Qvc cost of living winners and losers

[donna255]

My slow cooker using a lot less electricity being on for a few hours than my electric fan oven does being on for an hour. In winter I often batch cook casseroles in the slow cooker and then freeze them. Once defrosted completely, a quick 5 minute blast in the microwave means I have a tasty hot meal.

This year I’m intending to cook a lot of meals like this or I’ll cook things on the gas hob. I’m saving money where I can, although I’m on a fixed tariff until July 2023 so won’t be too affected by the price hikes, because I’m not willing to give the fuel companies more money than I need to.

But slow cookers as I remember it is not a few hours but 5+. A friend bought one a few years back and ended up not using as it took so long to cook meals. When I had mine I did in the morning and went to work, came back after 5 pm and food cooked. She was doing meals at lunchtime and not cooked at 5 pm.

 

[MrMarple]

90p! I’m there! I have developed a taste for some of the Count On Us and Eat Well meals in M&S but they were already relatively dear and they’ve gone up quite a bit in recent months. I can get 4 or 5 of those you mention from Asda for the price of one in M&S.

My mum said the lasagne was quite nice too Andi, but I can't comment on that as I very rarely eat meat.

 

[AndiK]

My mum said the lasagne was quite nice too Andi, but I can't comment on that as I very rarely eat meat.

Likewise, I only eat fish and poultry. But some shops do a nice vegetable lasagne and I wonder if there’s one in the Asda Essentials range?

 

[ERICS MUM]

QVC would do well to offer ‘budget’ versions of some of their ranges. For example the slow cookers, air fryers, Dyson heaters and the Lakeland clothes dryers. Mukluks, nightclothes etc.

They could either draw attention to them on dedicated shows, or just slip them in as alternatives.

I suspect they aren’t capable of reacting quickly enough to obtain sufficient stock over the next month or so..

 

[ERICS MUM]

A Tory minister said the other day people should not be so fussy about having sewage in their drinking water.

That’s why MPs are full of BS !

 

[ERICS MUM]

I think I will be ok despite this nightmare of cost increases on everything. I don’t use a lot of gas or electricity as I live on my own. But I know that I waste money, which I need to address.

 

[Patsy]

There was a story earlier this year that a pensioner was riding on (free) buses to keep warm. During the Jubilee celebrations in London Cliff Richard was doing something riding on a bus round London - Private Eye magazine used his picture with the caption "sad story of elderly man riding on a bus to keep warm"

Didn't our great leader say she was able to do that because he'd given free bus passes or something like that??

 

[donna255]

Didn't our great leader say she was able to do that because he'd given free bus passes or something like that??

Yes, morning news. A pensioner said she had to get on the bus and travel to keep warm. Boris The Fat Controller piped up, it was him that gave pensioners free bus passes.

 

[Toril]

But slow cookers as I remember it is not a few hours but 5+. A friend bought one a few years back and ended up not using as it took so long to cook meals. When I had mine I did in the morning and went to work, came back after 5 pm and food cooked. She was doing meals at lunchtime and not cooked at 5 pm.

I’ve got a smart meter so it’s easy to check how much electricity I’m using with the slow cooker versus the electric oven. Depending on what meat I’m cooking the slow cooker is on for 5+ hours but it still works out more economical ….. so far. I put it on at about noon and dish up at 7pm. It does take longer than ramming it into the oven, but the food seems more flavoursome and is certainly more tender. If I was still working I’d do the same as you did ….. stick it on before leaving for work and come home to a cooked meal.

 

[Toril]

People are now being encouraged to spend the day in the reception areas of large buildings in order to keep warm. That’s fine until the company can’t afford their bills and either turn the heating down or have to close down completely.

People blame the current situation on the Ukraine war and Brexit etc etc. but it’s also down to bad planning. We should have built more reservoirs years ago, built the new nuclear power stations they were planning to build and we shouldn’t have closed all, the coal mines. But as usual, the government are all promises when an election looms, but they often don’t deliver.

