Oldstylers: Could I be your greatest ever challenge?

misskool

SS, if you're not fussy about things matching and being used, and just want some kitchen/home stuff, freecycle is great.

you'd be surprised at what you can get if you're not too fussed. scored enough furniture and some lovely kitchen stuff. you have to take the time out to pick things up though.

tesco value range of cutlery and crockery is fine, wilkos may/may not be cheaper. try not to get the cheapest pots and pans as they won't last 2 months if you're really planning on cooking with them.

and while you're living at home, you could do the shopping for your parents to see what they get and have a feel for how much things cost?

in fact, you could pretend you were living alone and do your own washing, cleaning and cooking. if you do something wrong, there will be someone there to remind you!!

sammy_kaye18

Hi Southern Scouser

Welcome to the board.

Cleaning
Get your self some microfibre clothes. They are awesome and you dont have to worry about finding dusters/wiping clothes/dish clothes etc - i think poundland or wilkinsons do a pack of 4 and you can use them for anything so one pack covers most and then when they get too dirty you jsut bung them in the washing machine with your other bits and pieces

Dishes, pots, pans and cutlery - basics are pretty good.

Id recommend a slow cooker if you are out at work all day that way you can get everythgin ready the night before, bung it in in the morning and then come home to a nice cooked meal which is literally melt in the mouth yummy and takes no effort.

Shopping - i think £100 is a fair bit for a single person but it depends what you liek and if you can afford it. Value items when you shop are jsut as good as the name brands in my opinion and a fraction of the price. Could you not go shopping with your mum to see what she gets now?

Cooking - Mr Bad Example where are you! You have a newbie to take under your wing! I would recommend checking out his threads as they are very good (and the beginning ones are very entertaining). Also could you ask your mum to write you a few of her basic recipes up for you so you have a small list of basic cookable items. Agreed also that if you look on amazon there are alot of student cook books

southernscouser

ladymarmalade wrote: »

Hey well done on finding your own place and making that big step!

Myself and my boyfriend live together and are 20 and 28 respectively and we seem to have mastered it. Oh I am a student and leave for uni at 7.30am everyday and get back around 6pm and sometimes work at night and my bf works full time and he leaves and returns the same time as me cos we travel together. Here is our routine:

Shopping
I do one big shop every week as I save money if I do it all in one go. Before going shopping I make a menu plan up for the week and then write down what what ingredients I am going to need, what basics I am going to need such as butter, bread etc and check the bathrooms for toilet paper and toothpaste etc. I always stick to the list (unless I see any real baragains) and I never go shopping on an empty stomach.

Cooking
I do most of the cooking, but only because I love to, sometimes my bf has to force me out of there so he can get a chance. We try to eat a wide variety of foods and have many meals that we have time and time again. If you are a beginner at cooking there are a few recipes i could suggest:

Homemade Burgers
You need some mince beef and and egg yolk and some seasoning (salt and pepper and whatever your into eg oregano etc) at the moment i put in a spoonful of dijon mustard and tobasco sauce too yummy. Mix it together and make into burger shapes and cook on grill or in a griddle pan. Then serve it in a cob with some salad and chips if u wish. If you make too much you can freeze the uncooked mixture.

Chicken Pasta Bake
Cook a chicken breast and some pasta. Chop up some mushrooms. Bung the whole thing in an oven proof dish and mix in some pasta sauce either home made or from a jar. Sprinkle on some cheese and bake for about 30 mins.

Chicken Wraps
Chop up a pepper and a courgette drixxle over some olive oil, garlic and basil. Roast in oven for 30 mins
Season some chicken (again to your taste) and cook in a frying pan until cooked. Then serve with some tortilla wraps with pesto.

I have loads more ideas if you want any more...i just dont want to make this post any longer lol

Of course things like packets of flavoured pasta are always useful as are tins of things for toast or spuds. And dont forget you cant beat a good bacon sandwich

Cleaning
We don't really have a routine as my timetable is so unreliable but generally we do it at weekends. Things like the bathrooms and living rooms get cleaned everyweek and the kitchen every time we use it. The rooms we dont use we just clean when we think it needs it.

I also do a darks wash, a colours wash and a white wash every week. One tip....make sure you stay ontop of your ironing cos i havent during my exams and am dreading tackling the mountain it has become next week when i have finished exams :eek:

Hope that helps a bit, sorry if i have waffled. Ask me if you want anymore help or food ideas.

Lady M

Your OH is far too old for you. Ditch him and come live with me. Your recipes sound pucker! :T

If you've got anymore like that I'd love to hear them. They all sound lovely. It's making me hungry now! :rotfl:

kisto

Hi SS

I only usually venture into OS for the shabby chic thread but thought I'd respond to your thread.

I'm a single mum, so often end up cooking for one as my kids are very fussy.

Stir Fry - Not the cheapest way to do a stir fry but Morrissons do pre-packed stir fry. Tonight I am having sweet chilli and I also have a satay stir fry for another night. They are very easy to cook - put a drop of oil in a large frying pan, and 'stir' for about 3 minutes. Add the sachet that comes in the pack. Stir for another 1 minute and it's cooked. You could serve with some ham, pork, chicken or a pitta

Jacket Potatoes
Cheese & bean.
Tuna Mayo.
Coleslaw.
Bacon, cheese and tomato.
Curry
Chilli
Prawn Mayo
Cheese and tomato

Tortilla Wrap - I adapt my spag bol recipe (mince, onions, tin toms, herbs, garlic) by adding some chilli powder and some peppers (I buy a bag of sliced peppers and just take a handful when needed). You could also add some fresh chillies for a bit of oomph. Dollop some of the sauce in the middle of the tortilla wrap. Add a sprinkle of cheese, natural yoghurt, wrap it up and enjoy.
If you buy a pack of 6 wraps you could use some for lunch the next day or freeze them for another time.

