I made a huge batch of granola...

[Lenona]

The recipe, from page 25 of Amy Dacyczyn's 1st volume of "The Tightwad Gazette," is as follows (with my edits):

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
5 cups oats
1/2 cup powdered milk
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup raisins (added AFTER baking)

Mix 1-3 in a saucepan. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Combine 4-7 in a bowl. Pour sugar mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Transfer to large baking pan. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes or more. Stir SEVERAL times as it cools - and dig into all the corners, especially! Add raisins. Store in an airtight container.

Optional: nuts, wheat germ, coconut, dates, etc.


Anyway, since I have a lot of oats, I quadrupled that recipe. (I had to bake twice, since the only suitable mixing "bowl" I had for half that amount was a five-gallon pot - and I can only fit so much in the oven.)

I'm not sure what the result weighs, but I put it all into a jar that originally held five pounds of whey - and it's clearly a good deal bigger than a gallon jug.

And, using this 2020 chart -

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.food.cooking/c/Wt5KTiv4WJE/m/qPlW6xCkBQAJ

- here's what the final cost was, roughly: $12.56.

Yes, I know prices have gone up, but the chart does not include any discounted items one might find at the supermarket or elsewhere. So, any discounted items you DO find just might cost the same as in 2020.

And, if what I made does weigh 5 pounds, that would come to $2.51 per pound. (Or less, if it's more than 5 pounds.)

[Lenona]

I just checked this old list, so if I'm right, the final weight was 8 3/4 lbs.!

So that would make the cost per pound about $1.43.

Here are the rough weights per cup, in ounces:

Baking powder 8
Baking soda 8
Brown sugar 7
Butter 8
Cocoa 4
Coconut 2
Cornmeal 6
Cornstarch 5
Cream of tartar 8
Honey 12
Liquid skim milk 8
Margarine 8
Molasses 12
Oatmeal 4
Powdered milk 2.4
Raisins 4
Salt 10
Soy flour 4
Vanilla 6.75
Vegetable oil: 8
Wheat flour 4.5
White flour 6
White sugar 8
Yeast 5

[jmcquown]

On 5/1/2022 10:15 AM, Lenona wrote:
> The recipe, from page 25 of Amy Dacyczyn's 1st volume of "The Tightwad Gazette," is as follows (with my edits):
>
> 3/4 cup brown sugar
> 1/3 cup vegetable oil
> 1/3 cup honey
> 5 cups oats
> 1/2 cup powdered milk
> 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
> pinch of salt
> 1/2 cup raisins (added AFTER baking)
>
> Mix 1-3 in a saucepan. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Combine 4-7 in a bowl. Pour sugar mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Transfer to large baking pan. Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes or more. Stir SEVERAL times as it cools - and dig into all the corners, especially! Add raisins. Store in an airtight container.
>
> Optional: nuts, wheat germ, coconut, dates, etc.
>

(snippage)

If that's your thing, go for it. You buy 50 lbs of oats at a time. Not
my idea of saving money.

> And, if what I made does weigh 5 pounds, that would come to $2.51 per pound. (Or less, if it's more than 5 pounds.)

You keep talking about this Amy Dacyczyn as if we should all know who
she is. I don't and don't much care. I do know I can't find wheat germ
at my grocery store. In fact, I had a discussion a couple of years ago
with a couple of employees at the grocery store and they said sometimes
people ask for jars of wheat germ (Kretchmer's was the brand I recall
from the 1980's) but they haven't stocked it since around 1990.

Jill

[Michael Trew]

In article <F_wbK.10504$_Ol4...@fx08.iad>, j_mc...@comcast.net says...

> You buy 50 lbs of oats at a time. Not my idea of saving money.
>

> Jill
>
Isn't buying in bulk cheaper?

[Cindy Hamilton]

Maybe. It depends on what you do with your money. Letting the grocery
store keep your money instead of having it available for investment
might not be cheaper.

It's the same principle as not overpaying your income taxes and getting
a big refund.

--
Cindy Hamilton

[jmcquown]

That was a yet another forged Michael post.

Jill

[Graham]

Rough being the operative word!

[Lenona]

For the record, I did not make the calculations myself.

And in response to the others, oats are the only thing I buy in huge quantities that last for over a year. Unlike oats, I only use butter on special occasions, mostly, so even though that only goes on sale maybe three times a year, I wouldn't buy more than three pounds at a time even if I had a huge freezer.

With a nod to Charles Schulz:

"Happiness is following the Boy Scout motto 'Be Prepared.' "

(As in, it feels great to remember that you have a full container of something that you thought you were running out of.)

And obviously, it's not a good idea to buy huge amounts of anything that doesn't keep long even in the fridge, such as certain fruits. Other fruits, maybe.

[Cindy Hamilton]

Dang. I thought I'd killfiled all those assholes. He sounded nearly
sane, so I replied.

--
Cindy Hamilton

[jmcquown]

In article <qxybK.161588$Kdf....@fx96.iad>, hami...@devnull.com says...

Yes, they are indeed master baiters.

Jill

[jmcquown]

No worries. They're forging posts by me, too.

Jill

[Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Knight of Pratz]

Uhm, we're talking about a bag of oats.

--
Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Knight of Pratz
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonse_de_Lamartine#/media/File:Alphonse_de_Lamartine.PNG>

[Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Knight of Pratz]

On Sun, 1 May 2022 11:10:56 -0400, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>
wrote:

Is that a problem if the fake posts are better than the posts by the
original Fly Over Bigot?

