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

redglass_2

sophiesmum wrote: »

these single tube unencapsulated ones ( look like a coil) have now been found to emit some kind of radiation which can affect the skin if they re in a reading lamp/bedside lamp etc within a couple of feet of you We have had to remove them to protect the company from anyone making a claim against them in the future. First i had heard of this issue

Well, I am SO glad you posted this, Sophiesmum, as I have one right next to me as I type on the computer! :eek: That's it, I'm going back to ordinary bulbs for my little lamps. BTW what about the ones that look like 3 loops - are they also bad for the skin?

But, irony of ironies...the house isn't quite so dark today as I woke up to find all the trees on the boundary at the side of my house have gone. What a shock! Next door's builders removed them while I was out at work. They weren't mine, but they were so pretty - they were the main view from my kitchen window and I loved looking out at them. Every so often a friendly squirrel would come along. Now all I have to look at is a bald ugly fence, courtesy of same neighbour, because he wants to build at the back and sell the buildings on (his garden is about a hundred times the size of mine). OK, the loss of the trees lets more light in, but that will soon change when the new buildings go up. Now half the charm of the kitchen, and also the garden, has disappeared. Sorry about moaning like this, it has nothing to do with frugalism - or maybe it has, because I believe in relishing life's simple free pleasures, like the soft green light I once enjoyed in my kitchen, and the the way that my house was tucked into a little green nook away from the road, all gone now and I will never enjoy any of it any more.

Penny2myName

I'm giving this house a year, and if I do feel really settled here, then intend planting trees here. have found stumps where there once was trees (person i did exchange with can't like trees, as within weeks they had cut the lilac tree down from my old house, pulled all the honeysuckle down, and pulled up all the flowering bushes. Oh and cut down the hazelnut which was going to produce its fruit for first time this year.

cw18

we had the trees at out last house cut down for three reasons

in reverse order....

3. they blocked the light out of the kitchen and the master bedroom which were north facing, so we always had lights on in them

2. during the summer they soaked up any and all rainfall in the garden, so our "lawn" turned into a dust bath for the children (who were 1 month, 2+, and rising 8 when we moved in)

1. they were faaaar too tall given how close to the house they were (and it was only a small garden), so one strong wind and they've have demolished our sheds or come crashing through not only our roof but also at least one of our neighbours (terraced houses). the roots must have also been very close to playing havoc with the foundations !!!

Frugaldom

Redglass, perhaps you could plant some fruit trees or similar along your side of the fence? You can also get fast growing conifers but you need to top them as I think there are regulations about how high you can let them grow. I'm surprised they got planning permission when the project involved removing trees, unless they were conifers. I'd be really sad about it if there had been squirrels in them - hope they weren't nesting for winter in there

Box has been collected, I now need to work out what to do with the next 60 paperbacks I've just dug out - no point listing them as I don't have the time or inclination to sort all that out before the move and they're just cheap novels. Do I freecycle them? Gumtree them? Shred them? Keep them as winter fuel? Any suggestions gratefuly received.

Janey51

Satellite signal keeps going on and off and my garden is slowly being dismantled by Mother Nature.
I have been out and weighted the remains of the greenhouse down with some bricks.

I have tried out the recipe to make Evap Milk off the Hilbilly website and it's pretty good. Tastes OK. Not exactly Carnation but pretty close.
I can't work out if it's cheaper or not.
A tin of Evap in Mr T's is 54p for 450mls.
This recipe takes 1-11/2 cups (American cups) of dried milk powder to 1 cup of water. You just shake it up and it's ready. That quantity has made half a pint (English half a pint)
Any Maths geniuses out there?

I did have to use up the milk powder as I had some past the use by date so it's no loss if it isn't a saving.

cw18

Afraid I've no idea on the cost without knowing what weight of milk powder is in 1.5 American cups

cornishinfens

Arfnoon' all...

I'm making a biiiig chilli today, then portioning i out and freezing most of it to eat over the next few weeks.

Currently quite cold today, but i have turned the gas heating off i'm making wholemeal bread so the heat from the oven can warm downstairs for me... Tight or what! it works as well as i only have a 2 up 2 down type house.

Janey51

cw18 wrote: »

Afraid I've no idea on the cost without knowing what weight of milk powder is in 1.5 American cups

Good point When I can get myself off my bum again, I will measure some.

Frugaldom

Milk powder has gone up to £1.89 per 450g box for the 'Autumn Meadows' own brand and I'd think that a cup and a half would be about a quarter of a box (ish?), so it sounds cheaper to me, possibly because you aren't paying for the tin.

Marru

Hello all,

What comes to Janey's conundrum (sp?) same here as cw. If I knew how much 1.5 American cups of powdered milk weighs then I could calculate it.

Ok day here. Aiming for NSD weekend. I am actually quite proud of myself. I have fourth log of washing in the mashine, the previous three lots are hanging outside (not exactly sunny day here but so far dry and windy so fingers crossed), have whoopsied chicken in SC with tinned tomatoes and veggies (no, not a free range one unfortunately, getting there slowly but surely) and BM is on as well producing bread for lunches for next week.

Had to put DD to bed as she was getting so completely out of hands and now it is my chance to do some MB. I still have £100 worth free bets unclaimed with one bookie and all I need to do is to get the qualifiers done. Have placed one bet and will soon go and see if I can get more done.

Am getting hungry so better go and do some lunch. On the menu leftover risotto that I have been eating all week hidden in oven omelette.

Catch up later...

Marru