It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

LadOnTheHill

Nathalia said:

@LadOnTheHill do you mean six minutes for 200 W?  (a tenth of an hour for a tenth of the power) or am I missing something?

Cheers!

Yes,  I do. 😵

joedenise

Mummy2cheekymonkeys said:

I saw this article this morning which seems to say that if you soak your beans overnight in bicarb and salt they won't take so long to cook. Not sure if anyone has tried this but might be worth a go.

I always soak my beans overnight in plain water and then pressure cook them on the hob.  The one thing I wouldn't add is salt as it makes the beans really hard so don't think soaking them in bicarb and salt would be a good idea at all.  My chickpeas take 40 minutes at high pressure but usually just do them for 35 minutes and turn the heat off for the last 5 minutes as the heat from the hob will finish them off.  Other beans take different times - about 1/3 the time it says on the bag.

I don't bother with cooking dried kidney beans due to the toxins in them.  I don't use them very often so just buy tins when I want to use them in a chilli.

NoraNoir

In my experience a small amount of bicarb helps softening chickpeas for/during cooking. You have to be light with it though - the taste can transfer to the chickpeas. The chickpeas  are still fine to use, but need to be added to recipe with other flavours, rather than eaten alone.
I agree with @joedenise - with avoiding dried red kidney beans. I have made myself quite poorly with them once having only eaten a couple that apparently weren’t fully cooked. 

maisie_cat

Mummy2cheekymonkeys said:

I saw this article this morning which seems to say that if you soak your beans overnight in bicarb and salt they won't take so long to cook. Not sure if anyone has tried this but might be worth a go.

I do that, the bicarb helps to soften the skins and it does reduce the cook time, something I forgot last week and made very soft kidney beans.

Doom_and_Gloom

I use my electric pressure cooker to cook my beans during our cheaper rate as we are economy 7. Soak the beans a minimum of 12 hours but then even though I've soaked them I usually put them on for what they say is for the minimum of un-soaked (especially for kidney beans).

Last lot of beans I made was a mix of kidney beans (2 cups dry), black beans (1 cup dry) and harricot beans (1 cup dry) which came to approximately 750g dry beans. After soaking and thoroughly rinsing they went in the pressure cooker for the alloted time of kidney beans not soaked. That amount did me just over a full week of beans in meals (very heavy on the beans, I'm not ashamed to admit I eat loads) and I froze around two cans worth of drained beans also (around 480g) so enough for 2-4 meals depending on how I use them.

My electric pressure cooker not long finished cooking vegetable stew using leek, celery, swede, parsnips, 2 cans of tomatoes, yellow split peas and some buckwheat, along with some herbs and a stock cube that was needing to be used. I filled it to the mark it says I can with beans/grains. I don't mind eating cold stew for a few days, may microwave some when I really want to. Once cooled that will fill a 3L container so loads.

Recently I've been having cold porridge for breakfast as again taking advantage of the cheaper electric time to make it. I made what my multi cooker recipe book says is enough for 4 portions but added chopped apples and some saltanas and end up with 6 portions worth. The last two portions will likely be microwaved for a couple of minutes to make sure it is okay but still worth it.

My other half frys beef etc for sandwiches during the cheap electric time also (unless space in oven to cook if being used) because it doesn't make sense to use peak time electric for a cold sandwich.

When the oven is used, off peak or on peak, it is filled to make sure we get the best use out of it. We try to time its use in winter for colder times during the day if on peak as it works double duty (open plan living room and kitchen) by allowing us to have the heating on less as we are all electric!

I'm disabled and can't move as much as my OH can so he bought me electric/heated socks. Honestly a wonder. Though I wear thermal socks and booties in winter (along with thermal tops and trousers most the time) my feet get cold easily due to my disablity. If my OH isn't complaining about the cold then the electric socks get used along with a blanket and save money on heating as I know it is just me.

We already only done full loads of washing only.
We have sink washes between showers/baths.
Wear clothes we can more than once.
As a woman I use reusable menstrual products.
Etc

We aren't too hard up as it is as we can still save a little each month, however I know if we don't keep an eye on what we do it will end up going under fast.

So yes we are being more conscientious about our electric usage and what we are eating (this month we are that focusing on items that are gone or near their BBD, have been in the freezer ages or fresh items about to go bad), but we live rather frugal lives anyway so I'm sure when our next electric bills come in we will notice another increase just as we've noticed food etc going up.
I'm already anticipating our rent going up. I just hope our LL doesn't sell up/get rid of us any time soon as our rent is rather low for the area due to how long we have been here.

nfmg

Very much feeling the pinch, hence why I am here! Feeling a touch knackered but also trying to to what I can now so that I don't need to remember it later and get preemptively flustered before I even begin...

cornishchick

I've been going to bed to watch tv or read as soon as I've eaten my main meal in the evening. I am mostly on my own, My partner visits for the weekend once a fortnight. ( we love our separate lives lol)
 My energy supplier wanted to put my DD up to £96 from £55. I argued that they would have put me in huge debt and would pay small lumps sums when I need to. so far I have only had to add a total of £50 over 3 months. besides, I would rather have the money in my bank account. lol 
eating out of the freezer and cupboards. I find I make at least 3 meals from what I take out so it's like a never-ending supply lol
I only shop with cash. I literally count every penny. 
give gifts of my time. ie babysitting or elderly relative sitting.

euronorris

I've just been checking out Shopmium and Checkout Smart again for good cashback offers. I have added the following to my Mr T order coming tomorrow:

Multigrain Cheerios 700g - Usual price £3. Current clubcard price £2.60. Cashback £1. Making them £1.60 and better value than tescos own.
Skyr natural yoghurt 450g - Usual price £1.25. Current clubcard price £1. Cashback 50p. Making it 50p and again better value than tescos own.
Bananas - Any pack free, up the value of £1. I've chosen the 69p bunch, so I'll get 69p back.
Richmond toad in the hole - price £2.95. Cashback £2. Making it 95p. Contains 10 sausages and a batter mix. I can't get 10 richmond sausages for 95p!

There are other things on these apps, these are just the offers that we will eat and work out cheaper than our usuals. I have used both of them before and successfully claimed the money back quickly and easily via the app on my phone. Most offers are for in store and online, though some are more specific, so check carefully.

There is a third called Green Jinn, but I've never used it so far as it never seems to have stuff I would use. Worth a look if you've got a smartphone.

Rosa_Damascena

@euronorris you seem to have cost minimisation down to a fine art! I bought 10 lychees from a stall today and they cost £1.20. I haven't had them for over a year but I shall think twice in future!!

Florenceem

I made some reusable pantie liners - past the periods stage. Saves buying disposable and helps the environment. I used fabric from old sheets and put a popper on the wings - think there are tutorials on YT.