Make your own food and save money

Nice one

Interesting

Will try these out. Thanks.

Now is the time to go pick-your-own mad and make enough strawberry jam to last the year! We get through about 6 jars, so I can get that from about 1Kg of Strawberries, 1Kg of granulated sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. It works out at under £1 a pot, including fuel!
Also start stashing jars now for the chutney glut in Autumn!

Georginazn, can you tell me honestly whether or not it's hard to make jam? (And chutney). This is something I have been wanting to do for ages but for some reason I have it in the back of my mind that it's really complicated and that I need an enormous amount of kitchen equipment. Isn't that true? And good advice about the jars - i will start saving now.

Saving Money

Apparently as the recession hits more and more companies are so eager for our £s you can make savings with your basic bills such as gas, electric, etc

Some of my friends are doing the 'Eclipse Challenge' to try and save money.

It's a new campaign aimed at helping people to save for life's little luxuries (what’s life without them?) by using their monthly budget more frugally. ‘The Eclipse Challenge’, so named because it by Eclipse Card, asks people to look at how much they spend on the essentials in any given month. These include utilities like water and electricity, food, clothes, healthcare and bills. Once these are added, the challenge is to research each bill, budget or tariff online until you can save a total of 25%. Apparently it is definitely do-able with a few hours spent making calls or going online as retailers and suppliers are more desperate for your consumer pound.

Youu then put 10% into the family savings or bonds – so ensuring there’s an ever increasing pot should your personal circumstances change. And after that, you have 15% remaining – which you put on your Eclipse Prepaid MasterCard. This is then your ‘fun & frolics’ account. You add the money through clever budgeting then spend it to add a bit of sun to an otherwise bleak financial climate.

Eclipse Card are evening launching The Eclipse Lounge whereby canny savers can look for deals through approved third parties, making it easier to reach the goal of 25% savings within the target 3 months.

Save save save....and then spend spend spend

It is honestly simple and good fun. There are lots of recipes on t'interwebnet and even a 'small batch' microwave one! Otherwise, a big pan is the only essential. I love testing for the setting point in jam - you drip a bit of the hot mixture on to a saucer or plate and after a few seconds you push it and if it 'wrinkles' - i.e. has formed a thin skin, it’s ready! It is important to thoroughly clean the jars, and sterilise then by filling them with boiling water, draining them just before you pot up. I have never used wax paper toppers and very rarely have I had any problems.
Chutney is easy too but you have to like chopping!

I am very lucky in that my marvellous mother is the queen of making jam and sends it over to me...I love my mum!

I sometimes bake bread. It probably doesn't save me much money once I've bought the bread flour and yeast, but it definitely tastes better and kneading the dough (never used a breadmaker) is very thereapuetic when you imagine it being someone's head.

My money saving tips are:

Just use slight less meat it all your meals.
Invest in tupper wear (SP!) boxes and cook on mass and freeze lots of meals in the right portions size.
Buy fruit and veg from the market and tins, cereals etc from big supermarkets.
Buy fresh loafs of bread that are not sliced - they last longer!

J

Just watching a programme on Cuba and have seen how good they are at creating gardens out of reclaimed land to produce all their fruit and vegetables. Although I haven't managed to do it yet and keep talking about it I am determined.

Depends where you live... I'd have the soil checked for contaminants in urban areas.

I grow cherries and strawberries

My aunt has a pear tree

I have a small vegetable patch in my garden and grow green beans and sweetcorn, saves me a bit of money on veg but do end up with an excess at certain times of year... have to palm it off on friends and family!

my mum has always made her own bread and swears by it! Cheaper and healthier.

I agree on using less meat, will save you money and you won't even miss it!

Not only food, I make a lovely refershing honey and lemon drink (ring any bells?) for colds and sore throats.

Take most of the peel off one lemon (unwaxed ones) leave about 1/4 on and cut off the tops and bottoms.

Slice the lemon, take out the pips and add to a liquidiser, two tablespoons of honey and two of sugar, then top up with ice and about 1 pint water (watch the max line on your liquidisor)

Give it a good liquidising until its pale yellow and frothy, seive into a suitable jug.

Freshly prepared, still chilled from the ice, it is so soothing for a sore throat, you can also serve it as a lovely hot drink, if you're ok to take them, take 2 paracetamol and you've got a cold remedy which tastes infinitely better and is a fraction of the price.

Did I ever mention spiders webs for...........no perhaps not

ps it's a lovely refeshing drink in the summer too.

I constantly make my own bread, if you buy your own breadmaker, although fairly pricey, you will recoup that price that you'd usually spend on bread pretty quickly. Herb pots are also great

On top of growing my own veg in our local allotment, I try to go to local markets for great deals on fish and other meats. However, if I do go to a supermarket, I make sure to never go there hungry! Saves me loads.

mcmack said:

On top of growing my own veg in our local allotment, I try to go to local markets for great deals on fish and other meats. However, if I do go to a supermarket, I make sure to never go there hungry! Saves me loads.

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plant it and eat it