2022 Frugal Living Challenge

Primrose

We've had some local power cuts round here too   I suspect winter will bring more so it's worth having a few things in the storecupboard one can eat ready cooked straight from the tin liked bakes beans, or tinned meat like spam or corned beef.     Affluence in recent years has made most of us rather selective about food choices but it's surprising what one will settle for when one's back is to the wall and it's either eat what's available or go hungry!      Dry crackers of some kind are a useful standby if bread is temporarily unavailable.

joedenise

I agree about needing some tinned/packet foods being available which you can eat cold but I draw the line at baked beans!  I'm not that keen on them heated up but will tolerate them but I definitely won't be eating them cold!  As for dry crackers, no thanks, I need something spread on them!  I'd gag trying to eat them dry!

No doubt lots of people will be eating things like crisps because they are usually in the cupboard so hopefully we don't have too much power cuts - we already have a generation of overweight or obese people and things like that will only make that situation worse.

We fairly frequently get short power cuts but they are more of an annoyance than anything else as in if you're in the middle of cooking something, or the washing machine is running!  Also having to reset electric clocks such as on cookers/microwaves. If we get longer cuts then I think it's going to.be a case of using a BBQ to cook as we have a couple - one uses bottled gas and the other charcoal so just need to ensure they are both kept topped up.

leftatthetrafficlights

I bought camping stoves a few years back at the end of the summer when they were cheap - if we get prolonged outages, I'll be able to use them to cook with; I also have a wood/charcoal fired outdoor pizza oven/bbq so plenty of cooking options. We have open fires too so no issue with heating (our heating and hot water is oil fired but need the electricity for the boiler to work). 

I'm very much back on the frugal wagon as I'm leaving my job at the end of the week so will be keeping a much closer watch on what I'm doing - it's been a bit hit and miss over the past couple of months!! 😳😂

zafiro1984

joedenise said:

I agree about needing some tinned/packet foods being available which you can eat cold but I draw the line at baked beans!   

I love cold baked beans

Primrose said:
 it's worth having a few things in the storecupboard one can eat ready cooked straight from the tin liked bakes beans, or tinned meat like spam or corned beef.  

I'd draw the line at spam, much better thinly sliced and fried, corned beef is fine.
I'm  trying to think what else would work. I don't know if it's still available but you used to be able to get ham in a funny shaped tin and tinned whole cooked chicken but that was expensive. Pickled eggs? I think they also do them in isleglass (not sure of the spelling or what it is.).

My DH always has to have something sweet after dinner (He's of that advancing age who doesn't know how to cook.)
Angel delight or the supermarket equivalent. Tinned fruit, Sain.... do a 31p tin of peaches which is really good value.  

Just a thought about advanced planning. I think it may be a good idea to have a few things in the freezer that can be eaten cold. eg a couple of slices of cooked chicken. flans that are cooked.

I'd be interested to know what ideas others have

cw18

I have a gas hob (which I can light without the electric ignitition) so can cook without electric.

I have an electric oven, grill, combi oven, slow cooker and acti-fry, plus a portable induction hotplate (just need to check which of my pans work on it, as I replaced pans without thinking about the hotplate and many have copper bottoms!), so I'm good to go for hot food without gas.

Surely they wouldn't leave us without both at the same time would they??   I have been debating a single camping gas hob, but what are the chances I'll need it??    After a long day at work on a rainy day, the last thing I need is to come home to a cold meal

If we have one power out I can't heat water for a shower (hot water tank is only from central heating, which won't work without both gas and electric - but if it's a planned outage I can heat the tank the day before), and if we're without electric I can't heat the house (central heating won't work, and my portable heaters are both electric).   As long as we have one type of energy I could heat water for strip washes, and also for hot water bottles (which can be supplemented by thick/fleece throws and woolly hats/scarfs).

But without electric I can't heat the house at all, and I hate a cold nose and the damp feeling that comes with a cold home.   Perhaps I'd do better looking for a small portable gas heater so I could at least take the chill out of the air as I get in from work???

Elisheba

Just seen that you can get 3 months Disney + for £6 worth of T$sco vouchers.  Should I bother I wonder?  There are a couple of Marvel series I haven't seen yet, and I've not seen any of the new Starwars ones.  Not at all bothered by the animated films though.  I wish it was offering Netflix subscription as there are more programmes I want to see on there 

fionaandphil

Elisheba said:

Just seen that you can get 3 months Disney + for £6 worth of T$sco vouchers.  Should I bother I wonder?  There are a couple of Marvel series I haven't seen yet, and I've not seen any of the new Starwars ones.  Not at all bothered by the animated films though.  I wish it was offering Netflix subscription as there are more programmes I want to see on there 

Its worth thinking about as they don't have to be used straight away, usually have at least six months on them which could be useful for the winter?  We've just had 3 months free with our Tesc0 mobile and have save the Clubcard one for nearer Christmas when the weather is rubbish.  A good selection of new things on there too, I can't keep up with them all!

joedenise

@cw18 - I really can't see any gas cuts at all as it would be extremely dangerous if it was cut and then turned back on later and there would likely be explosions!  There certainly weren't gas cuts back in the 70s during the 3 day weeks when we had plenty of power cuts - as in no electric.

@leftatthetrafficlights - I forgot about the camping stove!  We have a double one with grill so we could at least have things like beans on toast, eggs on toast, toasted cheese sandwiches - do you see a theme here, LOL?  It would also mean we'd be able to eat my home made ready meals from the freezer by reheating in a pan and cooking a carb to go with it on the other hob!  Actually thinking about it there are plenty of things which can be cooked on 2 rings and a grill.

cw18

joedenise said:

@cw18 - I really can't see any gas cuts at all as it would be extremely dangerous if it was cut and then turned back on later and there would likely be explosions!  There certainly weren't gas cuts back in the 70s during the 3 day weeks when we had plenty of power cuts - as in no electric.

If we have just gas I can cook and have hot drinks, which is good.

But I can't heat the house, as central heating needs electric for the controls.

Jellytotts

Multi fuel stove in the living room belts out enough heat to keep the bungalow going. It can get a tad chilly at the far end of the kitchen but we can cope without heating.  Gas job on my oven will keep us supplied with food and hot water and there’s plenty of logs/kindling for the stove.  I’ve got an old chimenea that could be put to use too, stood on the patio with a pan/casserole dish on the top (got plenty of old wire racks kicking about to fashion some sort of safe platform).  

Our car is fully electric but if we can’t charge it, I can still walk to 2 supermarkets with 20 mins and have a decent back pack to carry stuff home.

Plenty of power banks and usb lights/lanterns so lighting will be ok along with candles too.