Food prices

[grannyjanny]

Perhaps we need to start sharing economical recipes.  I have a lovely one for Red Dragon Pie, made with adzuki beans. We all love it & it so cheap even with organic ingredients.
Janet.

[grannyjanny]

[posie]

student grants haven't increased either! it's a good job we've got a lottie and produce a lot of our own food.

That's one of the main reasons for me having my lottie - even though I get more than the average 18 year old student it still isn't enough to go round with 2 kids to feed and clothe as well.  Mind you, of more help to me would be this government doing something about the useless and now defunct CSA and getting blood out of the stone whilst he's still breathing! lol  ;D

[albacore1854]

Make no mistake, the recession we are about to enter is going to be very painful.

Too many people have failed to prepare, and over borrowed for cars and holidays etc that when the inevitable happens, they are going to come very unstuck.

All of it supported on rising house price funny money.

Like a lot have said the majority of plotholders have full larders, which has got to ease things a little.

[Mr Smith]

Well said Posie, on the next lotty to me a young lady is doing exactly what you are doing growing stuff to feed her kids, :)

[springbok]

student grants haven't increased either! it's a good job we've got a lottie and produce a lot of our own food.

That's one of the main reasons for me having my lottie - even though I get more than the average 18 year old student it still isn't enough to go round with 2 kids to feed and clothe as well.  Mind you, of more help to me would be this government doing something about the useless and now defunct CSA and getting blood out of the stone whilst he's still breathing! lol  ;D

Posie I am in the same boat.  Studying and trying to feed and clothe two kids on nothing.  Its another main reason why I am trying to be self sufficient too.

[Paulines7]

the pricew of flour and milk have increased, so has the cost of energy to cook the bread. however, at the prices of shop-bought bread, why ain't you all baking your own? Breadmaking machines are a doddle to use, even this bloke can do it!!

Personally found its not cost effective for me.

Bread flour is expensive.
Yeast is expensive
and the electric to keep it running for 2 hours.

I used to use it all the time, but lately its become too expensive for me to do, unless anyone can tell me a cheaper alternative.

I find my homemade bread is much cheaper than shop bought.  I was paying £1.52 for a Warburton's loaf in February, prior to buying my breadmaker. 
Tesco Strong White Bread Flour 1.5kg  is 48p.  Wholemeal is more expensive.  Their Strong St/Grnd100% Wholemeal Bread Flour 1.5kg is 93p.  A packet of either of these would make 2 or 3 loaves.

Tesco own brand Fast Action Dried Yeast 48g is 50p and works out at about 5p per loaf. 

I am sure that the electricity used would not cost too much.  It would use a minimal amount when proving although more in the baking stage.

I don't mean to be a whinger, but it doesn't help balancing the books.

I can get 'down in the dumps' at times, but hey today the sun has been shining, I've been working in the greenhouse and its been a very good day.

We've got flowers on the tomato plants and strawberries.  Broad beans are showing signs of flowers.

The only way is UP ;D ;D ;D
valmarg

Valmarg, I hope to make some extra cash by selling my surplus plants.  The toms, aubs, cues, peppers etc are 60p, half the price of B&Q and my plants are two or three times as big.  I won't have to pay tax on it either as my pension falls short of my tax allowance.  Admittedly I have had to buy three x four tier staging units at a cost of just over £30, but then I will have them for future years.  I have a notice pinned to a post at the bottom of my drive showing what I have for sale. 

I notice that you have a greenhouse too, so have you thought of making extra cash out of it? 

[powerspade]

I bake my own bread it cost me £0.82 for a 2lb loaf, in the shops around here braces bread is £1.03 a loaf

[posie]

I have baked my own bread but I have to say because I'm rubbish at slicing it, it doesn't tend to go very far and as we go through a loaf on average every two days, it was just wasn't cost effective really.  Anyone got any tips on slicing because I much prefer my own bread??? lol

[Paulines7]

We use an electric carving knife and it slices a loaf beautifully.   :D

[manicscousers]

we tend to make more cobs, flat bread and naans, also trying out pitta bread, not so many loaves as we eat too much  ;D

[valmarg]

paulines7, unfortunately we live in an area where it is bveryb unusual for people to 'grow their own'.  I think one reason we were free from tomato blight last year was that there were so few people 'growing their own'.

We have no allotments in the area.  I think we are quite strange, locally, insofar as we grow plants to eat.  Other people in the locality seem to think that grass (aka lawn) is the best use for their land. :( :( :(

When it comes to selling excess produce, we are in a 'backwater'.  The route to Alton Towers bypasses us (thankfully).  I think we would be better trying to sell 'ornamentals' rather than edibles.

valmarg

[posie]

We use an electric carving knife and it slices a loaf beautifully.   :D

Time to hit freecycle me thinks!

[Paulines7]

.........  I think we would be better trying to sell 'ornamentals' rather than edibles.
valmarg

Bedding plants might be your answer then.  I live in a small village with only 65 houses but it is surprising how word gets around and people come back the next year.  We have little through traffic and my A4 laminated list is stuck on the fence post so no-one could read it from a car anyway.  I had a new customer who came for two tomato plants and ended up buying 4 toms, plus 2 cucumbers and 2 aubs. 

