Sneaky ways to save the pennies

Gigervamp

InaPickle wrote: »

My mum - a hoarder if ever there was one! - bought a cheap meat slicer.It has never been used. We have a gammon joint in the freezer. I'm going to defrost it, cook it, then slice the meat for sandwiches and refreeze loads of it for use another time as we seem to spend an absolute fortune on sandwich meat in this house. I can't see how it can be any different to what you buy at the deli counter in the supermarket, and it probably has a lot less additives as well!

That's what I do. Just remember to package the slices in sandwich size portions!

When you consider that you'll spend 2 or 3 quid on a packet of decent ham that's only got 5 slices in and compare that to the cost of a gammon and how many slices you'll get out of a joint, it's much cheaper to do it yourself.

Also, you can flavour the ham how you want it. Hubby likes the Nigella Spicy Aromatic Ham, so I use that recipe. I did do the recipe in coke once, which he said was nice, but not as nice as the spicy aromatic one!

Aril

If you have spare melon- cut it up and freeze it in orange juice with dried ginger added.
Aril

Mrs_Thrify

Hi all, just thinking of my plans for today that save on spending :rotfl:.
I have washed up in the sink as we do not own a dishwasher, saving electric.
Need to put the washing machine on so I can get the laundry on the line to wind dry.
Bake some cakes for packed lunches next week.
Peel and cook some free cooking apples to make a crumble
Go blackberrry picking.
Pick a few flowers from the garden to put around the house.
Open windows and doors to let the air in, no need for air freshner
A general hover and wipe around with a microfibre cloth.

Question? when I have finnished using up all the flash/stardrops cleaners do I just use 50/50 white viniger and water in a spray bottle to clean bathrooms/floors and wipe over surfaces to be more MSE?

Question? I have just bought a slow cooker from Tesco £12.65 in a knock down sale. If I put a casserole in it for 6/8 hours, would it not use more electric than in the oven for 2 hours? I think it must be to do with the area size as an oven is a bigger aera to heat up ?

Gigervamp

My oven uses 2 kw an hour, so on Sundays when it's on for several hours, it uses half as much again electricity as the whole house does for a day. (ie, we usually use 20 units a day, but on Sundays that jumps to 30!)

I don't know exactly how much my slowcooker uses, but it's a lot less than the oven.

rosemary54

InaPickle wrote: »

Wow, I'll give that a try. Thanks!

BTW, may I as what size loaves does your machine make? Mine seem really quite small in comparison to shop-bought loaves. They are smaller even than a Warburtons' baby sized Toastie.

Thanks again!

I have 3 sizes medium(like a hovis loaf) then large and extra large(think the extra large is about 800 g size but never weighed it

mama67

OrkneyStar wrote: »

I buy conc. fabric conditioner (I like the smell and have not got any essential oils yet!), but halfway down I dilute it again with half water. Smells the same, works the same, and saves me buying more for a while!

I keep the old bottle and when i open a new one i pour half into the old one and then top both up with water so 2 bottles for the price of one.

miserly_mum

Confuzzled wrote: »

i think if one goes and pays for a meal and can't eat it all it is not unreasonable to ask for a manner in which to take it home and this should be figured into their business model however what is normally happening in situations like this is selective squeamishness about leftovers, a sense that it's not proper to eat them or ask to do so and i think that if i paid for it i should be able to eat all of it even if i can't do it then

the cost of a small piece of foil is tiny in relation to the cost to the restaurants image if they are too stingy or too snooty to provide it for the meal to be taken home

it shouldn't happen, but it does thus i have found a way around it but honestly, it's not at all unreasonable to request it and it shouldn't be treated as if it is!

My late Mum loved her food but like a lot of older ladies couldn't eat a big meal.She used to take a bit of folded up tinfoil in her handbag if she was going out for a meal.

She could discretely put any uneaten meat into it and eat it at a later date.

InaPickle

Gigervamp wrote: »

That's what I do. Just remember to package the slices in sandwich size portions!

When you consider that you'll spend 2 or 3 quid on a packet of decent ham that's only got 5 slices in and compare that to the cost of a gammon and how many slices you'll get out of a joint, it's much cheaper to do it yourself.

Also, you can flavour the ham how you want it. Hubby likes the Nigella Spicy Aromatic Ham, so I use that recipe. I did do the recipe in coke once, which he said was nice, but not as nice as the spicy aromatic one!

You're right about the packet stuff costing a lot! Must admit, the flavour-it-yourself is the bit I'm looking forward to the most: I just found a nice honey and mustard recipie on t'interweb. Alas, I've just been at work (time and a half on Sundays :j) and found that my darling mother has already boiled it. We've just all had a scrummy Sunday lunch out of it and I'll have a go at slicing it in a few hours. I'm wondering what else I can slice using it. I'm not too big a beef fan, and thinks like chicken would be a bt impractical, I think. Any ideas?

Once I've got past the honey roast ham I might check out your Nigella recipie. Thanks for the tip!

Barneysmom

InaPickle wrote: »

My mum - a hoarder if ever there was one! - bought a cheap meat slicer.It has never been used. We have a gammon joint in the freezer. I'm going to defrost it, cook it, then slice the meat for sandwiches and refreeze loads of it for use another time as we seem to spend an absolute fortune on sandwich meat in this house. I can't see how it can be any different to what you buy at the deli counter in the supermarket, and it probably has a lot less additives as well!

When it's cooked, bind it nice and tight in clingfilm and put it in the fridge to go cold. You'll get more and neater slices out of it :cool:

InaPickle

Barneysmom wrote: »

When it's cooked, bind it nice and tight in clingfilm and put it in the fridge to go cold. You'll get more and neater slices out of it :cool:

Good tip, thanks! Consider it done!