Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home

ellenvan

I think the surprise element must be good.

Makes you be creative with meals. Also sounds excellent value.

MillQueen

@ArtyJ931, yeah it's difficult to get good value if you are restricted with what you can use. Some of the supermarkets do specific bags, such as just bakery items or just fruit and veg. It's less good on the odd occasion I've had loads of bags of salad that are going out of date fast, but you can compost them.

@ellenvan, I do like the surprise element! I normally set myself a challenge to use all that's there in whatever way, so it makes me invent new ways to use things and that's how I make up most of my recipes. I took the slice of quiche with salad and coleslaw to work for lunch today, which was lovely.

Tonight I'm using up the sausages in a version of a rice and veg thing that I often make, and I am going to bake some yellow sticker tortillas I have that are past their best, by cutting them into little triangles and spraying with some oil. Like a poverty version of tortilla chips… but fun all the same.

vampirotoothus

Hi, reading how you use your TGTG bags reminds me of Ready, Steady, Cook! Well done V x

MillQueen

It is very much like that @vampirotoothus.

It's part of the fun, as I am not an organised person with recipes. It's very rare that I can organise myself to buy ingredients and then actually cook the ingredients into the planned meal. Even rarer to actually buy the ingredients, cook the meal and remember to take it to work. And then once it's at work, to actually eat it and bring the box home, instead of leaving it in the work fridge until it's gone mouldy. Not a chance of sticking to all that on a daily basis. The necessity of being a bit ad hoc about meals has taught me that assembling a random thing together from scratch is easier for me than using recipes. I just make them up.

If I make a inedible thing, there's always sandwiches…

MillQueen

I've brought the last of the baked potatoes for lunch today, with a tin of tuna, bit of mayo, and some of the salad and an apricot yoghurt from the TGTG. I have got my refillable water bottle and hot drink cup so I don't have to buy anything whilst at work. I'll start eating the sausage, rice and veg thing tonight and the next couple of lunches, and that should keep me going a few days as there's maybe 5 or 6 portions. Then I'll make something else after that, probably a big veg omelette as I have 6 eggs that need using, or maybe another rice thing or a spag bol, as I have got plenty of pasta. One more week until pay day.

I am on a course for half of the day today.

MillQueen

I am doing good on the food and haven't been spending money. I have just cancelled my Netflix as they emailed me this morning to say they are putting the prices up by 33% (from £5.99 to £7.99). Although £2 is not a huge amount, it is a huge percentage increase and I don't agree with "cost of greed" increases, as that's such an unnecessary amount of profit for them in hard times for everyone else.

I have brought my lunch all week so far and I am grateful to the less tired person I was the other day that cooked loads of portions of the sausage and rice thing! Hope you all have a lovely frugal day ❤️

foxgloves

If I'm planning to phone a provider to complain about an unreasonable price increase, I always work out the % then check the current UK inflation rate. It's the best way of looking at the increase in real terms, rather than, as you say, thinking, "Oh it's only £2". One insurer once replied "Oh it's industry standard", to which I said, "What is? Ripping people off?". She agreed to match the online new customer price though.

MillQueen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82147194#Comment_82147194

Oh that's a good strategy to complain. I might see if there's a number, or there will certainly be a "contact us" type of form, as I'd like to tell them what poop-stains they are as a company, for doing this to people.

I had to pick something up in town, so I got a few yellow sticker things, which was £5 for a spicy chicken pizza (straight in freezer), mushrooms, 4 x bags of baking potatoes, 6 eggs, and cottage cheese.

I've got a quite few eggs that need using so I'll probably have to make something freeze-able. My usual thing for using a lot of eggs is a big omelette/frittata with a load of herbs and veg in it. I can also use the mushrooms for making a pasta bake, or chilli or spag bol. So many choices.

When I get paid I am going to buy a load more frozen fruit and veg to restock the freezer, so maybe a trip to Farm Foods is in order. Does anyone have views on the best discount store for frozen fruit and veg?

BetterThanIDeserve

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82147815#Comment_82147815

Hi @MillQueen frozen is a great suggestion, especially for fruit and veg as when it’s frozen it locks in the nutrients,

Farmfoods is a great shout but if you have a Heron Foods that is also really good for Frozen deals, you can check out the website first for some of the bigger deals and it probably worth following both Heron and Farmfoods on socials if you have them 😊

MillQueen

I've come home and put a frozen pizza in the oven (yellow sticker £1.42), having a caramel latte sachet (36p) and feeling good about finances. I'm still in debt and in my overdraft, but feeling more empowered about giving companies as little of my money as possible. I ate more of the pre-coooked sausage thing for lunch and still have more for tomorrow, then tomorrow I am going to make poverty tortilla chips (chopped up out-of-date wraps with spray oil, baked in the oven, sprinkled with spices) and yellow sticker omelette.

@BetterThanIDeserve, I struggle to reliably use fresh fruit and veg and the effort of chopping and peeling often puts me off so they at times end up going to waste. I try to keep the freezer stocked up for cheap. Thank you for those suggestions, much appreciated, I haven't been to Heron in years.