I think given the price of food in the shops, you may find a few people who can be persuaded to try growing their own veg once you have lured them into your garden to buy bedding plants.   

[valmarg]

I think a postcard in the local shop window might be a good idea ;D

Thank you for all your suggestions.  I really do appreciate your help.

valmarg

[Gazfoz]

Do you really think it is cost effective to grow your own stuff?
I love doing so and don't mind spending a bit of money because I get a kick out of making something for myself but if you factor in the cost of all the tools,shed, greenhouse, weedkiller, rent, sundries, compost, seeds, failures etc etc etc..........
I really can't justify it on a financial basis.
I know you will say Freecycle, second hand, compost heap but if you factor in the time, inevitable transport cost and sheer bloody hard work It would be far easier to do a shift or two on the till in your local asda and buy your fruit and veg from there and get your staff discount as well.
I wouldn't want to do that myself but I won't and can't tell you that it is cheaper for me to grow my own.

[betula]

I think when you first get an allotment you can spend a lot of money.
As time goes on the expense goes down.If you are like me I think oh I can't manage without this that or the other

However I do know plotholders who turn up with a fork and spade and a few seeds and that's it.

I have spent too much this year making raised beds but I think the money I spent is a good investment.

To me it is a hobby and lots of people spend a lot on their hobbies.
In fact it is more than a hobby it has become a way of life.

Do not get me wrong I always have my eye on the skips and things just hanging around,In fact I spoke to some guys demolashing a house close to me and going back for stuff next week.At one time I would not have had the confidence to ask.

[Baccy Man]

Do you really think it is cost effective to grow your own stuff?

Yes

....... if you factor in the cost of all the tools,shed, greenhouse, weedkiller, rent, sundries, compost, seeds, failures etc etc etc..........
I really can't justify it on a financial basis.
I know you will say Freecycle, second hand, compost heap but if you factor in the time, inevitable transport cost and sheer bloody hard work It would be far easier to do a shift or two on the till in your local asda and buy your fruit and veg from there and get your staff discount as well.

In the last few years the only money I have spent is 2 new chains for my chainsaw @ £15 each (petrol oil etc.. for them is factored into the cost of the work I have been using them for) £170 on a new shredder (paid for itself 10 times over through work tree felling & clearing scrub for people) a few pairs of gloves at £1 per pair, plant pots @ £24.65 per 6000, £160 on timber, about £15 on replacement spade/fork/pick handles & a few pence on rivets for them & £18.99 on a new electric propogator,  I don't have the figures on plants & seeds to hand but probably a couple of hundred pounds a year.

I don't pay for compost as I make my own, I don't pay for manure, I don't drive & have a free disabled pass for the bus so transport cost is zero, I don't use weedkillers fertilisers etc... as I don't find them necessary.

As far as hard work & time goes 8 years ago when i moved to this area I had a 300 square foot area that had a mixture of clay & slate which I referred to as soil & the only thing growing there was japanese knotweed & brambles. Getting that into a workable condition was hard work & very time consuming.
Since that time I have taken on several acres of land part of which is for my own use part is used to provide produce for the landowner to use & the rest for produce for the landowner to sell at a farmers market with the profits split between us.
Although that sounds like it should be harder work it is actually less time consuming as there is constantly something growing & I use a lot of mulches there is little if any weeding to do. Digging is fast because I am constantly adding organic matter to increase the humus content of the soil therefore making it more easily  workable. I am able to manage this land singlehanded & work from home building/repairing computers & other electrical repairs I do a lot of tree felling, garden clearance & general garden maintenance in my spare time & recently I have started servicing petrol tools chainsaws, mowers, brushcutters etc... I help less physically able plotholders with the heavy work (digging, shovelling manure, shifting railway sleepers to make raised beds etc...) & I am currently helping one of my neighbours renovate their house. Then every few months I am involved in volountry work clearing hillsides of knotweed, rhodedendrons or bracken & maintenance on local waterways.
So far this year I have raised £5765.50 purely from plant sales then there is sale of produce & other gardening work on top of that. What I make significantly exceeds what I spend, to a large extent I am self sufficient & I still have plenty of time to waste surfing the internet participating in several forums & moderating one of them.
I would say on the whole growing veg is pretty cost effective for me and once you get into a routine it does not have to be hard work to get a good return on the time & effort you put into growing things.

[betula]

Wow,you certainly have it all in hand Baccy Man ;D

[Gazfoz]

And is all that cheaper than the supermarket ????

[valmarg]

Price doesn't come into the equation.

Taste, freshness.  No pesticides.  Whilst not being able to be accredited 'organic', we do know that what we have produced is pest free.  What we grow is honest, decent food.

Come the Summer I wouldn't give you a thankyou for supermarket climbing french/runner/broad beans/peas. Home grown are lovely, tender crops.

I'm sure there are others on this site that would agree with me.

valmarg