To think this lady lives a depressing existance

[ImWithHer]

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-3710734/UK-s-thriftiest-great-grandmother-reveals-make-dinner-scratch-just-47-PENCE-s-healthy-too.html

I Know its a Failonline like but please read.

The food can't be healthy and looks like vomit. Why would one want to live like this. I understand that people are on budgets but I think I would rather starve.

I honestly don't get this frugal lifestyle you only live one life if you have the money spend it on living comfortable you could be dead tomorrow.

Cutecat78 Very funny.

Think op is about to mention "hot dinners" next, another bugbear of mine

She has been utterly broke in the past and so devising good, cheap meals has become second nature to her. As she says, she gets a buzz out of it, so it's not depressing for her at all.
We were once stony broke and practically lived on very cheap veggie/lentil/pearl barley etc. soups, with some grated cheese thrown in. Still eat such things now and then, from choice, because they're tasty and filling.

As for the dish 'looking like vomit', I would think that's only to people who don't like veggies. I wouldn't use that cream/garlic combo, though, mainly because I'm not a fan of cream. A nice cheesy sauce, maybe with a cheese and breadcrumb crust on top.
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I need to get our food shop bill down,had made a mental note to check out her web site for ideas...you put me of a bit now op😥

Off topic but Yorkie, my mum was a great grandma at 59

I have had fun pootling about her website. To be honest i need to be more frugal with our meals- I have been a bit lax especially when both DH and I had a job, and now that he has been made redundant and I have lost some work (I am freelance) I could really do with paying attention.

I do shop at Aldi though- bloody love Aldi. The fresh veg is amazing, as is the continental meats.

Are you genuinely concerned for her mental health or just wanting to bitch about her lifestyle choice?

The latter I suspect.

Imwithher how do you know that people don't have to be frugal to the point of 40p? Sometimes people have to count out the coppers to see if they can get enough for a pint of milk. Welcome to the real world!

I've just had a look at some of the comments on the end of this article. It's a reality check for anyone who thinks aibu gets too nasty at times. Just horrible. I do think the Daily Mail has their own agenda in publishing stuff like this. But the blog is useful and lots of people cook like she does. Food waste is a scandal and I am guilty of it myself. You can take ideas from someone like her and change it to suit yourself. I wasn't bothered about cooking till I had a family. Most people have to watch their food budget when they have children.

You're right that people should enjoy life and be happy, so long as they don't upset or harm others. You like to spend. Great. She likes to save. Great. Each to their own, so long as they are being kind to others. That's what we should aim for as humans. I think she's doing a great thing; she was skint at one point, learnt a lot and is now helping others in that situation. It's a kindness to others and probably quite fulfilling for her.

Just to add that feeling when you have no money left but need to buy some shopping for tea is horrible. Cold sweat time. How the fuck am I going to feed everyone on 40p is a reality for lots of people at different points in their life.

I read this blog yesterday after seeing a reference to the article and tried one of her recipes for dinner last night (a form of halloumi rosti). I was dubious beforehand because I'm not very fond of cooked carrot but it was absolutely delicious (even my husband liked it) very filling, within my calorie count for the say and I didn't need to buy anything to make it with because I already had all the ingredients. I've now signed up for her blog.

And yes I am appalled by

• the number of people who don't realise the huge amount of poverty in this country now or think that it's just because scroungers are spending taxpayers money on booze and fags
• the amount of food we waste in this country
• the people who still believe you need to eat meat at every meal to be healthy (and seem oblivious to the fact that it would be much better for the planet if everyone had at least one or two meat-free days a week)

I could go on, but that's probably enough of a rant for this tie in the morning....

It looks really nice? Lots of different veg in cream.

Her family aren't exactly getting their five a day though.

I think it looks nice! I'd eat it.

I think op, you just came here to tell us how much money you spend on the best organic fruit veg and sausages.

Guess what. Not everyone has as much money as you, some people have very little money to spend on food, and like a pp said I would much rather eat dishes like this than value fish fingers and oven chips.

Stop stealth boasting and trying to shame those that don't have the same lifestyle as you.

