Resisting takeaways

Stompa

eternal_optimist wrote: »

Why so smug?

We all have our weaknesses. So your's isn't takeaways? But i'm sure you have one (at least)!

That wasn't intended to be smug - and I don't regard takeaways as a weakness!

Nicki

eternal_optimist wrote: »

Why so smug?

We all have our weaknesses. So your's isn't takeaways? But i'm sure you have one (at least)!

Exactly my thought when I read these posts!

OP is tempted by takeaways and wants advice on how to resist.

Stompa isn't tempted, so what advice is she actually able to give on this thread Nothing it would appear, expect that OP should just become like her. Somehow I think some of the other advice posted may have been more helpful to OP and made her feel better about herself. Not sure how Stompa wanted her to feel though :rolleyes:

Stompa

Nicki wrote: »

Stompa isn't tempted, so what advice is she actually able to give on this thread Nothing it would appear, expect that OP should just become like her.

That's not what I was suggesting at all. I must take note that every post from now on must now include some constructive advice!

spendaholic

I wish I could resist takeaways. Free delivery in our area - and within 10 minutes in some cases - helps make them even more irresistable. Cooking for one is, in my opinion, no fun, and I've just come out of a 14 year relationship, so was used to cooking for 2. I also find that my grocery bill is no cheaper being just one.

I don't have a working oven at the moment, so it's even more difficult. But I will be making my chicken casserole, my spag bol and my chili con carne on the hob and making enough to freeze in individual portions.

Also, someone asked about chips? Rosemary Conley cooks her chipped potatoes for 5 minutes in boiling water seasoned with vegetable stock. Then she sticks them on a baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes. Couldn't the potatoes be frozen after they've been cooked in the stock and before they go in the oven? I'm going to give that one a go. When I get my oven back.

moanymoany

Have a look round the ready meal section of the supermarket, both fresh and frozen. Some of the fresh ones can be frozen and cooked from frozen, check them out.

See how long they take to cook and look at the components of the meal. You can then make similar meals, put them in microwavable containers and freeze. When you come in, take two out of the freezer and whack it into the microwave. You can make a selection of the types you would usually get as a takeaway.

If you want additional veg - open a can of value sweetcorn or cook up some frozen veg. It all takes less effort than a takeaway and fits in with what you like to get when you do have one.

Of course, you have to cook it in the first place, but you can make quite a few at a time. I know that it only takes a few minutes to cook pasta, but I'm sure that I've seen it in frozen ready meals. The idea is to have something that can be an entire meal without doing any more than press buttons - but on the microwave, not on the phone.

rwalker76

Look up you local takeaways food hygiene ratings on www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk

After finding out exactly how awful our local ones were we haven't dared go near them again! Saved plenty of money and we are probably eating much better for it too.

Princess_Jane

Best of both worlds - befriend someone like me who works part-time for a large pizza chain.

If bad orders or mistakes are made the food is usually given to staff, who are so sick of eating they bluddy things they take them home to their nearest and dearest.

My colleagues at my main job love it when I come in bearing pizza.

PS Our delivery is free, as long as you spend over £8, which isn't hard!

esthomizzy

boo81 wrote: »

How do you do this?

I meal plan but things go wrong, we stay out and get back late, we are too tired to contemplate cooking or we just dont fancy whats on the plan!

I make lunch portions in ex takeaway boxes (and buy new boxes from ebay when the old fall apart). Some people don't like to freeze rice but I find when I've cooked something like curry or chilli that a splodge of leftover rice topped with whatever tasty stuff I have handy freezes nicely and as long as I take it out of the freezer the afternoon before I want to eat it (we have a freezer, fridge and microwave at work thankfully) it works fine.

djdymond

hi every one

i found this thread really interesting. i think the people on here who are proud not to have a take away addiction are very lucky!!! and very smug heehee

i dont drink so i dont go to the pub, i hardly ever buy clothes so have no store cards or anything like that, i dont smoke so dont spend all that money every day. but everyone has theyre own vice that some people are ridiculous or cant see whats great about it. mine is deffo take aways

ive got into a terrible habit of wanting a taek away EVERY friday night. ive worked all week and come home to have 2 whole days to myself and spend time with my other half. im lazy anyway so the last thing i want to do on any day let alone friday night, is cook. my other half, bless him, doesnt enjoy cooking at all. not because hes lazy like me, but because hes hopeless at it. so if ive had a hard day, come home feeling unwell or lazy or hell, even in just a good modd, i fancy a take away!! normally either a curry or pizza. i then worked out that a year, were spending over a GRAND on take aways!! i nearly passed out! were actually getting married in oct 08 and it made me think if we stopped our take away addiction (IE- MY addiction!) this time next year, we would of saved up for a good photographer and still have a couple of months to go. so im trying really hard now..

i have found that those chicago town take away pizzas are pretty damn nice for about a fiver. last time i bought one, tescos were giving a side order free with them. now me and my other half normally spend quite a bit on takeaways, the largest pizzas, sides and sometimes even ice cream. totaling 25 quid (i know i know, you smug ones out there, dont tell me off, i know its bad) so to have a chicago town pizza for 5 or whatever it is, is a well good saving. no chopping etc, just bung in (i really must keep one i the freezer at al times.. practice what i preach!!!)

as for asda take away bags... being a real curry buff, i find them a bit fake... personally!!! thats just my own opinon if you guys out there like them (im really trying hard here not to have any nasty responses!!) BUT, some asdas have a "curry pot" (their own mini indian take away type counter..) my mum has bought theyre korma in a carton and really is like the real thing! again, just bung in and cook.

its def because i come home so hungry and tired.. maybe i should eat an apple before i leave work.

so thanks for reading and starting this thread, its def made me start to think what i can do to stop spending all that money (our poor curry house is gonna go out of business!!)

Helena
xxx

jimmyay

take aways places near me are super expensive, there's a thai takeaway that if you get a few corn fritters, green curry and rice it comes to about £13. has anyone else noticed the rampant takeaway inflation. pizzas are about £9 near me too ( i know its london) and you can spend £7+ on fish and chips.

this is quite a recent thing. the bad thing is they are quite near me so its easy to weaken, partic if partner is away on business!

some good tips here. i think just planning a bit and freezing tasty, easy to warm up food is great - home made little pizzas and the like are so so easy.

if you go to your local market and buy ingredients , and then look what , say a curry house / chinese - or particularly a pizza place - is actually selling you - you'll start resenting paying £7 for £1 worth of ingredients like i did.

still hard to resist ocassionally though. what's an acceptable frequency for takeaway weakness - probably once every 3 months, i'd say.