Living the Frugal Life (Semi-lighthearted) ?

Fleurpepper

RichmondPark1

Do consider turning down the thermostat in the flower arranging and parcel wrapping rooms - after all, it's only the staff that use those rooms and they can always buy themselves a cardigan (embroidered with your family crest naturally).

Well, it is funny. Take the Mick - but honestly. It is a very serious matter currently for many reasons, so perhaps we could stick to great ideas that would help?

We live in the boonies and eat with oil and wood- the current situation is serious. And water is becoming very short- for humans, wildlife, forests, industry, and mainly, farming and livestock. Funny it is not. Sorry.

Crikey!

I’ve lived on a boat for the last eight years, seven of those being completely ‘off grid’ so am used to being frugal with everything. Most of our leccy is 12v and comes from our battery bank. Our gas is in big, metal bottles. Hot water was made when we ran the engine. As we had to carry our domestic water with us and find a water point to fill our tank, we made a tankful last a fortnight. We have ‘boaters showers’ - get in the shower, get wet, turn off the water, soap up, turn on the water and rinse off. Washing up gets done once a day, saving both water and washing up liquid. Our journeys were planned to include supermarket stops. The hardest part was making the rum last long enough before the next Aldi (other supermarkets were available, sometimes).

Now we’re in a marina with leccy hook up and a tap for us to fill the tank, we are still careful with what we use, especially the LPG as we find the bottles get heavier and, therefore, harder to change as we’ve got older. Our hot water now comes courtesy of an immersion heater and, with red diesel prices now as high as white diesel, works out cheaper than running the engine. Our battery bank is topped up with an electric battery charger, again, cheaper than running the engine.

JenniferEccles

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the old habit from years ago of cutting up newspaper into squares to use as loo paper!

A very elderly aunt did that, and even as a child it seemed a really bizarre idea to me.
I always used to hold on when we visited her and then dashed to our bathroom with proper loo paper when we got home !

You made me laugh Jennifer I suddenly remembered the Newspaper square in people outside loos ,they must have had better drains than inside ones, lucky you if you got a square with the actions of Christine Keiler banned at home!!
We were posher my gran saved the soft paper off satsumas and clementines

Great idea of soaking pasta. I didn't know you could buy quick cook pasta.
Like the Christmas
card idea too.

MawtheMerrier

To save water I have compiled a list of “nice young men”,” with whom to share bathing.

And also to save water, brushing my teeth with chilled white wine.

What brilliant ideas, but tell me, are the young men local, famous or a mixture of both, and would gin work instead of the white wine?
?

Our electric car is now only charged at free chargers so the last 4000 miles have been completely free saving us £100’s.

That is free to you but everyone else is paying for it

Such a lot of good tips, must make a note of the ones for staff and champagne! When I was a child I had three aunts who never wrote in a Christmas or birthday card but put a separate note inside. The same cards went back and forth until they disintegrated.I may suggest it to the family! I already do most of the things suggested, the only one Ican add is using a roll of loo paper instead of cosmetic tissues. I stand the roll in an empty cosmetic tissue box so it still looks pretty on the dressing table.

same as henetha, I use tea bags twice but don`t use any milk, much nicer on the weak side

re boiling water in the electric kettle, I put a mug of water in and switch off when it gets to that loud noise. It has a temperature dial on it and keeps on moving up to 100

Try bringing water to the boil, putting the pasta in, lid on and switching off. The pasta will carry on cooking nicely without more energy input

The most (energy) cost efficient wash in my machine (miele) is 40 degree cottons with a rectangular box next to the programme. It takes almost 3 hours but is very good

Calendargirl

I soak my lasagne sheets briefly in hot water before cooking as it makes the lasagne nicer.

A Mary Berry tip I think.

But I don’t ‘boil’ them.

Does the soaking soften them?
If so, I bet it would make them cuttable, and a lot easier to get them to fit in my awkward-sized dishes. I must try it!

Calendargirl

I soak my lasagne sheets briefly in hot water before cooking as it makes the lasagne nicer.

A Mary Berry tip I think.

But I don’t ‘boil’ them.

Modern lasagne sheets do not require it, but back in the 70’s and 80’s they were not the same. I cooked in a professional kitchen and “ready to use” lasagne sheets were a huge leap forward.

Agree absolutely Esspee. I used to run my machines overnight (Economy 7) whivh I may still do in the dark depths of winter, but realise since the arrival of the gizmo, that these sunny days are to be utilised as well as clocking up units on the Feed-in tariff.
I have become quite OCD about my energy usage- no lights left on in the evening any more and no radio in the background unless I am actually listening to it. Toasters and hairdryers are very expensive, so trying to keep down the length of time using them.
Come November I will probably be emulating Charlie Bucket’s grandparents and just staying in bed!
More seriously, there will be some people reduced to that. Makes you think.
On a more cheerful note, all my past impulse cashmere buys - ponchos, jackets and wraps - will come into their own and maybe earn their keep

I soak my lasagne sheets briefly in hot water before cooking as it makes the lasagne nicer.

A Mary Berry tip I think.

But I don’t ‘boil’ them.

In praise of Smart meters.

I boiled a litre and a half of water on the gas stove and a litre and a half in my electric kettle then compared the cost. Using the electric kettle cost four times as much as using gas.
Previously I had been in the habit of using my electric kettle to boil water for pasta, rice and potatoes or other veg because it is faster. Yes it is, it is however extremely expensive!

My smart meter has certainly opened my eyes. ?

I have adjusted my cooking to avoiding using my electric kettle, I use my electric oven as little as possible, I am investigating which air fat fryer to purchase and will be buying a kettle to go on the gas hob. I use my slow cooker whenever possible and I time my housework to take into account when my solar panels are generating so laundry is not done in the evening.
Our electric car is now only charged at free chargers so the last 4000 miles have been completely free saving us £100’s.

