Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

Optimisticpair

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Nyk - what you need is a man in uniform(don't we all:D ): write to the Royal Engineers - they're always looking for 'training projects' and bridge building problem solving.

Having bulk bought lots of fresh herbs and spices I see that you are supposed to store them in the dark. 99% of jars available are see through. Any suggestions anyone?

Royal Engineers crossed my mind too! Noooo not in that way, well, at least not until you mentioned uniform.

Yes, it's always got me that the jars are clear glass. I've stored mine inside a cabinet if room, I also used plastic containers rather than jars because they stack easier.-you can get racks now for inside doors though but you could sew one with pockets for jars maybe. Failing that just store in a box in a cupboard?.

looby-loo_2

bails wrote: »

Morning Janey, and anyone else about (although Marru must be out and I suspect Looby is fast asleep after the marathon - must check the results!).

Nope! She was at a car boot!

I watched the marathon then had to watch the swimming which was much more exciting (bit biased as it was my sport) so didn't get to bed till 4.45. My ginger tom had a mega fight with nextdoors tom below my bedroom widow at 7.10. One torn ear but OK. Made tea and though I'd go back for an hour just as DS2 bounces down ready to go to the car boot sale. I had promised but was hoping he'd forgotten. Rushed back as I remembered I had blood donor appointment @ 11.00. DD1 still in bed so had to rearrange hers for 1.30. Did lunch between visits.

Bought some lovely fresh carrots, raddish and cabbage from an old man selling his lotty poduce. A bag full for £1.50 but I gave him £2 which was still a bargin and I know the work he put in so I was happy.

This afternoon I continued with the front garden 'make over', up the ladder removing past its best honeysuckle until DD1 came out to remind me that as I had given blood I shouldn't be up the ladder:o

Janey51 - I'd go for pale bedding etc to make to room look bigger. Do you have a Dunelm Mill? They have cheap and better stuff to choose from. I got some lovely organic pillows for £4.95 (I think) last month. They were even packed in an unbleached cotton bag which I have put to good use.

Marru - I came to piggies late but I wish I'd found them sooner - so sweet! Today they 'cut' another 6 square meters of lawn. I've been offered another four today, with hutch and I am tempted. Just so easy to look after and I could get the whole lawn cut if I'm organised! Very MSE. :j

Slowlyfading - I'll ask DS2 what the message means when he comes in from his shed. Might be some time.

Then again I might be asleep soon.

bails

OOH BB, is your nephew a RM? Why did I not know this sooner ie before he got married? :rotfl:I have a very large soft spot for Royal Marines...:o

Right, can anyone give me a definitive answer about whether kettles and toasters use electricity if they're not switched off at the wall? OH and I are having a longstanding debate :rolleyes:

System

hmmm i don't know for sure but I don't trust things that aren't off at the wall!

I read somewhere on MSE that things use electricity whenever they are in the plug socket, even if they are switched off at the wall! :eek:

i hope that isn't true....

(oh it sucks being back at work on a monday morning after a holiday )

dfw844

Hi Nyk,

I'm redoing my figures this morning. I'm wondering if you could help me out on what to include. I track all my spending in Microsoft Money, and have the following categories:

Bank charges
Bills
Car
Clothing
Food
Healthcare
Holidays
Household
Leisure & Ent
Misc & gifts
Personal Care
Transport

So far I have been including all of these except Bank charges, bills, holidays.

But now I'm not sure whether or not to include clothes and things.

Would you mind writing next to each category inc / do not inc or something along those lines. Then it will be a very easy sum in my spreadsheet to give you an up-to-date total of my spending this year.

Thanks very much,

xx

lingojingo

looby-loo wrote: »

Nope! She was at a car boot!

I watched the marathon then had to watch the swimming which was much more exciting (bit biased as it was my sport) so didn't get to bed till 4.45. .

Me to - well, it was my children, and I was sometimes annnouncer at local galas. It's been really exciting this time as I remember quite a few of the swimmers from competitions DS was in . He once swam in the same heat of 50m back as Liam Tancock at the nationals (it was cycically seeded, Liam in lane 4 and DS in an outside lane , also that year all ages went in one huge event, DS is a few years younger. Think it was the only time they had 50m sprints except F/S at the age group nationals). The girls are mostly slightly younger than DS and Michael Rock is a year older - I remember him winning fly at Ponds Forge many times!

DdraigGoch

[whinge] Is it just me or is this weather playing hob with anyone else's finances? I'd bought in enough wood for the winter ... and I've used nearly a quarter of it already! We are dependent - my choice - on wood as a fuel for heating and, soon, cooking so it's a bit of a problem. Not only am I eating into my stash but it's also getting wetter and wetter as we only have corrugated iron sheets to cover it and they keep blowing off in the winds.... [/whinge]

NSD again today, hopefully, and the strict budgetting is really hitting home on the family. Certain members are in a permanent snit...

Brighton_belle

bails wrote: »

OOH BB, is your nephew a RM? Why did I not know this sooner ie before he got married? :rotfl:I have a very large soft spot for Royal Marines...:o

Yes he is bails:D (In the band service). Very remiss of me, sorry:D .
Done an evening meal menu plan for last 2 weeks of the month and confirmed I have nearly everything I need already in.:j . I've gone over my GC budget but I will still end up spending less than last month.
Have first ever HM loaf od bread in the oven as we speak , used the no knead recipe. Am going to make liver pate a la weazel recipe later for tomorrows lunch sandwiches. And having bails feta pasta sauce for dinner later so a very MSE inspired foody day.
And as we're both off today we might go blacknerrying in abit.
I think for the spice jar conundrum, I'm just going to have to browse in charity shops and gradually collect non see through jars.

DdraigGoch

Brighton Belle - re the spice jars, couldn't you make up some paper labels which cover the entire jar and use them - that way you have your own choice of labels and you can change them whenever you want to, plus the contents are in the dark. Or, on the other hand, there is the eternal Blue Peter sticky backed plastic - still available in shops around the country. You never know, you could start a trend!

Janey51

DdraigGoch wrote: »

[whinge] Is it just me or is this weather playing hob with anyone else's finances? I'd bought in enough wood for the winter ... and I've used nearly a quarter of it already! We are dependent - my choice - on wood as a fuel for heating and, soon, cooking so it's a bit of a problem. Not only am I eating into my stash but it's also getting wetter and wetter as we only have corrugated iron sheets to cover it and they keep blowing off in the winds.... [/whinge]

Oh yes...the wood is getting used already. At least mine is in a proper shelter
DH always used to say that if wood is well seasoned it doesn't matter how wet it gets but I'm not convinced. And wet wood tends to bring other problems....like slimy slug trails on the carpet.

I am SICK SICK SICK of the rain. It is a case of "what type of rain is it today?" not refeshing showers and periods of sunshine.
I think Mother Nature has gone on holiday or the other Gods have upset her in some way.
It doesn't seem to matter how much incense I go through I'm not connecting with the right deity at the moment :rotfl:

I shouldn't be cooking warming pans of soup in the middle of August.