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

On Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 9:41:48 AM UTC-5, j_mc...@comcast.net wrote:
>
> On 5/1/2022 10:15 AM, Lenona wrote:
> >
> > The recipe, from page 25 of Amy Dacyczyn's 1st volume of "The Tightwad Gazette,"
> >

> You keep talking about this Amy Dacyczyn as if we should all know who
> she is. I don't and don't much care.
>

> Jill
>
I'm thinking Lenona is a disciple of hers. From the internet:
"Amy Dacyczyn is the former editor of The Tightwad Gazette, a newsletter that
ran in the 1990s and promoted a lifestyle of frugality."

[jmcquown]

I've always tried to be frugal consumer. I don't need Leona or this Amy
person to preach about it. I'm also not going to deny myself the
occasional splurge when it comes to enjoying what I eat. That doesn't
include making "a huge batch of granola", sorry.

Jill

[Dave Smith]

I can appreciate someone economizing a bit by making their own oatmeal,
but that's because they charge such outrageous prices for the stuff.
It's mostly oats, which are cheap. The more expensive ingredients are
usually pretty skimpy.

For some reason, oats are really hard on my system do I don't have them
more than twice a week. One oatmeal dish I was interested in and which
turned out to be excellent was Jamie Oliver's chocolate porridge. It
involves oatmeal, hazelnuts, marjool dates and orange zest. About 1/2
of the oatmeal is thrown into the food processor along with toasted
hazel nuts and the dates. It cooks quickly. Serve it with yogurt and
fruit.

It was delicious.






https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/breakfast-recipes/chocolate-porridge/

[Cindy Hamilton]

On 2022-05-01, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:

Frugal living doesn't preclude the occasional splurge. It's a way of
managing your money (and guilt).

--
Cindy Hamilton

[Dave Smith]

Fresh home made granola can be pretty good. It doesn't keep well enough
for me to make 5 lbs of the stuff. I had a hard enough time with the
chocolate porridge I posted about. It was good but it is supposed to be
used up faster than I can consume even that much.

[jmcquown]

On 5/1/2022 5:08 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2022-05-01 4:19 p.m., itsjoan...@webtv.net wrote:
>> On Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 9:41:48 AM UTC-5, j_mc...@comcast.net wrote:
>>>
>>> On 5/1/2022 10:15 AM, Lenona wrote:
>>>>
>>>> The recipe, from page 25 of Amy Dacyczyn's 1st volume of "The
>>>> Tightwad Gazette,"
>>>>
>>> You keep talking about this Amy Dacyczyn as if we should all know who
>>> she is. I don't and don't much care.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>>
>> I'm thinking Lenona is a disciple of hers.  From the internet:
>> "Amy Dacyczyn is the former editor of The Tightwad Gazette, a
>> newsletter that
>> ran in the 1990s and promoted a lifestyle of frugality."
>
> I can appreciate someone economizing a bit by making their own oatmeal,

Surely you meant making their own "granola"? Correct me if I'm wrong.

> but that's because they charge such outrageous prices for the stuff.
> It's mostly oats, which are cheap. The more expensive ingredients are
> usually pretty skimpy.
>
> For some reason, oats are really hard on my system do I don't have them
> more than twice a week.  One oatmeal dish I was interested in and which
> turned out to be excellent was Jamie Oliver's chocolate porridge. It
> involves oatmeal, hazelnuts, marjool dates and orange zest.  About 1/2
> of the oatmeal is thrown into the food processor along with toasted
> hazel nuts and the dates.  It cooks quickly. Serve it with yogurt and
> fruit.
>
> It was delicious.
>
>
> https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/breakfast-recipes/chocolate-porridge/

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't want chocolate anything for breakfast.

Jill

[jmcquown]

Making a huge batch of granola isn't my idea of being frugal. Perhaps
Leona loves granola. <shrug>

I'm browning a pound of Italian sausage and will simmer it in tomato
sauce. That and the pasta I will serve it over will net me four meals
for under $5. It will taste a heck of a lot better than a gallon jug of
granola.

Jill

[Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Knight of Pratz]

On Sun, 1 May 2022 18:32:16 -0400, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>

wrote:

>On 5/1/2022 5:14 PM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>> On 2022-05-01, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:
>>> On 5/1/2022 4:19 PM, itsjoan...@webtv.net wrote:
>>>> On Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 9:41:48 AM UTC-5, j_mc...@comcast.net wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On 5/1/2022 10:15 AM, Lenona wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The recipe, from page 25 of Amy Dacyczyn's 1st volume of "The
>>>>>> Tightwad Gazette,"
>>>>>>
>>>>> You keep talking about this Amy Dacyczyn as if we should all know who
>>>>> she is. I don't and don't much care.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jill
>>>>>
>>>> I'm thinking Lenona is a disciple of hers. From the internet:
>>>> "Amy Dacyczyn is the former editor of The Tightwad Gazette, a newsletter that
>>>> ran in the 1990s and promoted a lifestyle of frugality."
>>>
>>>
>>> I've always tried to be frugal consumer. I don't need Leona or this Amy
>>> person to preach about it. I'm also not going to deny myself the
>>> occasional splurge when it comes to enjoying what I eat. That doesn't
>>> include making "a huge batch of granola", sorry.
>>
>> Frugal living doesn't preclude the occasional splurge. It's a way of
>> managing your money (and guilt).
>>
>Making a huge batch of granola isn't my idea of being frugal. Perhaps
>Leona loves granola. <shrug>

Your idea of being frugal is drinking box wine.