I am beginning to realise just how much money I would have saved if I had switched to a smart meter earlier.

My favourite herbal tea - Pukka Tea has gone up from £2.45 per pack to £3.50 or more, I now make my own herbal teas - ginger tea is my favourite a few slithers of fresh ginger steeped in boiling water, mint tea, thyme tea etc add lemon for a different flavour

annsixty

I know this should go in another thread but here it is.
I hate and shudder at the word “flaccid”
That pasta would have gone straight into the food waste bin.
I could not have contemplated eating it.

Come on Annsixty
1 - sorry about the word - not my choice
2- we are talking about saving money , here, not wasting,it or wasting food
Does anybody remember how in the 70's and 80's recipes told us to boil pasta sheets before assembling a lasagne?
Not much different - floppy, slippery things! We survived.

I'm taking much shorter showers and some days just have a wash down. My fathers comments about daily showers was, "You'll wash yourself away woman". Old school when a weekly bath was the order of the day!

Turn all lights off when not in the room... I used to have the whole house lit up as I liked that.

Make batches of food and freeze. Use my pressure cookers... actually better for the food and saves on gas. I bought big bags of dried chickpeas, kidney beans , lentils at the Indian store. I reckon for £25 I could eat for at least a couple of months!! Very good for heart health as well. A lot less meat too. It's lots more work but I have plenty of, free in all senses of the word, time.

I've stopped buying things at Waitrose deli... so expensive and not really necessary. Stock up on things that I use a lot when I see them on special offer. Currently have LOTS of coffee! My mother had a habit of buying in bulk as she was a war baby and I've inherited it. I'm not 'brand loyal' and will buy whatever is on special... just as good.

If I only have a few undies I wash them by hand and spin in the machine but in the summer just wring them out and pop them on the line. Usually dry by night time if a bit crushed looking. Who cares -the heat of my body will sort that!

Now taking the bus instead of driving places... headphones and Audible or podcasts or music for longer journeys. Much more relaxing that manoeuvring through heavy traffic ( the traffic is horrendous with endless roadworks )

I'm enjoying seeing how creative I can be. My gas and electric were actually cheaper than usual last month, even with the price rise!!

Lets she how I do in winter... its definitely going to be much more of a challenge.

HI, if I am cooking pasta in a big pot needing lots of boiling water, it would take ages to boil on the cooker. I add about an inch of cold water to the pot, and put in on the cooker to heat and at the same time boil the kettle, when it is boiled, add to the pot , refill the kettle and boil again. Within about 5 minutes the pot of water is boiling and ready to use. I know the kettle uses electricity but overall it takes less time and so I think it will save a small amount of electricity.

Maw! Great advice on soaking pasta. Will try it.

I cut worn down tubes in half and use the cut edge to scoop from. The cut off top half makes a lid to keep the contents clean.

I am making a lot of risotto . Yesterday 's a really nice one with a lot of onion and some tinned salmon stirred in after cooking. I also made a risotto with a few tinned kidney beans and guests like it too.

I know this should go in another thread but here it is.
I hate and shudder at the word “flaccid”
That pasta would have gone straight into the food waste bin.
I could not have contemplated eating it.

Perhaps this belongs on Fleurpeper ‘s more serious thread?
Either way, worth looking at. With a smart meter the “gizmo” shows me exactly what I am using - quite a reality check!

Oldnproud

I've started buying quick-cook (fusilli) pasta. It cooks in less than half the time of the normal one.
Admittedly, you still have to bring all that water to the boil first, but every little helps, and actually, I've found that I don't need to use as much water as I was previously using anyway.

I read in a cookery article yesterday that if you soak pasta in cold water for, I think 4 hours, it also cuts down cooking time quite drastically. You could then compare the price if “quick cook” with Regular - particularly if you buy the latter from one of those “fill your own container” shops.
From the DT yesterday

The cost of cooking
There’s no doubt that when it comes to cooking, pasta is a gas guzzler. Italian cooks recommend at least one litre of water and 10g of salt (a rounded teaspoonful) for 100g of pasta for each person. So, supper for four will mean bringing four litres of water to the boil. In my largest lidded pan on my most powerful gas burner (a 5kWh number designed for a wok), that took just shy of 20 minutes. Add in 10 minutes of cooking time, and allowing 7p per kWh, and that’s 17p. Not staggering, I grant you, but not that green, either – and if you are using electricity, it’ll be even more expensive.
The soaking method
It all sounded a bit student bedsit to me, up there with cooking a steak in a toaster (please don’t do this) or fish fingers and chips in a waffle maker. But in the interests of research, I soaked a portion of penne in salted cold water overnight in the fridge. The next day, I drained off the cold water, trying to ignore how depressingly flaccid the pasta looked, and tipped it into a pan. In went a kettleful of boiling water, then I brought it back to the boil before draining it again.
Amazingly, it worked, the pasta brightening and tightening before my eyes. Not as al dente as I’d like it – next time I’ll soak it for just four hours – but this could save time, money and a fugged-up kitchen

I brush the wooden floors instead of using the vacuum. I only use the vacuum to lift up the dirt.
Can't think of anything else. ..I unplug Alexa sometimes.

Thanks Maggiemaybe. Someone who understands! I didn't expect there would be anyone . .
I'm sorry it shocked your butler. I'd have to sack him!

Although all of my appliances with the exception of obvious ones like fridge and freezer are switched off, I am now switching items off at the wall because although something is switched off there is a trickle of electricity getting through and adding up kettle, toaster, dishwasher, washing machine to name a few, it all mounts up over a year.