July 2008 Grocery Challenge

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  • perrywinkle
    perrywinkle Posts: 224
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    Morning everyone:hello:

    NSD for me yesterday - weather was really hot and got on with weeding vegetable bed - wish I'd finished it as looks a bit rainy today but will see how it goes. Picked lots of gooseberries yesterday and some more strawberries - they are really good this year - must be all this sunshine and rain! Will soon be picking some of the courgettes as well so looking forward to spaghetti with courgettes, brie and tomatoes - just need the tomatoes to ripen - got lots - just not the right colour yet.
    Have to pick up some shopping today so will update signature later.

    Happy MS
    Perrywinkle
  • dink1
    dink1 Posts: 197 Forumite
    Hi zoe260373 - sorry dont know the exact answer to the subscription but know that its in the user cp (header on the top left) that will bring up the subscribed thread and then there is a choice. If you cant get that to work, what I do is save thsi page as a favourite in your web browser and unsubscribe the thread and you can still access it. you just have to remember the page number you are on. (or if you thanked that peron (always nice) then when you return the ones you havent read with be clear as they still have their thanks attached0 HTH. Dink1


    PS have a great GC/MS day everyone one.
    JanGC £250/£82 far:weight loss 1lb cc250/£86/cm40/£9.50 :A
  • mumofjusttwo
    mumofjusttwo Posts: 2,610
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    If you go into your USER CP on the top of the page and go to Edit Options

    Then select No email notifications.
    When you post a new thread, or reply to a topic, you will be automatically add that thread to your list of subscribed threads.

    then when you want to post or so if there have been any new posts clikc on ser CP> If any new postsahave been done they ill show up there.

    Hope this makes sense.
    January Grocery 11/374
  • Herewegoagain
    Herewegoagain Posts: 2,370
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    Morning all, just off to catch up on thread and feed mr & mrs be back soon xx
    lost 3stin 4mnths GC nov£90/£51.65 July£100/£97.67 Aug£90/£18.59
    LBM Nov05 Loan £4910.65 Paid April07 sealed pot challenge#256
    Nov06 CC £2,590.56 Paid aug07 + Savings07/08 Night Owl 22#
    Mortgage £87,000/£84,000/ £82,261.00/£81,785.30 £80,268/£75402.00/£71229.15 DFW NERD 987 Long Haul member 125 debt free 24th aug 07
  • OrkneyStar
    OrkneyStar Posts: 7,025
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    Morning all.
    Well lets just say I know where most of our local town and the surrounding ones were last night. DH and I decided to go 'for a look' to Tesco's- it seems ok although was hard to judge completely due to most of the aisles being chocca with people!
    I spent £50, although silly me did not cut a £5 off £30 voucher from the paper! Never mind I might well spend £30 again before the end of the month if I make sure all other shops are just £1 for milk etc. I did use £4.50 worth of vouchers I already had though (£1.50 points and a brand coupon for something I did buy) so not too bad, and got the green points for reusing bags. I am actually quite pleased with self as most of the stuff I bought was either: 1. stuff I like to keep in stock (flour, yeast etc), 2. a few things we were pretty low on. 3. milk, FV for this week (FV likely do longer). I also used the tip of looking at the bottom shelves, and hey presto there is value stuff there!
    Some good buys were: 1. value plain flour (36p) hidden very low!, 2. value sweetcorn (20p)- also hidden low, 3. cooking choccie (39p), 4. 3 onken bio pots for £3 (they cost normally £1.69 each here!!), 5. value tomatoes (19p), 6. tinned peaches (35p), 7. tinned strawberries (25p), 8. dopiaza sauce (86p) - normally even the own brand store sauces are at least 20p more than that with the stores we have! 9. white bread flour (48p). I was also impressed with the juices, the chiller ones were cheaper so got three for £2.25 as a treat and stocked up on the normal cartons as they were all £1 or under (did not get any of the value apple or orange juice this time but maybe next time). Finally it was also great to get some new choices.
    Hmmmm, highlight of my week is a shopping trip lol!
    Aiming for NSD's today, Wed,Thur and Fri.
    Ok, hope you all well and that my story of my trip to Tesco has not bored you all too much!
    :wave:
    Ermutigung wirkt immer besser als Verurteilung.
    Encouragement always works better than judgement.

