Being old-stylers when others aren't

[Deleted User]

Hi chums I am away at my holiday house and although my DD is usually pretty good with food I have noticed that on holiday things 'relax' a bit.

I am pretty good about left overs and DGS Ben made a lasagne last week and there was a portion left over which I portioned up and put in the fridge.

One of the boys said why are you saving it Gran there is not enough for us all,to which I said no ,but it one meal less Mum has to cook and I'm happy to eat it tomorrow,which I did and it was delicious.

Tonight Ben made another one as its a favourite of the boys, there is more than enough for possibly two meals ,perhaps for DGS Mikey and I tomorrow so that's two less Mum has to cook. I also tend to walk around turning off lights if there is no one in there,I know the electric is all in with the rent etc at the house but I just hate to see any of it just wasting.
In the untility room there is a sink with a slightly drippy tap that the boys wash theirhands in and I am always nipping out to turn it off a bit more tightly I know again, its an 'all-in' price but why waste a resurce.

I don't think I'll ever loose my frugalling ways they have been ingrained in me. I suppose its a bit like those folk who can't bear to see a crooked picture on the wall,frugallers notice wasteful habits more than normal folk do I think

candygirl

Am I the only one who doesn't use kitchen roll?! :rotfl:e

Sam_Fallow

candygirl wrote: »

Am I the only one who doesn't use kitchen roll?! :rotfl:e

Yes. you just have a different idea of a luxury item!

Money_saving_maniac

candygirl wrote: »

Am I the only one who doesn't use kitchen roll?! :rotfl:e

I'd never buy the damn stuff but my OH is influenced by his mother, there has to be an endless supply of it!
A terrible waste of money if you ask me...what's wrong with a sponge!!

moneyistooshorttomention

Confesses to being a kitchen roll user - because I really/really can't stand housework and any tiny bit I can save myself helps imo. So - yep....initial wiping up of an oil spill on floor for instance. In my current house I frequently spot a daddy longlegs literally "hanging around" - so that's two pieces of kitchen roll (one to grasp it from each side) and then down the loo it goes.

But I'm not what some would call money-saving I know. To a certain extent - but my definition personally during the week, for instance, was wanting a particular (expensive I know) superfood and going to pick up a packet of it in the local health food store and thinking "£20 for 300 grams!" and then buying a 500 gram packet of it for about £12 from Amazon instead (I just won't be able to do the particular recipe I'm about to do for a few days - until the post turns up with it).

That's the thing - as to why we are moneysaving and my reason is largely to put money towards my personal highest priority (ie healthy diet and healthcare) - as I notice the level of health most British people my age and older (don't) have. So I pay whatever it takes to keep mine.....

[Deleted User]

Nope I don't use it either, never have as it was one of those things thatwasbrought on to the market like conditioner that you really don't need but manufacturors decided that a 'modern housewife' couldn't live without .well I have and I'm still here.No and again I will buy a stockinette roll of material which lasts me for about a year and cut some off to use as dish cloths.These get used and rewashed in with the ordinary washes until they are past their best then get put into the bathroom to use for cleaning cloths until eventually being binned.But if I have old tee shirts that are beyond wearing or repair I will use those as cleaning cloths as wellPaper towelling I just thinks of as wasteful one use and its thrown away

lillibet_dripping

I haven't bought kitchen roll for donkey's years. I always use a cloth to mop up spills, a quick rinse, then in the washing machine.

miniondancer

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Don't get mad - get firm.

Tell her - firmly and clearly - "This is MY food and drink. Shopped for by ME. Paid for by ME" and "Therefore it is to be used with respect - and I am the only one that makes decisions about binning it/opening new packets of it". I would be making it very plain that if she wanted to make my decisions for me - that would be okay by me PROVIDED she did the shopping and the paying for it. Otherwise..........

If she still tried to make my decisions for me - then I would put in an official complaint to whoever supervises her and get them to make it plain to her that she either stops or gets replaced - her choice.

She is bank staff so not here all the time (thankfully) but the condition i have causes me to be bedbound often so at 10-15mins notice i can detoriate to the point where i cant get out of bed for several weeks and when ive recovered from that, bam it hits again

Sometimes i do have to ask the carers to go thru the dates in the fridge and see what needs used first and i dont always find out until something that "should be there, isnt" i have spoken to her, she says its so i wont get sick but i just dread to see her when she comes in as in NI we dont get help for cooking meals and they can only heat stuff in microwave

""This is MY food and drink. Shopped for by ME. Paid for by ME" and "Therefore it is to be used with respect - and I am the only one that makes decisions about binning it/opening new packets of it""

i will try this when she is next here or may not as due to mh i hate confrontation - thanks for your help

Spendless

miniondancer wrote: »

She is bank staff so not here all the time (thankfully) but the condition i have causes me to be bedbound often so at 10-15mins notice i can detoriate to the point where i cant get out of bed for several weeks and when ive recovered from that, bam it hits again

Sometimes i do have to ask the carers to go thru the dates in the fridge and see what needs used first and i dont always find out until something that "should be there, isnt" i have spoken to her, she says its so i wont get sick but i just dread to see her when she comes in as in NI we dont get help for cooking meals and they can only heat stuff in microwave

""This is MY food and drink. Shopped for by ME. Paid for by ME" and "Therefore it is to be used with respect - and I am the only one that makes decisions about binning it/opening new packets of it""

i will try this when she is next here or may not as due to mh i hate confrontation - thanks for your help

What about a notice pinned to your fridge saying something along the lines of 'Please do NOT throw ANYTHING out of my fridge away without asking me first. Many Thanks'. Have it there all the time, as you don't know when she'll turn up.

We did used to throw items out of my Grandmother's fridge, but that's because we had taken her shopping, knew how long she had had packets of meat open for and not eaten and would check her eggs as she was elderly. Other stuff we left alone. I do know how frustrating it can be from the other scale. I have teenagers who think things go off at midnight.

moneyistooshorttomention

That notice on the fridge could be something that's held in reserve - for 2nd "line of defence" if telling her doesnt work.

It won't be easy to do so - but needs must.

I know I have friends that, in those circumstances, would smile nervously whilst "saying their piece" and be more "It would be so good if you wouldnt do so-and-so" and phrase it so "softly" that anyone wishing to ignore the request might still feel free to do as they please.

So - "straight face" and "I've noticed that you sometimes throw out food of MINE that is still perfectly usable. I cannot afford this and it needs to stop. Please consult me, in advance, in future if you wish to throw something out" and all to be said in a "firm" tone of voice and no placatory smiles whilst doing so. If she starts making any comments other than "Yes..of course" type lines in response then repeat the message and add "It's MY food and I am the one paying for it - and I cannot afford for other people to make MY decision as to whether to throw it out or no".

Maybe not those exact words - but very much along those lines. Definitely definitely no placatory smiles whilst saying your piece - I squirm every time I watch a friend throw in a nervous smile whilst telling people how to do things for them - and you just know they will be ignored....