Earth Hour - Farang Tight Wad Style

[TommoPhysicist]

Road kill in Thailand does not involve rabbits or deer....all we have are dogs, cats and humans.

You forgot snakes!

[nong38]

I know it a bit on the hot side at the moment but if you turn off the air con and fan you will save a packet, visit friends and neighbours and be assured that you are doing your bit to save the planet. If it really get a bit much, stick an ice pack or pack of frozen peas down your briefs, you know it makes sense!

[nong38]

I have had my strides adjusted, the pocket bottom are at ankle level which is very difficult for a chap with short arms to get his money out especially if its round or the local Wat have a collection passing by, still its the effort and taking part that counts dont you think and must have my bottle of Chang to keep the economy moving.

[Phuket electrician]

It's the week end again and some of the little kids and a few of the bigger kids are still off school - lazy, good for nothing delinquent tight wad parents. Why didn't you pay for them to go to summer school? They’ll end up on the rock 'n roll, inside or the worst of the worst - estate agents - and it's all down to you - shameless!

Any how top Earth Hour Tight Wad Farang style penny pinching idea this weekend - inspire the family with this innovative role play.

Stage 1 of your plan - Prepare your brood – (detailed tactics and dialogue etc up to you) - for a no holds barred, ostentatious, 7* luxury, mind blowing experience that money cannot buy. Head off to the shops - Central is a good one, air con, smart looking graduate shop assistance and tell the family they can have what ever they like - money's not a problem, anything at all. See the delight on their on their little faces. Tell them to meet you at the check out with their booty in 2 1/2 to 3 hours - no problem, enjoy - you can afford it.

Stage 2 of your plan - role play - ''.....you're just off the boat from Uzbekistan head off to Patong or such like and book into a 3* guest house, turn off your phone, misplace your house keys, leave your morality and self worth in the room and shoot off to Soi Bangla asap, start heavy drinking.....''

Enjoy your weekend.

NB. To avoid inevitable post pi** up fallout top 5 options:

1. Self inflected wound

2. Hope for Earthquake / Tsunami

3. Kidnapping

4. Temporary imprisonment

5. Temporary imprisonment / deportation

[aneliane]

Cool guy this Phuket Electrician !

Way to go !

[thaibeachlovers]

We all appreciate Earth Hour is a symbolic gesture - that is not the point of the post. Which is, clearly a forum in which to share constructive ideas and quirks with a little humour for good measure. If you choose to contribute good for you.

Never heard of earth hour, and wouldn't care anyway- I dispose of plastic in the fire- how bad is that!

However, I think you'd have given less ammunition to all the nay sayers had you just said that you've got some money saving tips. I too am a tight arse when it comes to wasting money needlessly.

My contribution is:

Work outside to get fit and lose weight- who needs to pay a gym!

Start a garden- get good fresh food without a load of chemicals. Veges always taste better when you grow them yourself. You can grow veges in a flower box if you live in a condo.

I never throw anything away that might conceivably be of use. It always gets used eventually, even if it's years away.

Learn DIY. Why pay someone to do a crap job, when you can do it better yourself.

Walking is a great way to see the world, keeps you healthy and doesn't cost anything.

[thaibeachlovers]

"I have to baby sit my 2 boys while the missus has her 'me-time' 'shopping for-shit' to fill our house with overpriced pointless crap from 'western- style' retail outlets here in Phuket."

Sad statement .... since when was being a parent called baby sitting?

Have you recently had a "humour bypass" at your local hospital?

Well said. I thought it was a cracker of an opening!

Ditto.

Why do people take everything so literally these days?

Time was before PC that people knew how to have a laugh at things, but now it's all so grim if you attempt to be ironic.

Edited April 21, 2012 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

Avoid expensive cleaning product, you're paying for the fancy marketing anyway - and make your own - use white vinegar to clean windows and glass table tops. Wash tiled floors, kitchen counters and all that stuff that seems to attract an infinite amount of filth with diluted vim in a spray bottle.

There are many other combinations that I can't think of right now, my head hurts too much and the house is so filthy I am off the library mainly because I haven't got a pot to piss in. I am philanthropic by nature and support a variety of Thai girlfriends all of which seem to be having unfortunate bad luck with livestock, family illness in immediate need of expensive medical treatment, broken tractors, lost or stolen iphones’, motorbikes, unwanted pregnancy, STD’s and on and on it goes.