  • greent
    greent Posts: 10,666
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    annelouise wrote: »
    Had a bathroom clearout yesterday and have 3/4 shards of 1/2 - 3/4 pieces of soap.Sensitive like OH!!!!

    So when I get through this last bottle of detergent I'm going to make the washing gloop I've heard so much about.

    annelouise


    OOh - that reminds me, KAAT LADY asked how I made gel/gloop:

    I use soap scraps (very MSE! :money: ), but you can buy a bar to use if you don't use bar soap anyway. (You can also use those little bars from hotels which normally smell a bit funny, but are fine for washing clothes!)

    For every 100gm of soap (approx 1 full sized bar) I use about a litre of water.

    Grate the soap. You can also cut into small chunks if you don't want to grate it - it will then take slightly longer to melt down in the next stage.

    Add soap chunks/ gratings to a large pan together with required amount of boiling (preferably) water . Bring to boil again and then reduce heat to simmering until all soap is melted.

    I then add a handful of washing soda crystals. The last batch I made was 700gm+ soap to begin with, so I added about 3 or 4 handfuls. Stir in well - I use a hand whisk. Add some essential oils if you want - lavender is nice and also cheap. Geranium also good, too :-)

    Leave overnight to cool - you should find it has set to a blancmange like consistency in the morning. If it appears separated, whisk it all up and it will turn to blancmange almost instantly.

    I store mine in a lidded bucket (I make it in large amounts) and scoop out a spoonful or two as required. Before adding it to my washing machine I dilute it in a cup with boiling/ hot water to make sure it all dissolves (I would do this with any sort of washing powder, tbh, as I find some don't fully dissolve at 30 degrees, and I rarely wash higher than that) and then pour this in the drawer.

    You can add borax when the soda is added to give it extra 'oomph' - but I prefer mine plain, as I can then use it for lots of things where I might not want borax. Borax can also be a skin sensitiser for some, so I'd err on the side of caution if anyone has sensitive skin. If I want to boost the wash I have a pack of borax and would mix half a teaspoon to the gel before diluting with water.

    The gel can be used with bicarb to make a scrubby soapy solution for cleaning (think cif style) - great for sinks/ taps / baths/ Add a spoonful to a bucketful of water for cleaning floors (with a capful of vinegar too) I also use it neat as a pre-wash stain treatment on clothes - simply rub a small amount in the stain.

    If you are using soapy gel in your washing machine it is advisable to use vinegar as a rinse aid. Add to where fab conditioner would go. A capful is enough, and I don't use it at every wash, either.

    You can dilute the blancmange to make more of a laundry liquid (it willr esemble ecover liquid in style) - but this takes up more room in storage, so I dilute it as I use it. You could dilute enough to refill a laundry liquid bottle, I suppose, and keep the rest elsewhere (eg garage), but I never used laundry liquid before :-)

    I make large amounts cos we have lots of soap scraps and I do lots of washing (about 12 loads a week - I have quite a few towels to wash, as I do aromatherapy massage and I have 3 kids as well) and I have the room under my sink for a large bucketful at a time.


    FAbric Conditioner/ Softener - I do have a bottle of this lurking somewhere under my sink. I don't use it, though. Vinegar is fine (I add a couple of drops of geranium ess oil to my washing vinegar) and much cheaper and also better for the environment and comes in recyclable glass, rather than plastic which not everywhere recycles. For those using fab softener though, as well as using less, you can also dilute the bottle to begin with - thereby using even less again. I used to pour half into an empty bottle and top up with cooled boiled water, giving me 2 bottles for the price of one and then use about half of what was recommended - meaning I actually used about a 1/4 of what was recommended. I find it all in the main too artificially fragranced anyway :-) (just my opinion, of course;) )


    Vinegar - for those who may be concerned about the smell, it doesn't linger in the washing. When I first started using it I'd use loads - and I'd find that I thought I could catch an occasional whiff when ironing. Now I use a small amount (the cap from the bottle) - that's plenty and I can't smell a thing. Use white vinegar, though, not malt (although I have been known to use up ancient white wine & rice wine vinegars found lurking in cupboards!)
    Although a capful of malt can be apparently good for a darks wash (but I do ALL my washing mixed and at 30 degrees, so I wouldn't know!)


