Desperate for Help

elsien

poppellerant said:

I hope this isn't so obvious that I look daft for asking.  But is a gas cooker cheaper than an electric oven, as i have a gas oven.  Would a slow cooker be even cheaper than a gas cooker?

Gas is cheaper than electricity. So yes, gas oven is cheaper to run 

JIL

I am tempted to cook once eat three times. 
By this I mean one day use the oven but fill it, a chicken, a gammon joint, jacket potatoes, cake, flapjacks. A sausage casserole.
Then base meals around this for the next three days, gammon and chicken can be sandwiches, salad, pie, pasta dishes, carbonara. Gammon and egg with potato wedges (made from the jacket pots) in a frying pan with a little oil.
Sausage casserole can be reheated in the microwave and goes with pasta or jacket potato . 
The oven wont need to go on again and bought from aldi, the sausages, chicken and gammon would cost around £8.

luvchocolate

JIL said:

I am tempted to cook once eat three times. 
By this I mean one day use the oven but fill it, a chicken, a gammon joint, jacket potatoes, cake, flapjacks. A sausage casserole.
Then base meals around this for the next three days, gammon and chicken can be sandwiches, salad, pie, pasta dishes, carbonara. Gammon and egg with potato wedges (made from the jacket pots) in a frying pan with a little oil.
Sausage casserole can be reheated in the microwave and goes with pasta or jacket potato . 
The oven wont need to go on again and bought from aldi, the sausages, chicken and gammon would cost around £8.

This what I do...although just bought a combination microwave so not planning on using main oven. 

-taff

elsien said:

poppellerant said:

I hope this isn't so obvious that I look daft for asking.  But is a gas cooker cheaper than an electric oven, as i have a gas oven.  Would a slow cooker be even cheaper than a gas cooker?

Gas is cheaper than electricity. So yes, gas oven is cheaper to run 

It is cheaper per unit to use gas, but cooking with it depends on what you use. A comparison between gas and electric will only work ifou know what you'e cooking and how long you're cooking it for and how much gas you will use. You'd have to do some sums to decide which one is cheaper for what you want to use it for.

There's an example halfway down the page.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/518702/slow-cookers-not-the-cheapest-way

London_1

Some very helpful ideas chums , its every little bit of free advice that will help everyone get through these tough times.

I live alone, and have since I was widowed in 2003, but I'm still careful with spending as I've been for most of my long life. 

Re the showers,I have fairly short hair, so when showering I first quickly wash my hair, and comb some conditioner through it,while that's working its magic I wash the rest of me, then starting at the top of my head rinse everything off.
 
I can be in and out of the shower in under 5 minutes.After all as I am a little old lady and not working down the mines I really need a shower to freshen up
My metered water bill is £9.60 per month, which is a great improvement than several pre meter years when it was over £32 per month. But then I have always been careful with all of my utilites.

I use my main oven around once a month for a big bake up ,virtually everything else is slow cooked ,frozen when cold and portioned up so I can microwave it daily if needed.

 I make my own soups from past their best veg, or reduced veg, if I see it on my twice monthly shop. I try to stick if possible to only shopping around twice a month for fresh stuff as a rule and I keep a shopping list by my chair or in the kitchen for stuff I may run short of.

I just rarely do 'small shops' I live two minutes away from a small shopping precinct and use it if desperate as the Tesco Metro is a bit dearer, than the big one about a mile away. I can usually last out quite well with my twice monthly shop though as I have got my shopping down to a fine art, and know when things are getting low.

I do admitI'm fortunate in that I eat at my youngest DDs every Sunday, but my son-in-law cooks the meal, and I bring the pudding  
I usually take some cake or biscuits that I have made as well, which I cook on my 'bake up' day to help her out with her three strapping young sons who have hollow legs when it comes to cake  

There is so much doom and gloom on the news and TV at the moment I only turn the tv on at just before 6.00 at night as most news can be got off the 'net anyway.  As the evenings are still light my sitting room light doesn't go on until around 8-8.30pm.In the winter I like to have some small tea lights on which make the room seem quite cosy if I'm watching tv. 

