plain as well in the cupboard!

Of now to iplayer the 'Eat Well for less prog - I am intrigued given the various comments on here!

You've just saved me googling it. I remembered that you could do it but I wasn't sure of the quantities or if it really did do as good a job. Thanks.
I will do that because I have still have several little packets of plain that are quite OOD. Again stuff that I found in stocks stored in weird places in house and lost.
I've been successfully still using it in my baking but its time it was gone and I replenished my stocks with some fresh.

misstara

Had the free bagels and HM soup again for lunch today - very yummy . Currently heading up to work so will eat there for free tonight.

Went food shopping earlier and spent £34.89 - bit more than usual (£30pw is my usual budget) but I stocked up on toilet rolls, washing tabs etc so hopefully won't need to buy those in Feb.

Loving all the recipes being posted on this thread, I have all the ingredients in for the gingerbread so will be attempting that at some point during the week.

future_is_bright

Hi, I have been lurking in the background reading and learning from everyone's posts. I have just used up a pair of old tights my mum gave me (personally I cannot bear to wear tights) to sort out my wrapping paper, it works wonderfully. Far better than being jammed up on a shelf and every time I go to get a roll the rest would fall all over the place.

ziggy2407

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

Ziggy- sorry to hear you had such a rough 2014 but its a brand new year and we can all have some fun with a bit of make do and mending together, can't we? I find it so relaxing and you sound like that is exactly what you need.
Well done on paying off that mortgage, too. That has to be a lovely feeling.

We stopped buying fruit juices in favour of the whole fruit a bit ago but I found the facts on juices and breads interesting.

Effyb4 wrote: »

Welcome to the thread Ziggy. It's a great place for ideas. I had a heart attack in 2013, followed by emergency bypass surgery. I was 40 and previously healthy. I have had to halve my hours at work due to heart failure, which has made money tight but it really has helped me to look at my priorities. I enjoy the small things in life now.

I wish you health and happiness in 2015.

silvasava wrote: »

:wave:Hi All

Effy & Ziggy - glad you are both OK now. DS2 had massive heart failure last year at 45 so I can appreciate how you both feel. He's doing well too. Its so shocking to hear of so many 'youngsters' having heart problems for no apparent reason. Hugs to you both.

Thank you all for the warm welcome and best wishes, cant wait to read and post.

Silvasava - well done on the zips

vhalla1478

Well everyone, I succumbed to the Le Creuset cafetiere; but only because it was almost 25% less than the cheapest I could find online, in a colour to match my new mugs and a pantry light made from a copper dolly posser - am I sad or what? But together with my growing army of herbs they brighten up my predominantly grey kitchen, also cheered up with a rust, grey and cream striped cotton rug. I can't do anything about the basic kitchen even if I could afford to - I rent my house. BUT, I'm pledging now that I'm going to allow myself only a budget of £10 for February - a very short month - for milk and fresh fruit and vegetables. The beauty of an old farm cottage is that it has a pantry almost as big as the kitchen so I am well stocked up on basics - there's something very satisfying about rows of old fashioned jars full of dry goods. Wish me luck and watch this space. I know you can all keep me in line!

Viv xx

vhalla1478

I should also add that my daughter-in-law keeps chickens so I get free, free-range eggs!

DollyDabbler

[QUOTE=cheerfulness4
Savers cornflakes were rejected by DH some time back (as were Kelloggs) but we'll give those another try in case the recipe has changed or DH has!
QUOTE]

To get DS to eat less expensive cereal, I bought a box of both and mixed them together 50/50 in a container, he didn't notice the difference. Gradually it went to 1/3 Kellog 2/3 alterntive

cheerfulness4

That was a clever idea, Dolly. Cereal gets so expensive particularly if they load their bowls up as DH and DS do.
DH's favourites are Morrisons own standard ones but he's always open to try others.


My dad did the half and half things with a cheap coffee and Nescafe. Now that really did notice. Yuck!


No spends again today.


DAY 30
Money Spent Today - £0 Vouchers Spent - £0
Money Spent in Total - £80.68 Vouchers Spent in Total - £5
Money left in purse - £9.32 - Float left- £0/£15
Jan non-foods left- £0/£15

Must go to Aldi tomorrow and pick up a few bits. With tomorrows money I will have £12.32 at my disposal. That seems like a huge amount now but would have been nothing a while back.