The older generation have a few wise words for younger people dealing with a cost of living crisis for possibly the first time in their lives.
Having lived through a number of recessions and with stories of the last war, Parsley Box customers believe that carefully looking at priorities and keeping waste to a minimum will help us ride the storm of high energy and food costs.
Many quoted the old adage ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ and claimed that the younger generations live in a throwaway societ, while others get their priorities wrong.
When talking to customers, they had a range of advice on how to cope with the current crisis. One said: ‘Cut your budget to fit your income. Don’t try to manage without essentials, re-evaluate what you consider to be ‘essential’ and repair whatever you can rather than throwing away and buying new items.’
Another said her mother gave her a list when she got married and it was Rent, Gas, Electric, Insurance and Telephone.
‘Make sure you pay those no matter what. You need a roof over your head,’ adding that when her husband was paid weekly she put all the money in the bank so she could budget wisely.
‘My mum knew how to stretch her housekeeping and taught my sister and I to do the same.’
Others have said that buying on credit is a big problem when it comes to budgeting.
Jack Hearn, a 99 year old customer from Newcastle said: ‘If you don’t have the money, don’t get it. You only have to pay it back and more. Save up if you need something.’
Another Parsley Box customer agrees. ‘Leave bank cards/credit cards at home and use cash. Easier to see how much you are spending. It’s far too easy to spend money when you’re zapping/pinging with a card.’
When it comes to heating bills: ‘Face the fact you can’t have everything, you don’t have a right to have everything you like. Prioritise sensibly and don’t expect to wear T shirts indoors, put layers on!’
Parsley Box customers are in a good position to face the cost of living crisis head on, thanks to meals that don’t need to be kept in a fridge or freezer, so no energy costs for storage and are ready to eat after just 1-2 minutes in a microwave – therefore minimising the need for more expensive ovens.
They also leave no waste because there is no need to buy a load of different ingredients to make each meal.
With Government advice suggesting a number of measures to help keep our costs down, it seems that the older generation have already got it sussed.
‘We have had to face a number of financial pressures in our lifetime,’ said a Parsley Box regular. ‘Being able to have good food readily available that uses minimal energy to store and cook is a real lifesaver.’
Parsley Box meals are made using a method similar to home pressure cooking and are vacuum-sealed meaning they can last for up to six months in a cupboard. Portion control means there is minimum waste and energy bills are kept to a minimum thanks to the ease and speed of heating.