Inspired "thrifty" food bank idea...

[MrsMorton]

Reading a very funny thread on another site which I will not name, I might drop a couple of tin openers in the food bank trolley this weekend when I do my shop. Maybe a colander too.

I do try to put some luxuries in there where I can, something that could be a birthday present, or a cake mix (that doesn't need eggs). I donate £10 monthly so the local food bank can use it for what it needs most.

Any other "thrifty" food bank ideas?

I'm going to bump this because I think it deserves it.

This is the copy:

Or buy a 50p tin opener and save yourself from the danger of a major hand injury.

It’s like that take a break tip of making slippers out of sanitary towels. How someone thinks this is okay.

Oh my god, where's that from?! That's an incredibly dangerous thing to advise!

If I give tins to the food bank, I always try to choose the ones which don't need an opener.

Like you, I have a monthly DD set up for a couple of food banks, as I do most shopping online so don't get much chance to donate in person.

Jack Monroes latest shit rag.

Desperately hoping no-one will actually follow this or any of the other dangerous tips in the book. The food poisoning and serious injury risk are genuinely quite significant. Food banks should not give this book out.

The food safety stuff is shocking, I work in Microbio and it’s like she thinks cooking temp/time/rapid cooling/reheating etc is all made up bullshit (like everything that comes out of her mouth is…)

Fuck. I expect we'll get a few clients discussing it next week then.

Cake mixes? We'd pop them on the Help Yourself Shelf, or make them up if we knew if a birthday. It's a nice idea but not everyone would have cake tins or access to an oven. We do have to think long and hard about such donations.

Really interesting, what would you suggest for a donation intended to be something nice rather than something basic?

Also, can I donate a cake tin/colander/tin opener?

Just been looking at #ThriftyCook tweets. What were her publishers thinking? I see they've already had to put out a statement advising that they online edition has been amended for H&S and any future print editions of the book will be revised. The Trussell Trust has said they will put out a printed addendum on H&S with any copies donated to them to give to their unfortunate clients.

Some more top tips on the attached screenshots. I particularly like the idea of saving up one's tumble dryer fluff in a jar and using it light one's firepit. I'm sure people barely surviving on Universal Credit will find that particularly useful.

I give to a food bank. I try to buy quite a few things that either don’t need heating or need not a lot of heating. This is after speaking to a food bank Volunteer who said there has been an increase in people asking for these items as they can’t afford electricity to heat things up.

I don't know if this counts, but my family used to put flowers in church in memory of dead loved ones. Instead I spend in the sweetie/biscuit aisle and go for stuff like multipacks that can easily be split.

Our local food bank has specifically been requesting tin openers lately. Maybe one of their clients took the advice above and came a cropper 😱

Maybe we should all donate a tin opener to the local foodbank.

Re-using the condenser water from the tumble drier to mop the floor seems particularly nuts! If you "rarely use it" how long would it take to collect enough water to mop a floor? And surely it'd just be cheaper to not run it, and use tap water?

Just give what the food bank asks for! I find this middle class need to give naice items infuriating. I wouldn't give cake mix as I'd assume a lot of people wouldn't have the oven time or cake tins!

I do the dryer fluff one 😳

I volunteer in a food bank. Tin openers are actually a much requested item and would be very much appreciated, I would think.

At the mo there is a mountain of mince pies & general Christmas food for our clients (they are getting v adept at avoiding our attempts to foist it on them!), so cakes & such probably won't be too welcome at the mo. Nice shampoo/conditioner would be much appreciated, if you want to give a little extra.

Sod using it on the floor. It's good ironing water!

If you have a condenser and you iron the water already has a good home!

Our food bank often asks for "meat meals" now so if you want to give something nice a can of stewed steak, chicken in white sauce, corned beef or canned salmon. Soap powder has become quite expensive, small boxes are always welcomed or soap powder tablets. Small jars of coffee dont get donated too often, not everyone wants tea. Drinking chocolate is nice too.

There was someone on a thread earlier this week who mentioned giving children's toothbrushes and paste, which I hadn't thought of, but DH remembers not having the money to change toothbrushes when he was a child. Our local FB put out a call for newborn nappies after they had a parent asking for them.

I usually donate cereal bars

if You want to give a ‘treat’ rather than a cake mix why not just go up a brand, or buy a nice cake. Not all poor people want cheap food, I always buy Ribeana for the food bank, it’s nice not to drink plain water all the time or cordial stuffed with E numbers.

Gold dust, as a dentist I cannot imagine why I hadn't thought of toothbrushes before.

Thank you all! I have all of my digits and I hope you do too.