Live on £4000 for a year - Part 2

shaz_mum_of__2 · 5 June 2008 at 3:20PM

nykmedia wrote: »

Shaz - brilliant pics, you need to set up a free mini-website so you have a permanent (ish) record of your progress throughout the year. Your plants are well advanced compared to mine and I'm hoping it's just the location difference

Had to laugh im a bit tecnophobic i have sarted a blog where i could post piccies etc but spend so much tome on here never post on there!!

if i remember rightly we are about 250 miles south of you(south bank of humber bridge) so that could explain it ...........i got a bit of a shock last week on gardners world they said this weekend plant your courgettes out..................mine have been outdoors at least a month!!

getting fed up watering pots but at least the water barrels are full again after the rain earlier in the week

Shaz

fizzel81 · 5 June 2008 at 3:58PM

afternoon all

need to play catch up.

had a mini splurge here but wont add it to my total i did look through nyks post other night but i dont have exact figures to take off what ive spent on bits for the boys etc before i had the dla, ive brought suits and creams as it took chemesit nearly a month to get them in (they dont have much call for them here apparantly and the cream is on a supply problem) also extra gas etc i usem for nightly baths and when ds3 skin was mega bad he was having morning baths i dont know how to deduct that so keeping my total as it is as such, brought ds2 a buggyboard he was using the bar at the back of the buggy to stand on, i had my hair cut (first time in ages) and got them a magazine each and a small toy

i wont be stopping this challenge, i just wont now include anything brought for the boys from there dla, the backdated is going on a steamer and better hoover (dustmites) and my tumble dryer (still only going for a small one) ive also got them some eczema clothing

nsd today though off to my dads tomorrow so will spend train fare/bus fare getting there, used to just get the bus BUT 3 buses to get home in the evening last one being got from sidcup highstreet! think i will give it a miss from now on and pay the extra for the train

Penny2myName · 5 June 2008 at 4:12PM

mumzyof2 wrote: »

I have bought the black buckets from Mr M and i got 8 for 99p.. and a few other bits,

After reading this posts about the buckets, i went with my mum to Mr M's and found a batch randomly dumped by the deli, so grabbed them. When we got out I counted how many there was, and I got 17 in my bundle. Have given 6 to my mum. Admittedly cost me £3.50 to get there, but bought some seeds and IAMS dog food half price whilst there.
Think I will do buckets for this year, then next year should have the garden at new place all planned and prepared ready for start of the season.

Frugaldom · 5 June 2008 at 4:39PM

bails wrote: »

... and the celebrations are continuing as we're off to Wales for the weekend where there's a surprise from OH waiting for me :j

Welcome back, Bails, glad you had a great time and I can't WAIT to find out whay your surprise is!!! :beer: I'm guessing loads of stuff.... but love has been in the air about this thread what with Whitewing's wedding, Lynda & Fizzel's news, Marru's dating sign-up etc, etc, etc.... so............ could it be the big proposal??????? :j :j :j You realloy MUST spill the beans as soon as you can as we aill all be waiting with baited breath.

DGD has just left and, as predicted, she wanted out into the garden. We have now retrieved an old pasting table from the rafters of the shed, covered it in plastic and have it sitting in the greenhouse. Of course, DGD thought it was for a picnic as the plastic sheeting was made up from the trimmings I removed from an overly large plastic tablecover!! :rotfl: Told her we'd have tomato sannies as soon as they grew.

Spurred on by Shaz and her cherry tomatoes, I need to split mine all up and get them planted properly now I have a pile of pots that were freecycled. I think I also mentioned about the lemon balm the lady gave me, but I can't remember if I mentioned Phyllis, the cactus plant that I was also given? I've done some research and it appears to be an Epyphyllum hybrid, sometimes known as the 'Orchid Cactus'. I've now taken a photo and will upload it so you can see what goodies out local Freecycle can produce. I've even found out how to take cuttings, so watch out 2010, there could be hundreds of night blooms in this neck of the woods as the flowers are really lovely!

mumzyof2 · 5 June 2008 at 4:44PM

Hello everyone!

Iam back from libary and town.. i have paid my rent bought a freeview box (from my savings of no smoking) and also spent a few bits in town on food for dinner at young mums,
I will update later when children in bed

Anyone watching BB tonight?? YAY

bails · 5 June 2008 at 5:23PM

Ha ha, sorry to disappoint Nyk, but I am almost certain it's not going to be a proposal!:D It's part of my birthday present - I've been badgering him for clues, on the pretext that I need to know for my illness

and so I know it'll last about an hour and will tire me out quite a lot...no, it's not THAT either...at least I hope not as my mum is in on the secret :rotfl:I think it's going to be horseriding :jbut we'll have to wait and see! I also asked him if it was a puppy or a donkey or a duckling :rotfl:
Darn, I need to know what the news is I've missed, especially about Lynda and Fizzel - can anyone give me a synopsis of the past week please?

BTW, my thanks button isn't working, not being rude!

