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

patentgirl

We buy Yorkshire tea like it quite strong but always use one between two if I can remember to use teapot one tea bag will do 3 mugs.  Disappointed with my tomatoes and courgettes this year both hardly had any crops of them so far

mandy47

patentgirl said:

We buy Yorkshire tea like it quite strong but always use one between two if I can remember to use teapot one tea bag will do 3 mugs.  Disappointed with my tomatoes and courgettes this year both hardly had any crops of them so far

Tomatoes and courgettes galore. Runner beans are a really poor show this year. Radish failed miserably. Everything else on par with previous years. 

I only drink green tea and like it quite weak so 1 teabag can do me 4 cups at a push. I can't get more frugal than that with my tea.

tooldle

My beans are doing well. Tomatoes though have only just come into flower. Not much in the way of courgettes either. Normally all would crop well. 

elsien

I had quite a lot of courgettes considering I grow in pots, but something is eating them before I do. 

Tomatoes only just starting to ripen. 

TheAble

This re-using of tea bags - do you not find the second use makes for an inferior cup? I've tried it on occasions but always reach this conclusion.

At 2p a bag, usually less, it just seems like a bit of a false economy, unless you like your tea weak of course.

YorksLass

Lurpak Spreadable 500g on promo at the Co-op at £4 - but offer finishes tomorrow so hurry if you want some.

Conversation overheard today in Co-op between cashier and assistant:

Assistant: I wouldn't want to be on tonight's shift.
Cashier: Why?
Assistant: They will have to change every shelf edge price ticket to get ready for tomorrow's 20% price increase on everything.
Cashier: Why are they putting up prices by 20%?
Assistant: I've no idea.  Other SMs are doing their best to attract customers and what does the Co-op do?  Put up prices.

Does this mean 20% on Co-op products only or literally on everything they sell?  I'd love to know what is the rationale behind this.  Make of it what you will but I can see my meagre shopping there morph into nothing.

London_1

TheAble said:

This re-using of tea bags - do you not find the second use makes for an inferior cup? I've tried it on occasions but always reach this conclusion.

At 2p a bag, usually less, it just seems like a bit of a false economy, unless you like your tea weak of course.

I've done this for yonks and find as long as they are decent tea bags its fine The secret is to fish the bag out and put in the next cup before you add the milk then when making the next cup leave it to steep a bit longer than add the milk.Tea ,as with outher food stuff will increase in  price so its reaonable to streetch your commodities as much as you can 

JackieO xx
P.S. trust me I grew up with rationing and have a great deal of know-how on how to streeetch stuff ,thanks you my late lovely Mum who had 14 years of rationing and three kids to raise

sammy_kaye18

YorksLass said:

Nonnadiluca - I love your idea of Aggregation of Marginal Gains.  I think I've been playing that game for quite some time without realising it!  Our latest is to use less milk in a cup of tea and only use butter on things where you want to be able to taste it eg crumpets or toast.  Any small savings can only be a good thing.  

I do this with my husband! He likes a thick serving on bread etc if he had his way (on things like toast) but when I make something - if its a simple meal like something on toast. I literally just spread a little on the corners so he can see it and then dont put it in the middle where the other part of the meal will go. He hasnt noticed yet! 

I am starting to wonder too though - I buy smartprice or cheapest spread to use for baking etc but I am thinking of getting things like butter for things like toast etc as one of our little luxuries and a butter dish. We dont drink / smoke/ holiday / gamble so got to still have some sort of luxury and a square of butter will last us a good while! 

sammy_kaye18

Deleted_User said:

@sammy_kaye18 I just stuck it in the slow cooker this morning with salt & pepper and a bit of oil. Put it on low, then popped it in the oven at about 3pm to crisp the skin up. No precise timings, but saves a fortune on having the oven running for 90/120 mins. I don’t put anything under it at all xx

Central heating isn’t used at all just the fires xx

Thanks lovely. 
I might have to give that a try. Never thought to cook the chicken in there before. 

sammy_kaye18

mumtoomany said:

@sammy_kaye18, do you know anyone with a walking stick you can borrow, the ones with a hooked top? Or straighten out a metal coat hanger. Either is ideal for pulling down high hanging raspberries. As a child, i always wondered why my grandma only had a walking stick in early autumn. We now tend to use the shepherds crook. I still have some of last years blackberries frozen, must use them before we start refilling with this years. The little ones have them with porridge, flavours and cools at the same time.
Heating thermostat. I put it on seventeen, OH then puts it down to 16, son-in-law then puts it to 20, DD1 then drops it to 18, and so it continues all day. Heating is only on for 1 hour in the morning and 2-3 hours in the evening, but not until the middle of October at the earliest, goes off again about end of February.
Hugs to all, mumtoomany.xxx

Do you know what - I realised when I came in that in the middle of the stairs next to our shoe storage I have a telescopic camera pole - which basically I attach my camera too and it helps to steady the camera to take pictures. It can also be used as a walking stick so I think I might use that next time we go out. I now have about 2kgs picked from the little walks we have been on but ther are plenty still green and ripening so I will be going on a few more walks to really stock up as no one else seems to pick them near me. 

Also with regards to thermostat. 
I tend to keep it on 18. Husband will try and sneakily turn it up so it causes no end of arguments. 
I try to keep the heating off as long as possible - usually November

I do have it set though when I do switch it on. 
Its generally on from 6.30 - 7.30am which is half hour before everyone gets up to warm the house and everyone leaves by about 7.45am for school/college or work so then its just me. 
Then it goes on for about an hour at 6.15 - 7.15pm which is as husband is coming in from work as he's the freezer and would hate to come home to a cold house.
Then it comes on at about 1am - 2am just to take the chill off overnight (especially since we have lizards and I worry if it gets too cold) 
I am hoping with heat proofing etc this year and hanging things like door curtains etc that it will help to hold the heat better and maybe it will stay snugger and I wont need it on too much to keep the chill off