One thing that I like to do to save money, and cut down on shopping, is to buy ingredients that I can use in lots of recipes. One of these items is oats. Having them [...]

My lifestyle involves spending as little money as possible and making good use of any resources that I already have. Some one asked me the other week if my little, extreme, frugal habits actually make [...]

We try to use the seasons to our advantage to save money. I wish that we had solar panels to use the free sun's energy, but we don't. When I enquired 25 years ago I [...]

I love crystallised ginger in my baking but it is an expensive ingredient that I can not afford to buy very often. Sometimes my daughter buys it for me to thank me for helping her [...]

During the year we make condiments and other useful items for the larder, depending on what we can grow, forage, or purchase for a good price. I don't make everything each year as I would [...]

My pantry and freezer are always full, despite my food budget being below £700 a year. I think that it is so important to have a stock of food as we never know what is [...]

Today is the 80th anniversary of VE day. Spending a lot of time with my grand parents as a child, I automatically picked up some of the war time habits and knowledge in my food [...]

In the UK at Easter and Christmas time. half price joints can often be found in the supermarkets.  Sometimes I buy beef ones and sometimes I buy pork ones.  My friend said to me that [...]

I apologise that I have not posted for a while but I have been sent a few curve balls recently, including my lap top packing in. I am attempting to write this on my phone [...]

I don't buy lettuce. Instead I grow my own, inside in winter, and outside in summer.  I have always grown lettuce, even when I had a flat without a garden.  Lettuce seeds are so cheap [...]

We were having an Italian style meal this evening.  I wanted some garlic bread but we did not have any garlic.  I therefore made it with wild garlic.  I had been lucky in that we [...]

We have been away on a small break and I had brought back left over food. We were sell catering and cooked all of our own meals to save money. So many people tell me [...]

It is Mother's Day here on Sunday in the UK.  I am hard to buy a gift for as being older, I no longer need more 'stuff'. In fact I am trying to declutter my [...]

This week is food waste action week here in the UK. I pride myself in having no food waste in my house.  We use everything that we buy, get from the community fridge, or we [...]

Stream lining anything makes it easier to manage.  This is why I like to keep my food simple.  If I was to make lots of difficult and sophisticated meals every week, it would cost a [...]

All of my bills are rising.  As I get my annual statements I see that things like Council Tax have risen by 15%,  and my water bill is up by £120.  My insurances have risen, [...]

Mr S loves beetroot and it is full of nutrients.  We do grow 2 crops of beetroot but I don't have enough room to grow as much as I would like.  I do not like [...]

The wild garlic is already abundant here in an ancient, sheltered wood near where I live.  At this time of year I pick it a couple of times of week, incorporate it into my food, [...]

Some one asked me the other day what my main staples are.  They have changed over the last few years as prices have risen.  Eggs would definitely been on there a few years ago, but [...]

Any one that is in my group, or who reads my blogs regularly, knows that I am on a mission to use the supermarkets as few times as I can this year. We are making [...]

Prices are constantly increasing, and I know a lot of people that do not want to go to work in a proper job, especially retired people, but need a little bit more income.  Here are [...]

Coffee and tea have really increased in price.  I don't actually drink either, but Mr S drinks both.  This year I am trying to embrace winter, and so have decided to try to make 'teas' [...]

Why I have two freezers Having two freezers has made my life so much easier, and managing them has saved me money.   One is the bottom half of a fridge freezer that has 3 drawers.  [...]

Whenever the oven is on, I try to fill it. We are always baking ahead, not only to save money, but to save time. I will often cook some pastry pie lids or some tart [...]