It was a lovely morning on Saturday, so after an early coffee on the patio we decided to go to Booths for a couple of things that I needed and while we were there have another coffee. It's always a lovely atmosphere in our Booths café, and especially at the weekend if you are there early enough to avoid the crowds ... and we were.
It was going to be just a coffee each as we had already eaten, me porridge with peanut butter and Alan a couple of slices of toast, but while he was waiting his turn in the queue (yes, that is him waving at you in the photo), Alan spotted a sign that said the Victoria Sponge slices were half-price. Well he said, it would have been rude not to partake ... so he did.
We spent -
Black Americano £3.10
Latte £3.50
half price Cake - £1.88
Total = £ 8.48
Now you just know what's coming next don't you!!
For just £6.40 we could have bought a whole Victoria sponge cake and a whole jar of coffee.
OR
Enough food to make three meals a day for two people for two days ... with leftovers.
On the menu:
Breakfast - both days
2 slices of toast and marmalade plus a banana per person
Lunch
Day 1 - Cheese and onion sandwich
Day 2. - Cheese and tomato sandwich
(Using 3 slices of bread per person, per day)
Tea - on both days
Spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce, served with broccoli and a side of garlic bread, made from the crusts of the bread.
Leftovers
Approximately 6 slices of bread
Two thirds of a jar of marmalade
Two thirds of a jar of mayonnaise
Six cloves of garlic
Half tube of tomato puree
Half a bag of frozen broccoli.
Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe
1 tin of tomatoes
most of an onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
half a tube of tomato puree
grated carrots
You pays your money and you takes your choice. 😀
Oh, and of course I brought home our unused things. 😁
Sue xx
You do; and you are paying for the pleasure of different surroundings, someone else's energy bills, and someone else cooking, serving and clearing up. And also making a positive contribution to others by providing employment, it's almost (or this stretching things toooo far?) a charitable duty to go out for a coffee from time to time !?!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely, if we can afford to we should try and support our lovely café and restaurant owners, and their staff. Alan is a fiend for wanting to out for coffees and meals, I have to rein him in occasionally, but we do more than our fair share of supportive duties and always have. :-)
DeleteI was about to say that, but Kirsten commented first. And I think there is benefit in "going out tor a coffee" with somebody. Time to sit and chat , without noticing the little things that need doing around you in the home or garden, the possibility of encountering a friend, all good for mental wellbeing. Those things are a part of the "treat"
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, although Alan is a terrible one for sitting and listing all the jobs he wants to get done when we get home and with the renovations at Mum's. Every coffee out is like a 'site meeting' at the moment. ;-)
DeleteMakes you think, doesn't it? It's a choice and sometimes one is right and sometimes t'other.
ReplyDeleteOn a tangent, my lovely mum used to make the very best Victoria sponges ever. That's the best value, I reckon!
xx
I think a Victoria sponge was the first thing I baked in 'Housecraft' at secondary school. :-)
DeleteI think when you have worked hard in the past, you deserve little treats. And I agree with Kirsten's comment too. I always bring home any sugar or sauce to add to the little stack as we very rarely use sugar.
ReplyDeleteIt feels like we've eaten out and gone for far too many coffees recently, but we're both exhausted at the moment with all the renovation work etc etc. So I'm just going with the flow. 🙂
DeleteYou can't put a price on quality time spent together in a different environment, can you? Being thrifty is all well and good but in order to keep our ailing high streets alive we need to get out there and support them. xxx
ReplyDeleteWe really do, thankfully our little town is very well supported by the locals. We have a thriving High Street of independent shops, maybe a few too many barbers shops, but at least none of the usual Costa, Starbucks, McDonald's etc
DeleteI walked down to Aldi’s today for some Easter eggs for the craft class. Norrie phoned to say the water was cut off to allow the plumbers to take out all the old fittings. I made a detour to a local coffee shop and sat quietly by myself reading the blogs on my phone whilst drinking a lovely Decaff cappuccino. No nice things to eat though as I have managed to lose 6lbs since mid February by cutting out the wee tasty bites! It was nice to spend the time away from the dust and noise of the bathroom demolition even it it did cost me £4 for the privilege. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI think that was £4 very well spent. 😀
DeleteSounds like a nice outing and thrifty shopping too.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice and relaxing for sure. 😀
DeleteA treat once in awhile keeps you from purchasing even more treats. The sponge looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Alan loved it, I'm happy just with coffee. Sadly they don't sell any sweet treats that I can eat. 🫤
DeleteI just don’t enjoy a coffee out due to the cost, but today we have to leave husbands hearing aids for an hour to be cleaned and dried, so we will go out for lunch and have a curry. I make a good curry at home but all curries are different and this one is really good,
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to have favourite foods at favourite cafés and restaurants isn't it. 🙂
DeleteWe love Origin coffee. As soon as we spot a cafe that's serving it we have to stop for one. Just can't make it quite the same at home. It's a happy treat. We rarely eat out these days - we're fussy about ingredient quality and store cakes are always far too sweet for us.
ReplyDeleteAs others have said, going out for a treat every so often sounds like a good thing to do. :)
ReplyDeleteI have never managed to make a decent Victoria sponge. I just don't have the knack but Alan's slice looked well worth the £1.88 he paid for it 😋 You both deserved the relaxation time.
ReplyDeleteI can see what you mean about how else the money could be spent though.....
Angie x
Books,,,,,, Sorry Sue books popped into my mind.😂 We all deserve treats now and then👍
ReplyDelete