Cost of living crisis

[Bop]

Yeah I'm right up for vegan/veggie solutions . I'd love to DIY a vegan sausagemeat , a slicing 'meat' too . Need a bit of space free in the freezer for those sort of projects 😉 I follow a few vegan channels for cooking tips and food ideas . I linked my favourite earlier in the thread , 'Those Vegan Guys' , a bit UKcentric but they are lovely lads .


I think a lot of post war UK foods fell out of favour when we had a better standard of living . My old nan used to spend pennies at the butchers or the wet fish shop every day to put food on the table .Go down the open air market for veg .

We got freezers . We shopped at supermarkets . A whole swathe of British working class custom just fizzled out , most still hang on as oddities ...eel and pie shops , indoor markets , meat auctions, meat raffles , butchers that only sell pies 😀 .

Is it similar with fish and chip shops? I visited one in London the other day in quite a nice borough and I asked for a saveloy and chips, they didn't sell saveloys or battered sausages and they acted like it would be beneath them to do so. Is that a class thing?

 

[Hunga Munga]

Is it similar with fish and chip shops? I visited one in London the other day in quite a nice borough and I asked for a saveloy and chips, they didn't sell saveloys or battered sausages and they acted like it would be beneath them to do so. Is that a class thing?

I dunno mate , did they have fritters , fishcakes , cod roe , etc ? You need those cheapie items or poor families can't eat there . Been a long time since I lived in London , In my day , if there was a queue at the chippy , you ate there 😀 . Sure sign of quality .

Love how some towns keep their vernacular traditions alive . Round my way fish and chips is mostly an expensive dinner out .

 

[thrasherpix]

I've learned to be wary of deceptive price tags. I've saved several dollars by learning to always check my receipt (happens at multiple stores) before leaving (and also learned to ask about the discounts as I'm being checked out which saves a little time). It's extra work for the cashier, but the deceptive price tags are up, and once verified, i get the price or deal advertised. (I've also gotten charged twice for the same item which virtually never happened in previous years, but now I've learned to look for it, and that has also saved me dollars. And given that you have to scan each item one by one at self-check out, I know the stores could stop that if they wanted to, but clearly they don't want to.)

Today I treated myself to hot food. Was at a decent price, but not as good as I remember it. Also, I got a free rooster sauce (hot sauce) packet, which I haven't had in years. Definitely watered down. So no more of that. (Also as a result of this, I didn't contest a few extra cents--though close to a dollar--on paper towels as I figured it wasn't worth my hot food getting cold.)

 

[Hunga Munga]

Ethan Reigns In what alternate universe is marmalade cheap? But I admire your ability to stick to the plan

Our basic economy brand is like 30 pence for a lb jar .... ordinary grade starts at 90 pence .

To give credit to the UK supermarkets , they do sort the cheapest economy spreads . A couple of jams ,a marmalade , a nuttella(not a success) ,a honey , a peanut butter, a lemon curd ...all at a fraction of brand price and usually way cheaper than their own branded gear too . I'd rather buy the 90pence grade myself for flavour ...but it isn't 3 times better! 😀

 

[nightshade]

Our basic economy brand is like 30 pence for a lb jar .... ordinary grade starts at 90 pence .

To give credit to the UK supermarkets , they do sort the cheapest economy spreads . A couple of jams ,a marmalade , a nuttella(not a success) ,a honey , a peanut butter, a lemon curd ...all at a fraction of brand price and usually way cheaper than their own branded gear too . I'd rather buy the 90pence grade myself for flavour ...but it isn't 3 times better! 😀

I've had the jam, that's fine on toast, but the instant gravy is awful just tastes of salt, that was sainsbury.
I might have a sort out and see if I can bulk buy cat food for over winter. He prefers dried foods, so I can order a big bag of that if I can find somewhere to store it

 

[Dogs of Winter]

It's also why I don't eat better at times, because healthier options cost more.

