Uk we are about to go into a recession what are your tips to tighten those belts?

Question

I did the weekly shop on friday and i noticed my childrens favourite meat went up in 10p in price from the previous week. WOW plus simple things like milk have taken a rise. I have decided to post a few simple things i have done to help.

Energy saving lightbulbs.

Turned the thermostat down

changed my electricty and gas companies

Useing the washing line more (i used to throw the washing in the tumble drier)

Planned my meals a week ahead (so a planned shopping list this saved me loads)

Found freecyce i found a small fridge for my babys food (he is weaning)

So come on people have you any good ideas as the recession is looming

Plus i dont have any credit cards anymore if i dont have the cash i dont need it.

and i have 4 children 6,4,3,15 weeks

Answer 1

Are you right-handed? Get your credit cards in your left hand and a pair of scissors in your right hand open the scissors put your credit cards, one at the time, between the scissor blades and cut your cards into small pieces. Don't throw them away but put them under your pillow, or on your bedside table so that you are constantly reminded of what you have done.

If you are left-handed, take the scissors in your left hand and the cards in your right hand and follow the procedure as above.

If you need money walk to your nearest bank branch, or commission free ATM. Use your Bank's debit card to withdraw the cash you expect you will need for the next 7 days. Don’t use the facility to take up cash at the checkouts, it’s too easy money. Don’t use your debit card to pay for your purchases either. You will be too concentrated on punching in your PIN code correctly, or signing the ticket. Forking out the cash makes you much more aware of what you are paying.

You will notice the difference when you receive your next bank statement. For the rest teach yourself to be more disciplined. Being more aware what you can save on at home speaks for itself. It's those silly cards that makes you buy nonessentials.

Who is to blame for the current level of prices? We all are! We have all been too greedy, the sky was the limit. Well apparently not any more. High prices are not just a fact in Britain; it is a worldwide phenomenon. High food prices should not be a licence to buy cheaper unhealthy products. Offal in Britain is unsafe, bacon unnecessary and sausages are made of machine collected unidentifiable parts of the animal. Beef, Lamb, Chicken, Fish each once a week, can you live with that? I can.

Answer 2

You seem to be doing pretty well - have you cut up and got rid of any credit cards and store cards yet?  Do it and go over to a cash only budget or use Switch Card[s] instead.

On the food front [I was born in 1941 and grew up with strict rationing of food and everything else] you can introduce your kids and yourself to offal.

What is offal?

Offal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Offal is the entrails and internal organs of a butchered animal. The word does

not refer to a particular list of organs, but includes most internal organs ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offal

BBC - Food - Recipes - Offal

Less popular cuts of meat can be delicious, as well as nutritious.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof...

Offal Good | Chef Chris Cosentino’s guide to all good guts.

Offal Good is a guide and informational source for proper handling and cooking

... You will find recipes, food p**n, and places to buy and eat offal. ...

http://www.offalgood.com/

During WW2 one of the men at the Ministry of Food was a guy called Magnus Pike [Pyke?] - he explained that there was as much protein in a cow's nose as in it's rump - so we ate the whole cow and not just the rump.

Ever tried the famous English dish - liver, bacon and onions.  It's an absolute classic, costs next to nothing, and is consumed in vast quantities in France where I had it in a Bistro in Paris only a few weeks ago.

BBC - Food - Recipes - Pan-fried calves' liver with dry-cured ...Pan-fried calves' liver with dry-cured bacon and balsamic caramelised onions, served with root vegetable and rocket puree, liver ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/databa...

Living to Eat! » Liver, Bacon and OnionsIn fact, the recipe websites seem alost saturated with straightforward liver, bacon and onion recipes. That’s not quite what I wanted for my treat! ...

http://www.roshani.co.uk/livingtoeat/ind...

UKTV Food: Recipes: Liver and onions with bacon Sheila Day serves this great British favourite alongside creamy mash and lightly buttered carrots.

http://www.uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/59...

Kids love bright foods - savoury and sweet.  They do not like greens, but you can disguise these inside bubble and squeek!  Or try the famous Irish dish of Bacon and Cabbage -yum!

Boiled_Bacon_with_Cabbage Irish Recipe for St.Patrick's Day Cook BookBoiled Bacon and Cabbage. a 2 1/2 lb joint of Bacon or Gammon, smoked or unsmoked 1 whole green cabbage 4-6 Peppercorns. place the joint in a pot, ...

http://www.myhouseandgarden.com/recipes/...

Fried Cabbage with Bacon from Delia OnlineSeason with freshly milled pepper, but taste before adding salt because of the bacon. The cabbage should cook in about 10 minutes and still retain its ...

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/fried...

Always remember the famous British pie - it has lots of pastry with mystry filling.

One of the most famous pies is one eaten a lot in Birmingham - it's called Meat and Potato Pie.