Fwiw I think I might try a few of her dishes myself!

Of course some people are that poor. Sometimes even on MN.

Looks balanced enough to me. Not the tastiest, but better than turkey twizzlers and artificial chips.

This is the weirdest thread I've seen on Mumsnet for a while.

Woman eats perfectly healthy, frugal meal of veg. OP rants about junk, processed crap, meat with growth hormones. None of which apply to this women's situation.

Laurie I think some people don't like to see people managing on very little money because either it makes them feel bad about their own situation, ie why they are spending so much more themselves, or alternatively, they can't then rant at the Government for destroying the lives of 'poor people'?

Poor people doing their best, managing quite well and eating a healthy diet, well there's nothing to get upset about is there? Similar sort of angst was directed towards Jack Monroe and her food.

I do think there is a sense of looking down at her. If she were a middle class gran, living in the Cots writing about cooking on the cheap there'd be a very different response.

I really love lentil and sweet corn soup, lentil, bean or chickpea curries, homemade hummus etc. I had a fairly good income for the area while I was working but have always lived moderately frugally due to being vegan for 10 years and generally enjoying cooking and vegetables. I've lived with poor housemates before, too, and tailored my diet to their budget regularly when we were eating together.

I had a friend who was left with no money at all for about four months due to admin cockups while he was getting transferred over to UC. Posters who don't believe that some people literally have no money or only pence for meals have their heads in the sand.

I'm in the very fortunate position now of being able to buy a house in cash and choosing to be a sahm because I've saved so much money, but I wouldn't have lived like this if I'd found it unpleasant. I think it's a valid choice to eat cheaply and healthily if you're comfortable but enjoy cheap food or just want to spend the money elsewhere!

Some disgusting responses about her weight on that article.

Vegetables, cream, garlic! What's not to love?! Not being a veggie I would add some lardons too...!

I can't understand people being critical of her. There are lots of healthy and cheap recipes on her blog. Much rather someone like her was being promoted than people like the Hemsley sisters who seem to live in a different universe to most ordinary families. My MIL was brought up in real poverty. Despite being comfortably off she watches every penny and never wasted any food. If life has felt that precarious then I think it's completely understandable that you would continue to be careful. I think there is a lot of satisfaction from feeling like you have got real value for money.

"
Today 10:10YelloDraw

Her family aren't exactly getting their five a day though."

Why?

I agree with all sentiments in this thread that the OP is in fairyland in that they don't realise they're being awfully nasty and in their naivety when it comes to food poverty in this country.

I'd also like to add a comment in response to: Meat or protein replacement for vegetarians should be in every meal it is in my house.

I've recently cut down on the amount of meat myself and my partner eat for environmental reasons and i've found that most "meat replacements" are pretty gross. I've also found that if I eat lots of delicious green veg along with beans I get completely sufficient protein without 'replacements'. The 'you must have meat to have protein' is a mindset not a fact. Why not try putting what you eat into MyFitnessPal and seeing how much protein you're eating compared with what you need?

As people get richer, their meat/fish protein consumption increases and i'm sorry but this increasing production is seriously detrimental for the environment. I try to eat what I require in protein - to regularly eat more is gluttonous. I don't buy meat in the supermarket; if I want meat I will ensure it's good meat (although I am finding myself wanting it less and less often, now once every 2/3 weeks).

I found it quite surprising to see how much protein was in some foods. Some of them I can remember being surprised about i've listed below:

Food item: grams of protein
Medium baked potato: 4.3g
1/2 tin baked beans: 9.7g
Portion of broccoli: 8g
Portion garden peas: 5g
Portion mushrooms: 3.1g
Glass of semi-skimmed milk: 3.6g
Slice of cheddar: 2.5g
Slice of white bread: 4g
1 Egg: 6g
Portion of peanut butter: 8g

So a BP with beans and cheese will give you nearly half of your GDA of protein, that's before you have a couple of cups of tea and the rest of your 5 a day of veg which will take you up to 40 of your 45g - and you haven't seen a sausage yet!