Frugaldom · 5 June 2008 at 5:26PM

Hi Mumzy, it sounds like you had a good day! We can't get Freeview here as there's no digital signal until 2009, so it's bog-standard telly or nothing, as I'm not paying for Sky. BIG BROTHER IS BACK! :eek: I was hearing that the BB household will be expected to grow some of their own food this time, so that is enough for me to watch. I also heard a whisper about someone local who MIGHT be going in as a contestant!! :eek: Gossip has it that this person applied, got interviewed, made it through preliminary selection process and they haven't been seen recently, so it's purely speculation / conjecture until tonight Perhaps they went on holiday just to get the neighbours talking even more! It may all just be gossip but then again... it's more reason for me to watch to see who goes in and see if I recognise anyone. I do not know, nor have I ever met this person, but I certainly wouldn't expect this type to be in the garden growing potatoes :rotfl: OK, I've admitted to the fact that I'll need to watch BB

but it is purely for research purposes, just to see how they manage to grow their own veggies in the timespan allocated.

Photo update - this is a picture of one of the flowers that's on 'Phyllis' my Freecycled Epiphyllum, or Orchid Cactus (I think that's what it is) and these flowers apparently turn to edible fruits that look & taste a bit little passion fruit. I'm still reading up all about how to cultivate cuttings, but it looks fairly simple. I've also added yet another page to my growing frugal website so I can include Phyllis and record her progress. (It has to be a she - the flowers are too pretty to be anything else

)

Bails - I'm not convinced but good answers, especially the bit about the donkey and the duckling! :rotfl: Swift update - Fizzel is seeking frugal dating suggestions after meeting up with an old friend but he lives in a different county, so there may be travel issues. Marru received interesting email via her online dating site and is awaiting the next response (don't let her kid you, it's only been a week since he last wrote and we are awaiting his next move

). Whitewing is preparing fulltilty for an August wedding and I STILL haven't written down the date as I kept thinking it was next year. I'm now seeing the problem with the hectic family 'disputes' as it's slowly sinking in that she could be talking THIS YEAR! (Sorry Whitewing, I am really easily confused.) Then, we have Andromache, who has secretly become engaged but rest of the family don't yet know, plus my DD, of course, who announced her engagement last week, so it IS an engagement party this month after all. So there you have it.... are you engaged? :rotfl: I'm sensing a serious proposal as it's in the air.

Our 4k frugal thread is far better than any TV series around. We even have the veggie growing self-sufficiency thing ahead of Big Brother! In fact, it's possible they have pinched several of their ideas from here and that means I NEED to watch more of it than just the first episode, just in case. Since my previous post, DS has informed me that 'the local person' didn't get in, as his work colleagues's brother's friend spoke to them recently and was told they didn't get in - but it could be a double bluff! :cool: Please note that neither my DS not my DD know, nor have they ever met, the local BB applicant. Except I can't guarantee that for DD as she works in the beauty industry, so may have encountered the applicant in a work related circle. Hmm... now I need to ask DD just to be sure. :rotfl: I do personally know someone that keeps applying but I'm sure I'd have heard if he'd finally got in. I doubt it, as he'd be a complete liability as he's as mad as a brush in my opinion.

(Hi to Mad McDude, just in case you're an MSE fruker (frugal lurker :rotfl: )

sophiesmum_2 · 5 June 2008 at 6:11PM

Shaz - great pics of your garden, wish i had that much space to play with.My veggies are crammed into greenhouse and a small area also lots of stuff in pots, indoors and out. Will try and get some pictures taken tomorrow. None of my strawbs are red yet although I do have quite a few on the plants now.Mine are growing in a brazier OH was going to drill holes in a bin for me but was given brazier so used the bin for some other project he had lined up.
My tumbler toms are in hanging baskets on the fence and I am just looking out for a piece of guttering to use for radish/salad veggies to get these airborne too and away from the sluggies.
You could make a good compost crate with 4 of those cot bases;) I'm intrigued - what did you use them all for????

Edited to add that i too will be watching BB, every year say I won't and every year end up glued - I blame the chickens in the first few series as that was what got me hooked in the first place.

mumzyof2 · 5 June 2008 at 6:25PM

NYK -Can you give a first name to who the person it might be? Just if im watching and they say the name you given me and he/she from scotland hehe.
I love BB and a blind person suppose to be going it but that is just a roumour i think. starts at 9pm and finishes at 11.45pm but there is a break between that... so for the next 6 weeks i will be knackered or however long its on for lol. I think i got to the stage of last year watching them sleeping in a morning lmao. NYK there is also a offical BB thread over on the moneysaving arms.

fizzel81 · 5 June 2008 at 6:38PM

oh bb is back (and ive only just found out) shows how little i watch telly

wating the first 2 or 3 shows, sums uo if im going to carry on watching it (or not) oh my poor boys if i do choose to watch it this time, can just see how annoyed 3 little boys will be with no nick jnr

Live on £4000 for a year - Part 2

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