[Dave Smith]

I guess you are not a fan of Count Chocula either ;-)
It's just cocoa powder that goes into it, no sugar. I normally would
not eat any type of chocolate for breakfast, but I have to say this
stuff was delicious.

[jmcquown]

On 5/1/2022 6:47 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2022-05-01 6:19 p.m., jmcquown wrote:
>> On 5/1/2022 5:08 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>> On 2022-05-01 4:19 p.m., itsjoan...@webtv.net wrote:
>
>>> For some reason, oats are really hard on my system do I don't have
>>> them more than twice a week.  One oatmeal dish I was interested in
>>> and which turned out to be excellent was Jamie Oliver's chocolate
>>> porridge. It involves oatmeal, hazelnuts, marjool dates and orange
>>> zest.  About 1/2 of the oatmeal is thrown into the food processor
>>> along with toasted hazel nuts and the dates.  It cooks quickly. Serve
>>> it with yogurt and fruit.
>>>
>>> It was delicious.
>>>
>>>
>>> https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/breakfast-recipes/chocolate-porridge/
>>>
>>
>> I'm glad you enjoyed it.  I don't want chocolate anything for breakfast.
>
> I guess you are not a fan of Count Chocula either  ;-)

LOL no, and I'm not cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs, either. ;)

> It's just cocoa powder that goes into it, no sugar.  I normally would
> not eat any type of chocolate for breakfast, but I have to say this
> stuff was delicious.
>

I'm glad you liked it.

Jill

[Hank Rogers]

That's fine, but she shouldn't have tried to force you to eat
granola. You should just quietly killfile her.

[Lenona]

On Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 5:14:19 PM UTC-4, Cindy Hamilton wrote:

> Frugal living doesn't preclude the occasional splurge. It's a way of
> managing your money (and guilt).

Exactly!

From the same book, pages 5-6 (the farmhouse was her goal for her own family, decades ago, and they got it in 1989, plus a lot more):

"Not every tightwad is saving for a pre-1900 New England farmhouse (with attached barn). Some live in a shack so they can afford a fleet of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. As long as they are financially responsible - their kids have enough to eat, the bills are paid, and they have adequate insurance and savings for emergencies - that is absolutely acceptable."

From page 16:

"I have been a closet amateur budget analyst for many years. People have told me about the shortage of income that leads them to their troubles. Because my opinion was not asked for I didn't point out the Froot Loops in their cupboards, the Pampers in the bathroom, and the cable TV."

From page 295 (the last page before the index):

"Saving money is the means to an end...not the end itself."

And, in August 1994, for a change of pace, she wrote about Disney World (where SHE would never want to go to, but, of course, many parents definitely want to take their own kids). The main question was: "If you have BEEN there, was it worth the cost?" 92% said yes - but the other 8% were just as passionate. She then listed the best tips she got from her readers regarding:

The kids' ages
The best time of year to go
Travel
Lodging
Food
Admission
Souvenirs.

And, from January 1996 (about people in dire straits, debt wise):

"Some people deceive themselves about their overall spending habits.Their letters to me highlight some of their frugal activities...but omit others...it's like pointing out the places on a sinking ship that are not leaking."

[jmcquown]

I still don't have any idea why you are following this woman's
teachings. Are you trying to say you don't know how to manage your
budget? Are you broke? Who the hell wants to make a and eat gallon of
granola?

Jill

[Lenona]

> I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't want chocolate anything for breakfast.
>
> Jill

How about chocolate chili for dinner?

I'm sure that recipe shows up in some Mexican cookbooks, but I found it in The Eating-in-Bed Cookbook (1962) by humorist Barbara Ninde Byfield. (I expect to be making another dish, soon, from that book - it's called "Nest Eggs" and it has dried beef, kidney beans, onions, eggs, and rice.)

[jmcquown]

On 5/1/2022 7:29 PM, Lenona wrote:
>
>> I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't want chocolate anything for breakfast.
>>
>> Jill
>
> How about chocolate chili for dinner?
>

No. I don't add cocoa powder to chili.

> I'm sure that recipe shows up in some Mexican cookbooks, but I found it in The Eating-in-Bed Cookbook (1962) by humorist Barbara Ninde Byfield. (I expect to be making another dish, soon, from that book - it's called "Nest Eggs" and it has dried beef, kidney beans, onions, eggs, and rice.)

Dried beef is chipped beef in my book and equates to SOS. Cream is
required. Is that something you can afford? Sheesh.

Jill

[songbird]

Dave Smith wrote:
...

> For some reason, oats are really hard on my system do I don't have them
> more than twice a week.

... About 1/2

> of the oatmeal is thrown into the food processor along with toasted
> hazel nuts and the dates. It cooks quickly. Serve it with yogurt and
> fruit.
>
> It was delicious.

"It cooks quickly" is perhaps the key to your problem as if i
don't cook oats enough they can play games with my GI tract.

for thick oats i cook them about 8 minutes after they start
to boil (the first few minutes before that i'm getting the bowl
warmed up enough to boil on high - after the oats start to boil
i turn the microwave down to power level 2 for 8:11 and that
finishes them perfectly for me).


songbird

[Lenona]

> I still don't have any idea why you are following this woman's
> teachings. Are you trying to say you don't know how to manage your
> budget? Are you broke? Who the hell wants to make a and eat gallon of
> granola?
>
> Jill

Jeez, talk about negativity.

