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

sophiesmum_2

Good evening frunchkins:D
Just spent a couple of hours doing a stocktake of my storecupboards and freezers. I am amazed at how much food is still there. My freezers are full of lovely home made batch cooking, susages, burgers, pies, crumbles, soups, and home grown veggies, and foraged fruit:D , my cupboards are still loaded with stuff too. I hardly need anything, only UHT milk, sugar, syrup, and a few tins of sweetcorn and I could last another 6 months - seriously:D

To anyone who thinks they don't have room to stockpile most of mine is in this floor to ceiling cupboard in the hallway:



when it is open it looks like this:



OH says we could feed the whole street if there was a crisis - he is probably right too:o
If anyone wants a proper nosey I can post some pictures of whats on the shelves but didn't want ti fill the thread up with pics if no one is interested.

purplevamp

After a lot of thought I have decided to join this challenge (nykmedia - I have pm'd you ). I will be (hopefully) living on £4,000 + child benefit. There's 5 in our household so it will be a challenge!

I'll start properly in January but will be having a dummy run until then. If I don't join now I'll forget to later

cw18

and DH complains that I'm bad for stockpiling !!! At least I only have 27 loo rolls -- plus 3 in the bathroom and 3 in the cloakroom waiting to go onto the holder, and one on each holder :rotfl:

sophiesmum_2

cw18 wrote: »

and DH complains that I'm bad for stockpiling !!! At least I only have 27 loo rolls -- plus 3 in the bathroom and 3 in the cloakroom waiting to go onto the holder, and one on each holder :rotfl:

Mmmm toilet rolls........ I am down to the last 48, plus two in bathroom:o I hve palpitations if it gets below about a dozen:eek:

cw18

:rotfl:

I ran out more than once when the kids were little (and have done so again since), but as long as I have kitchen roll and/or tissues in the house I have to confess I don't tend to panic.....

It's when I get the last turn of the roll and know there's nothing left in the house, and all the shops are shut for another 10 hours. Then it becomes a headache, and I'll have to go in search of a neighbour who still has a light on -- as this hopefully means they're still up and can lend me one. And then the palpitations start

yep! been there done that

Janey51

What is going on ? I have lost another 2 posts :mad:

sophiesmum It makes my heart glad to see such tidiness. I love tidiness and order but I swear little Gremlins live in my freezer and throw everything about when the lid closes

Freecycle The people who have contacted me have been very deserving so I haven't had any problem letting stuff go to them. It has been first come first served. I did put a fridge freezer in the paper to sell for £35 but I saw an advert from someone desperate for one for his daughter and her 2 yr old so I gave it to them. Had loads of enquiries to buy it but it made me feel good to have let him have it.

Hi purplevamp nice to have another frugaller on board. Wear a crash helmet because, unless you're Nyk, you'll bounce on and off the wagon.

cw toilet rolls are one thing I need to have loads and loads of in store. People may laugh but they will be grateful one day when they have to go back to newspaper

Mum's Memory of the Day
Mum traced our family tree. This was before microfiche and the internet. We used to spend hours sitting in dusty record offices reading massive leather bound church record books. And taking photos of gravestones...which we had to scrub clean first. Mum found out that one of her ancestors was a captain of a whaling ship. Her Grandmother was Dutch and her Great Aunt was married to a Dane so I have family all over Europe. Mum was given a copy of a letter written by an old aunt in 1917 who was on holiday in Gloucestershire. It describes country life and never even mentions the war which would have been in full swing.
After gathering all this info, Mum then typed it all up on her typewriter at work ....loads of free time

sophiesmum_2

Janey - when the gremlins leave your freezer I think they teleport into my baking cupboard in the kitchen. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I am the only one who bakes yet whenever I go in there it is upside down

When you have written a few more of your mum's memories it would be lovely if you had them made into a little book for her, like the ones you can get done at photo shops where you have a photo and then a little bit of writing underneath. I think your mum would love to have it too. Maybe an idea for xmas?

Janey51

sophiesmum if my Mum is even speaking to me at Christmas it will be a bonus! I am taking my life in my hands and going to see her again today. My bullet proof vest is ready to be strapped on.

sophiesmum_2

:kisses3: Sending you some hugs Janey, hope the situation starts to improve soon. Don't forget we are here when you want to have a moan about it.

trex170104

Morning All

Sophiesmum: loving your cupboards all neat and tidy - when I was on maternity leave all of my cupboards lokked like that now 11 months [almost 12 - 1st bday sunday woohoo!!] the gremlins are definitely permanent residents in my cupboards, although this challenege has got me tidying to make sure don't miss anything good and spend unneccesary money.

Janey: that is definitely my fave mum memory yet I am a history freak and love any sort of personal history, it must feel really special to know that much about your own family's past. Do you have brothers/sisters/children [sorry if this has already been mentioned on post I must've missed it] cos the idea of a memory book would be a lovely pressie for them for xmas even if it would not be suitable for your mum.

I wanted to ask another question - well 2 actually, sorry if I'm being a pain with all my questions I just want to do this challenge the best I can. Firstly, last week I measured my gas and elec on imeasure and I was v pleased with the elec, only £6.36 and it was only the first week I'd been trying to save so I'm sure I can do better next week. However, my gas was £10.67, now we cook with elec, so as far as I'm aware it's on heating and water that are affected by gas - am I missing anything or do I just have to be more frugal with these two things?

Secondly, we had a decent little vege patch this summer but want to have an even better one next year, when can we start growing again and what do people reccomend we plant first?