Really mean things people do to save money.

When my 2 kids were about 5 and 2 we were very broke and out of work. I bought a 4lb chicken, 1lb mince and 6 eggs which did us all week.
Our menus were something like this : Roast chicken, cold chicken, chicken bits in something, chicken soup, Shepherds pie. mince pie and egg curry. All padded out with veg from the garden. It can be done - just needs a bit of creative thinking at times.
As they grew up my kids used to say that they ate nothing unless it was on special offer or reduced (not quite true but nearly !) and that I could make a meal out of fresh air (also not quite true!). When they went off to uni they were very pleased with their mum and what she had taught them.

Tiggypiro - that sounds like our weekly menu now!
Except substitute fish for mince.
I do cook the veg. fresh every day though.

Sadiesnan I don't flush the loo unless really need to! I am on a water meter, and have to make my JS allowance spin out,I dread people coming using the loo and then turning the taps on letting them gush water to wash their hands! If my GS stays I persuade him to go home and take a shower as he is in it for ages. Although the original post says "the mean" things people do to save money, for some of us it is a way of life at "having" to save money.

I did think of putting one of those slot machines on the bathroom door lol you know the ones you put money in to use the loo well! they charge 20p at some places so if you ever come to visit me, make sure you have a bag of 20ps (oh and can you bring your own tea bag pleases)

At my nans we had massive yorkshire pudding with a spoon on mince and onions.Which I loved .Somethings we would have mash but not always

oops should read sometimes gosh I am really losing my marbles

They say that flushing toilets accounts for something like 30% of a households water usage, so there's quite a saving to be had by not flushing it every time you have a wee, even if you were to opt for frugal light (or 'lite' in modern parlance), and only flush every other time you use it
They also say that older toilets (without the small flush option) use 13 litres of water per flush. I don't know about every one else, but when the two of us are at home all day, the toilet is probably used at least once an hour during the day, which is an awful lot of water to just flush away without giving it a second thought!

Try liver stroganoff ( replace steak with finely sliced lambs liver) delicious ?

Oh dear. It seems I have been judged and found guilty on the basis of two flippant remarks.

My mother in law had absolutely no need for frugality, and I can assure you I spent many years trying to excuse her behaviour.

I obviously misjudged how people would react to my post.

I think it was the spitting which upset people. The liver stroganoff ? I have an old loo and a plumber suggested a full litre bottle of water in the cistern would reduce wastage. I think it used many times that still.

I didn't imagine people would be so upset by that. So it's okay to be abusive to me? Nasty? Revolting? Ungrateful? Appalling?

Spits certainly made it clear how -you felt about her, plus your obvious glee at "spending all her dosh".
Maybe we felt sorry for her, I certainly did and hope my DDs and SILs never have cause to vent similar sentiments about me.

Regarding loo flushing .................. If it's brown flush it down, if it's yellow let it mellow.

No one has been abusive to you daddima.

"The good news is that when she died we had a lovely time spending all her dosh!"

Did you really think that would go down well Daddima?

Oh dear

I went to an old guy in our village years ago to deliver a prize he had won.

He asked if I would like a cup of tea , which I accepted. His kettle was on an angle and I noticed there was a wedge shaped piece of wood underneath to angle it. I asked what it was for. He said you save on your electric if you only just cover the element with water so it doesn't burn out. . I said what even if you are making two cups he said "Oh I'm not having one now you want one , I shall HAVE TO wait for tea time before I use another tea bag.

He died with more money than anybody expected of him .

You'd have thought he'd have used that teabag at least four times!

I laugh at myself now, but when we were young and short of money I actually sewed teabags in half (IYSWIM) using my electric sewing machine! What an idiot...

Daddima, that is the trouble with posting. It is difficult to gauge the spirit in which things are written. I suppose that is what emoticons are for and I guess there is a reason why there isn't one for "spit" .
I have to say thank you for raising the topic though because it has led to many enjoyable posts.
Although I am not desperately hard up these days I was when the children were little and I did enjoy the challenge of making a meal out of very little while still providing a nutritious tasty meal, and I still do. When we eat out I cannot help but think "I could feed us for a week for that".
Old habits die hard!!

Flipping heck Ana maybe he did and I was cup number 3 from the tea bag of the day

My mum would try to make one tin of baked beans go round 4 of us. She was quite penny pinching in many ways. "Oh that costs a lot of money" My parents were not well off but managed money carefully.

Matella, you are correct, there is a lot more to this forum posting than I thought! I have read things with which I don't agree, or seen attitudes which puzzle me, but I have never felt the need to castigate the posters, as I don't know the circumstances, or I may not have gauged the spirit correctly. Being quite new to this, I'm not terribly keen to use little smiley pictures to make sure I don't offend anybody!

We live and learn.

Chin up, Daddima - we have some good tips now on saving money and a good Christmas pudding recipe!!

There were five of us so Mum had a hard task feeding a family of seven on little money. We had fruit trees and a greenhouse so had things like tomato sandwiches and stewed apple for tea. Maybe cake - always home-made and plain. Always fresh veg and potatoes (usually mashed). There were no likes and dislikes allowed - you ate what was put in front of you however simple the meal. Meat was served in small portions with Dad always getting the most and choicest bits. We drank water or tea. Coffee was too expensive and rarely served. Mum prided herself that by the age of 13 all her 3 daughters could make a Sunday lunch, including proper Yorkshire Pudding and a sponge cake for Sunday tea without supervision.

Vegetarians were very few and far between and regarded as a oddballs so my 13 and 14 year old granddaughters would have had a hard time of it had they dared to suggest being veggie!

Like Gagagran there were six of us. My mother was not the best of cooks and I remember a joint on a Sunday, cold (fatty) meat on a Monday, some sort of broth from the bone on a Tuesday, then a cheaper version of spam, one tin between 8 of us, mince (1/2 lb) or occasionally sausage. Sometimes we had trout when Dad had been fishing or rabbit if he went out with his homemade bow and arrow! He also grew vegetables in the garden which my mother managed to make a mush out of!

I had to help with and then take over baking on a Saturday - a sandwich cake, buns and an apple pie for Sunday, the only pudding of the week with Bird's custard.
We had cornflakes for breakfast every day (for the 18 years I lived at home). One pack lasted a week, and bread and cheap marg (co-op Red Seal) for tea. We collected wild blackberries, crab apples, damsons and gooseberries in season with which she made jam which lasted all year.

At Christmas we had an orange.

I would like to say 'Happy Days' but I remember always being hungry!