For starters, since the lid fits tightly, I expect the batch will last me two weeks or so without going bad.

And I simply discovered her work back in 1991 and it's helped me to save money as no other American writer could or would. (Outside of religious books that might urge you to live frugally and then give your money to the church "until it hurts" - ha!)

And since some people here think I'm delusional to suggest that it's possible to cook and eat foods that you LIKE on a budget of under $200 a month, I was giving an example of how it's done. Obviously, it would be cheaper just to make oatmeal instead - even including the raisins, but who wants the same breakfast every day? (When I DO make oatmeal, I like to add raisins, then, when it's finished boiling, I add chunks of banana, let it cool for ten minutes, and add half-and-half. Plus sugar.)

[jmcquown]

On 5/1/2022 7:29 PM, Lenona wrote:
>

>> I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't want chocolate anything for breakfast.
>>
>> Jill
>
> How about chocolate chili for dinner?
>

That's a Cincinnati chili thing which I already said no thanks to in
another reply.

> I'm sure that recipe shows up in some Mexican cookbooks, but I found it in The Eating-in-Bed Cookbook (1962) by humorist Barbara Ninde Byfield. (I expect to be making another dish, soon, from that book - it's called "Nest Eggs" and it has dried beef, kidney beans, onions, eggs, and rice.)

I doubt the Mexicans around here (they pick tomatoes in the local fields
for processing) have read humorist cookbooks containing recipes from 1962.

You sound a lot like another poster here who thinks everything from the
1950's was peachy keen.

Jill

[Lenona]

> Dried beef is chipped beef in my book and equates to SOS. Cream is
> required. Is that something you can afford? Sheesh.
>
> Jill

Cream? What are you talking about? That isn't part of the recipe.

If it makes any difference, what I found came in round slices - in a glass jar.

And it's something I make only once a year or so.

[Lenona]

> > I'm sure that recipe shows up in some Mexican cookbooks, but I found it in The Eating-in-Bed Cookbook (1962) by humorist Barbara Ninde Byfield. (I expect to be making another dish, soon, from that book - it's called "Nest Eggs" and it has dried beef, kidney beans, onions, eggs, and rice.)

> I doubt the Mexicans around here (they pick tomatoes in the local fields
> for processing) have read humorist cookbooks containing recipes from 1962.
>
>

> Jill


Honestly, please read that again. I suspect Byfield got the idea from the Mexicans. All I'm saying is, the only time I saw that specific recipe was in HER cookbook.

From Sephra Catering:

"Combining dark chocolate and chilli dates back to the ancient Aztec civilization, who indulged in chocolate long before it was introduced to the Europeans. They often united the native cocoa bean and chillies, and this tradition is still found throughout Central and South America. Today, it is taking root among foodies who crave the sweet and savory combination of chocolate and chilli!"

[jmcquown]

On 5/1/2022 7:47 PM, Lenona wrote:
>> I still don't have any idea why you are following this woman's
>> teachings. Are you trying to say you don't know how to manage your
>> budget? Are you broke? Who the hell wants to make a and eat gallon of
>> granola?
>>
>> Jill
>
>
> Jeez, talk about negativity.
>
> For starters, since the lid fits tightly, I expect the batch will last me two weeks or so without going bad.
>

That's great if you want to eat granola for two weeks. I sure as heck
don't.

> And I simply discovered her work back in 1991 and it's helped me to save money as no other American writer could or would. (Outside of religious books that might urge you to live frugally and then give your money to the church "until it hurts" - ha!)
>

There you go with the books thing again. I learned how to live and shop
frugally in the 1980's from life experience because I knew how much
money I was earning and what I could afford to buy. I didn't need some
book to teach me not to live outside my means, thank you.

> And since some people here think I'm delusional to suggest that it's possible to cook and eat foods that you LIKE on a budget of under $200 a month, I was giving an example of how it's done. Obviously, it would be cheaper just to make oatmeal instead - even including the raisins, but who wants the same breakfast every day? (When I DO make oatmeal, I like to add raisins, then, when it's finished boiling, I add chunks of banana, let it cool for ten minutes, and add half-and-half. Plus sugar.)

I don't think you're delusional. I think you're going out of your way
to prove some point which doesn't apply to a lot of people. I don't
spend $50 a week or $200 a month on food yet I manage to eat very well.

I think I'll go have my angel hair pasta topped with Italian sausage
simmered in tomato sauce now. Made enough for 3-4 meals for under $5.

Jill

[Hank Rogers]

Killfile her, your majesty. She's really making your blood pressure
peak. Yoose want to die from apoplexy?

[jmcquown]

I don't care about her cookbook, Leona, nor the use of chocolate in chili.

Jill

[jmcquown]

You mentioned dried beef. I automatically think of SOS. Creamed
chipped beef. Take your head out of that cookbook and maybe you'll
figure it out.

Jill

[Lenona]

> You mentioned dried beef. I automatically think of SOS. Creamed
> chipped beef. Take your head out of that cookbook and maybe you'll
> figure it out.
>
> Jill

I had to look up SOS. (I thought you meant it would give you a heart attack, so you'd need to call for help.)

