Live on £4000 for a year - part 4 (Oct - Dec 2008)

Frugaldom

Hi MollyMop, must go see what you've been saying on the sealed pot challenge thread! I'll still be saving, I'm a save-a-holic, I just can't keep up with all the threads on here without neglecting work, house or garden; thank goodness I don't have small children! :rotfl:

Shaz, I was thinking several small raised beds, about a foot high, built around prepared ground so potatoes and carrots etc could be planted. I had a terrible problem with slugs & snails last year and I think it would be easier to protect these than open ground, it would also make it more difficult for anything to run straight over the top, and make them easier kept when rotating veggie crops in future years. I'm planning on getting the wood free, even if it's just old furniture - if it's small enough, I can cover each with a large sheet of plastic to turn into makeshift cold frames. If I could get about half a dozen double wardrobes and just remove the backs and doors, they would be ideal for what I'm visualising. I'm thinking 'Freecycle' wanted ads, but haven't got transport to collect them!

Sophiesmum, I was thinking of hanging the baskets on those metal wall hangers you can get in £shops. If I used garden wire to tie 4 of them together in a mesh across the top and then just wire them onto the top of the clothes pole, I think they would hold. Better still, DS has a spot welder and I have a big tube of 'No More Nails' just to make them extra secure. :rotfl: Failing that, the wooden fence running along the front of the garden may have a few extra pots attached. The sun better shine in 2009 because I need my new garden to grow quickly. It'll be improvisation whenever and wherever possible and I'll be square foot gardening out of bedside cabinets, buckets and feed drums.

This is how 2009 is shaping up so far:

Frugal hobby #1 - gardening
Frugal hobby #2 - cardmaking
Frugal hobby #3 - giftmaking
Frugal hobby #4 - [strike]walking[/strike] foraging

Back again, just saw Sophiesmum's post and pics. Have to add...

Frugal hobby #5 - getting creative in the kitchen!

taka

sophiesmum wrote: »

These are the pics of last nights sweetie escapades:

Wow... again :rolleyes: Can I be on your xmas list please? You are truely amazing with all the hampers and gifts you have made this year...

sophiesmum_2

Nyk, I will see you those five,

Frugal hobby #1 - gardening
Frugal hobby #2 - cardmaking
Frugal hobby #3 - giftmaking
Frugal hobby #4 - walking foraging
Frugal hobby #5 - getting creative in the kitchen

and raise you ;
Frugal hobby # 6 - starting sewing:eek:

Think I will have to give up (work) employment soon I won't have time for it:rotfl: :rotfl:

Frugaldom

sophiesmum wrote: »

Nyk, I will see you those five,

Frugal hobby #1 - gardening
Frugal hobby #2 - cardmaking
Frugal hobby #3 - giftmaking
Frugal hobby #4 - walking foraging
Frugal hobby #5 - getting creative in the kitchen

and raise you ;
Frugal hobby # 6 - starting sewing:eek:

Think I will have to give up work soon I won't have time for it:rotfl: :rotfl:

You mean give up employment, don't you? This lot IS work, I'm already a professional frugalite whilst in training to become a wealthy eccentric. It's funny how your bank balance determines the level of your sanity when it comes to things like lifestyle. :rotfl:

PS: I'll see your six and raise you another one

Frugal hobby #7 - woodwork & DIY (chopping sticks and converting furniture into raised beds for veggie growing). :rotfl:

Brighton_belle

Flicking through new lakeland catelogue which has various 'hampers' - for gardeners, coffee lovers etc I kept thinking, yup, Sophiesmum could do that for a 1/3 of the price , yup, she could do that one too, yup and that one:rotfl: .
Can I ask where you get your cellophane wrap from SM. Lakeland sell it but the postage is 3 times what I would pay for the actual cellophane.
Spent vouchers in M&S today I got for direct line quote and giving unwanted gift to oxfam. Stocked up onsome thermals and thick socks.
Marru - good to hear you on a roll.

Skint_Lynne

sophiesmum wrote: »

These are the pics of last nights sweetie escapades:

made dark choc dipped marzipan leaves for OH





cheated and used asda smartprice marzipan 72p, and 25g of dark choc for dipping. Leaf mould was a plastic insert from last years chocs, and box and paper picked up for pennies in boxing day sales. Total cost less than £1:D

white choc butterfly slab for DD



200g bar asda white choc 98p wrapping and decs from stores. Total cost 98p

dark choc and walnut slab for OH,


2x 100g dark choc bars Home bargains 39p each, walnuts and wraps from stores. Total cost 78p:D

All now residing in veggie drawer of fridge - they never go in there:rotfl:

Oh please sophiesmum tell me where to get the butterfly mould, my wee sisters love butterflies and would be thrilled to get a chocolate butterfly in their christmas stocking.

sophiesmum_2

I bought mine last year in wilkinsons but last week I saw the exact same one in Poundland , they have a teddy bear one too, which i am thinking of going for tomorrow. Choc teddies for Easter anyone???

If you haven't got a poundland let me know I will pick one up and post to you , they are very light as are silicon. i could get you one tomorrow.:D they are a decent size - about 7 inches across - they are really cake moulds.

sophiesmum_2

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Flicking through new lakeland catelogue which has various 'hampers' - for gardeners, coffee lovers etc I kept thinking, yup, Sophiesmum could do that for a 1/3 of the price , yup, she could do that one too, yup and that one:rotfl: .
Can I ask where you get your cellophane wrap from SM. Lakeland sell it but the postage is 3 times what I would pay for the actual cellophane.
Spent vouchers in M&S today I got for direct line quote and giving unwanted gift to oxfam. Stocked up onsome thermals and thick socks.
Marru - good to hear you on a roll.

Sent you PM

sophiesmum_2

Nyk,

Will see your 7 and add another:D

Frugal hobby #1 - gardening
Frugal hobby #2 - cardmaking
Frugal hobby #3 - giftmaking
Frugal hobby #4 - walking foraging
Frugal hobby #5 - getting creative in the kitchen
Frugal hobby # 6 - starting sewing
Frugal hobby # 7 - woodwork/diy
Frugal hobby # 8 - renovating furniture ( still haven't got round to shabby chic 'ing the pine chest of drawers in my bathroom - aka toiletry stockpile storage place:D )

PS - I don't count the bove as work - that is all FUN:j

Skint_Lynne

sophiesmum wrote: »

I bought mine last year in wilkinsons but last week I saw the exact same one in Poundland , they have a teddy bear one too, which i am thinking of going for tomorrow. Choc teddies for Easter anyone???

If you haven't got a poundland let me know I will pick one up and post to you , they are very light as are silicon. i could get you one tomorrow.:D they are a decent size - about 7 inches across - they are really cake moulds.

We've got poundland, and I'll be taking my mum to town tomorrow, (she is going to marks), so there is one straight across the road. if they don't have them, then that would be great if you could pick one up for me. I'll let you know how I get on. I am glad that I have 'met' you, how many good ideas can one person have?:A

You should write a book, '1000 great hints and tips by sophiesmum'. I guarantee, it would be a best seller, I would buy it!!:T :T

forgot to tell you, I got a silicone ice cube tray in tesco tonight, for the stirrers, they are square cubes, but smaller than usual, and I think they will work well. I showed my young sister the ones you made and the boots ones and she was amazed.