Meat and Potato pie and some good investment advice. . .

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make...

Other thing is, if you have a garden, even a small plot, get digging right now and put in some winter veg - it's still not too late to get a few cabbages in and in September you can sew Spring onions which will be ready to pick and eat in March.

Dig for Victory

http://digforvictory.blogspot.com/2006/0...

FROM WW 2

Recipes From World War 2 Home FrontThese are some of the recipes my Grandmother used to feed her husband and ... Women were told that food was their munition of war. The Ministry Of Food and ...

http://www.allthatwomenwant.co.uk/wartim...

Carrots History - The Role of the Carrot in World War TwoThis page takes an in depth look of the role of carrots in World War Two, ... Some war time recipes promoted by the Ministry of Food are also detailed below ...

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/history4.h...  

Actually, by the end of WW 2 the women of Britain had gone up two sizes - blimey!  All on mashed spuds with no butter and boiled carrots.

I remember we hate masses of bread back then, at least six slices each a day.

So, add more bread to your daily intake.  Carbohydrates have about half the cals of fat - so worry ye not.

Home made soups. . . .

Delia's favourite soups: Super bowl! from Delia OnlineIn recognition of this, Delia has produced a book, The Delia Collection: Soups, which should be on the bookshelf of anyone who enjoys nutritious home-made ...

http://www.deliaonline.com/soup-recipes/

Best Homemade Soup Recipes : Recipe Collections : Cooking : Food ...Find delicious stews, homemade soup recipes and suggestions from your favorite Food Network chefs.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/mh_soup/...

STREET MARKETS

Your local street markets will have far cheaper fresh veg than your local super market.  Give it a try.

Yesterday I got 10 avocado pears at my local street market for £1 - I have no idea what we're gonna do with 10 avocado pears - one of them mystery British pies perhaps. . . .

Answer 3

Prices always jump far more than is reasonable.  The price of actually producing your children's favourite meat probably hasn't gone up at all.  It's probably the manufactiurer, wholesaler or retailer that are simply charging as much for the product as they can get.  All hail capitalism!  The mass media will make you aware that we are always about to go into the worst recession ever while the Labour party are in power.  It's always "about to" though ........ they never actually materialize!  Though while the 'other' party is in power, we actually have the worst recessions possible every time they take control of the economy; then all you hear about is how low inflation is; which is a consequence of high unemployment.  If there is a recession looming, then that's because there is a world recession looming, the planet really is in a serious economic mess; all hail capitalism!  There is something sucking the money out of society at an alarming rate.  Where does it go?  That should be the question that we lowly people are asking.  About saving money, I've just cancelled my TV licence and stopped buying lottery tickets.  That's £244 a year saved (2 lucky dips a week!).  Which still isn't enough to cover the increase in my lecky bills.  I'll go to the theatre less often, my TV is awaiting collection by the council.  i'm going to read more.  You know the electricity and gas price increases are simply to keep the major share holders happy.  All hail capitalism.  Let the masses suffer genuine hardship while a fantastically small number of people possess more wealth than you could possibly imagine.  Perhaps we ought to tell Sid our gas bills have gone up %200.  All hail capitalism.

Answer 4

Blaim the store keeper about the prices no body else

Answer 5

i just read, our biggest loss occurs with throwing food away, so how about more 'leftover' pies. my mum used to say, there is nothing better to hide leftovers than some mash and loads of cheese on top.

Answer 6

HOLA QUIERES SER MI AMIGA

Answer 7

You have done well.  

If you bath everyone every night then you can save money by bathing twice or three times a week especially if you are on a water meter.  Only use the washing machine when totally full (although with four children I suspect you have it on every day).  With school holidays coming up you will no doubt be looking to entertain the children.  This can be quite costly so a picnic in a local park, wood or by the seaside is cheap and fun providing the weather is behaving itself.  If you have an Asda nearby then shop with them - we have been travelling to a local Asda but the expense of taking the car there is offset by the savings made rather than buying our big shop from a nearby Sainsbury that we can walk to.

If you have a small garden you can grow some of your own vegetables, involve the children and let them eat what they grow.  (If you don't have someone who can advise you and if you would be looking for a book go to the library rather than buying a book.)  It has the double effect of keeping the children busy and interested and then they can watch them grow.  Sunflowers are really easy and you can harvest the sunflower seeds which are great on cereals. :-)

Answer 8

Try Non-Branded goods from the super market, like own labels.  Quite often they are the same thing, made by the same big name producer but cost a lot less.

Never buy more perishable goods than you know you can consume within the 'use by' date.

Common sense is the thing of the moment.

Answer 9

Welcome to the real world, we have had it far too easy the past few years.

There are alot of things that people can do to economise, I have found that a few people  that i have spoken to are concerned about food, fuel etc but are not willing to give up a few liefs luxuries to pay for it.