Anyway, I don't think I've ever seen it - even on a restaurant menu.

[Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Knight of Pratz]

On Sun, 1 May 2022 20:03:28 -0400, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>
wrote:

Maybe it's an idea to stay out of threads you don't care about? Then
you don't constantly have to list all the things you don't care about.

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 5/1/2022 7:47 PM, Lenona wrote:

I could easily live on less than $200 a month. I don't want to.

Last time I had oatmeal was when I was a kid and my mother made it.
I've had a few handfuls of granola in my life. It's OK, not something I
want regularly.

If you like it, great. I'd rather have 2 eggs for about 55 cents and an
English muffin for 60 cents, good loose tea for a nickle, and bacon or
sausage for another 50 cents. Oh, with Kerrygold butter for a few pennies.

I spend about $110 just on breakfast. Lunch is not much, a buck or so
for a snack. Just a quick check of four dinners where I know the price
they were $6+. The veal chop was an exception every couple of months.
I'd say dinner is typical at $4 to $5 so that is $150. So that brings
us to $250 to $300 depending on dinner.

Do we count beverages? I like a glass of wine often with dinner. $120
for that.

How about snacks? Haagen Dazs ice cram, three serving per container is
94 cents a serving bought on BOGO. Add another $20 a month. Rice
pudding tonight @1.34 cents per serving.

Evening snacks, about $40.

Shocking, I'm happy to eat what I like and spend $400, double your goal,
but I enjoy every bite. I know everyone does not have my choice so I
donate to the food bank. Everyone should eat every day.

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 5/1/2022 7:48 PM, jmcquown wrote:
> On 5/1/2022 7:29 PM, Lenona wrote:
>>
>>> I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't want chocolate anything for breakfast.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> How about chocolate chili for dinner?
>>
> That's a Cincinnati chili thing which I already said no thanks to in
> another reply.
>

I've had it. It was OK, but to me more of a novelty. Certainly did not
taste like a good chocolate truffle. I'd rather have my chocolate that
way.

[Michael Trew]

On 5/1/2022 12:27, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On 2022-05-01, jmcquown<j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> On 5/1/2022 10:58 AM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>> On 2022-05-01, Not me <yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>> Isn't buying in bulk cheaper?
>>>
>>> Maybe. It depends on what you do with your money. Letting the grocery
>>> store keep your money instead of having it available for investment
>>> might not be cheaper.
>>
>> That was a yet another forged Michael post.
>
> Dang. I thought I'd killfiled all those assholes. He sounded nearly
> sane, so I replied.

LOL, I'm glad to know the consensus is that the real Michael is at least
"nearly sane" ;)

For the record, I think that if you can and will use up all of the oats,
that it is cheaper to buy in bulk.

[Michael Trew]

Have you ever had "cocoa wheats"? I suspect that it's very similar to
"chocolate porridge". It's not very sweet, and the chocolate is rather
mild. It has no sugar; you choose how much to add. I always have a box
of this in my cabinet, it's the only hot cereal that I eat (unless you
count an occasional bowl of oatmeal).

https://postimg.cc/0zdNHCdR

[Michael Trew]

Goodness, are you ever being unpleasant today. No one is forcing you to
read Lenona's posts, and I don't think she's trying to force you to use
her method. I cringed at most of your responses to this thread.

[Hank Rogers]

Getting more and more like Popeye.

[Cindy Hamilton]

On 2022-05-01, Lenona <leno...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> who wants the same breakfast every day?

Me. I just can't be bothered to care about breakfast. Every day is
oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, butter, and salt. And a glass of
milk.

--
Cindy Hamilton

[Cindy Hamilton]

If you have a way to store them. Oats are relatively high in fat, which
can go rancid.

I don't closely track my oat consumption, but I probably eat a couple of
pounds per month. It would take me two years to eat 50 pounds of oats.
Why should I give some store that money to use for two years
(interest-free) when I could use it myself?

--
Cindy Hamilton

[Cindy Hamilton]

Creamed chipped beef on toast. Perennially favored by military chow
halls. Not so favored by the men who ate in those chow halls and called
it Shit on a Shingle.

<https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/shit-on-a-shingle-chipped-beef>

--
Cindy Hamilton

[Gary]

On 5/1/2022 6:32 PM, jmcquown wrote:

> On 5/1/2022 5:14 PM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>> On 2022-05-01, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net> wrote:

>>> On 5/1/2022 4:19 PM, itsjoan...@webtv.net wrote:
>>>> On Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 9:41:48 AM UTC-5, j_mc...@comcast.net wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> On 5/1/2022 10:15 AM, Lenona wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The recipe, from page 25 of Amy Dacyczyn's 1st volume of "The
>>>>>> Tightwad Gazette,"
>>>>>>
>>>>> You keep talking about this Amy Dacyczyn as if we should all know who
>>>>> she is. I don't and don't much care.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jill
>>>>>
>>>> I'm thinking Lenona is a disciple of hers.  From the internet:
>>>> "Amy Dacyczyn is the former editor of The Tightwad Gazette, a
>>>> newsletter that
>>>> ran in the 1990s and promoted a lifestyle of frugality."
>>>
>>>
>>> I've always tried to be frugal consumer.  I don't need Leona or this Amy
>>> person to preach about it.  I'm also not going to deny myself the
>>> occasional splurge when it comes to enjoying what I eat.  That doesn't
>>> include making "a huge batch of granola", sorry.
>>

>> Frugal living doesn't preclude the occasional splurge.  It's a way of
>> managing your money (and guilt).
>>

> Making a huge batch of granola isn't my idea of being frugal.  Perhaps
> Leona loves granola. <shrug>
>

> I'm browning a pound of Italian sausage and will simmer it in tomato
> sauce.  That and the pasta I will serve it over will net me four meals
> for under $5.  It will taste a heck of a lot better than a gallon jug of
> granola.
>
> Jill
Gary - <shaking head>

[Gary]

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> I spend about $110 just on breakfast.