I have actually saved a lot of money since I started eating healthier and stopped being so lazy about cooking. The likes of pasta, rice, dried beans, lentils, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, cabbage, collie, broccoli etc are all really cheap compared to most of the rubbish I used to eat. I make big portions of pasta dishes, vegie curries, bean chilies etc and freeze 2 or 3 portions

All this demand continues to fuel inflation. In short, we need wealthier folks to cut back too, even if they don't need to, in order to slow inflation

The problem is that while some of the inflationary pressures have come from post Covid pent up demand, a lot of it has come from supply side issues which we cant do much about. So if spending goes down too much we could end up with a long term recession, which makes it a difficult balancing act

Liver , in fact offal in general , has fallen well out of favour in the UK . So it's cheap , quality and not sought after . You would have enjoyed the old timey cafes and eating houses . I think there's still a few left out there with liver and onions on the menu .

I havent had liver since I was a kid. I used to quite like the taste but wasnt as keen on the texture. Especially the liver served for school dinners that used to have little squishy, tube-y bits in it 🤮

 

[Hunga Munga]

It's a mixed bag with the economy ranges . I swear by the UHT milk , the box tissues , the washing powder , some of the baked goods ...Just stocked up on washing power yesterday . Much happier with a 5 kilo stash about me .

The flour and the staples (pasta ,noodle etc), the cereals are all passable , same with the tins and jars . You could do a lot worse if you were struggling . I try to shop one step 'upbrand' but there's real savings on stuff you're prepared to compromise on .

I avoid most the cooked , fresh and frozen economy meats . Better off with vegan alternatives with my tastebuds .

Cor Blimey , it's hotter than Satan's jockstrap by me but my clothes just won't dry ! The humidity must be off the charts . Been poking at collars and damp pockets for days . Been reduced to putting a few items on top of a black watertank and cooking them dry in the sun . Have washed virtually everything I own though . 😀

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

My cigarettes now cost $11.50 a pack...and I smoke a pack a day. Ouch. I haven't had a mani/pedi in four months which REALLY sucks. But it costs $80 (including tip) and that money can go in my gas tank or towards cigarettes...

I also really need a pedicure! My feet are in dire need...but it's hard to justify the expense now, especially when I'm trying to save to move.

I have also not washed my truck in forever...lol thanks for the reminder

Post automatically merged: Aug 11, 2022

I have actually saved a lot of money since I started eating healthier and stopped being so lazy about cooking. The likes of pasta, rice, dried beans, lentils, potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, cabbage, collie, broccoli etc are all really cheap compared to most of the rubbish I used to eat. I make big portions of pasta dishes, vegie curries, bean chilies etc and freeze 2 or 3 portions

Right on! I often make veggie chili in my crockpot and I can get many servings out of it. I top it with cilantro and sour cream if I have it, and serve it with cornbread which is also very cheap to make.

 

[Hunga Munga]

I would love to master the crockpot . Maybe next winter if the electric price goes down 😉

Not the only person looking for oldschool bargains 🙂

Expensive at £1..99 . I could make a small bucket for that price 😀 . This Youtuber is pretty good for UK freezer bargains , he does all the weirdy freezer chains . Not much cop for vegans though . He eats the food but rarely enjoys it .

 

[TriBel]

I would love to master the crockpot . Maybe next winter if the electric price goes down 😉

Not the only person looking for oldschool bargains 🙂

Expensive at £1..99 . I could make a small bucket for that price 😀 . This Youtuber is pretty good for UK freezer bargains , he does all the weirdy freezer chains . Not much cop for vegans though . He eats the food but rarely enjoys it .

Fry the damned stuff and top with equally fried onions (don't worry about the cholesterol - make use of the NHS while we still have one). Seriously, the best liver and onions I've ever had was in a small restaurant in Larnaca. The flight to Cyprus makes it pricey - on the plus side, you don't need central heating even in January. Try a Greek recipe. If you're gonna go off on offal - you could try tripe and onions. I'm convinced Daily Mail readers have wished us back to the 50s. Instant Whip will be making a comeback. Somebody kill me - now.

