Autumnal weather, and the urge to splurge

Autumn is in the - very chilly - air, and I'm feeling restless and spendthrift. The autumn Boden catalogue has come through the letterbox, and while I've not been tempted by a catalogue in a long while, suddenly I want something on every other page of this one.

This evening we went out for a mid-week supper, again for the first time in a while. It wasn't very satisfying; we visited an Italian chain we used to frequent quite regularly in the bad old days of being much more stressed and in need of treats than we generally are now. I felt slightly annoyed afterwards that we had spent money on a rather average meal, and that we could have made something nicer at home.

Apart from the weather, and darkening evenings, which do bother me, I'm not entirely sure why I feel inclined to spend money at the moment. Partly, I think it may be a back-to-school feeling; I have to keep reminding myself that I am not about to return to a corporate job I don't enjoy, but for which I feel I should have a new Autumn wardrobe as a small compensation. In fact, J. and I are about to have a week off, after which life should revert to its current varied pattern, just with worse weather. And for which the clothes I have will, for the moment at least, do perfectly well....

Cooking ingredients: where to spend and where to save

Following on from her kitchen equipment list, here are my chef sister's suggestions on how to eat well, where to economise, and where not to, when food shopping:

It is obvious and much repeated but if you only shop in season you’ll get better value for money. Buy English strawberries only in mid-season and you can eat them every day. Asparagus just coming in is expensive, but hold on a bit for the price to go down.

Investigate the end of line baskets at supermarkets, they often have interesting random vinegars etc in their fancy foreign muck sections which don’t sell, so end up going cheap. The same goes for bin-ends for wine - you can find some interesting things.

Do what peasants around the world have been doing forever – just use a little meat in a hotpot/stew/whatever as a flavouring. One of the loveliest things I ate on a very greedy holiday in Andalucia was a stew of mostly potato, onion and pepper, with just a little pork, all cooked in delicious stock. The potatoes took on all the meaty flavour as they cooked.

Do not scrimp on:

Bread – it is such a major part of our diet but most people make do with the dullest, cheapest stuff.  Don’t put up with it! Buy the nicest you can, and then ‘something on toast’ is transformed.

Pasta – don’t ask me why, but supermarket value brand stuff is just not as good as more expensive versions.

Baked beans and tomato ketchup – only Heinz will do in my opinion.

Potatoes – have realized why the value bags are cheap – they sometimes seem to be a random selection of diff varieties and all cook at different speeds, so you end up with a pan of falling-apart and rock hard. Disaster.

Kitchen equipment recommendations from a chef

As mentioned in an earlier post, I asked my sister, a Leiths' trained chef, for her suggestions on where to spend money on kitchen equipment.  Here is her, surprisingly short, list.

Kitchen Equipment List

Knives! One big chef’s knife, one small paring/office for veg cutting, and one steel for sharpening – serrated is also useful for tomatoes and fruit, but not vital.

1 big saucepan, one small, both stainless steel, not non-stick, the best quality you can afford – they will last. A handle that isn’t screwed on, is part of the pan, or it will start wobbling and fall off.

A good big chopping board, wood is good as long as you don’t worry about hygiene! Just don’t use it for raw meat, get a plastic one and keep it only for that.

A frying pan – opinion is divided on this one. I like a good, solid non-stick one which, I admit, won’t last forever unless you’re militant about no metal utensils and watch other people like a hawk if they use it…Or some serious types get e.g cast iron and just season it very carefully. Never seem to manage it myself.

A good large mixing bowl; lightweight metal is good for most things.

A nice big balloon whisk, electric hand whisk also v useful., or see below if you have the funds… 

[Digital scales: I recently had to reprimand Penny for using old-fashioned scales for baking.  They just aren't accurate enough for cake-making...]

More extravagant items include

A lovely, solid, and supposedly lifetime-lasting Le Creuset. A casserole for 6-8 people is probably your best bet, in whichever colour you won't get bored of.

A Kitchenaid or Kenwood mixer. Kitchenaid is my preference, but Kenwoods are known to be v reliable and long-lasting, though just don’t have the glamour factor.

Smart shopping tips revisited

Thanks to those who commented.  From feedback received, my own ideas and habits, and some reading I have done, I have come up with the following:

• Buy-one-get-one-frees: only buy if you have cash, space to store, and the items won't go off before they can be used.
  
• If you haven't much space to store bulk-bought items, consider clubbing together with friends or family to buy them between you, and share the benefit of the discounts.
  