It's good thing I never eat breakfast.

[Dave Smith]

Oatmeal is good with peanut butter and blueberries.

[Gary]

On 5/1/2022 8:15 PM, Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Knight

To save lots of time, she could just post a list of things that she
*does* like.

I say that in jest but no need to add a winky or smiley to indicate that
as neither Jill or Joan believe in them. (unless they themselves use one)

[Cindy Hamilton]

Peanut butter. Blergh. I'm not all that fond of blueberries, either.

I had a PB&J a couple of weeks ago. That should hold me for a couple of
years.

--
Cindy Hamilton

[Dave Smith]

The idea did not appeal to me but it turned out to be a good combination.

[Graham]

On 2022-05-02 9:50 a.m., Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On 2022-05-02, Dave Smith <adavid...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>> On 2022-05-02 4:57 a.m., Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>> On 2022-05-01, Lenona <leno...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> who wants the same breakfast every day?
>>>
>>> Me. I just can't be bothered to care about breakfast. Every day is
>>> oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, butter, and salt. And a glass of
>>> milk.
>>>
>>
>> Oatmeal is good with peanut butter and blueberries.
>
> Peanut butter. Blergh.

Agreed! In spades!

>I'm not all that fond of blueberries, either.
>

I am and have them on my breakfast cereal every morning.
When they appear in the SMs in bulk, I buy and freeze
about 35lbs.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Crackers and PB for lunch maybe once a week. Yesterday breakfast was
blueberry pancakes The berries were the non-carb redeeming value of
the meal..

[Alphonse de Lamartine]

Jill will disapprove and find that boring.

--

Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine, Knight of Pratz

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonse_de_Lamartine#/media/File:Alphonse_de_Lamartine.PNG>

[jmcquown]

Leona did mention freezing the oats. If I bought 50 lbs. of oats that
would be about the only thing I had room for in my freezer.

Jill

[jmcquown]

What method? How to shop frugally? Leona generally shows up only to
tout this Amy Dacyczyn's preachings. I find it irritating. Sosume.

Jill

[Michael Trew]

On 5/2/2022 5:03, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On 2022-05-02, Michael Trew<michae...@att.net> wrote:
>>
>> For the record, I think that if you can and will use up all of the oats,
>> that it is cheaper to buy in bulk.
>
> If you have a way to store them. Oats are relatively high in fat, which
> can go rancid.
>
> I don't closely track my oat consumption, but I probably eat a couple of
> pounds per month. It would take me two years to eat 50 pounds of oats.

Of course. As I've prior said, unless feeding 6+ mouths (or a horse), I
wouldn't buy oats in that quantity.

> Why should I give some store that money to use for two years
> (interest-free) when I could use it myself?

I think I'll play the "young and dumb" card here, but investing makes me
nervous. I have several thousand sitting in checking that I don't
spend, and I leave it parked there, rather than mess with it. The
interest rate for savings accounts is stupidly low. I've had friends
that lost a substantial amount of money investing in stocks, etc.

[Michael Trew]

Sounds good to me, but swap the milk for plain black coffee. When I
make oatmeal (not daily), I'm usually lazy and just put a bit of sugar
in it, pinch of salt, and eat it plain. The last time that I made
cranberry sauce, I mixed some in; that was good! I usually don't
bother, and just have a couple of slices of buttered Italian bread toast
with my coffee.

[Alphonse de Lamartine]

Thanks and keep us posted of any new developments.

--
Alphonse de Lamartine
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonse_de_Lamartine#/media/File:Alphonse_de_Lamartine.PNG>

[Gary]

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> Yesterday breakfast was
> blueberry pancakes The berries were the non-carb
> redeeming value of the meal..

One cup fresh blueberries:

- 82 calories
- 1 gram protein
- 20.5 grams carbohydrates
- 0.6 grams fat

The butter was your non-carb ingredient.

[Bryan Simmons]

Please tell me it's not that newfangled good tasting coffee.

--Bryan

[Cindy Hamilton]

You might not be an a position to invest (I was 35 before I really had
enough cashflow to do so), but over time the stock market beats any
interest-bearing account. You have to have the stomach to watch (or
ignore) the little ups and downs.

Two words: mutual funds. An index fund that matches the S&P 500
currently has a one-year return of -10.37% (thanks, Comrade Putin),
but last year it had a return of 26.89%. The long-term annual return
averages out to about 10%. You'll never make that kind of money on a
savings account.

<https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/how-can-i-buy-sp-500-fund>

Your several thousand might be better off in a money market account:

<https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/moneymarketaccount.asp>

That will allow you to use some of it if an emergency arises.

--
Cindy Hamilton

[Gary]

On 5/2/2022 6:16 PM, jmcquown wrote:
> Leona did mention freezing the oats.  If I bought 50 lbs. of oats that
> would be about the only thing I had room for in my freezer.

