Cooking for one

meg72

Hollyharvey wrote: »

Well, I'm back from having gone shopping with the trolley for the first time. I walked the just under two miles to Tesco. The pavements are quite uneven along one particular road and have clearly been repaired in a lot of places, so I was quite worried but the trolley just seemed to go along fine. The only problem was on the way there when it was empty and a strong gust of wind nearly took it out of my hand I felt a right idiot trying to hang on to it


I am really pleased, I stuck to my list buying only things that I would have bought in the supermarkets that up until now I have had access to, and I have just compared prices and it was £5.51 than it would have cost me where I would have gone to shop this morning if I hadn't have bought the trolley, and that isn't Waitrose, so I am very pleased.


It may not sound like a lot but if I can save £5.51 a week against what I would otherwise have spent that is £286.52 a year so a good saving. I think I can get my food bill down even further by using Aldi as well. I will walk there with the trolley sometime next week. Financially it looks like it has been a good purchase long term for me.


The walk back was fine, with the weight of the food the strong side winds didn't cause any problems at all.


So, I am very pleased with trolley

Glad you¬re pleased with your trolley, reckon mine has saved me an absolute fortune over the years.

PasturesNew

meg72 wrote: »

LOL PN have just got to ask what does the chorizo buying type look like

Not the man with the bag. He was more the sort of "Jack Duckworth of Coronation Street" type, without the confidence/swagger. Regular older/big bellied chap you would see in any small town/village street.... he'd probably never seen it before!

Chorizo is something I've only bought once - and that's only because I am actively trying to buy/try new things.... I bought it at Xmas .... then had to freeze it as I'd not managed to squeeze it into enough dishes .... and even now I've still got 6-8 circles left You only need 2 circles for a pizza topping... only 1 circle if it's a naan base ... and it's not THAT amazing tasting that I'd rush to replace this when it's gone... I'd only buy another lot if I see it on YS at 4ldi.

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

Hurrah. Success.

At £5.51/time it won't take long before it's paid you back.

The only trouble I'm having is at the other end of the spectrum of issues .... I see it as an enabler in that I expect it will tempt me out of the house to more places and on more occasions, so it will "cost" me money as I'll be out and buying things I didn't want/need more often Also, while out, it's easier/more tempting to think "Ah, I'll just get this additional item because I can"

But I can't blame the trolley for that; that's a self control issue.

Glad you're getting on well with it - those first half a dozen trips out will soon have all your knowledge/skills in place to not be a danger to other people minding their own business that fall into your pathway

You get a "free sense of freedom" with every trolley purchase don't you

If you can control the temptation to buy things that you don't want/need, but use it to make life easier, which I think they do, then you will be able to use it as an enabler to temp you out more often. If you have it with you and see something heavy that you need/use it is nice to be able to buy it without the worry about 'can I carry any more'.


I agree with you that it is nice to have somewhere to put things that you may need when out. I took my umbrella and a raincoat rolled up in there because it looked like it could rain.


Thankfully it wasn't too busy in Tesco, so I was able to wander around learning how to avoid injuring people. Onen woman seemed to have a problem with it when I was looking for something in the chilled cabinet and rather than just say 'excuse me' to get me to notice it was in her way decided to lean over it. I did wonder if she was going to fall into the cheese

PasturesNew

Hollyharvey wrote: »

One woman seemed to have a problem with it when I was looking for something in the chilled cabinet and rather than just say 'excuse me' to get me to notice it was in her way decided to lean over it. I did wonder if she was going to fall into the cheese

Ah, you're "one of those" ....



I'm in full awareness of my trolley/other people and proactively seek to be careful where I'm putting it. I also never let go of a touch of it, even putting my toe on the bottom bar if I let go.

Pre-trolley I've got a shoulder-tote bag. That then ended up holding an 4ldi bag-for-life and a smaller folding bag.... so before I started out the bag was nearly full.

I'd then go out thinking I could use the two folding bags if I bought anything - trouble is, if you do, you're then carrying bags and quickly think "I'd better leave/go home now as I can't carry this as it's stopping me looking around/getting heavy".

I HATE bags... all sorts. Now everything can be tossed into the trolley ... marvellous.

I can go out with wellies, waterproof, brolley, gloves, warm hat... all "in case" ... go into/around as many places and shops as I like, randomly buying things .... without having to go home as the weather changed, or go home as I randomly bought something awkward/heavy.

You never know what you'll randomly find, that you need, while you're out. Pop out for a pack of crumpets and a look around and it's easy to come away with something irritatingly awkwardly shaped or simply "a bit heavy".

NOSEY MODE: I want to know what sort yours is .... pattern, extra pockets, how it does up....

I wish mine had an inside zipped pocket - but that's why I bought the little bag the other day to slip inside it for all my "bits/bobs I need to not have to dig around to find"

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

Pre-trolley I've got a shoulder-tote bag. That then ended up holding an 4ldi bag-for-life and a smaller folding bag.... so before I started out the bag was nearly full.


NOSEY MODE: I want to know what sort yours is .... pattern, extra pockets, how it does up....

I wish mine had an inside zipped pocket - but that's why I bought the little bag the other day to slip inside it for all my "bits/bobs I need to not have to dig around to find"

Like you I had a tote bag and three bags for life in there so it was full before I bought anything, and it got that I couldn't carry much. I could never have got what I did today at Tesco and carried it home, or even got on a bus with it.


The one I got is much the same as this one:
https://www.shoppingtrolleysdirect.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=LAZIOSTAIRCLIMBER


I tried loads of them in a few shops and this design 'felt' comfortable for me. It was cheaper than the one in the link I'm pleased to say It has got inside pockets. Two quite large ones. One of them has two zips for security and a smaller pocket in the pocket. It also has a large pocket on the outside at the back. That will be really useful to keep things like umbrella and glasses for quick easy access without having to rummage through the shopping.




The pattern is very similar to this one:
https://www.shoppingtrolleysdirect.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=ROLSER-PACK-TOUR-DAMABLKWHT

PasturesNew

Hollyharvey wrote: »

The one I got is much the same as this one:
https://www.shoppingtrolleysdirect.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=LAZIOSTAIRCLIMBER

I tried loads of them in a few shops and this design 'felt' comfortable for me. It was cheaper than the one in the link I'm pleased to say It has got inside pockets. Two quite large ones. One of them has two zips for security and a smaller pocket in the pocket. It also has a large pocket on the outside at the back. That will be really useful to keep things like umbrella and glasses for quick easy access without having to rummage through the shopping.

Nice one! Loads of pockets/secure areas then. Mine has none of that. It's a single bag with a draw string - even the flap-over-front bit doesn't secure down! I drawstring it up, then fold the two edges over and peg it closed for neatness (not security as one plastic peg wouldn't do much).

I have seen those with more wheels and thought they looked handy... if you're in places with stairs/lots of kerbs or rough ground etc.

Even if you did pay that price, you'd have still got your money back in under 6 weeks - PLUS - felt you had "more choice" over what you were choosing to buy when you got to the shops.

PasturesNew

I am still in "use it up / get through it" mode food-wise, although I do wonder if there's any other mode for singlies ...

I had one final pitta and I've a pack of 40 cocktail sausages I'm ploughing through. I'll use 5-6 each time I eat those, as a rough guide.

I also had a bit of grated cheddar. I've got more in a block but that would've meant getting the grater out

So I toasted the pitta, cut it in half and stuck cheese/pickle in one half and cheese/hot cocktail sausages in the other half.

moneyistooshorttomention

Had my trip out (including lunch and a bit of shopping).

....and I would have been getting more than a little hot under the collar/probably "shout at the tv" mode if I'd seen that programme this morning.

Come to think of it - if I'd been him then I'd have probably turned round to this woman during the filming and said words to the effect of "I thought this programme was supposed to be for teaching single people how to cook (#puzzled expression on my face#) - so why are you using such large quantities?". But I expect any comments like that he made would have been edited out.....:cool:

Had my own "stand up for single people quantities" moment today. In a small/local type shop and fancying a bit of raw chocolate that was being sold according to the quantity the customer wanted. Well - I only wanted the equivalent of a small bar of chocolate to eat right away and not a "family size" amount. So I indicated what I wanted - and got a sarky query/and "a look" on their face. Tough! They didnt have the nerve to tell me I must buy a bigger quantity or forget about it - in which case I would have told them to forget about it:). I stood my ground and repeated my request - and was given the amount I actually wanted:T

It comes to summat when a shop is even trying to dictate buying "family size" quantities of something sold loose/unwrapped:cool:

PasturesNew

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I only wanted the equivalent of a small bar of chocolate to eat right away and not a "family size" amount. So I indicated what I wanted - and got a sarky query/and "a look" on their face.

Well done!

I remember years ago, when sweeties were in glass jars on the shelf behind the counter, the label would tell you how many pennies for 4oz... but everybody asked for 2oz. Nobody had the money for 4oz - and the shopkeepers were perfectly used to serving 2oz bags.

And if you WERE flush ... you got two different 2oz bags

I hate those counters, say at food festivals, where they're selling fudge by weight - and you know you really only want two cubes I never dare ask.

Farway

Afternoon all

Reading through & catching up. I was going to mention trolley & wind, mine was acting like a drag anchor as I went along against the wind, it never attempted a flight though

SG The only reason I was fed up with cheese saladt sarnies was repettion and thinking I should have a change, just becuase I think I should, no other reason, but thanks for asking. And I had one for lunch again today

Pongy dishwasher, I have one of those, I have traced mine to the outside drain which is bunged up with leaves / lichen / moss and general gunge and needs a blooming good muck out. But my back and lack of bendiness stops that being an easy job for me. I will have ago with a long cane and running hose one fine day

All this steamy talk, never knew about the pampas grass until it popped up recently. Did know about red lights, any one been to Amsterdam? My first "foreign" trip in the RN, eyes popping out of a young lad's head it was

As mentioned, the-trolley-with-no-name and I were out and about this morning, early start again so I ventured over to M & S, and the trolley saved the day there with it's load carrying ability

I bought the pizza meals for a tenner offer on this week, loads of food in now. Two huge pizzas, at least 4 days worth there, including breakfast nibble if so inclined

Pus in same offer I got loaded potato skins and cheesy dirty fries, never had either of those but look like they will be tasty, and will divi up. And of course the Bramley apple pie, which last time did for 4 puds.

I, and the checkout girl, were amazed at the amount of food for a tenner. Had to get another assistant to double check the offer. I would never pay £4.25 for a pizza, but the offer brings it well into my value range

Before I went out I was in use it up mode, and found some L/O chicken from Jan 2016 in freezer, liberated, will make a sort of stroganoff using some L/O mushrooms with packet powder BBE 2014, and found at back of cupboard boil in bag rice BBE 2012. Gradually getting some space back

On my M & S mooch I spotted "sliders". Is it just me? I had to Google them thinking they may be something more exciting than small burgers, why call them some naff Americanised name?:mad:

On the plus front, also spotted in Asda a Tefal red spot non stick frying pan on offer, half price, my old one is not non stick any more. The new pan went into the-trolley-with-no-name along with pizzas etc. Earned it's cost this morning

Mine is a bit like PN's one by the sound of it, except my drawstring has pulled through and no longer draws tight