What "Old Style" books should I reserve at my library???

Mics_chick

Finally joined my local library a month ago and have just found their online reservation service so what books would you recommend I have a look at???

I've already reserved Jocasta Innes' "The pauper's cookbook" and a book of slow-cooker recipes :T

They haven't got the Tightwad Gazette in their catalogue :rolleyes:

Anything else anyone can think of would be a great help MC xxx

Pink.

Hi MC,

Have a look through The Complete Old Style Book collection where there are lots of recommendations.

Also these very recent threads which haven't been added to the index yet:

good books money saving??

cook book help

Favourite recipe books

Pink

Mics_chick

Pink-winged wrote: »

Have a look through The Complete Old Style Book collection where there are lots of recommendations.

I didn't know this existed so I will have a look - Thanks Pink :T MC xxx

Mics_chick

I've found a book in the OS book collection called "How to Feed Your Family for £5" by Bernadine Lawrence.

My library don't stock it and I doubt they'll be able to get a copy easily coz it was published in 1995.

I've found a used copy on Amazon for £5.50 including p&p but does anyone know of any other sites I can check to see if I can get it any cheaper???

krispyg76

Yeah it was feed them for £5 at 1995 prices though!

These things annoy me as Ready Steady Cook does, it's like yeah your main ingredients cost under £5 but what about oil, herbs, spices etc? Not everyone has a cupboard full of spices. To stock ours cost £120 for all the dried herbs/spices that you really need for home cooking. That said it has been rare in the last 12 months I have had to buy anything, all I can think is light/dark soy and coriander leaf. That's it.

ceridwen

Hi:beer:

1. I have the Bernadine Lawrence book (entitled "How to feed your family for £4 a day" in my case - as its 1989 edition) - worth getting - though one does have to bear in mind the portions are a bit small! (ISBN 0-7225-1822-6)

2. I like Cas Clarke cookbooks myself - the ones that come to mind are:
- Peckish but poor ISBN 0-7472-3937-1
- Mean Beans ISBN 0-7472-4233-X
- Grub on a Grant ISBN 0-86287-306-1

3. I also have:
- Cooking on the Breadline ISBN 0-7225-0415-2 (by Jo Hatcher) (1978 book)
- New Paupers Cookbook ISBN 0-09-175434-8 (by Jocasta Innes and Kate Harris) (1992 book)
- Bubble and Squeak:the leftover cook book ISBN 0-7160-0831-9 (by Jan Arkless) (MCMXCI year - whatever year that is)
- Beyond Baked Beans Budget - Budget Food for Students ISBN 1-9045734-5-2 (by Fiona Beckett) (2006 book)

BOOKS ON OTHER SUBJECTS:
1. Doing up a dump ISBN 0-356-10829-5 (by Barty Phillips) (1985 book) (as title suggests - dealing with a dump of a house)
2. Futures - how to survive life after thirty ISBN 0-283-98490-2 (by Shirley Conran)(1979 book)
3. Down with Superwoman - the guide for everyone who hates housework ISBN 0-14-014894-9 (by Shirley Conran)

the Shirley Conran Superwoman series of books are a bit "dated" by now - but I still find them worth keeping.

thriftlady_2

This is a good one- published last year The New Spend Less Revolution by Rebecca Ash. It is subtitled 365 tips for a better quality of life while actually spending less.

My Frugal library consists of the above plus;
The Complete Tightwad Gazette
The More With Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre
Living More With Less by Doris Janzen Longacre
The Pauper's Cookbook (original 1971 edition and the new edition)
How to Feed Your Family on £5 a Day
Frugal Food by Delia Smith
The New English Kitchen by Rose Prince

It should be noted however that most of the money I save by using these books goes on buying more books:D

ceridwen

Reminded me to unearth my older books generally:

I've re-found books I have in the Pauperback series. Besides "Cooking on the Breadline" by Jo Hatcher (I already mentioned) - I also have "The Economy Kitchen" by Piera Smith and "Furnishing on a Shoestring" by Penny Muter.

Other books in the Pauperback series are:

Clothes for the Family
Food from your Garden
Holidays on a Budget
Homemaking on a Budget
House and Garden Maintenance
Making Money from Home
Renovating Furniture

This was a fantastic series of books published at low cost in the 1970s by Thorsons Publishers Limited.

They are very old-style and FULL of useful info. I see a couple of them are on offer on Amazon at present - obviously a few other people have kept them all these years.

THORSONS - IF ANYONE FROM THORSONS IS READING THIS - PLEASE PLEASE REPUBLISH THIS SERIES!

Mics_chick

Right! I'm off to see if my library has got any of these books

Mics_chick

Mics_chick wrote: »

I've already reserved Jocasta Innes' "The pauper's cookbook" and a book of slow-cooker recipes :T

I picked these 2 books up today and the "Pauper's Cookbook" looks very promising

krispyg76

You see to me it's like you say i'll save money yet go out and buy books. You can eat on a budget without books, live on supermarket offers and reductions wherever possible. I could write a book and tell people to do that. I could also say use cheaper ingredients and if taste is not your number one priority then even better.

It is about priorities, if have healthy filling meals is important then great, or you can have breakfast, skip lunch and have more to spend on an evening meal.

I'd say to people use your noodle and try budget/value versions of things. Sometimes it works, tesco jaffa cakes over mcvities ones, sometimes it doesn't, princess hot dogs are better than the 23p ones tesco sell. Supernoodles are supernoodles, 40p bachelor ones are not much better than 9p tesco value ones.

Rice/spaghetti/pasta just buy own brands, you do not need Uncle Bens. And do not buy microwave/boil in the bag unless you want to pay for packaging.

Buy what you need, if you need 1 onion, buy 1 onion, don't buy 3 if you won't use them. And if your supermarket only sells in bulk packs/bags then don't use them.

Don't buy pasta sauce, get passata and add in some dried oregano. Keep a jar of garlic and chuck in a bit of that as well.

Cooking is fantastic and yes it requires patience and I am not the most patient person by any means. But it is worth the effort when you sit down and enjoy your meal and more so when other people say to you that they enjoyed it too.

I fully believe that learning to cook, what to buy and how to use it is something that needs to be taught in every school. We did home economics 1 term out of 3 for the first 3 years, that's it. In that we learned how to do toast, tea/coffee, apple crumble, pizza, fruit salad and that's it.

I'm not anti ready meals, I bought one for Gemma last night as I got home about 8.30 and she couldn't stay up late as she has work early the next day. So in some circumstances they are ok.

But as a whole, learn how to make things, what goes with what and you really will not go wrong. It is an old fashioned method and it's one I grew up seeing but its the best and most economical way.