I am eating Salt and pepper soup until the next pension check arrives. Keep it clean and think green - Stay happy.

You actually clean windows! Gadzooks.

We just leave the blinds down- problem solved.

Our table top is covered by a big piece of plastic sheeting- when it gets too tatty, off to the fire and stick a new bit on.

Water on an old pair of shorts is all we need to clean the tiled floor- vim, what a waste of money!

Salt and pepper soup- luxury. We used to dream of Salt and pepper soup.

[Bagwan]

OP. You use a KETTLE??

What a waste of electric. Fill your mug with water, pop it into the microwave for abt 1 minute and you have water hot enough for coffee / tea. (based on 1KW microwave)

Buy a magnifying glass and save electricity. Any Boy Scout knows how to do it. Tried rubbing two sticks together?

[nong38]

"I have to baby sit my 2 boys while the missus has her 'me-time' 'shopping for-shit' to fill our house with overpriced pointless crap from 'western- style' retail outlets here in Phuket."

Sad statement .... since when was being a parent called baby sitting?

Have you recently had a "humour bypass" at your local hospital?

Well said. I thought it was a cracker of an opening!

Ditto.

Why do people take everything so literally these days?

Time was before PC that people knew how to have a laugh at things, but now it's all so grim if you attempt to be ironic.

Here here! There was Englishman, An Irishman and a Scotsman, there was, a long time ago! Not allowed today, it is not progress in my book.

[aneliane]

And put salt in the water to make it boil before 100c

[Phuket electrician]

This weeks tight arsed nonsense - do your weekly grocery shop on Monday morning, scoot of home to prepare all the tuck and consume.

No more time wasted on food prep or eating for the rest of the week - watch your BFI plummet as you head towards delirium on Thursday / Friday.

SWOT analysis

Strengths - Time saving / reduced carbon emission

Weakness - Health benefit / bloating

Opportunities - Guaranteed weight loss / hallucination

Threats - Bowel distension / excruciating pain

Consume liquid based beverage. :-)

More penny pinching waffle asap.

[Phuket electrician]

Find yourself a big girl and suggest a meet for lunch. Smile as she orders whatever she likes, enough for two.

Admire the joy on her face as she's stuffing it in with her trotters. Refrain yourself until she utters ‘...aren’t you hungry?’

Reply ‘’actually, that looks delicious, may I?’’

Fill you boots.

Politely excuse yourself. Place key in ignition and head off home.

Not to be taken literally, for amusement only.

:-)

[Philatio]

Well, in my experience, Thais couldn't give a shit about global warming - anyone remember that event they had a few years back where they actually asked people to put on lights at night for some reason? It was so stupid I forget what it was even about, but it wasted a fortune (It might have been a Western thing from the Gulf war or whatever, but the Thais merrily joined in and wasted millions)

The OP is pretty spot on that filling the freezer full of Coke bottles full of water will keep the temperature down and save electricity. I often do the same, only to find the Thais take out a 1.5 litre bottle of water/ice, drink about 50ml and then leave the bloody thing on the kitchen benches where it completely melts, then they top it up with another 50 ml and stick it back in the bloody freezer!

Crazy - but if you have no education what can you expect!

Edited April 23, 2012 by Philatio

[Phuket electrician]

OP. You use a KETTLE??

What a waste of electric. Fill your mug with water, pop it into the microwave for abt 1 minute and you have water hot enough for coffee / tea. (based on 1KW microwave)

You are quite correct brother - I use one in the office to make a tasty brew, it works very well, however it’s just not right is it - how does it work? Stick a small well loved, yet incontinent family pet in there and see what occurs.

Likewise we discovered while heating a Fray Bentos it makes an acceptable interim mini firework display while we wait for the real thing in November. The kids love it and I encourage science and technology as much as the next man. In fact after I disconnected the safety switch on the door - my youngest can't get enough of it. In saying that I haven't seen him around for a while and come to think of it his older brother and mum haven't been home since I don't know when. Ummmm!

[Pseudolus]

What a bizarre thread. anyway...