Cheese & Bacon Pasta - This is one of my kids favourites. Place some pasta in a pan to cook. Whilst it's cooking grill or fry some bacon and then cut into small pieces. You could buy a packet of cheese sauce or make your own easy enough (recipe). Then add the bacon to the cheese sauce. Drain the pasta, pour the sauces over the pasta. You could also add some chopped cherry tomatoes. This would be ideal cold for a packed lunch the next day.

Salmon - Do you like salmon? I find this really easy to cook by poaching it in a pan of milk for 20 minutes. Then I serve with some savoury rice or cous cous.

Pizza - Tesco (and probably other supermarkets) sell plain pizza bases, or they also do a cheap large cheese & tomato pizza. You can then just add your own toppings.

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Shopping - I do a weekly shop. Your first few shops may be a bit more expensive as you will need to buy some cupboard basics - but these will last you a while i.e. salt, pepper, vinegar, soy sauce, flour, cornflour, herbs & spices etc Plus cleaning products - stardrops, bleach, bicarb, soda crystals.

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Washing/Laundry - I bung anything in (apart from very precious items of clothing) at 40. I use own brand washing powder mixed with a packet of soda crystals. I do like to pay a bit extra for a nice fabric conditioner.
I iron the clothes as and when we wear it - mainly because I don't have suitable storage so the clothes wouldn't stay ironed long. Plus I couldn't bare to be at the ironing board longing that the 10 minutes I do each morning currently!

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House Basics - For general cooking I reckon you will need 2 or 3 saucepans, a frying pan, colander, wooden spoon, can opener, vegetable peeler, scissors, fish slice, whisk, measuring jug, mixing bowl, serving/slotted spoon and a couple baking trays. Plus mugs, plates & cutlery. I never seem to have enough teaspoons for some reason! All available reasonably cheap from supermarkets/ woolworths/ poundstretcher/ ikea.

taplady

SS if you want to equip your kitchen cheaply try a carboot, lots of stuff there such as breadmakers and slowcookers, pots and pans and I've seen lots of really nice china too . Once its washed its as good as new!:money:

kisto

This is on Amazon:

First Home/Student Essential 30 Piece Starter Kitchen set - £24.95

http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Student-Essential-Starter-Kitchen/dp/B0012A659C

southernscouser

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

Hi SS, I haven't popped into DFW for ages and I'm well impressed with how much you've got your debts down by :T

£100 a month is easily achievable for a single person, including all cleaning products and so on. You may need to allow extra if you are a drinker, though (I don't include wine/beer in my grocery budget - it's separate).

Come and join us on the Grocery Challenge thread to keep yourself on track...

Do get a freezer and a microwave, if space and funds even vaguely permit. I live on my own but I almost NEVER cook for one. I buy and cook in bulk, then freeze in individual portions. It is a great habit to get into, because not only does it really slash your shopping costs, it also means you only have to cook a couple of times a week because the rest of the time you can just take a portion of ready-prepared meal out of the freezer and nuke it. For somebody like you who is only just starting out on "self-catering", it makes the whole idea less daunting as you don't have to think about it EVERY day.

As for that £8 lasagne - what's in it, caviar? How many portions does that make? I'd say you could make 6 to 8 portions for that price, easily, and batch freeze as I've suggested above.

If you are able to do so, I would try and allow a bit extra in the budget for the first little while, say an extra £20 a month? The logic behind this is as follows: you'll probably find it costs more at first, as you'll need to buy literally every ingredient for every recipe, whereas after a while you'll have many of them already lurking in the storecupboard. The same goes for cooking utensils - once you've got your absolute basics (pans, plates, cutlery, chopping board and a couple of good food preparation knives) you can build up your collection of utensils as and when you need them.

Thanks Rzl.

They could of all been gone this year but decided to move out instead to save my sanity.

Freezer and microwave will be definates. Will have a look at the challenge thing but knowing me I'll crash and burn! :rotfl:

It probably isn't £8 but not far off. Thats 4 portions. I'll have to work it out but that would be if I was buying pasta sheets which obviously last for more than one etc. :think:

Yeah I thought the first 2 months or so would be expensive while I get everything I need. Things like olive oil whatever that is? :rotfl:

bellsbells

Hi SS,

Here are a few suggestions for you:

Firstly your mum - now is the time to learn from her! (and your dad by the sound of it as he does lots of cooking!) Get them to teach you some basics - housework as well as cooking. You could then start cooking a few meals with them to get used to it all.

Start stocking up now on stuff you will need for your house. If you get a few bits and pieces each week you will not notice the cost as much. Things like shampoo, soap, cleaner, dried and tinned goods etc

Ask your parents if they have any old pots/pans/plates etc lurking at the backs of cupboards that you could take with you. You might also get towels, sheets and other such stuff that way. If you have other family near you they might be able to help. When I set up my first home all of my bedding was donated. OK so it was all a bit 70's but it did me fine until I was in a position to buy some new stuff!

Get a slow cooker. I know others have mentioned it already but it is a brilliant piece of kit and once you get the hang of cooking with it you will really appreciate it, especially for those times you are working late so need something ready for you. Leftovers can of course be used up the next day.

Good luck with it all and welcome to OS:beer:

arkonite_babe

SS,

here's some of my recipes, they're easy peasy to do, and MBE's cooking index is a definite must for you

Bacon Pie

Potato Soup

Easy Pasta Sauce For One

German Potato Salad

Omlette in a bag

Vegetable Soup

Fish Pie

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

Irish Stew and Colcannon

Hope these help

Skint_Catt

:eek: :eek: :eek: SS is ONLY 27!!!!!! PMSL! I thought you were more like 47 :eek: Sorry hun! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: