Bonus post: Knives, equipment, budget strategy.

A few handy budget value tips

This blog isn't , nor will it ever be, about how to feed a family of four cheaply.  If you live in Ireland, please see these food banks if you are struggling to make ends meet, and food is becoming difficult to afford.

 This blog also will never be about 5 star food, or even home cooking.  There are a lot better blogs out there who can tell you how to scratch bake muffins, or whip up Pho in 15 minutes.  

That said, it IS about value for money, so here are some things I've learned:

1.  Equipment.

 - One good reliable knife.  The one on the right below has lasted me over 15 years.  It wasn't overly expensive, nor was it a budget buy.  But if you keep them clean, and never leave them in the dishwater,the good ones will never let you down.  I've cut through everything from carrots to stewing steak with this thing.

 - One big knife.  I've found chef's knives to be a lot of hard work to keep sharp, so I prefer serrated ones to be honest.  This one on the left was a gift from my brother, and is top drawer.  I repayed the favour last June for his birthday - got him a €200 set of knives from the culinary school that shut down across the road for €50.  :-)  Anyway, my three best friends are below... 

I could also recommend a Chinese style cleaver - very versatile, but they can be pricey.  Here's the one I inherited from the former tenant of my Edinburgh flat 

 - Crockery & cutlery -  If you want to go for real value, don't bother with the supermarket or shops.  Charity shops have a tonne of very decent plates, bowls, knives, forks etcetera, as long as you don't mind them being mismatched.  

 - Charity shops - Amazing places for culinary tools.  Picked up two balti pans and a really smart pestle and mortar for a tenner just before Christmas; present to meself.  

 - Chopping board.  This you can get ideally from the supermarket budget section.  Just make sure you keep it good and clean.  See below...

 - Kettle.  Ideal for cups of tea and coffee, speeding up pasta preparation, and sterilization of chopping boards...

 - One frying pan.  Thin ones will suck, but get what you can afford

 - Two saucepans.  Well... One will do but two can be handy...

 - One casserole dish.  Got mine from the charity shop as well - it doubles as an excellent mixing bowl.

 - Box grater - The effort you put in chopping cheese up sometimes is not worth it.  Will be put to good use in further posts.

The more money you can afford to spend on your equipment, the better, but if circumstances dictate you need to only pay a fiver for a tiny frying pan that a fried egg just about fits into, it's better than nothing.

2.  Freezer

As I've said, not everyone has a big old chest freezer and can make vast quantities of stuff.  I have an icebox.

That said, I do use it as best I can.  If you don't want to get bored of that massive pan of cheap soup you improved, eat half, freeze half.  But use a freezer bag and label your frozen goodies in permanent marker!  Sounds obvious, but I've thrown out lots of unlabeled food which was probably perfectly cromulent, if I could identify it...

3.  Pickles

I'm a recent convert to pickling things.  After the initial outlay for a Kilner jar, you can recoup the £5 or £8 it costs by sticking your leftover vegetables in it - anything from carrots to cabbage to chilli to garlic, to whatever you want, in a simple mixture of vinegar, salt, and whatever other spices you like.

4.  Don't buy what you're not going to eat.  It seems simple, but waste is not only money down the bin, it's a pain throwing all that (nearly) edible food away.  So THINK CAREFULLY!

That's all for now.  Sausage and squash casserole will be next Friday.  Comments welcome on your money saving and food improvement tips.