So many weird replies to the microwave for heating water. I've used that method for years. I want what you guys are smoking..... might help my day too

I believe that you will find that a microwave uses more energy to boil the same amount of water than an electric kettle. Of course, by microwaving it in the cup, you are boiling exactly the amount you need and not 2 or 3 times as much, so that is good.

Big problems with microwaving a mug of water. Firstly, it gets too hot so will burn the coffee or tea. secondly, it is rather dangerous because it is very possible in a wide shaped mug to have a super heated middle part of the water that has heated too quickly to bubble (umm yup, that happens) and by dropping your teaspoon of power into it, it will escape in a Geyser-esque explosion of scalding steam, and what ever the power was you dumped in. Coffeemate gives the most spectacular display, but in terms of pain, Sugar is the worst.

[wana]

What a bizarre thread. anyway...

So many weird replies to the microwave for heating water. I've used that method for years. I want what you guys are smoking..... might help my day too

I believe that you will find that a microwave uses more energy to boil the same amount of water than an electric kettle. Of course, by microwaving it in the cup, you are boiling exactly the amount you need and not 2 or 3 times as much, so that is good.

Big problems with microwaving a mug of water. Firstly, it gets too hot so will burn the coffee or tea. secondly, it is rather dangerous because it is very possible in a wide shaped mug to have a super heated middle part of the water that has heated too quickly to bubble (umm yup, that happens) and by dropping your teaspoon of power into it, it will escape in a Geyser-esque explosion of scalding steam, and what ever the power was you dumped in. Coffeemate gives the most spectacular display, but in terms of pain, Sugar is the worst.

ive done this hundred of times and never saw anything like you describe

mybe ive been lucky but i often microwave a mug of milk and then add coffee and sugar when its boiling and it has never exploded out of the cup

[Pseudolus]

"ive done this hundred of times and never saw anything like you describe

mybe ive been lucky but i often microwave a mug of milk and then add coffee and sugar when its boiling and it has never exploded out of the cup "

Milk contains fat so it won't happen. Any impurities in the water won't let it happen as well; but in water that has gone through a filter such as the PURA one I use which takes out the impurities it will. The water gets super heated basically and as soon as you drop something in it, it will jump start the release of a violent explosion where the water realises it is actually above 100 degrees and changes rapidly to a gas......like this....

imagine holding holding a mug of water, instinctively stirring the coffee as you drop it in smelling it at the same time; 200 degree+ water will get your face, chest, and hands, and most likely your feet as well as you drop the mug on your flipflopped tootsies.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Pseudolus

[exeter]

What a bizarre thread. anyway...

So many weird replies to the microwave for heating water. I've used that method for years. I want what you guys are smoking..... might help my day too

I believe that you will find that a microwave uses more energy to boil the same amount of water than an electric kettle. Of course, by microwaving it in the cup, you are boiling exactly the amount you need and not 2 or 3 times as much, so that is good.

Big problems with microwaving a mug of water. Firstly, it gets too hot so will burn the coffee or tea. secondly, it is rather dangerous because it is very possible in a wide shaped mug to have a super heated middle part of the water that has heated too quickly to bubble (umm yup, that happens) and by dropping your teaspoon of power into it, it will escape in a Geyser-esque explosion of scalding steam, and what ever the power was you dumped in. Coffeemate gives the most spectacular display, but in terms of pain, Sugar is the worst.

I remember staying in a guest house with an Aussie who came home one day looking like he needed a cup of tea, so made him a pot and left him to it, what he did not know was that mixed in with the sugay was some Andresw Liver Salts, spectacular effect, I will leave it to your imagination and suggest that it would mix even better with coffeemate!

[Trembly]

LOL @ pot on the stove to cook rice, I have just returned from abroad with my missus and had to cook rice this way, she was mortified.

I also thought this was really weird when I first encountered it in the west.

A friend of mine in England said "so if I go into the kitchen of a proper Thai restaurant in Thailand I will find them cooking rice in a rice-cooker will I?".

"Yes, that's exactly what you'll find" says I. "A great big fcukoff electric rice cooker".

"Sh_t. So this cooking rice in a pot business that the TV chefs do is just some macho western <deleted>".