    Now to catch up on the rest of the messages :D We're actually having a reasonably dry day so far - yippee!


    GT
    x
    apologies for the lo--oo-ng post!
    I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul
    Repaid mtge early (orig 11/25) 01/09 £124616 01/11 £89873 01/13 £52546 01/15 £12133 07/15 £NIL
    Net sales 2024: £20
  • mandy_moo_1
    mandy_moo_1 Posts: 1,201
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    mornin all :wave:

    wow, thanks for that really good explanation of making your own washing gloop greent i never realised it was that easy! i buy the 3 bars of soap for 15p from Mr A so i might give this a go :D

    should be able to have an NSD again today .......i'm off to my gran's in a bit, to empty/clean out all her kitchen cupboards........gonna be an all day job me-thinks!

    already made buns, and they've cooled and are whacked in the freezer, dogs are walked, and all my housework is done :D mind you, i have been up since 6!!

    hope everyone has a good day, certainly looks a lot brighter out there today!
  • mumzyof2
    mumzyof2 Posts: 3,343 Forumite
    Good Morning i spent yesterday in bargain booze

    1.05 on ribena bottle (BOGOF)

    Hopeing for a no spend day today but need to go into town to pay rent :(
    Sealed Pot dec 08 - dec 09 so far £27.67, Live off £4k Spent £330.20 GC £1,200 for 2009 Spent £50.78 PaD so far £650.07
    Debts: L/woods £154.00 C/One PAID O/D £649.90 Next £299.95 O/D PAID Gas £72.60 Electric £155.73 Mum £640.00 Orange £490.32
  • BigMummaF
    BigMummaF Posts: 4,281 Forumite
    I hope MrsMc doesn't mind my posting this, but there was a message from her on another thread I frequent. The news has been the worst I'm afraid, with the passing of both her grandmother & her sister.

    I would like to express my deepest sympathies to MrsMc & her family, & hope she & they will gather some strength & comfort from all her MSE pals.
    Full time Carer for Mum; harassed mother of three;
    loving & loved by two 4-legged babies.

  • sashanut
    sashanut Posts: 3,252
    Combo Breaker First Post First Anniversary Mortgage-free Glee!
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    BigMummaF wrote: »
    :o

    SashaNut, have you tried rubbing a graphite pencil up & down the zip? It works on metal ones :rolleyes: & I think it's spray furniture polish for nylon---like the stuff you put on plastic curtain rails to help them glide .....

    Many thanks for the tip BMF, I will certainly give it a go - it's a nylon zip but will probably try both.

    Just totted up & I think I am on NSD no 4......:T today. Thanks for the tips on here have drawn out cash & have £32 for this week in my purse.

    Will be whoopsied sausage today for tea, found it lurking at the back of the fridge so will use if its still OK.
    Little tip if you like garlic bread & don't want to make your own bread from scratch:

    Buy a few of those bake at home baguettes - i think they are a pack of 2 for 50p from Mr T. I then blend butter/marg/spread or whatever preference with a small amount of Mr A's garlic bread seasoning - I usually make up a tub of this & keep in fridge. Cut bread in half, then cut each half into 3 thin wedge shapes, spread each side with butter spread, put on baking sheet in oven until golden brown & you have garlic bread fingers, we have them with chilli or pasta dishes HTH:D

    Must get off here & on with some work - have the house to myself for a change until lunch - a rare luxury & can always get loads more done somehow..........
    New start JAN15 - NOT BUYING IT 2015 :eek:. Long haul DFW #145 : 2011 DEBTBUSTING : £5500 OD GONE, £2000 OD - GONE £93,610.30 cc & loan debt - GONE 27.6.14 FINALLY DEBT & MORTGAGE FREE :happyhear
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