Food banks

[lukesdad]

I heard someone on the radio earlier (a politician) saying that he'd heard of mothers going without meals to feed their kids, and that it would take a heart of stone not to be moved by this. I'm afraid my heart must be a bit gravelly, because I was wondering what those mothers were feeding their children, and imagining that they may well be able to produce a meal for everyone for the same cost...

Of course, they have to know how to, no one is born knowing how to cook, and it seems some sections of society have stopped learning. What went wrong there? Is it schools, advertising, food companies?

I don t think they stopped learning, more they don't want to learn.

 

[lukesdad]

My MiL is broke (seriously broke) after blowing over 100Gees in 2 years in Malta.

She was on MSN last night telling wifey she had no food and couldn t pay the rent, she smoked 3 fags in that time mind......Crazy !

 

[PBancroft]

My MiL is broke (seriously broke) after blowing over 100Gees in 2 years in Malta.

She was on MSN last night telling wifey she had no food and couldn t pay the rent, she smoked 3 fags in that time mind......Crazy !

Crazy to a rational non-smoker... but smoking is very addictive, and a lot of people find they smoke more when stressed. As a man who [ahem] enjoys his wine, I have to say I can sort of understand how someone could carry on such an expense under such a concerning time.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I've been trying to get my packed lunches under a quid but still want something that feels luxurious, is low calorie and high fibre. I currently take six ryveta crispbreads, an entire ball of value range mozzarella and a sliced tomato. I put it together at lunchtime and sprinkle it with the pepper grinder. It's lovely and easily costs well under a quid per meal.

As for the addiction part of the argument, well addiction is an incredibly personal and complex issue.

Finally, surely giving without caveat is the very definition of charity? I don't understand why people get het up about other peoples' issues; 'he who is free of sin cast the first hoozit' and all that...

 

[Arch]

That depends whether you live on your own or have a family to feed. If you live on your own then yes, but 2 pounds won't go very far if you have a family to feed.

Well, I think we'd agree you allow £2 per person in that case.... Economies of scale ought to help - IF you know how to cook.

What you can't do is include a lot of pre-processed food/ready meals at that budget. My lazy dinner treat is to have a pizza from Sainsburys for dinner instead - that's a whole £1.50 gone in one go.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Add in teabags (I get two cups from each bag)

As long as you remove the teabags before adding the milk you can use them to make a nice crisp white wine

 

[vernon]

What is missing in this thread is the ability of the posters to put themselves into the shoes of the folk who don't have the wherewithal to identify the range of ingredients, create an interesting and appealing menu and go ahead and cook it. It's all very well for seasoned, educated practitioners of frugality to condemn the apparent lack of effort of others to make ends meet and/or shop and cook wisely but honestly, who would inflict their own monotonous diet on others and claim that it is the solution to the food bank alternative?

There's a whole range of issues involved for families who have to resort to using food banks. There's no silver bullet solution and to suggest otherwise is an act of folly.

 

[Maz]

I see that 120,000 people in the UK supposedly have to rely on food banks to survive. Have any of you had to go to a food bank and do you have to prove that you are poor.

Yes, I have been to a food bank - to drop off donations.
No, you don't have to prove you're poor - all donations are welcome - everything from tinned food to tampons.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

There's a whole range of issues involved for families who have to resort to using food banks. There's no silver bullet solution and to suggest otherwise is an act of folly.

This

 

[accountantpete]

Enlighten us all and post your week's menus.

I am genuinely interested.

Last week was:

Breakfast x 7 - Sante granola £1 for 500g
Bread - Morrisons 2 loaves for £1
3 Curries/Chinese Morrisons cartons - OOD £1.25 to £1.50 a time
12 eggs - car boot/market free range £1.60
Home made chips - 30p
350g "Out of Date" Mature Cheddar £1.50
16 bananas (going brown in the skin) £1.18
20 tangerines 79p
Hot N Spicy chicken wings (OOD) £1.50.
Butter £1 on offer.

Total £14 and a few pence.

People want everything served on a plate these days.

 

[vernon]

Is your diet enforced through lack of money or do you deliberately choose to eat a restricted diet to save money? I take it that you don't purchase drinks and confine your liquid intake to tap water.

 

[accountantpete]

Is your diet enforced through lack of money or do you deliberately choose to eat a restricted diet to save money? I take it that you don't purchase drinks and confine your liquid intake to tap water.

That's not a restricted diet - it's just what I like and more to the point just what I need.

Tap water is very good round here - I hardly drink alcohol these days after overdoing it slightly in the past

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I've long fancied augmenting my grub intake with freeganism, I've got some friends who have lived well as freegans.

The problem comes when (as one friend told me) you only manage to find something like 10kg of garlic...

 

[vernon]

The problem comes when (as one friend told me) you only manage to find something like 10kg of garlic...

That would be a wonderful find for those who like roasted garlic basted with garlic juice and served in a lake of garlic puree.

 

[compo]

My daughter tried freeganism when she was a teenager. She and her then boyfriend found unopened boxes of chocolate in the skip round the back of a Waitrose store in Suffolk. Before they had gone 100 yards up the road with their booty a police car pulled up and she was arrested on suspician of theft. End result, no choccys and a police caution.