2024 Frugal Living Challenge

Herbyme

@cw18 maybe that one attempt was a one off, your air fryer may be really useful but may need a bit of experimenting?
@suzeesu2000 I’ve got the same one and I agree, it’s almost literally life changing! Even DH who was quite anti is a huge fan and told me potatoes cooked in the air fryer are better than frozen gastro chips, which were his absolute favourite!
I use it for:
roasting veg like peppers
toasting nuts evenly without burning
potato wedges/roast baby potatoes, sweet potatoes too - several times a week, rarely have any other potatoes now
ready meals eg a chicken kiev 
falafel
spicy tofu
a very small roast chicken because mine only fits a very small one in each drawer

It says it dehydrates but I’ve never thought of doing that so I can’t comment, but we hardly use our normal oven now

cw18

suzeesu2000 said:

And 6 Smokey flute style sherry glasses, very 1970’s. Will do candles in them, make as a pair, add some chocolates, wrap in cellophane and 3 more gifts. Might even try selling them if I can make them look nice enough.

I'd be worried about this one - definitely wouldn't risk selling them.   I'm not convinced that drinking glasses would cope with the heat of a candle.   There must surely be a risk they'll shatter when they get warm ???

cw18

Madbat60 said:

After a week and a half of reading about PIP, I finally finished the form and we've sent it off.  We're waiting to see what the outcome will be.

From everything I've read in a number of FB groups, it appears that it's common practice for 'the powers' to reject an initial claim.   They seem to hope people won't appeal, as many then get it having done so.

cw18

Herbyme said:

@cw18 maybe that one attempt was a one off, your air fryer may be really useful but may need a bit of experimenting?

To be honest, I think it's MUCH too small for me!!
It claimed to be big enough to cook for 2, but you'd have to eat like a mouse for that to be the case
I tried oven chips in it, and cooked less than I'd normally have (active job means large appetite and high calorie intake requirement) - they were dreadful !!

suzeesu2000

cw18 said:

suzeesu2000 said:

And 6 Smokey flute style sherry glasses, very 1970’s. Will do candles in them, make as a pair, add some chocolates, wrap in cellophane and 3 more gifts. Might even try selling them if I can make them look nice enough.

I'd be worried about this one - definitely wouldn't risk selling them.   I'm not convinced that drinking glasses would cope with the heat of a candle.   There must surely be a risk they'll shatter when they get warm ???

Good point, never thought of that. In which case, I shall fill them with nice chocolates, find some miniature liquers And go down that route. Thanks for pointing that out x

RateTartExtraordinaire

Hi all,

Well. We got to test out our emergency torches this weekend when we had an unplanned ten-hour power cut on Saturday night. The torches were great. They can stand upright and lit a small room very well.

It was early evening and I had cooked the aubergines in the microwave to start my batch cook of aubergine and chickpea curry and then lights out. I do have a gas hob but wasn't sure about lighting it was a match and cooking in the dark with a torch. 

We made do for dinner and went to bed early. Then, they fixed it at 5:30am the next morning after much drilling to find the fault at 3am and three shifts of workers text messaging with updates. Have to say I was impressed how quickly they came out and worked through the night (remembering how many people were without power for so long after the storms last year) but then, we live in relatively large town in the south east.

Anyway it prompted my partner to suggest we should look into solar panels again. Anyone had experience of using solar panels in a power cut?  I think they stop working unless they have been installed with a battery and a relay. Is that true?

ladyholly

I cant help with solar panels but dh made a lighting strip with leds which attaches to an old car battery (rescued when we needed a new one for the car). It is surprising how much use you can get out of them after they are no use for the car. We also have a camping stove and a small TV that runs on 12v. No one can say we arent prepared. In case you dont know you can buy led lights in a strip that just need connecting to some cable and sticking onto some plastic or wood. They can be as long as you like and give pretty good light.

slm6002

I have solar panels and batteries and they don't work in a power cut.  I apologise now for the vague and un-technical terms here.... I asked the fitters if there was something I could have for if the power went out.  They explained that I could have a device and then an extension lead going from the batteries and through the loft hatch to give me 1 or 2 sockets but that was it. I think it was going to add another £500 to the bill.  At the time I didn't think 1 cable was worth it As the inverter? needs electric to run the general system wouldn't work.  

I'm sure someone will be along soon with a better explanation.  I do however love my solar panels especially in the summer months 

bluesooz

No idea of the technicals here either but we do have solar panels - most are the usual ones which don't work in a power cut and a few which are separately linked to a battery - these run our freezer/fridge in the garage and we then have an extension into the house which a few things can be plugged into - eg router is permanently plugged in so always have internet in a power cut.  You wouldn't be able to run the whole house - and definitely not something as power hungry as an oven.  But would be able to give you some lighting and plug computers in etc

Madbat60

@cw18 everything to do with the benefits system is designed to put you off applying for anything.  We will appeal it if they say we can't have it.