 

[Patsy]

I’ve got a smart meter so it’s easy to check how much electricity I’m using with the slow cooker versus the electric oven. Depending on what meat I’m cooking the slow cooker is on for 5+ hours but it still works out more economical ….. so far. I put it on at about noon and dish up at 7pm. It does take longer than ramming it into the oven, but the food seems more flavoursome and is certainly more tender. If I was still working I’d do the same as you did ….. stick it on before leaving for work and come home to a cooked meal.

My sister puts hers on last thing at night on low as they have a cooked meal at lunchtime.
She's not bothered about the cost as they are
A all electric
B got solar panels
C got the early very generous feed in tariff .

 

[donna255]

Liz Truss is talking about starting Fracking, but it will take years to actually get enough gas. Seriously, the muppets just come out with sound bites that sound good without actually going into the details. Years back the UK had the chance to do their own gas and electric systems, but it was decided no, it so much cheaper to just buy it in. Now, when they actually need it, the price is billions instead of like 20 million back then.

I will say this now, there will be a general election before the year is out.

 

[Muttley]

I don’t think he meant actual sewage in the water, it would be filtered in the normal way. I remember years ago hearing that if you had a glass of water from the tap (in London), that water has gone through at least seven other people before you!!! I didn’t drink a glass of tap water for years after that, .

I live in London, I wish I hadn't read that

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Anyone up for trying a thermal cookery bag (based on the hay box method). There are patterns to sew one online then you cook on hob to start it off then 5 hours in the bag and bob’s your uncle.

 

[candycane]

Yes, morning news. A pensioner said she had to get on the bus and travel to keep warm. Boris The Fat Controller piped up, it was him that gave pensioners free bus passes.

Pensioners in London were doing this in the 80's when I lived there. My neighbour got on a bus with her flask and sandwich in the morning and rode all day then came home and went to bed. It's not new.

CC

 

[donna255]

I was told, not sure if true? In London, the free bus pass you can only use at off-peak times, otherwise you have to pay?

Here in N.I. you get one at 60 and can use anytime on buses and trains all around N.I. At 65, you get an upgraded one and can travel all over Ireland for free, even use the Dublin Dart which is their own city bus service.

 

[candycane]

I was told, not sure if true? In London, the free bus pass you can only use at off-peak times, otherwise you have to pay?

Here in N.I. you get one at 60 and can use anytime on buses and trains all around N.I. At 65, you get an upgraded one and can travel all over Ireland for free, even use the Dublin Dart which is their own city bus service.

Well Donna you might be right. I was a very young woman in those days in London but I'm sure pensioners used them in off peak times. My neighbours were all elderly and I was the "young one".

CC

 

[Patsy]

Liz Truss is talking about starting Fracking, but it will take years to actually get enough gas. Seriously, the muppets just come out with sound bites that sound good without actually going into the details. Years back the UK had the chance to do their own gas and electric systems, but it was decided no, it so much cheaper to just buy it in. Now, when they actually need it, the price is billions instead of like 20 million back then.

I will say this now, there will be a general election before the year is out.

Bl**dy hope so.

 

[Patsy]

I was told, not sure if true? In London, the free bus pass you can only use at off-peak times, otherwise you have to pay?

Here in N.I. you get one at 60 and can use anytime on buses and trains all around N.I. At 65, you get an upgraded one and can travel all over Ireland for free, even use the Dublin Dart which is their own city bus service.

We can only use ours after 9.30 am and not after 11 pm (?). Not sure why they think we shouldn't be out at that time.
When they first came out it was 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Outside those times you had to pay. After some years you could use it all day no restrictions. Now it's 9.30 am to 11 pm.

 

[Mazza]

As far as I can tell, freedom passes have changed so are not available for use between 04.30-09.00, freeing up the morning rush hours. That’s on the Tube and buses. I think on the railway it is after 09.30. This all started to change with covid, but has now been rolled into the plans for saving money in TFL, I believe. I would investigate further but cannot read anything about the Mayor of London without significant risk to my blood pressure.