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

ladyholly

I

Spendless said:

Do you mean all you can eat breakfasts? I can think of some possibilities depending on what restaurant you mean. When you pay for an adult breakfast at a certain chain you get 2 (maybe 3) children eat free upto age 16. It might be that this is filling up both adult and kids for the day for under £10 and no energy cost. The other possibility is when DH has stayed away in some hotels, he's also come across parent breakfasting with children in school uniform and realised there are homeless families being put up in temporary B & B accommodation.  My DD had an absolutely horrendous last 18 months of school. Something she's only starting to process now at 19.5.  When we were on our 3rd school in yr11, I did indeed give the bribe that once a week she could have a Maccys breakfast, because I was so desperate for her to stay in education and gain some qualifications (she did - it was worth it). So it might just be this is a treat for whatever reason.   

Re water - yes, when I was at school you went without except for lunchtime and maybe a water fountain at playtime but some years ago it was shown that being able to drink water throughout the day aided concentration. My kids are 22 and 19 and they weren't the first lot told to bring in a water bottle when they started school. It will be a continuation of that, plus a lot of workplaces offer chilled water (my previous 3 employers have) so makes sense to take in a water bottle and take the water on offer there.

I was actually referring to the time before covid, the current energy crisis and when that particular chain charged for childrens  breakfasts. I do accept that some may be in temporary accommodation but feel this is unlikely due to the location of the restaurant and the lack of public transport. Treats are a possibility.

Water when I was at school was a jug on the dinner table and plastic beakers that smelt revolting and make the water taste odd. Any other water came from the tap in the toilets and you used your hand to scoop it to your mouth. Most of my work life I have either been self employed or working in a residential environment so could use taps with no problem.

With regard to water I only carry a bottle of water (reusable) if I am away from home for more than a couple of hours and it is hot. The exception to that is my monthly trip to family when I am away for about 12 so always take one or I get very dehyddrated.

Pollycat

My Gran made raspberry vinegar - great for a sore throat.
I still have her hand written recipe.

tooldle

My gran would add a teaspoon of sugar to anything fizzy, to remove the fizz. A very occasional can of lager and lime would be brought out from the under stairs cupboard, for the sugar treatment. 

YoungBlueEyes

Would you mind sharing that @Pollycat?

greent

I still like hot squash when flu-y. 

I don't see anything wrong/ weird about carrying drinks around -  I carry a bottle of water most of the time (and drink it) and will still sometimes buy tea when out and about (using a freebie if I can but not always possible) My children also drink a lot of water compared to some and take water bottles out and about. When at primary they only drank water or milk and sometimes squash at parties. I think some people actually don't drink enough fluids over the course of a day.

Definitely chillier. Resisting putting heating on for hopefully another month but blankets and wheat bags are being used on an evening. Thankfully it has generally been dry enough to get washing mostly line dried still.

GaleSF63

YoungBlueEyes said:

There was a little cafe that we’d go to as an absolute treat. Drinking out of little teacups, we felt so swish! 

Re Mac Donald’s etc - I remember asking father why we never went in them (Wimpeys etc as was, this was early 80’s). He said we don’t need to use those sorts of places, your ma can cook. 

We did have fish+chips from the chipper regularly tho! 

When my mam was 91 and very infirm, unable to do much, we went past macdonalds one day, and I asked her if she had ever had a McD burger. She didn't think so (I'm sure she hadn't!), so I thought well there aren't many new experiences we can do now; this'll make a change, so I bought burgers and chips and we went to a scenic spot to relax and eat.  She loved food and was a very good cook but all the same she enjoyed it (so did I).

YoungBlueEyes

Aww that's lovely

LadyWithAPlan

Whenever I was ill  as a kid I got hot brandy or hot whiskey with sugar  .. none of this Puke-o -zoid stuff  or any non alcoholic remedies   I guess it made us sleep. I think it was my nans old recipe - I will ask my mum.

I love my coffee and I dont drink instant so I often make my own travel cup and always carry water around. When I went back to college a decade ago  I would take a flask of hot coffee as the college stuff was dreadful and not cheap .. plus I would be up at 6am each morning grilling pork  chops (it keeps well in foil) or making stews and thick soups to take in a hot food flask for lunch.  Yes I got strange looks but I looked fitter than most cos I was eating very well every day and it was frugal 

JIL

Pollycat said:

My Gran made raspberry vinegar - great for a sore throat.
I still have her hand written recipe.

I saw an idea recently that involved handwritten recipes passed down to relatives and then used to create chopping boards and other kitchen paraphernalia. With the recipes printed on. I thought it was a lovely gift idea.

along these lines

https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/recipe_cutting_board

I dont buy bottled water, ever. I disagree with the plastic used and cant believe it's more expensive than other drinking liquids.

A top tip at the airport is to take an empty bottle. Airports have to provide drinking water, just fill the bottle up when you clear passport control and in the lounge.

CarolWHerts

GaleSF63 said:

YoungBlueEyes said:

There was a little cafe that we’d go to as an absolute treat. Drinking out of little teacups, we felt so swish! 

Re Mac Donald’s etc - I remember asking father why we never went in them (Wimpeys etc as was, this was early 80’s). He said we don’t need to use those sorts of places, your ma can cook. 

We did have fish+chips from the chipper regularly tho! 

When my mam was 91 and very infirm, unable to do much, we went past macdonalds one day, and I asked her if she had ever had a McD burger. She didn't think so (I'm sure she hadn't!), so I thought well there aren't many new experiences we can do now; this'll make a change, so I bought burgers and chips and we went to a scenic spot to relax and eat.  She loved food and was a very good cook but all the same she enjoyed it (so did I).

This reminded me of taking my 88 year old mother shopping in her wheelchair in Milton Keynes. She's a fussy eater and inevitably finds fault with any meals out. We saw the KFC restaurant and she remarked that she hadn't eaten KFC for decades, so in we went before she could change her mind. She picked all the coating off her chicken ("horrible spicy stuff") and ate her soggy chips and declared it the best meal she'd had for ages. So it's now a more regular 'treat'!