Category Archives: Saving Money

Pancake Day!

Saving Money, University
Pancakes
photo by Paul Albertella

Yep, I couldn’t think of a better title. Today is a perfect excuse to have a go at making pancakes, the chance for students to work together perfecting the art of making and tossing pancakes. It is probable one of the best opportunities to get flat/house mates together for a fun cost effective meal!

Lets face it, this could be one of the cheapest meals you make all year, although it does depend on what topping takes your fancy!

Firstly, don’t bother with ready made pancake mixes, it is easy enough to make your own mix.

Here’s the recipe I use:

Ingredients.

110g/3.9oz Plain Flour

2 Eggs

275ml/9.6fl oz Whole Milk

Butter

Method.

  1. Sieve flour into mixing bowl.
  2. Make a well in the flour and break the 2 eggs into well, whisk in eggs to make ‘dough’ like.
  3. Then slowly add milk whilst whisking, fork is suitable, although hard work!
  4. Melt a little butter into frying pan and add enough mix to cover bottom of pan.
  5. Turnover pancake once cooked on one side, or toss if you are skilled enough!
  6. Was cooked on both sides and serve with your favorite topping.

The recipe I use makes about 12ish depending on the size of frying pan used. You could also use water instead of totally milk, it’s just my preference.

The topping is upto you, I usually go for lemon juice and sugar, golden syrup or ‘Thunder & Lightning’, a Cornish topping with Cornish clotted cream and golden syrup drizzled on top. Although I’m sure there are plenty of delicious alternatives, maybe you can suggest some of your favourites for readers and me to try!

Hope you enjoyed your pancakes!Martyn.

Make Free Phone Calls to Friends, With Facebook

Saving Money, , , , ,
free phone calls
photo by Albertas Agejevas

Facebook has a large following, especially amongst students. It is a great social network that allows you to communicate quickly by typing messages on each others ‘wall’, but what if you wanted to talk to someone instead of having to wait for a reply.

Well I discussed previously how you can save money by using Skype, but that still didn’t allow you to make free calls to a landline. But what if you are living in your own/rented house. How can you let your friends call you for free?

But now there is a way from a company called Truphone. In which their Facebook app ‘Call Me’ button, places a button on your Facebook profile allowing people to phone your landline for free, from their computer (with microphone and headphones).

Sounds to good to be true, but there are couple of drawbacks to the system, firstly you are limited to the number of minutes you can phone someone for, at present this is 25 mins for those without the Facebook app and 2.5 hours for those with, per month.

Secondly there is a risk to your privacy, especially if your profile is visible to other users in your network, e.g. the girl with the pretty picture, may find she gets some calls from guys, that she rather didn’t get. Also even if your profile is only available to friends, the ‘prank’ / drunk call is still a possibility.

The drawbacks aside, it has the potential to be a very useful way of keeping up with the latest gossip, or to just get/pass on information. As long as it remains free it has my initial backing.

Martyn

Oops! Better Time Budgeting

Saving Money, University, , ,
Budget Time
photo by Mike9Alive

Well I hope you all had a good holiday, back at university now, apologies for the absence! I must try not to apologise in every post. Which brings me to my biggest flaw at university, my lack of time to do things I enjoy, or more importantly need to do. Probably this is down to me preferring to do things on the spur of the moment. Mind you I doubt I’m the only student who usually says yes to the offer of going to the pub! As people know TIME = MONEY, or for students TIME costs MONEY, and the fact is, the little ‘free’ time available often involves spending money for entertainment, e.g. cinema, pub, clubs, e.t.c.

Having a little extra time can save you money, an extra half hour in the evening could be used to cook a cost effective meal, rather than that expensive take-away or ready meal. Also that half hour could be used to finish that essay due in at 9am!

So what to do?

Plan, Plan, Plan ahead.

168 Hours you have each week, of which ideally you need to sleep 56 especially with exams ahead, therefore 112 Hours of usable time!

Obviously some of that is used up by work/lectures-

But you can:-

  • Get up in the morning (shock horror, students getting up on there days off, see zenhabits ideas if you need a little persuasion!)
  • Plan your meals in advance (no more thinking what shall I have for dinner, spending 10 mins thinking about it and then settling for the easy option.)
  • Set time specifically aside for work and play (sounds sensible but how many stick to it!)

Finally just remember time is like money, you always spend it, but unlike money you cannot earn it back. Just don’t cram to much in, a little relaxation (procrastination) time is always needed!

Still working on the time machine,

Martyn.