 

[Puppet]

I gave up all but one Patron to support and got rid of several subscriptions (HBO, Audible, a food app I never used), and still this month has been worse than I've had it in years. I'm currently cutting out fast food by making a meal plan for each week and buying the groceries on Sunday; that way I won't have any excuse to say 'fridge is empty, go to McDonald's'. Beyond that, I'm just glad I don't drive a car and that I have family willing to lend me some money if I just ask for it.

 

[nightshade]

Went to the free stall today, got a few bits of veg for dinner tonight, and already eaten the bar of chocolate!

I can't spend anymore money this month so have to make what I stretch until payday next week.

 

[Hunga Munga]

Sort of good news . They haven't raised my electricity price again , so the doomsday predictions aren't locked in yet . There's still a 50% bump in the offing for UK residential customers though 🙁

A big tree that fell onto the back of another tree has shifted a few feet over the summer .It was just out of reach and insanely dangerous , so I trimmed a bit so they could slowly fall naturally . Now I can trim a bit more ...hopefully it'll be on the ground before winter ...but it's all safety work and firewood regardless . There's a lot of wood there but there's a good chance it'll be quite rotted once I get my hands on it so only doing it as a side project . Plenty of other wood to saw . By rights I've likely already got my 2022/23 stash sorted , just don't feel stopping is a good idea until winter sets in proper .

Got 6 quids worth of free milk on my last Asda order 😛 . Woo hoo ! Still keeping to a tight budget mealwize . Lots of things on toast for lunches this last week ; Sardines , fried eggs , tomatoes . It's like the 1970s all over again 😀 . Under 50 pence a plate though .Had to adjust my meal plan . Turns out , managing eggs , potatoes , cheese and salad is actually quite a tricky business if you're looking for zero waste 😉 . I had to eat a bunch of unscheduled eggs .

 

[Hunga Munga]

Tonight I'm doing slug burgers , with eggs , mash and mushy peas ....quite expensive (£1.40ish) but I deserve a real meal . Making my own meat burgers is not like me at all . Don't really like working the mix with my fingers 😱 . Crazy savings if I can get it right though .

 

[Plasma]

Went to the free stall today, got a few bits of veg for dinner tonight, and already eaten the bar of chocolate!

I can't spend anymore money this month so have to make what I stretch until payday next week.

Thought this said “already eaten bar of chocolate”

Like yippee, the free stall gives away half-eaten food 😂

 

[Hunga Munga]

Huzzah ! Shaved 40 pence off my plate cost . It was a fairly successful recipe too , good enough to make again but I'm not putting it in my forthcoming cookbook 😉 .

 

[nightshade]

More free food! Walked over to my mother's as she was having an issue with Netflix, she was using the wrong remote, and she had been baking, so got a few slices of bread pudding and some eggs. I'll have to have a baking session myself and do cakes that I can slice and freeze. That'll do for work and top up my freezer

 

[The Bronze]

Just called my internet provider and got them to knock £4 per month off their renewal offer. Don't let anything run past your agreed contract length and always ask for better than their first offer. Have price comparison open in front of you while on the phone.

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

Pretty much the only things I have for entertainment at the moment are Youtube Premium and Amazon Prime. Cable just costs too much! I still miss it, but oh well. Netflix was a waste of money, so that's been gone for awhile too.

And not having a microwave has REALLY changed things. I have to actually cook the old fashioned way, and it takes so long! I'm lazy, and would much rather get my food cooked faster. I'll get a new microwave next week, but until then, I'm baking, boiling, and frying stuff. Eating sandwiches, grilled cheese, boiled eggs, Top Ramen, stuff like that. I WANT MCDONALD'S BUT CAN'T AFFORD IT RIGHT NOW!! 😕

 

[Stake fodder]

The blackberries are ripening here. Free fruit fresh off the vine, if you don't mind a few scratches!