• Consider own brands vs branded items: compare the price per 100g, but generally own brands will be cheaper, and taste just as good.
  
• Plan meals, even roughly, before you go shopping, bearing in mind how many meals you need to cater over the week, and buy only what you need for those.
  
• If you eat a lot of ready meals, consider cutting those down and cooking more; this will be cheaper as well as healthier.  Something on toast, e.g beans and poached egg, will cost less and be quick to prepare, as an alternative to a ready meal.
  
• Keep a running shopping list on the fridge and add to it as you run out of things, so you don't forget anything when you go shopping.  
  
• Don't go shopping when you are tired, hungry, or in a hurry.
  
• Set a cash budget for food per week; take cash out at the beginning of the week, and use this to pay for groceries until it runs out. (This will help with budgeting, and also it is psychologically harder to spend cash than use cards.)
  
• Try to last one day longer than you think you can manage without going food shopping, and make that last meal with what you have left in the cupboard.  
  
• Try and make enough food for two or three meals, in one go: e.g make enough spaghetti bolognaise to turn this into chilli the following day, or freeze half of what you make for another day.
  
• Pick-your-own fruit and vegetables when it is cheapest, and store in the freezer or use to make jams or chutney.
  
• Even if you don't do PYO, then still buy fruit and vegetables that are in season.
  
• Keep cleaning products to the basics: supermarket own-brands will generally be much cheaper and no less effective than branded products.
  
• Buy Christmas paper, cards, and birthday cards when you see them on special offer, if you can store them.  (Or make your own.)
  
• Check washing instructions before you buy new clothes, and avoid those which need dry-cleaning.
  
• Buy shoes with soles which can be repaired or replaced.
  
• Sign up to receive nectar or clubcard points, don't buy things in order to get extra points, however. 
• Processed cereals are expensive and not very nutritious; porrige or homemade muesli are filling, cheap and healthy.
  
• Avoid, or minimise, fizzy drinks.  Squash, or one nice idea I read, lemon juice and sugar, make an alternative soft drink.
• Compare prices online before you go shopping, e.g at http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/
• Watch the cash register and look at your receipt before you leave the shop, to avoid mistakes.
  
• If you are going to the shop to buy a pint of milk, don't pick up a basket; if you are planning to buy a few items, take a basket rather than a trolley.
  
• Toiletries will likely be more expensive in a supermarket than chemist.
  
• Check whether loose or packaged fruit and vegetables are cheaper; loose generally cost less.
  
• If you do buy bags of fruit and vegetables then weigh them to ensure you are getting the correct weight.
• Instead of cooking large portions of meat, cook pasta, rice or beans to accompany a small amount of meat. 
  
• If you are a meat-eater, try having a few meatless days a week.
• PS - If carrier bags are charged for where you shop, take your own.  Otherwise, use the free ones for reuse as bin liners.

Smart shopping: any good tips?

As part of the financial capability scheme I'm volunteering for, I've been asked to prepare a 40 minute presentation on 'smart shopping'.  I need to get this done before going on holiday in ten days' time, and am quite busy with various other projects in the meantime.  While I gather my thoughts, I thought I'd - rather cheekily - invite suggestions....  I would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions for tips you think I should include.  The audience will be a group of older people living in sheltered housing; the main things they need to pay for from their pensions are food, clothing, entertainment, and Christmas and birthday presents.

Japanese Women and their secret savings

I've long been intrigued by the fact that in Japan, it is reportedly standard for women to control the family budget, giving their husbands pocket money.

Having read some more about Japanese women and money, I've learnt a few things:

• Japanese housewives tend to control the family budget, as this is seen as part of the role of the homemaker.
• Food shopping in Japan is often done on a 'little and often' basis. This seems to be partly because of an emphasis on the freshness of food, limited storage space in small flats, but also because of a concern about avoiding waste. It seems that the Japanese would rather pay slightly more per unit, than bulk buy and then throw food away.
• Credit cards are much less-used than in the West.
• Women have traditionally made savings from their shopping budgets which are kept secret from their husbands, and the rest of their family. This money, called 'hesokuri' which may eventually be used to buy stocks, or property, is often kept in cash, in their homes.
  
• When couples marry, they are both expected to have saved money, often through living at home with their parents while earning, until they marry.
  

See recent Bloomberg articles, however, on the fact that Japanese women have had to dip into their savings, over the last year.