Rice up against hunger!

 

Sometimes what is needed is something teeny tiny.  Or even better lots of teeny tinies.  

I spend quite a lot of time sitting.  I can't stay on my feet too long, that's just the way it is.  I do all sorts of things whilst I sit - I sew, knit, complete puzzles, complete surveys and quite a bit more.  I read blogs, surf the net, exchange e mails and all the rest of it.

But there is a very special site which I have been using for years and which I love.  It's Freerice.com Through this site you can give rice through the Word Food Programme and it won't cost you a penny.

All you have to do is answer multiple choice questions on maths, science, language, humanities, or geography.  You even choose how hard the questions are.  For each correct answer ten grains of rice will be given through the World Food Programme.

I love it.  I've expanded my vocabulary, brushed up my geography and even ventured into maths problems.  The site is entertaining and free to use.

No matter how little money you've got you can make a charitable donation this way as no money is asked for.  There's not much that is tinier than a grain of rice but neither is there much which is more vital.  

Having the conversation

Yes, I know it's ridiculously early to be talking about Christmas but Christmas spending can be ridiculous, so here goes.  

Over the last few years I've had "conversations" with quite a few of my friends.  Actually I chat with my friends a lot but here I'm talking about discussions about Christmas presents.  It's a conversation which needs to take place well before Christmas - December is much too late.

I think most adults have more fun giving than receiving.  For myself, I also have the pleasure of making things.  I sew. crochet, knit cook and papercraft most of my Christmas gifts and love to create throughout the year.  However, I am very aware that receiving a Christmas present may create the expectation that someone has to give a Christmas present in return and of similar value. 

What I mean about "the conversation" is agreeing to dial down Christmas presents between friends.  With some friends I have a cooking agreement - I'll make you a pudding, you make mince pies, that sort of thing.  That eases the pre Christmas cooking burden for both of us.  With others it's "let's have a special day out together after Christmas" so the generosity of Christmas is extended into the New Year.  For another I give something to a charity - this year one friend's loo will be twinned with a loo in Nigeria.  That gift is much more than I would normally spend on a Christmas present but it is also a contribution to a cause dear to my own heart, with a charity working in a country with which I have a personal connection.

Apart from the cooking, this doesn't save much money but it is a more thoughtful way of giving and is truly mindful.  

Peak save

 

My current energy fix ending mid-June) is with British Gas and they offer five hours of half price electricity on Sundays.  Five precious hours!

I save laundry for Sunday, especially if I have to do a more expensive load and even more especially if I have to use my tumble dryer.  I realise that some people may be tut-tutting at the very mention of a tumble dryer but please remember that I am disabled and struggle with some tasks.  I hang things on airers when I can.  A couple of weeks ago I washed my bedspread.  It is quilted and heavy and needs quite a bit of tumbling.  While the bedspread was drying, I did the quarterly clean of the washing machine and monthly clean of the dishwasher.

My trundle truck (mobility scooter) goes on charge as do my iPad and iPhone, vacuum cleaner and electric scrubber.   The rechargeable batteries get a treat as well.  I try to do my freezer inventory during these PeakSave times as the freezer door is open quite a bit when I am doing that.  

I didn't use my oven this week but sometimes I fill it with bread and batch cooked meals.  

British Gas offers PeakSave to encourage domestic consumers to use energy during periods of low demand from industrial and commercial consumers.  I get things ready on Saturday as I don't like rushing around on Sundays but most of these things look after themselves once I have switched them on.  

Reducing water consumption 1

Did you know that the average person here in the UK uses around 150 litres of water each day?  

I had to look that one up but I know how much water I use per day in my single person household.  Fifty two litres.  That is my average daily consumption so far in 2026.  So I use about one third as much as the average person.

Back in 2024 I got a smart meter for water.  It's not quite the same as a smart energy meter.  That comes with an in-home display so  can see how much electricity I am using in real time.  For water there's no in-home display but I can go to the Anglian Water website and see how much water I use each day.  

It has made me very aware of my daily consumption.  I have a spreadsheet to help me monitor usage and work out how to cut down.  

I have a wet room rather than a bathroom so I don't take baths.  Instead I take navy showers.

What's a navy shower?    It's water saving technique.  I stand under the shower for 20-30 seconds to get wet then I turn off the water.  I apply soap and shampoo and then turn the shower on again to rinse myself.  The shower is probably running for less than two minutes in total.  And I have a water saving shower head as well.

The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory

I'm a great one for writing things down.  I record my energy usage on a daily basis. I check and note my weight and the number of steps I take.  And I write down every penny I spend.  

Each day I check my bank and credit card accounts and count the money in my purse and work out what has disappeared since yesterday and where it went.  I know a lot of people don't record their spending to this degree but I have found it helpful.  Maybe there will come a day when I trust myself enough not to have to be so "accountable" either.  The only person I am accountable to is me!

Once a month I create an account of all that I have spent and what I have done.  To use fashionable language, I have made myself much more mindful of where the pennies go

Before I retired, I was far less obsessive about it but I realised that I would have to be more careful now that I have a reduced income.  The amazing thing is that I feel as if I have an increased income.  It feels as though I have more money than ever I had!  I go out for lunch several times a month, I have a few mini-breaks each year and yet I never have to worry and I can save for treats or the inevitable rainy days.

Flylady used to have the acronym FACE - Financial Awareness Continually Empowers - maybe she still does.  Knowing what I've got and where what I had went to has certainly empowered me.  And writing it all down makes it even more real. The faintest ink is truly more powerful than the strongest memory.

Cottage cheese

 If there was one everyday item which I used to waste a lot, it was milk.  I know this isn't a problem for most people but in a household of one person who doesn't eat breakfast cereal and drinks her coffee black, it can be difficult.  

I buy UHT milk to use for tea/coffee when guests call unexpectedly.   If I know guests are coming I buy pasteurised milk.  The UHT stuff comes in one litre containers but I can buy just a pint of pasteurised and sometimes even less.  I can manage to use up the remains of a pint but a litre is a lot of milk!

So I make cottage cheese.  Heat the milk to just below boiling point, add a generous squeeze of lemon juice and stir.  The milk will curdle.  (IT IS NOT THE SAME AS LEAVING MILK TO GO OFF!   DO NOT DO THAT!)  Leave it to cool a little then strain it.  I use muslin inside my sieve.  Leave it until all the whey (a colourless liquid) has drained off then put the cheese to chill in a dish in the fridge. The whey can be used in baking.

It does not have the same texture as a commercially produced cottage cheese but it has more flavour.  You may want to add salt.

Small saving

Pasta doesn't take long to cook, but did you know that if you soak it, it will cook even quicker?  Just put dry pasta to soak in water for an hour or two before boiling. It will then only need a couple of minutes of cooking time, because it’s absorbed the water it needs, and only has to heat through.

I find that I can then put it into the pan with the sauce I am making (maybe just chopped tomatoes, pepper and onions) and heat both together.  That way I've saved both time and money.