Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

Frugaldom

Bails - re the second freezer "should you, shouldn't you" scenario, how reliable is your power supply in winter and would you mind that extra 1 or 2 units of power useage per day, assuming you have a fairly reliable supply? I tend to try and live off the contents of the freezer during the bad weather, as there's such a high chance of power cuts. I'd be devastated if I lost a freezerload! :eek: I know there's compensation and you can insure against it, but it doesn't replace the food when it's all homecooked and/or homegrown.

Tonight, we had chicken curry with a slight twist. :cool: My mixed peppers must have been wet when freezing them, so they are stuck in a huge block, but they are surprisingly easy to slice through with a carving knife! :rotfl: So, one large slice of mixed peppers got a quick blast in the micro along with a pile of celery sticks and sultanas, then all added to a tin of Mr T 4p curry sauce along with some chicken from last night's roast. In total, I counted 6 portions of f&v in the curry alone (2 for each of us), so we made our 5-a-day. DS hates celery, so I pretended it was a cucumber-rhubarb-green pepper hybrid vegetable. He didn't believe me, of course, and accused me of hiding celery in the curry! As if I'd do a thing like that! :rotfl:

Sophiesmum, I potted the strawberry runners and, like you, I am going to go down the baskets route next time. My main problem is that in rented house, we are not allowed to drill holes for hanging anything, so I'm going to try Freecycle for clothes rails to hang the baskets from. I have an ingenious idea that should stop anything climbing up! Will 'spill the beans' once I have tried it out, just in case it turns out to be a complete no brainer. I have now planted 2 nectarine stones and a handful of lemon pips. I know this is Scotland but look at this:

and this

These are growing in tubs in a greenhouse at Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, where they also have row upon row of various grapes and peaches. I also saw bananas growing, but didn't take a photo. Will get one next time we go there.

And now, for my next MSE frugal challenge - I am going to attempt all of next week without switching on the hot water heater. This will be part of my power consumption reduction plan, as I'm trying to get the kwh rate down to below 10 per day average for August. I'm just hoping that the sun shines, as I need it for heating the water for doing the dishes. We do have an electric shower, so we won't be forfeiting personal hygiene.

bails

Thanks Nyk and Sophiesmum re the freezer. I would really like to have one (hopefully from Freecycle), OH isn't that keen on it taking up more space (although Marru and I came up with a good plan to fit it in ) but it was more the electricity usage I was concerned about (supply is reliable). Will think some more about it.

Of course, baskets for the lettuce :T thanks Sophiesmum! The Dogs Home had some going spare after a sale, didn't think I'd use them as was only thinking flowers, doh! Might see if they're still hanging around and make a donation for them.

Nyk we never put our hot water on any more (except for my bath tonight) and just use a kettle for washing up, as that's got to be better than heating a whole tank. I like the idea of growing lemons and limes, great for [strike]G&Ts [/strike] lime soda, and cooking of course
Good work with the tent and accessories, it's amazing how cheap you can get things for these days. If we known, I could've got you one from the many left at Glastonbury :mad:
Lingojingo, make sure you get one that will fit around the fire as the bog standard ones won't. Definitely the MSE way forward!
Bizarrely, our friend Chardonnay has popped over from Marru's to mine :rotfl:I had a bottle (bought on offer of course months back) calling me from the top of the fridge - what could I say, but 'Coming my sweet!' :whistle:
Oh, and as you've been so encouraging about the spiral staircase, I may just have to make some further enquiries...:D

sophiesmum_2

Nyk - pics are great , I'm looking for something to grow in greenhouse once toms are done, will still have cucumbers and peppers in there but will have loads of space left - any suggestions????? I think another week or so and I will have picked my toms.

Re the baskets - my mum has planted a 7ft wooden fence post in garden and attached two hanging basket brackets on each side, voila - eight hanging baskets taking up hardly any room at all. i am going to nick that idea next year - she got the brackets from £1 shop not sure how much fence post was but not that much, very compact.
Another idea is strawberries growing in guttering attached to wall/fence- then when the runners come along add another length of guttering underneath and train the runners to make the next row of plants so you have two rows.

Janey51

Please keep everything crossed as best friend and partner coming to split loads of logs for me so I need NO RAIN :eek:
All it will cost me is a couple of bacon rolls and a jacket potato with salad. By the end of the day I should have my winter fuel supply sorted :T
Checked my Quidco account and have had £32 credited at the end of July so that will be going into my Holiday Terramundi's tummy :j

I am now having so many NSDs I feel like I have retired from the rest of the world :rolleyes:
Its a bit sad really. Not that I miss spending money but I think I may end up like one of the old ladies you read about who is found dead and has millions in the bank :rolleyes: :rotfl:
I have decided to work out the financial side of my life and decide how much I can give to DSs now and not leave it to them in a will.
I am much more aware of how fragile life is.

:grouphug: and :kisses3: to all in need of them today.
And that includes moi

sophiesmum_2

Good morning Janey , I am sitting here with everything crossed for no rain.
Sounds like you have some lovely friends:D and getting your winter fuel sorted will be one less thing to worry about. Re - the money situation I think it is nice to be able to do what you are suggesting and be able to see your family make use of the gift whilst you are still here. My dad did the same thing about ten years ago when he had some policies mature, he enjoyed being able to give me and my brothers a lump sum each and be able to see how we made use of it. as we all had mortgages and small kids at the time it was very welcome.

Have you got any further with sorting out the greenhouse/planting stuff up etc???

Frugaldom

Sophiesmum, I'm going to add you to my 'wall of frugal heroes' alongside Weezl. I would NEVER have thought of sinking a post into the ground for hanging baskets and would never have thought of the guttering for strawberries - simple, yet ingenious! Plus I can still watch out for clothes rails because I thought these would be handy for using inside the green house during winter months. I'm still not sure what to plant after the tomatoes, though, as a house move is now 99.9% certain.

Janey, it was lashing down here first thing this morning, but the sun's out now, so will keep everything crossed that it's the same for the rest of the day throughout the county.

HS (OH in-training) wants to take the car for a run this afternoon, so I think I might make up some sannies and just head off out to wherever we end up. His car hardly ever gets used, other than the occasional trip to town or when I drive it to visit my parents every couple of months. It's done so little travelling that the garage added 100,000 miles onto the MOT certificate last time, assuming it had been around the clock! :rotfl:

Bails, happy radiator-cover hunting. There's one hiding a broken heater in a room here, gets used as a shelf for all sorts, but looks much better than seeing the dodgey old storage heater.

Penny2myName

Nykmedia, been doing the maths and can I add my child benefit along side my £4000, for me this works out as £4000 + £1778.40 (went up half way through the year from two children to three children)
Thanks.

Brighton_belle

Ooh, just snaffled 4 pkts of somerfield (decent)loo rolls:£2 for pkt of 9. And 3 boxes half price 500g PG tips.And didn't buy anything else in there:j . Found half price necklace to finish off wedding outfit and should last as my 'decent outfit' for the next few years...we don't lead the highlife:D . Spent a xmas gift token in borders on a book I really fancied to complement my mosaic classes. I have a very bad life long habbit of not spending tokens 'just in case I see something I want even more/ do I deserve this' so quite plesed with myself that I have spend 2 xmas ones in the last week (OH is worse - he's just spend Halford ones he has had 8 years!).
Yes the Ramoska is exensive bails and is why I haven't bought one before. But my birthday is at the end of the month and my mum and dad are likely to give me £50 so that'll cover half of it. I reckon with two different household in the house using it instead of the oven it will payfor itself within 6 months. And the ramoska forum is full of peeps praising its versatility. As for the freezer question - I have 2 freezers to make my life easier for bulk cooking. Haven't done the maths though but for me it is worth it for personal energy saving.
Lovely to hear you so boyant marru and enjoying DD. Nyk - love your semi modern man theory:rotfl: . And I certainly recogmise some of it it this household! Glad you feel better today slowly fading. I would have been just as hurt and upset and just as frustrated at my tears. I am very very lucky to work in a small company of 4 who are all absolutely supportive and lovely and the trust is unquestioning.
I'd like to do some batch cooking later. And I am even thinking of darning, yes darning, a hole in the toe of some tights - darning:eek: - what have you all done to me:rotfl:

Burlesque_Babe

Looked at my water heating timer this afternoon and I've reduced the water heater to 40 minutes in the morning from an hour and down to 1 hour from 1 hour 30 mins in the afternoon. Should still be enough for washing up and a shower for both of us. I'll give a go for a few days and if it is, I'm going to shave another 10 minutes off the afternoon timer.

lingojingo

nykmedia wrote: »

LingoJingo - Hope you have some better luck with this insurance company and don't spend all the cashback in one place.

Well apart from a very expensive Radley bag that was a really generous present from my best friend (she of the hot tub saga;)), I've replaced everything else (frugally of course) over the past year. I've never owned anything 'designer' before so was gutted when the bag went, then gobsmacked when I found out the price for the insurance claim :eek: :eek: :eek:. Talked it over with my friend yesterday and she's happy if I get a Ciccia bag instead (as I'm really much more of a cat lover and she collects Radley, so we won't be the terrible twins). So now just got to decide which one while I wait for the cheque to clear.

Now I've forgotten what else I was going to say, so hope you're all having the kind of day you wanted.

Off to stay with Mum for a few days from tomorrow, so have a good week everyone.:hello: