Hugh's War on Waste

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  • Rainy-Days
    Rainy-Days Posts: 1,454 Forumite
    dreaming wrote: »
    - the thing is I don't buy more than I need and don't chuck it out unnecessarily.


    I received my local government pension this year from employment back in the 70s - the grand sum of £11.71 a month! Still hasn't brought my income up to the tax threshold.

    I have been typing about this very thing over on another thread. It won't go down well of course and quite honestly I don't care if I am castigated as the forum Bigot - the issue is simple, we are buying too much, wasting even more and have lost the principles of cooking from scratch!

    BTW that food from the back with the market - well known trick and my Mum got caught a few times with it.

    Pensions - seems to be clear that if you were a teacher, planning officer, fireman or junior management upwards you can do very well out of the LA pension scheme. Those in administrative positions, from what I have read on here, seem to fare the worst!
    Cat, Dogs and the Horses are our fag and beer money :D :beer:
  • dreaming
    dreaming Posts: 1,139
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    Rainy-Days wrote: »
    I have been typing about this very thing over on another thread. It won't go down well of course and quite honestly I don't care if I am castigated as the forum Bigot - the issue is simple, we are buying too much, wasting even more and have lost the principles of cooking from scratch!



    I don't think you should feel that anyone would judge you as I think we are mainly all saying the same things on here, and mostly trying to do "our bit".


    I think that is pretty much all we can do - focus on our own behaviour first, and try to help those who might ask for advice. The truth is that many people have little choice but to rely on the supermarkets whether because of lack of alternatives, or lack of time or money. Unfortunately the supermarkets know that and so the power is all on their side. That is not to say that I think we should all just put up with it, and I fully support the various "celebrity" initiatives to highlight these issues which can serve to both educate those who may not be so aware of the problems, as well as challenge the supermarkets, However, I believe that it is going to be a long haul, and although many businesses are promoting their "ethical" values is it just a marketing tool? I used to believe that W***rose was pretty good but have read stories about them not being quite so up to the mark as they propound.
  • Rainy-Days wrote: »
    The issue is simple, we are buying too much, wasting even more and have lost the principles of cooking from scratch!

    I'm sorry to say that your assessment here is just plain wrong.

    The problem here is that things wether its food, clothes, washing machines whatever are simply way way too cheap.

    If your paying just over £2/kg for an Aldi/Lidl chicken so what if half of it ends up in the bin. If on the other hand your pay £15/kg your going to make damn sure that it doesn't end up in the bin.

    Same goes for everything else if your £150 washing machine goes bang after the years warranty you buy another one at £150 and if that goes after a year you just buy another.

    All people care about is the headline price, they know the price of everything but the value of nothing.
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,539
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    Rainy-Days wrote: »
    I have been typing about this very thing over on another thread. It won't go down well of course and quite honestly I don't care if I am castigated as the forum Bigot - the issue is simple, we are buying too much, wasting even more and have lost the principles of cooking from scratch!

    I wouldn't disagree with you in principle, but I think the majority of people posting on the OS board aren't guilty of buying too much & wasting too much because most of us meal plan to avoid waste & can cook from scratch. :)
    The last thing I threw away that might have been usable was a nub end of a ys half cucumber (5p) and that was a fortnight ago.
  • fuddle
    fuddle Posts: 6,823 Forumite
    That's the same phrase you used to comment on my DH's handyman skills Mr_Singleton while calling him stupid.

    Rainy_Days assessment isn't plain wrong but you're welcome to say you think that the assessment is plain wrong. :)

    I would, however, agree a little with what you're saying but I do think it's more down to consumerism ideals in that easy come easy go is a mindset that so many people subscribe to, and have been sold to, because that is how our economy grows. Of course, just my opinion.

    The ability to appreciate isn't cost reliant in my opinion.
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,539
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    I think we're all preaching to the converted here (on the OS board).

    Mr_Singleton, you may be right that SOME people are as you say - maybe even a majority - but you're 100% wrong about me!
  • Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tells MSE his top tips for cutting food waste...
    Read the full story:

    Guest Comment: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's war on waste

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    Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.
  • I'm sorry to say that your assessment here is just plain wrong.

    The problem here is that things wether its food, clothes, washing machines whatever are simply way way too cheap.

    If your paying just over £2/kg for an Aldi/Lidl chicken so what if half of it ends up in the bin. If on the other hand your pay £15/kg your going to make damn sure that it doesn't end up in the bin.

    Same goes for everything else if your £150 washing machine goes bang after the years warranty you buy another one at £150 and if that goes after a year you just buy another.

    All people care about is the headline price, they know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

    Its not the price of the chicken, but the percentage of your wages that counts.
    My £2 per kg chicken might very well be worth more to me than your £15 per kg one.
  • Justamum
    Justamum Posts: 4,727
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    MSE_Helen wrote: »
    Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tells MSE his top tips for cutting food waste...
    Read the full story:

    Guest Comment: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's war on waste

    OfficialStamp.gif


    Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

    Very good points he's made, but he's preaching to the converted on MSE.
  • Rainy-Days
    Rainy-Days Posts: 1,454 Forumite
    I'm sorry to say that your assessment here is just plain wrong.

    The problem here is that things wether its food, clothes, washing machines whatever are simply way way too cheap.

    If your paying just over £2/kg for an Aldi/Lidl chicken so what if half of it ends up in the bin. If on the other hand your pay £15/kg your going to make damn sure that it doesn't end up in the bin.

    Same goes for everything else if your £150 washing machine goes bang after the years warranty you buy another one at £150 and if that goes after a year you just buy another.

    All people care about is the headline price, they know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

    I am sorry to say that your assessment is way off the mark and I will tell you why!

    My friends washing machine went up it. She had the engineer out and he said look it's going to cost more to repair (he couldn't get the exact parts from the manufacturer anyway because they said they were obsolete) than the machine is worth so scrap it and have a new one. The manufacturers have made the situation easy for us to become constant consumers, by discontinuing models and associated parts for when the machine breaks down so the cycle of having to buy new (rather than make do and mend) means it generates more revenue for the manufacturer.

    The same with iPhones, there is just this mania to have the latest gadget the latest phone, laptop, TV! Other night it is now OLED TV's! The constnt praying at the alter of consumerism regardless of costs is lost on a large part of the public.

    We have become used to BOGOF deals, then wasting a proportion of it - that is literally buying too much! Christmas - you cannot miss every single year people rammed into the big four with trolleys heaving full of food - with loads wasted shortly thereafter.

    The truth is if you can't cook - don't know how to cook it really doesn't matter how much it costs, if you are useless it will still end up in the bin! The case in point is the £40.00 gammon joint!

    Years ago a book came out called No Logo - it was revolutionary for it's time, but it still stands true today as when it was published back in 1999. It's marketing, it's consumerism and it's wastage on a scale that is unprecedented in any part of history. It's the throw away society and regardless of costs, the marketing, the hype and buying things whether we need them or not means that the easy come easy go mentality is ingrained!

    The cost simply goes to the credit card to be dealt with later!
    Cat, Dogs and the Horses are our fag and beer money :D :beer:
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