Lockdown #11 HAPPY HINTS saving money and time

Its lockdown so, as a contrarian ,I have to tell you about efficiencies at home, in the art of making a cup of tea, ok, Al's anal, re-arrange the letters, we know. Vinny's as bad....

It was Lynne and Cath who started the Happy Hints page with many practices now adopted as official policy by the Green party and nowadays most people have knitted a Rasta egg cosy. Its like walking the camino for the Spanish, every Deadbeat reader who became a parent, auntie, uncle etc taught someone how to knit as beautifully illustrated on the Happy Hints page of Christmas 1982. What a lovely present it still makes in 2020. There are 11 Happy Hints pages in a tab on the Deadbeat site so you dont need to flick through the issues to find them.

Turkeys were victims of society back then and here we are 40 years on and its still happening. There's a resurgent tide with Forest Green becoming the first Vegan club in the country, but I do wonder how all our aspirations were crushed so easily, the planet is melting and the private power club gets more exclusive every week. There's more poverty now than there was 40 years ago. Who knew, take a bow Pete Townsend and the rest of My Generation......

But today is a happy day, so we counter power with love, and today we love tea. I did a video recently on how to make a cup of tea. Its an exact science for some but for many its quite an expensive thing too, so I want to let you know how you can reduce the cost of your tea, make it taste better, and get more cups hot.

I had my ephiphany when Jackie threw out our tea cosy and I had to stop making big pots. The trick is you boil less water. The first pot is 330ml just over half a pint in old money and enough for 1 1/2 of my standard cups. You boil, splash 30ml to heat the tea pot, empty it and then put 300ml and a tea bag of your choice. By the time you've got your cup out of the cupboard and you've put another 300ml into the kettle you're ready to pour, or get the milk out.

Next up you pour turn on the kettle and sit down to type some drivel on the website of your choice. Once the kettle boils you refill teapot and sit back down. On finishing said first cup you pour yourself another or better still if Jackie comes in and says have you made tea, hand on heart you can say, "yes I've just made it", followed by "yes its piping hot".

So there it is - use one bag and never fill the kettle full, its a silly Scottish custom that we leave the kettle full for the next person.

Save time - the tea is ready quicker

Save money - half your tea bag consumption and save £50-£100 a year off your electricity. Yes boiling a kettle can cost that much. In an average house probably only a hairdryer or tumble dryer would be more expensive.

Save the planet - its these small things that work so well to make a big difference. The strategy's not always about changing others attitudes its about taking your own actions and smiling as others look and learn. Forest Green footbll players have less muscle injuries and recover quicker after games than the meat eating footballers, surely something worth considering even one or two days a week. This year give the Turkeys a treat at Christmas, eat the sprouts and wish the bird a Happy New Year.

Ingredients list and measuring equipment.

Some people may not have an old bottle of beer lying around to measure 330ml so I suggest starting with your favourite cup and working it that way.

You might not have a teapot, charity shop, 50p max, it'll pay for itself within a week on the electricity alone.

Teabags - this is probably the most important decision you face. Buying in bulk only works if they're properly sealed.
Tea leaves - Well that's a proper lockdown drink. You can spend as long as you like pouring and tipping the leaves back in!!

Compost - yes but they do take a bit of time so only if you have space to wait a year. Ask around someone might have a secret burial mound you can use and then collect the compost a year down the line free. Keep your banana peels in a jar of water and use them on your tomatoes.

Herb teas - these can be free if you know what your looking for. Mint is all about the place and so are nettles. I'm sure there'll be a many a you tube asnwer for scrambling around the sea shore, up hills or sourcing in the city.

Ok back to the real world there are people being scammed on track and trace, how bad can this government get. When the tories were selling Sid the shares in British Gas they had a marketing campaign with track and trace they seem to have not told us anything apart from get an app that people say cant be trusted!

Back to the happy hints, I'm boiling the kettle. Yes I've saved so much today I'm on my 6th cup!