It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

sammy_kaye18

Hi All

HappyTails - hope you haven't been too put off by comments made in here. I've been here a few years now and had my fair share of learning mishaps along the way but the people in this forum are lovely and have your best interests at heart.

As for me - well I will be venturing to town today - have looked through my little stock cupboard and have two bags fo bread flour in there and a box of yeast thats unopened. Being that im in a small flat though is rubbish as i have no space to store anything. Our spare room which I believe was a pantry - bf decided to commondeer for his pushbike/car/motorbike things and ripped all the shelves out - i loved that pantry - it was huge! but no now I am left suffering with a small two shelfed cupboard for any extras that I get which isnt alot of space condiering my kitchen only has 7 cupboards and you can barely fit me, bf and ben in there all at once. 2 cupboards hold plates etc, 2 hold food stuffs, 1 is miscellaneous (i will clean this out again soon), 1 is tupperware and potatoes oh and the storecupboard which also has a steamer in as my saucepans/baking trays etc have to go on top of a cupboard as there is no space for them! Really must reorganise my kitchen.

Have just bagged two under bed storage boxes though from mother in law so hoping this will do for tins/packets of things etc and I will be able to stock up on a few other basics like tinned veg etc as my freezer is tiny! see this fridge freezer and you'll catch my drift
its tiny, and soup takes up alot of it, that and chicken legs/thighs which i tend to use alot - a) they are cheaper b)can be squidged into odd shapes in said freezer.

Have also been told by supervisor in work that condiments for our hot food stand need using by Feb 2009 and we have LOADS of them - they are all little sachets and individual portions - so if we would like any we are free to take them at 20p a box. I mean we have LOTS of boxes and about 1/15 people ever takes one with a food thing - would they go off????? as im thinking a box of ketchup might just fit under my bed and come in handy having a 4 year old and 8 year old and although i only buy the cheapy tesco ketchup (not value the own label) because i mean i buy 2 bottles a month if not 3 occassionally and at £1.09 a turn it adds up to atleast £27 :eek: a year just on ketchup!:eek: :eek:

Have tried my hardest to not use heating - which reminds me - must do meter readings today and ring them in as id hate to have an estimated bill! thankfully though my gas should be in credit of about £147 with what ive been paying so shouldn't be a huge shock. But I have made sure the boys both had a fleece for Xmas each, new PJs etc and have been using hot water bottles to there maximum this year - especially since bf and ben have had this bug. Although I am lucky in teh days now that Ben is normally in school and im normally in work so the heating isn't on too much and the dog is cuddly and warm in the hallway whilst we are out

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

mardatha wrote: »

am just wondering how many "end of the world"s we've had ?!

Too many to remember probably,but I just like to think I'm prepared for the worst of whatever life throws at me.Being brought up by a gran who had to survive the 2nd world war with 4 kids certainly gave me that attitude.
On the other hand I know that being organised is better for my everyday life no matter what happens(or not),so keeping my little store cupboard and supplies of emergency stuff certainly does no harm.

bellaquidsin

Hi SammyKaye good to see you back:hello: Does this mean the poorly puter is fixed now?

It's good to see that apart from lack of space you seem to be keeping your chin up in these tough times.

Bella

mummysaver

Bullet - if your cabbage soup is too watery, then use it as the basis for another soup when you defrost it, just add some more veg and beans - but beware the cabbage and bean effect combined!

D&DD - I've burnt my tum too, and for the same reasons! I keep an aloe vera plant on the kitchen window sill and just snap a bit off and rub it on.

Cheryl - I too keep a jump start thing in the car, my last car used to break down at odd times, and seemingly for no reason! Mine also has a beacon thingy on and a bright light! I keep old jumpers and blankets, water and chocolate in the car too. Another thing I always have in the car glovebox is an old phone, so old that it's too heavy to be carried around and would come in handy if anyone tried to mug me, but it's there as it can be used without a sim card if I needed to call the emergency services and didn't have my normal phone.

Oystercatcher - thanks for the tip about the tea lights, will pop a couple in the car, mustn't forget the matches though!

Kittie - well done on getting the duvets finished! Bet they look lovely now.

Sarah - just a quick tip if you'll be using buses, if you haven't got a baby sling already then ask around or look on freecycle, and once the babe is old enough to sit up then a cheap, light easily, meaning one handed, foldable buggy is a godsend if you're climbing on and off public transport - just the cheapy ones, think they're about £15. All singing, all dancing buggies are fab, but a nightmare to get on and off buses, unless you have the ones that lower themselves!

fletch3163

Good Morning everyone

I've never posted here before, more of a reader than a contributor, though I do THINK about "talking" sometimes.