My mother (born in 1932) grew up in a family of 12 people. 9 kids,
mother and father and a grandpa.

They had oats every morning (plus other things). The oats were the
morning staple. I'm sure they bought oats in 50lb bags and used each one
up fairly regularly.

I like oatmeal (prepared the same way as Cindy) but it's an occasional
treat, not a daily thing. Maybe 3-4 pounds a year at most.

[Dave Smith]

When I was a kid we had porridge almost every morning, and about 2/3 of
the time it was oatmeal. My mother started it in the top pot of the
double boiler time for my father's breakfast and then put it on the
double boiler to keep warm for me and my brothers. My pet rabbit got the
leftovers.

[Sheldon Martin]

On Tue, 03 May 2022 09:07:25 GMT, Cindy Hamilton
<hami...@devnull.com> wrote:

>On 2022-05-03, Michael Trew <michae...@att.net> wrote:
>> On 5/2/2022 5:03, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>> On 2022-05-02, Michael Trew<michae...@att.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> For the record, I think that if you can and will use up all of the oats,
>>>> that it is cheaper to buy in bulk.
>>>
>>> If you have a way to store them. Oats are relatively high in fat, which
>>> can go rancid.

I don't think oats contain any fat. I used to buy oats in 50 pound
sacks when I was making steel cut oats/pin oats in my slow cooker...
the slow cooker eliminated all the constant stiring. The 50 pound
sack became too much so I shared half with a family that had 4 kids,
but I got bored with eating oatmeal everyday so that stopped.

[Lenona]

> It would take me two years to eat 50 pounds of oats.
> Why should I give some store that money to use for two years
> (interest-free) when I could use it myself?
>
> --
> Cindy Hamilton

I don't follow. If you buy 50 lbs., you'll likely get a discount of at least $5.00 - maybe a lot more. There's no way you'd make that much interest over two years. What you lose in interest, you'll make up multiple times even if you only find one dime on the street per month.

(Not to mention that there's likely no plastic that comes with the huge paper bag - unlike the hard plastic that comes with a Quaker Oats container or the plastic bag you typically use when you get oats from a dispenser.)

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

On Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 9:52:51 AM UTC-5, Lenona wrote:

>
Cindy wrote on Monday, May 2, 2022:
> >
> > It would take me two years to eat 50 pounds of oats.
> > Why should I give some store that money to use for two years
> > (interest-free) when I could use it myself?
> >

> I don't follow. If you buy 50 lbs., you'll likely get a discount of at least
> $5.00 - maybe a lot more. There's no way you'd make that much interest
> over two years. What you lose in interest, you'll make up multiple times
> even if you only find one dime on the street per month.
>
> (Not to mention that there's likely no plastic that comes with the huge
> paper bag - unlike the hard plastic that comes with a Quaker Oats container
> or the plastic bag you typically use when you get oats from a dispenser.)
>

WOOSH!

I also fixed your line wrap since you seem to be incapable of pressing the
enter key after 80 characters or so.

[Graham]

I've tried that but it doesn't seem to make a ha'porth of difference.

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

Yes, it does seem like beating a dead horse.

[Gary]

If you have a line wrap feature, set it to 72 characters or so.
If no line wrap available, hit return after that many.
It gives a cushion for others to see properly.

To this day, I still hit Return often rather than let the line wrap do
it's thing. I learned to type on an electric typewriter and that's what
you had to do back in the days. It's an old habit hard to break.

[Lenona]

> If you have a line wrap feature, set it to 72 characters or so.

How do you do that with a library computer?

I'd very much prefer not to have to count the words or characters all the time.

[Gary]

If you're using a shared library computer, just count the characters on
your first line, hit enter, then use it as a guideline for the rest of
your lines.

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

OR if she's replying to a post here try to line up her reply with what she's
replying to. Just as I did with this reply to you. I replied and when I got to
the end of ''just count the characters on'' is when I pressed the enter key.
It took me to a new line, and I finished typing my reply.

You can pretty much tell when it's time to press enter and start a new line
Just looking at how many words you've already type instead of waiting for
Google to take you to a new line. After typing 15-20 words, press enter to
start another line.

[Dave Smith]

FFS you don't need to count characters. Just look at the line and
realize you are getting close to the edge of the screen.

[Lenona]

You mean, look at a line typed by someone else.

Right now, from what I can see, the right edge of the screen is 7.25
inches away from the beginning of each sentence.

[Gary]

You can't go by screen size. They vary.
Best to count characters including spaces (not words) in your first
line, then use that for a guideline.

[Dave Smith]

No need to get picky. It ain't rocket science to figure out an
acceptable line length and to hit Enter.

[dsi1]

It is a hard habit to break but I stopped adding carriage returns to text over 30 years ago. Forcing a line break means that paragraphs won't display properly on web-based pages.

[Alphonse de Lamartine]

Huh?

[Alphonse de Lamartine]

Nevertheless, you said something stoopid:

"Just look at the line and realize you are getting close to the edge
of the screen."

[Ed Pawlowski]

Best to use a good news reader that does it all for you. Agent used to
give me long lines at times on receipt, Thunderbird never does.

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

You did great on this reply but honestly, I don't think what we are saying
is that hard to grasp.

