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

Brighton_belle

redglass, what's washing soda?

mk_wotsit

Did the weekly shop at the German place today. I usually go to Mr T as it's a couple of miles closer but I've saved so much money today that I vow to go to 'A' every week from now on. It's well worth scrabbling round for a pound coin and a couple of miles extra petrol!

Have made a flan for dinner cos I didn't want to throw away that half a carton of cream that's been lurking in the fridge all week. Did some mince pies too as the oven was on.

Looking forward to the challenge next year and am enjoying practicing now.

I'm a notebook person too....excel looks scary and I haven't a clue how you use it!

cw18

Brighton_belle wrote: »

redglass, what's washing soda?

I assume she means something like this?



Mr T, 68p for a 1kg bag

I've started using soapnuts in my w/machine, or using less powder for really mucky stuff, and I lob a heaped spoonful of this in with whichever. Everything seems to come out much cleaner (and I believe it's supposed to help the innards of your machine as well )

Marru

Hello all,

Really tired and can't wait to get DD to bed, thought I almost made it but then she decided she was hungry so now she is picking her pasta and watching her videos.

So just couple of things:

Chrstmas eve shopping: I will go to my local big Mr T at midday/lunch time as then they start reducing and lots of people will fill their trollies with reduced meat and bread so little bit later and all of it is gone.

Spreadsheets: HERE is easy exercises suitable for all levels. I always wish I had time to sit and do all of the advanced stuff.

Byeeeee....

Frugaldom

:beer: CW I'm a soapnut convert, too. I bought a £4 bag and it's lasted me all year after finishing off most of my stockpile of liquid detergent from 2007 challenge. Right now (Janey, you'll be so proud!), I'm using brand name powder that had been left (for the bin?) when we moved in here last month! :rotfl: I tried the sachets of fabric softener that I got in free samples, but wasn't particularly impressed. I'll order another bag of soap nuts for 2009, as I prefer not to run too many chemical concoctions into the septic tank. I also use washing soda (I love washing soda!), vinegar and sometimes a couple of drops of essential oil just to make it smell nice. (The B0dy Sh0p had a free giveaway offer on during one of their sales )

I did the sink U-bend whilst plumbing in the washing machine a fortnight ago, just dismantled it, flushed it through (with a bucket underneath, this time! :rotfl: ) and then rejigged the fittings to add in the washing machine.

The new house is beginning to feel more like home now; with the cooker being wired in this morning, the house now smells of freshly baked biscuits, first batch I have baked since we moved! I decided on oats with raisins, cinnamon and mixed spice, made 2 trays and have the excess dough in the fridge. And I'm still over the moon about my new 'toy' for programming the timing for the hot water heater and auto-timing daytime boost. How mad is that?

Washing Soda, I'm back to that again... I have used this stuff for almost everything from cleaning floors to washing clothes to washing dishes to using as a 'footbath' for a horse with an abscess in its hoof to inducing err... 'involuntary, spontaneous regurgitation' in a dog (it ate something it shouldn't have) - the stuff is magic and a 'must-have' in every home. :rotfl: So, too, is it's baby brother, baking soda or bicarbonate of soda. One word of caution, never to be confused with caustic soda, their nasty big cousin.

skint_chick

nyk do soapnuts work as well as detergent? My OH is allergic to a lot of washing powders apart from the most expensive one of course - so i thought i might try a bag - how many washes a week would you do for a bag to last a year??

kerron7

Evening All,

Spent quite a bit today but did get some bargins especially in A@da, Hannah Montana & disney princess stationery sets £1, card making set £1, Bratz activity set £1, pen & pencil in a leather pouch £1 most gift things were all a £1 so spent £16 should have been about £60. Will use a few for xmas presents but most will be for b'days next year. Also brought some Thorntons chocs, window stickers, HSM socks, mini colouring set, leggings for dd, stampers, 3 x pencil set with rubbers & pk of 8 boys socks for £11.69 from [EMAIL="W@@lworths"]W@@lworths[/EMAIL]. Have finally got enough PB points so have ordered a Leisure Voucher its only taken me a year ha ha.

Will try a NSD tomorrow.

Heating is now off although it is starting to drop a bit cold so i think its off to bed to watch TV in bed.

Have a nice evening all.

K xx

K xx

grandma247

Nykmedia well done on the seedlings.
Also congratulations on getting your electrics sorted. It's amazing how these things suddenly seem so important once you start frugalizing.


Marru thanks for that link i will have a proper look during the holiday when I get some peace.

Frugaldom

Skint_chick, this is quoted from the website where I bought mine:

"Soapnuts are amazingly economical at just
£7.00 for 500 grams including p+p
producing up to an astounding 300 washes
and £4.00 for 200 grams including p+p
for up to 150 washes
(figures based on using 6 half shells 4 times)"

I bought the 200g bag, as I usually do at least 2 or 3 washes per week. I add a couple of drops of essential oils to the fabric softener section of the machine now and again, as the soapnuts have a funny smell to them - washing is always fine, though. I haven't tried them on a really hot wash for really middy, greasy or oily clothes. I say give them a go and, at worst, you'll have only lost 75p, as that's all it costs for the postage to receive a sample.
Website I used is http://www.inasoapnutshell.com/ which I shall also add to the 'handy links' section of the new thread.

sophiesmum_2

Re the washing clothes issue:
When I ordered my remoska in Sept I got a free gift of one of the lakeland washballs. It gets used for laundry daily and so far has tackled everything except DD's mucky stable clothes which get 1 laundry tablet and tablespoon of soda - one wash a week. OH was so impressed( laundry is his job) he bought another lot when we went to lakes in November, for when this finally runs out - still going strong yet:D and over the 100 washes.

These are the ones he uses:
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/wash-it-laundry-ball/F/keyword/washballs/product/5718

He occasionally has to rub a mucky collar with the stain stick before washing and does not overstuff the machine to allow the ball to move round properly in wash but is well impressed with it.He does 2 loads of washing a day minimum.
The soda crystals are 54p in asda for 1kg bag.