"I think so mate"

Cooking rice in a pot on a stove is a bit like toasting your bread on an open fire or doing your laundry with a wringer, especially when there are some pretty clever automatic rice cookers available now.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Trembly

[GarryP]

Offer to be your wife's chauffeur on her next shopping trip. At every red traffic light, when caught in unmoving traffic and outside every shop your wife wishes to visit turn of the engine and wind down the windows. Reverse the action when you are able to move again. Explain you are protecting the environment. You will never be asked to join her shopping trips again.

[nong38]

LOL @ pot on the stove to cook rice, I have just returned from abroad with my missus and had to cook rice this way, she was mortified.

I also thought this was really weird when I first encountered it in the west.

A friend of mine in England said "so if I go into the kitchen of a proper Thai restaurant in Thailand I will find them cooking rice in a rice-cooker will I?".

"Yes, that's exactly what you'll find" says I. "A great big fcukoff electric rice cooker".

"Sh_t. So this cooking rice in a pot business that the TV chefs do is just some macho western <deleted>".

"I think so mate"

Cooking rice in a pot on a stove is a bit like toasting your bread on an open fire or doing your laundry with a wringer, especially when there are some pretty clever automatic rice cookers available now.

I remember mangles I think it is wringer, it got consigned to the garden when the twin tub arrived on the scene, I remember playing with it aformidable bit if kit and made anote to keep my middle wicket away from it

[Pseudolus]

LOL @ pot on the stove to cook rice, I have just returned from abroad with my missus and had to cook rice this way, she was mortified.

I also thought this was really weird when I first encountered it in the west.

A friend of mine in England said "so if I go into the kitchen of a proper Thai restaurant in Thailand I will find them cooking rice in a rice-cooker will I?".

"Yes, that's exactly what you'll find" says I. "A great big fcukoff electric rice cooker".

"Sh_t. So this cooking rice in a pot business that the TV chefs do is just some macho western <deleted>".

"I think so mate"

Cooking rice in a pot on a stove is a bit like toasting your bread on an open fire or doing your laundry with a wringer, especially when there are some pretty clever automatic rice cookers available now.

True, but most westerners will cook rice once a month perhaps in their own country? So it is a waste of space / money to buy a steamer just for this purpose. Same as people who do not eat much toast don't tend to have a sliced bread toaster and if they do, most likely it will have other uses as well as merely toasting toast.

[Phuket electrician]

LOL @ pot on the stove to cook rice, I have just returned from abroad with my missus and had to cook rice this way, she was mortified.

I also thought this was really weird when I first encountered it in the west.

A friend of mine in England said "so if I go into the kitchen of a proper Thai restaurant in Thailand I will find them cooking rice in a rice-cooker will I?".

"Yes, that's exactly what you'll find" says I. "A great big fcukoff electric rice cooker".

"Sh_t. So this cooking rice in a pot business that the TV chefs do is just some macho western <deleted>".

"I think so mate"

Cooking rice in a pot on a stove is a bit like toasting your bread on an open fire or doing your laundry with a wringer, especially when there are some pretty clever automatic rice cookers available now.

True, but most westerners will cook rice once a month perhaps in their own country? So it is a waste of space / money to buy a steamer just for this purpose. Same as people who do not eat much toast don't tend to have a sliced bread toaster and if they do, most likely it will have other uses as well as merely toasting toast.

Surely it has to be 'make toast' - unless you want it 'double' toasted. If it is already 'toast' how does one toast it? You can use a toaster to cook fish fingers, however and you can also use a kettle to cook frankfurter sausages if all the saucepans are dirty and you can't be arsed to wash one up, and for those of you that enjoy a good read instead of wasting money on tarts, check out the history of sliced bread on the three w's.

[monty1412]

So here goes, recycle plastic 1.5L bottles, you know sprite, coke etc fill them with water from a 25l ltr white bottle 10 baht if you’re lucky or 12 baht if they see you coming. Keep these recycled bottles in the fridge or the freezer. The fridge has to do less work once they are cooled and you can use the frozen ones for the customary cooler in the boot of the car, put them back in the freezer when your done.

Do not do this with PET or PETE if you are concerned for your safety. Especially freezing or heating them releases carcinogens.

What ??????? Get your facts right.. freezing PET or E-PET ( which is extrusion blow molded PET) will not release carcinogens . This is this old chestnut that came from the PVC days and now is having a run for its money with PC ( Polycarbonate). PVC i used to be plasticised with phthalates, not anymore for food grade and PC has as one of its monomers BPA which is an endocrine disprupter.