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

On Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 1:42:18 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> >>> On 2022-05-03 11:58 a.m., Lenona wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> How do you do that with a library computer?
> >

> Best to use a good news reader that does it all for you. Agent used to
> give me long lines at times on receipt, Thunderbird never does.
>

Can she do that on a library computer??

[Alphonse de Lamartine]

On Tue, 3 May 2022 11:23:53 -0700 (PDT), dsi1 <dsi...@hawaiiantel.net>

But now your messages look like shit, especially when one replies to
them.

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

True.

[Michael Trew]

On 5/3/2022 5:07, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
> Your several thousand might be better off in a money market account:
>
> <https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/moneymarketaccount.asp>
>
> That will allow you to use some of it if an emergency arises.

Thanks, I'll read into that money market account. I like the concept of
it being available if needed (per your link, possibly "check writing
privileges"). Part of the reason that I leave it sit is that it's a
nice buffer and available when/if needed.

No stress involved when having the buffer like I was a few years ago,
when close to a paycheck... I know that the money is there. I work with
a guy at the airport who always asks me if I got my paycheck, panicking
if the company deposits it into his account a day late. I just tell
him, "I dunno, I'll find out when I get my next statement".

[Michael Trew]

On 5/3/2022 5:06, Bryan Simmons wrote:
> On Monday, May 2, 2022 at 9:41:43 PM UTC-5, Michael Trew wrote:
>> On 5/2/2022 4:57, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>> On 2022-05-01, Lenona<leno...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> who wants the same breakfast every day?
>>>
>>> Me. I just can't be bothered to care about breakfast. Every day is
>>> oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, butter, and salt. And a glass of
>>> milk.
>> Sounds good to me, but swap the milk for plain black coffee. When I
>> make oatmeal (not daily), I'm usually lazy and just put a bit of sugar
>> in it, pinch of salt, and eat it plain. The last time that I made
>> cranberry sauce, I mixed some in; that was good! I usually don't
>> bother, and just have a couple of slices of buttered Italian bread toast
>> with my coffee.
>>
> Please tell me it's not that newfangled good tasting coffee.
>
> --Bryan

What do you mean by that? Just plain old Eight 'O Clock brand beans.

[jmcquown]

On 5/2/2022 10:39 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> On 5/2/2022 5:03, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>> On 2022-05-02, Michael Trew<michae...@att.net>  wrote:
>>>
>>> For the record, I think that if you can and will use up all of the oats,
>>> that it is cheaper to buy in bulk.
>>
>> If you have a way to store them.  Oats are relatively high in fat, which
>> can go rancid.
>>

>> I don't closely track my oat consumption, but I probably eat a couple of

>> pounds per month.  It would take me two years to eat 50 pounds of oats.

>
> Of course.  As I've prior said, unless feeding 6+ mouths (or a horse), I
> wouldn't buy oats in that quantity.
>

>> Why should I give some store that money to use for two years
>> (interest-free) when I could use it myself?
>

> I think I'll play the "young and dumb" card here, but investing makes me
> nervous.  I have several thousand sitting in checking that I don't
> spend, and I leave it parked there, rather than mess with it.  The
> interest rate for savings accounts is stupidly low.  I've had friends
> that lost a substantial amount of money investing in stocks, etc.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend investing (I'm not a certified
financial planner) but I would recommend you look around for an account
with a higher interest rate if you're just going to leave that money
sitting there.

Jill

[Cindy Hamilton]

On 2022-05-03, dsi1 <dsi...@hawaiiantel.net> wrote:
>
> It is a hard habit to break but I stopped adding carriage returns
> to text over 30 years ago. Forcing a line break means that paragraphs
> won't display properly on web-based pages.

Not forcing line breaks means that paragraphs are virtually unreadable
on non-web-based interfaces.

You don't care about anybody but yourself.

--
Cindy Hamilton

[jmcquown]

She's using a library computer. Thunderbird adjusts her line wraps so I
don't have a problem viewing her posts. It does explain why she's busy
looking for bargains. She's using a public computer.

Jill

[jmcquown]

What, Thunderbird doesn't do the line wrap thing for you?

Jill

[jmcquown]

No, she can't. It does explain a few things about her regular "frugal
eating" posts, though.

Jill

[Alphonse de Lamartine]

On Tue, 3 May 2022 18:12:07 -0400, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>
wrote:

But maybe she doesn't drink box wine.

[Graham]

I've looked and looked and can't find where in TB to automatically word
wrap.

[Alphonse de Lamartine]

On another note, in Agent, I can press O to stop the lines from
running off the screen, but they're still as wide as the screen and
that's too wide for normal reading.

Plus when I reply to a post like that, I have to manually add line
breaks and quotation marks, otherwise it looks like a train wreck.

dsi1 will say that we're all change resistant old geezers who should
pull their finger out and switch to the wonderful world of Google
Groups, so that we become device independent and Leo can post from his
wrist watch.

[jmcquown]

When I'm reading posts from Google Groups, TB automatically line wraps
those posts so they don't bother me. It's somewhere under Tools,
Account Settings but I'm a little too tired to find it right now. All I
know is I don't have to ask anyone to hit Enter or Return when they're
using Google to post. TB displays it just fine on my end.

Jill

[Dave Smith]

I can't find it either, but I have never needed it. I don't have a
problem with word wrap in TB with either computer. Everyone's posts
appear to be right. The only problem I have is when replying to dsi1 and
the only problem there is the lack of > quote markers. All I have to do
is click on Edit and Rewrap.