Anway, my Christmas prsent to myself this year was to read a couple of threads I can never catch up on, start to finish. I've just finished this one:T
Next is Simplifying Life (not the original) and then the Storecupboard Challenge. There's more but I really should pace myself a bit:p

We've talked about a lot of you on this website (husband, son and I) because I'm always telling them of your trials and triumphs (how someone got really good curtains at the charity shop and discovered how cheap they were when getting to the check out, how someone has (had - just read) the most fantastic larder, how someone has a bountiful garden in army quarters, how someone can feed a family on ten bob - ah, you're all quite famous you know. Even my food repertoire has been affected (to the good)

I've had a dreadful cold recently and I've decided to invest in a Neti Pot. Anyway, when I mentioned to DH yesterday he quipped "and which one of your moneysavers recommended THAT?":rotfl: I did read about it here actually so...........

Finally, a while ago, not sure where, I was reading a lot of recommendations for books to read. Can anyone direct me to the thread?

Anyway, will sign off now, just wanted to be a bit more sociable. I don't normally get time to contribute. My downfall on threads I've realised is links!! I'm too nosey to bypass the links:o

[Deleted User]

Oh it is like being in a group with friends, so relaxed and friendly

I have done loads this morning and all in the kitchen, butter beans and chick peas are now in packets in the freezer and I have also packed little pots of chick pea juice, as I normally forget and all the drain water goes down the sink. It is useful for hummus. Butter bean and tomato pie with a cheesy crust (rose elliot) is prepared. Sourdough bread is underway.

Patterns drafted on brown paper for covers for the chef, breadmaker and ice cream maker as I have spare material from making new kitchen curtains (LA in last sale) and I will cut out and sew later in the week

Plus showered, hair washed, tidied bedroom and washed a massive sink of dishes, all while dh walked for the paper and made real coffee (bless him!!!)

I have been looking ages for a new robe similar to the one I have now, the second of 2 I bought from stan herman qvc. I love it as it is a slip on one with a zip and a cosy collar but I need to think of a new one. I have been looking for weeks and doh just realised today that I should have been googling `housecoat`. I have ordered a nice one in velour. Does anyone remember the patterned quilted ones from the old days?

exlibris

For people with budgeting from bulk problems you could try selling them back to yourself. I did this many years ago.

I invested in a sack of potatoes and bagged them into 5lb bags and stored them in the garage. When I needed potatoes I went to the garage shop and 'bought' a bag of potatoes and put the money into a box. When all the bags of potatoes had gone I had enough to buy another bag and a bit of profit. This I put towards another bulk purchase and did the same.

It was a bit anal but I felt quite good at having the money ready for a relatively expensive bulk purchase!

cw18

Back to First Aid kits if people don't mind me picking their brains.....

After the chat on here I was ashamed at how much I've let mine run down and disappear over the years, so I picked up a few bits this morning to start building it back up (I was in a cheap discount shop).

At the moment I only 'officially' need to stock up for myself and my 17 year-old son (and visits home by 19 year-old son), but also have my grand-daughters (3.5 & 5) around school during term time -- so I guess I need stuff in for them too (DD would be quite happy for me to "dose" them if I felt it necessary, as she knows I only tend to use medications as a last resort -- but I would try and contact her to check, especially in the mornings, just in case she'd given them anything and forgotten to tell me).

I picked up a couple of types of bandages (one thing elder DS is regularly on the scrounge for), some fabric plasters (assorted size box), fabric plaster strip, fabric strapping roll, micropore roll, Witch Hazel, antispectic cream, chesty cough medicine (adult only), hot lemon powders, and a couple of boxes of individual sachets of kids paracetamol (worked out cheaper than a bottle, no risk of how long to keep once opened, and the bbe date is September 2010)

I have cotton wool, paracetamol, ibuprofen, codeine and anti-histamine in the house already.

I know I need to find some safety pins for the bandages....

The other thing I saw that I always used to have was Bonjela, but that was no cheaper then in a chemist -- and they were out of stock of the unbranded one -- so I'll keep my eyes peeled for that.

But what else (if anything) do people keep in their kits?

Reverbe

bullet wrote: »

Reverbe, could you have a look and see if there are any houseshares near you that you could move into? You'd probably still need to pay a deposit, but your rent would be less than in your own place and you'd have more chance of getting what you're entitled to in terms of benefits. Plus more privacy.
.

Thanks but I looked into this when I was last earning . I was just about to sign up to one but they wanted me to commit to at least 6 months and I could not guarantee that I would still have a job then. This was about a week before I was told of the impending redundancy. I have looked into this many times over the years and you have to be earning at least £16k to be able to afford to even share which I have never done nor earnt regularly at a lower rate for a long enough period of time.

cw18

But if you're out of work you'd be entitled to Local Housing Allowance. As long as the place you move into doesn't cost you more than you'd be entitled to on that, then you won't have a problem.....

And 6 months is the standard minimum rental. Any less than that and it's not cost justifiable as they have to do paperwork associated with the lease.