PET is a straight condensation polymer and has no additives and is FDA approved and will not leach out any carcinogens...

If you really are concerned with carcinogens then don't buy canned materials made in Thaialnd. The epoxy lining has BPA in it and quite often leaches out into the food.

PET is safe and the virgin resin only comes from large international chemical companies who are very heavily regulated.

[Phuket electrician]

So here goes, recycle plastic 1.5L bottles, you know sprite, coke etc fill them with water from a 25l ltr white bottle 10 baht if you’re lucky or 12 baht if they see you coming. Keep these recycled bottles in the fridge or the freezer. The fridge has to do less work once they are cooled and you can use the frozen ones for the customary cooler in the boot of the car, put them back in the freezer when your done.

Do not do this with PET or PETE if you are concerned for your safety. Especially freezing or heating them releases carcinogens.

What ??????? Get your facts right.. freezing PET or E-PET ( which is extrusion blow molded PET) will not release carcinogens . This is this old chestnut that came from the PVC days and now is having a run for its money with PC ( Polycarbonate). PVC i used to be plasticised with phthalates, not anymore for food grade and PC has as one of its monomers BPA which is an endocrine disprupter.

PET is a straight condensation polymer and has no additives and is FDA approved and will not leach out any carcinogens...

If you really are concerned with carcinogens then don't buy canned materials made in Thaialnd. The epoxy lining has BPA in it and quite often leaches out into the food.

PET is safe and the virgin resin only comes from large international chemical companies who are very heavily regulated.

Anal alert!

[thaibeachlovers]

LOL @ pot on the stove to cook rice, I have just returned from abroad with my missus and had to cook rice this way, she was mortified.

I also thought this was really weird when I first encountered it in the west.

A friend of mine in England said "so if I go into the kitchen of a proper Thai restaurant in Thailand I will find them cooking rice in a rice-cooker will I?".

"Yes, that's exactly what you'll find" says I. "A great big fcukoff electric rice cooker".

"Sh_t. So this cooking rice in a pot business that the TV chefs do is just some macho western <deleted>".

"I think so mate"

Cooking rice in a pot on a stove is a bit like toasting your bread on an open fire or doing your laundry with a wringer, especially when there are some pretty clever automatic rice cookers available now.

True, but most westerners will cook rice once a month perhaps in their own country? So it is a waste of space / money to buy a steamer just for this purpose. Same as people who do not eat much toast don't tend to have a sliced bread toaster and if they do, most likely it will have other uses as well as merely toasting toast.

Most places sell cheap rice cookers. Only have to go without a few beers or smokes to be able to afford one.

[Trembly]

LOL @ pot on the stove to cook rice, I have just returned from abroad with my missus and had to cook rice this way, she was mortified.

I also thought this was really weird when I first encountered it in the west.

A friend of mine in England said "so if I go into the kitchen of a proper Thai restaurant in Thailand I will find them cooking rice in a rice-cooker will I?".

"Yes, that's exactly what you'll find" says I. "A great big fcukoff electric rice cooker".

"Sh_t. So this cooking rice in a pot business that the TV chefs do is just some macho western <deleted>".

"I think so mate"

Cooking rice in a pot on a stove is a bit like toasting your bread on an open fire or doing your laundry with a wringer, especially when there are some pretty clever automatic rice cookers available now.

True, but most westerners will cook rice once a month perhaps in their own country? So it is a waste of space / money to buy a steamer just for this purpose. Same as people who do not eat much toast don't tend to have a sliced bread toaster and if they do, most likely it will have other uses as well as merely toasting toast.

Surely it has to be 'make toast' - unless you want it 'double' toasted. If it is already 'toast' how does one toast it? You can use a toaster to cook fish fingers, however and you can also use a kettle to cook frankfurter sausages if all the saucepans are dirty and you can't be arsed to wash one up, and for those of you that enjoy a good read instead of wasting money on tarts, check out the history of sliced bread on the three w's.

It's bread until it's toasted.

You can use a rice cooker to cook all sorts of other things too.

To paraphrase John Lennon : it's easy [to imagine them] if you try.