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Archives for September 2005

How to increase pocket sizes?
I bought some jeans but the pockets arent as big as id like them to be, i just want be a little bigger so its a comfortable fit for my hands. How would i be able to do this? Would i just cut out the ends of the inside pocket and sew more material to the exsisting pocket? Hope you can help. Strange question i know. Thanks
Milk conundrum
People in my office are laughing at me openly, because I have just described how I 'made' semi-skimmed milk, so I want to see if I really am totally mad... Here's the story: I went to Tesco last night, and as per usual they had run out of semi-skimmed milk. So I decided to buy one pint of full-fat and one of skimmed, and…
Can I have a nice cheap recipie for Bombay Potatoes?
As the title says, does anyone have a nice recipe for Bombay Potatoes? To go with our Chicken curry on Tuesday!!! It needs to be really cheap too! PS. I don't normally cook either - so it will have to be in basic English and really clear!. I am a child of convienience and dont cook from scratch - but its a skill I am…
Pesticides in foods report
Hi, Just spotted this on the BBC website, and thought people here might be interested, basically says about a third of foods contain pesticides, and about 1% are above the legal limit. Here's the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4296576.stm
By Jove I Think He's Got It ........sort of
You may remember that i'm the one with the b/f who will eat nothing in the way of veggies apart from Tinned processed peas :eek: He would not touch any kind of meat (Although very happy to eat it.... well apart from Pork and Lamb) :wall: Anyway, on tuesday i'd got all of my ingredients out to make a spag bol when i got…
Central Heating
Hi, The weather is turning and it's starting to get cold here. I was wondering when other OS's start to put their central heating on, do you wait till the thermometer shows a certain temperature or wait till a certain month? I'm holding out for now as I feel that gas is one expense that we have some control over and there…
The glory of porridge (merged)
The ice man thread got me thinking about porridge. It's got to be the ultimate OS food, surely - cheap, quick, healthy and incredibly versatile... I make mine with about 1/3 semi skimmed milk, 2/3 water. I eat it with maple syrup which is a bit of an extravagance but fully justified on taste grounds (I gather it's very…
Clean Toilet
Embarrasing one but , how do you remove stubborn stains from a toilet ? Bleach not working at all !
Organic Garlic
Thought I'd pop on and share this one. It's a bit more expensive, but is really strong so you don't need to use a lot. Tastes good as well.
Is it possible to make chocolate?
Is it possible to make your own chocolate from scratch? I'm guessing it's made from something like lard, sugar, cocoa and milk? Does anyone know? I think it would be great to make them and give as Xmas presents.
Cleaning plastic furniture?
Hope this is the right place to post this... My plastic swing seat inherited from an elderly neighbour is filthy and I can't get it clean. I have used bleach, but the plastic itself seems to have turned black in places. Does anyone know how I can get it clean again? Or do I have to resort to spray painting it brown to make…
Creamed Coconut? (merged)
I'm making one of Curry Queens famous curries but last night at the supermarket I picked up a block of creamed coconut instead of coconut cream :doh: Now, I asked my Mum and she said to grate it in but I wanted to make sure as my Mum's approach to cooking anything is 'oh it'll be alright... just shove it in', which is…
Whats the best Oven and Hob cleaner
Hi Peeps. Does anybody know of the best Oven and Hob Cleaner and is that astonish cleaner any good? Thanks Peeps
Help with menu plans.
Hi everyone. I like to look on these forums and find bargains and reduce my debt etc. Now I live by myself (everybody say ahhh ;) ) I am trying to do a weeks meal plan and get the cost down. When I lived with gf it cost about £40 per week shopping for the two of us, minus the frequent trips to tesco local :( Now I have…
May God bless my neighbour
Wow, what a day. I drove to the post office to pick up 2 parcels (the note in the postbox said after 4.30) but when I arrived the postie hadn't been back yet. I was not best pleased as I knew the 2 parcels contained my ricecooker and my yoghurtmaker! :drool: He told me to return in half an hour, so in a slightly foul mood…
the ice man cometh! (merged with keeping warm)
well all i've heard this past week is how this winter is going to be exceptionally colder than average. usual doom-mongering i thought at first, but after today (bloomin' cold it were :eek: :D ) im starting to fear there might be something in it. so i thought it would be nice if we could share ideas of ways of keeping warm…
Fresh herbs - how to use
I've grown some mint, parsley, coriander, chives and thyme on my windowsill (Charlie Dimmock eat yer heart out!!) but I have no idea what to do with them now? I chop the chives up and use them in scrambbled eggs but that's it. Any ideas what else I can do with them and how I do it? :confused:…
Football Boots smell like cat pee - Phew !!!
My son plays football regularly and leaves his boots in the porch. Just lately I've noticed a terrible smell everytime I come in the door, and, after moving everything have tracked it down to his boots. They smell just like cat pee, and we don't even have a cat. !! What can I use to stop them smelling so bad, will odour…
Slow Cookers on Econ 7
Has anyone treid using their slow cooker on economy 7? Our runs from 1am to 8am just long enough to cook a beef stew on auto. This is the first time I have used the cooker although I have had it for a few weeks. I did my monthly shop today and I bought 2lbs of braising steak, I browned it in a frying pan and put it in with…
Just so you know when I go missing in action
My Dad had a MAJOR operation on Monday (ten hours plus) which is why I was so distracted and full of mistakes when posting over the last weekend. Anyway, phew, he's OK and the surgeons were pleased that they cut (hacked) all the cancerous bits out. He's still in what they call the High Dependency Unit (Is that the same as…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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