I do utilise my local library in the winter as well, as they have some nice comfy chairs in there, and often several folk will sit and read in the comfort and heat of the library which is nice, as a walk there and back gives you a bit of fresh air and a warm in between.
I usually get to have a natter with some of the other regulars as well. Our local libraies are centres for lots of things, and the Medway council like people to use their 'hubs' as they are called not just for borrowing books, but for social centres as well.
its paid for by our rates so why not use them. Libraries are not the 'silent' places they used to be 

I go to a book club in one of them once a month, and we get a cuppa as well as a natter about books. I use almost any facility going locally if I can.

Walking is free, and good exercise.  people are becoming I think more community-minded since the pandemic struck, and its not a bad thing. I'm looking forward to the Odeon hopefully resuming their 'silver screening' which is a movie and a cuppa and a couple of biscuits for around £3.00.

Looking on the local council websites to see what's on offer is helpful as well, as often there are things to join and attend which are either free or very low cost.
I will certainly be doing as much as I can this coming winter to use them as sitting indoors worrying about heating will not help me, and the more I can get out and about ,as long as I'm wrapped up and have my brolly it will be good for my well being.
  Even a walk in the park on a cold day with a flask of home made soup is good . Eveyone needs social contact I think at least once a day If the weather is too appalling I will ring one of my friends up for a quick natter and we sort the world out between us  

In my forays to the local park this year I've met with lots of people ,not just old biddys like me,:)  but young Mums and their toddlers. But then I will chat to anyone, and a smile and a "is't it lovely/grotty/rainy/sunny day" goes a long way

So let's all think of the positive things we can do to get through this worrying time . After all worrying won't help it will just add to your stress, and that's not good . Lots of folk will feel isolated and if you live in a rural area it can be even worse.

'Desperate For Help'  is the title of this forum so lets help each other with recipes and things that may help those who really are stressing themselves out.

I can't cure anyones problems ,but I am always here to listen and send anything in the way of recipes or hints to help folk feel that they are not alone , many millions will be feeling desperate this morning after yesterdays news, but know there are others who are feeling like you will surprisingly help for some daft reason ,because you won't feel so alone.

So come on chums onwards and upwards we will help each other won't we ?

 I have an unfailing belief in the power of positivity, and there is a great deal of good in positive thinking, and many of the people on here will often feel better just to have a rant at times ,so rant away:)  then have a cuppa and think of how you can make things even a tiny bit better
Like a lot on here, I too will make my hair trims last a week or so longer, golly I did look like the
Wild woman of Borneo after the first lockdown ,but I won't go that far every small thing you can think of the make the cash streetch that little bit further will help.
 Not to pay the soppy figures that have been bandied around at the moment, but even just thinking about a different waty of approaching the problem will help

Chin up chickens, we will get through  


JackieO xxx

Tink_04

I’d recommend batch cooking - if you use the hob or oven to make a meal - make as much as possible and freeze the rest.

so instead of making a meal for 4 - make it for 8 - 12 etc 

if the oven is on bake as many items as you can in the space so you are using everything that you are paying for. 

I know you said you couldn’t use it at all but it may be an option for some. 

Tink

calleyw

I make spag bog once a week.  I make a massive pot of it and get the following out of it.  4 servings of the sauce with pasta to be eaten that day. I then serve it the next day, 2 servings as savoury mince with mash and steamed veg what I call deconstructed shepherd/cottage pie.  And the last bit I use as topping for 2 large pizzas.  If you don't want to eat the same over 3 days pop in the freezer.

remmie

Delurking to say thank you so much Jackie for that positive post. So much sense there.

London_1

remmie said:

Delurking to say thank you so much Jackie for that positive post. So much sense there.

Ah bless you honey its not a problem ,we all need a bit of a leg up, or boost to our spirits at times, especially at the moment

JackieO xx 

jennystarpepper

My big fancy range cooker went pop about 3 years ago, it is a duel fuel.  To repair was not economical (for the 3rd time) so I bought a Halogen oven.  It may mean a smallish initial outlay to buy one, but cheaper than a Ninja.... I can recommend Arg0s, only because my last one broke and after an online chat they delivered a new one in less than 24 hrs.

I am not a slow cooker fan so the Halogen roasts / cooks very well, you have to lift the lid sometimes to get rid of steam and I recommend using a roasting bag which saves all the meat juice for stock and saves on cleaning, tray bakes are great, full Sunday roast and trimmings Jacket spuds are great...  It's not that good for pizza, or cooking fresh pastry but saves me ££££.