Budget cuts
Dear Gordon Brown,
I can tolerate bargain pasta (I just don't eat it. Food snob till the bitter end)
I can accept life without the gym. (I've heard walking counts as exercise and running outside is like a treadmill, only windier)
I can use basic soap and moisturiser (Especially after that documentary that shows beauty products make your wrinkles deeper!)
I can handle walking rather than driving (Ok, so its wet and windy, but the fresh air does us all good during the frantic march down to Ezra's nursery)
We can live without the heating (We are wearing three jumpers and huddled together in one room playing jumping games tstop our extremities turning blue)
I cannot, and will not tolerate life without gin.
Sincerely,
Minks
cc. John
Inland Revenue
Man who runs Lottery
Lady Luck
Comments
I will send gin as payment if you wish.
"nurdery" - I know it's a typo.... but that's hilarious. That's where I'd want to send my kids.
How about Tesco Value Gin? It's still Gin...
Porky- its ridiculous snobbery on my part. Good quality pasts uses durum wheat, and a longer production process. Means sauces stick better, holds its shape and texture tastes more nutty, less flouery and gloopy. Good dry is better than fresh everytime. Its not that big a deal, I just hate soggy pasta. Reminds me of school lasagne.
RG- Tesco Value Gin isn't gin, its rubbing alcohol xxx
Gordons, or if I'm feeling "exotic" Bombay Sapphire. Otherwise you might as well go and drain the anti-freeze out of the car and drink it. I mean you can't afford to use it anyway....
.....£92.00 I had to stump up for a tank of diesel the other day?!?!? There are car companies in South Korea that will sell you a new car for less than that?!?!?!
If you like I can also add "I can make my own sandwiches, as a £3.50 meal deal from Boots now seems like an extravagence (It uses up all of the left-overs from dinner the night before that otherwise would have got thrown away anyway)" to your list.
And who would have imagined that cold burger and tomato ketchup could taste so good?!?!?!
I don't think there's anything that I wouldn't sacrifice in budget cuts foodwise.
I can't think of anything anyway - maybe Cardini's Caesar Salad dressing, but then I haven't really been eating that recently anyway.
I'd rather go without than go for cheaper brands of
Marmite,
Helmans Mayo,
Good coffee
Free range meat
Good dark chocolate
Gin
Vodka
Zero Coke
There's no hope........
I bought gin off the internet for my hen weekend from www.thedrinkshop.com but I don't remember now if that was because it was cheaper or if it was just that it was easier. Mmmmmm, gin. I agree, do not scrimp on booze - tis a false economy and no mistake.
Do you use the moneysavingexpert site? It is a godsend. It has saved me so so much. And I think there is a section in there about products people believe/know are all churned out in the same factory but with different brand names (i.e. tesco and asda own brand pasta is made by bertollini or whatever it's called, bourgeois make-up is l'oreal, etc etc.)
it's difficult to get Helmans where I am but Thomy is very good
coffee
sausages
gin
and then I have various notions about where I think it's okay to buy olives and deli stuff - I'm terribly faddy and should just get over myself.
aye, unfortunately some own products are produced by reputable companies but use cheaper ingredients and more additives.
A lot of value stuff is better because there are less additives, see bakes beans, tinned tomatoes etc.
I used to work for M&S- all own brand. They're stuff is usually produced by quality manufacturers, they don't scrimp quality, and are more ethically sound. My sales pitch for my ex employer is done!
Lets go out for gin as soon as I don't have a baby clamped to my nipple. I haven't had gin for months. No, years.
I always buy dry pasta. Just look at the ingredients compared to supermarket fresh.
<RANT>If it's Gin you want, it has to be Tanqueray. (40% by volume, none of your Gordons 37.5% rubbish) Tesco's Finest Gin is a good Gin as well. I'm afraid Bombay Sapphire doesn't cut it. Tanqueray and Tesco's are both 'clean', whilst the others are 'dirty'. Yeah, I know a strange description, but it's a taste thing, so difficult to describe. Try a shot of chilled Stolichnaya and then a shot of chilled Smirnoff and you'll get what I mean about clean and dirty. Apply the same test using Tanqueray and A.N. Other Gin (You've now got an excuse for a taste test :)
Once you mix it, it gets kind of less important, but if you're making a Martini, or a Gin and tonic. Tanqueray, or Tesco's finest is my preference. If you're in the pub, ah well, they've got Gordon's, so you have Gordon's. It's still fucking lush on a hot summer afternoon (If we get another one.)
Oh and by the way it's not Gordon's Gin.
IT'S MY FUCKING GIN, get your bloody own Gordon :)
WHO THE HELL LIKES ZERO POP? BLEURRGGH! Seriously, it's as bad as that 'diet' muck. Nasty nasty nasty taste. I've been conned by that 'Zero' stuff before. I wish they'd make the bottles really obvious, rather than just giving them a black top and Zero in really tiny hidden letters on the label. I've learnt my lesson. Check your pop bottles. You can't rely on the colour of the label any more.
I'm afraid I'm a heathen when it comes to pasta, none of this Al Dente nonsense. Bloody cook it properly, soft and squidgy, leave it sitting around in the hot water whilst you fiddle with the sauce. Then drain it. Sorry, but that's just how I like it. So Basics 19p for 500g of Penne does for me.
Stint not on the Parmesan though. That powdered baby sick in the sprinkle topped containers will do, but treat yourself to a lump of the proper stuff and shave bits off with your potato peeler for preference.
Marmite, again I'm a cheapskate Tesco whore. I eat their own brand stuff. Because I love the stuff, it's cheaper, so I get MORE for the same amount of money :)
Mayo. Hellmans is nice, if you can get the great big catering jars, so it costs you less. If you can't, ah well, Tesco's own will do. I'm only going to use it instead of marge' on cheese butties, or mix it up with Tuna, or Chicken for butties, so it's not that important.
</RANT> :)
False economy = economy washing up liquid.
I will happily embark upon a taste test. please supply the product immediately!
Zero coke- its all aboot the additives, man. They make you zing!
Norah- please remove clamped baby asap! x
Ahhh I'm only a semi-pro drinker Minks, when I turn Pro and get the sponsorship deal...
If you want Zing See if you can find Jolt cola - "All the sugar and twice the caffeine."
Well Strictly Kate it's own brand Yeast Extract.
Little Chrissy want a Jolt!
Hm. Own brand yeast extract doesn't sound terribly appealing. I wonder if Netto does a 'Narnite' version.
Jando: yes! You are so right! There is no false economy more apparent than that of economy washing-up liquid. I was foolish enough to buy it at a dollar store once. Who knew there were degrees of washing-up-ability?
Chaotic: another yes, to Tanqueray. I thought it was just me. Gordon's just seems so, I don't know, naff.
right- cheapo washing up liquid is rubbish. Better to do a bogoff on a good brand.
Tanq is lovely, lovely lovely. I first had it in Chicago and that was it! Love at first gin.