Recession beating eating
Ah, the recession. It’s hard to believe that just a year ago the party was still in full swing with bankers splashing out on expensive champagne, only to spray it around a nightclub rather than drink it. These days, you’re more likely to read about restaurants offering customers free food with customers asked to pay only what they thought the meal was worth.
But although restaurants who have tried this report that people usually pay at least as much as they would have been charged, it simply isn’t a trend that I can see catching on very widely – so we have to be a little more creative to maintain our culinary standards these days.
Between the recession and buying a house, I find my disposable income to be as scarce as a roast suckling pig at a vegan dinner. What’s a gourmet girl to do? Well, you could:
a) max out your credit card, push your overdraft to the limit and live as if nothing has changed;
b) eat what and where you’ve always eaten, just do so less frequently, and live off dry toast the rest of the month; or
c) think of more creative ways to feed yourself on a budget.
Get creative
I’ve gone wholeheartedly for option c) – my mom told me never to max my credit card, and I’ve never been much of a fan of toast without loads of Nutella, so the choice wasn’t hard! And do you know the weirdest thing about this new frugality is? The colour suits me, and the sense of achievement is absurdly rewarding. Here’s how I’ve been cutting down the food bills:
So how are you eating to beat the recession?
Jeanne Horak-Druiff is the face behind the multi-award winning blog www.cooksister.com. This ex-lawyer based in London now spends all her free-time cooking, photographing and eating good food.