It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

mother_noah

ceridwen wrote: »

....errrr....and I've just added to my collection of reference books courtesy of this thread. I'll blame you lot then when I get 2 Shirley Goode cookbooks turning up then courtesy of Amazon

You wont regret getting them honest !:D

moanymoany

Jue'sDD wrote: »

Where did you get these from initially and do they work as well?

Thanks for all the stories guys, very encouraging! :T

There are lots of patterns on the web - especially US fundamentalist sites.

Basically use the required strength/size ST you usually use as a pattern.

Use soft flanalette and cut out one shape. Hem the wings and put some fastening e.g. velcro to go under the pants crotch.

Make a 'pocket' for the inner with another bit of flannel, you can use plastic on the bottom for protection.

For the inner towelling pads can be used with varying thicknesses.


This is what I can remember.

A few sites

http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna/mothers/clothpads.html

how to make them

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sanitarypads.htm

moanymoany

Years ago there was a very frugal couple who appeared on breakfast and 'chat' shows. They said what they did and how much they saved. They were laughed at and treated as freaks - and oh. how I had listened more carefully!

I now think that they had got hold of a Tightwad Gazette. Some of the things they did:

Re-use large brown envelopes in a cardboard box as a filing system

Use soap as shampoo

I wish I could find some reference to them but I can't! I have seen a presenter who admitted she was frugal - in the past six months. She was laughed at by the others - as if you only did this if you were hard up. She laughed back and told them how much she was saving each month compared to what she used to spend - it was a lot!

I loved your poste apple-mint. It is hearwarming to hear such success stories. I make my own bread and my 2nd hand Kenwood has paid for itself many times over. I use thriftlady's no knead method.

Burp keep your spirits up. There are ways to get over things and if you read mbaz's thread on living on £20 a month, you will get some inspiration.

Glad

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

Hi Guys!

We are now debt free:D



Our food budget has been increased to cover the food inflation and to buy better quality food etc as we no longer pay any money towards debt. It is still low I suppose at £75pw but this includes food and diesel. We now only buy FR eggs and are buying better quality meat.
I buy free range eggs from farm shops, they are much cheaper than supermarket and more local

More named items like my Clinique products and hair styling products I buy from Ebay using only money in Paypal from items I have sold. This is something we did a couple of years ago. All proceeds from sales are used to reinvest in items we need but may not have the budget for normally IYSWIM.
I have lots of things I could put on ebay and I'm going to try and do some today, I've only ever sold an odd item before, will I have to declare this as income and pay tax and is that a lot of hassle? does it affect your benefits?

HOTDEALS saves us soooo much money. I view the website daily and take advantage of any mispriced items online and any stupid cheap offers. I honestly must save hundreds each year doing this. I also buy on behalf of friends like a personal shopper as they dont have as much time as me.
I love hotdeals too I try to only buy things I need

We found an excellent designer shopping discount outlet which is the best ive been to in the UK (not wuite as good as the USA but close!) and we visit there twice a year and buy clothes, shoes,trainers, household item etc if we need them. I normally get a £9 travelodge room and we stay overnight. Last time we went, we saved over £300 and only spent about £140 if I remember right.
which outlet is it? please share, sounds like it would be worth a trip

Mealplanning is stuck to most of the time, so this saves money and energy.
I do notice that on the weeks I do a meal plan we spend less and seem to eat better


Take adavntage of supermarkets doing 5p off a litre if we need to do a big shop.

I always try to get these petrol vouchers as we spend around £70 a week on deisel, if I can't make the shopping up to £50 I stock up on pet food as that always gets used

Quidco for everything. I have been given over £250 this year alone.
never remember to do this, again does that £250 income affect benefits or tax?

Rang Sky and bartared (sp) with them. OH now has HD with everything but sports for £40 a month for 12 months and they gave us the box for free which would normally be £149. I know this isnt saving money, but we dont go out much anymore...only to friends really or the hospital and Im up through the night alot, so this is our entertainment. We dont smoke and I dont drink.
you did well there we've had to cut half our channels this year due to cost

Our friends go to France twice a year and USA so they buy us crates of 6 bottles of Chenet for under £1 a bottle. Each time they go they get us 6 each of Red, White and Rose....so for 18 bottles of good quality wine it costs us £18 and these are great to put away for Xmas/birthdays etc, take to someones house for a pressie or as a small gift in a bottle bag. When they go to the USA they get OH his Black Label which is £15 instead of £30. They also buy perfume if I need any or aftershave that can be bought much cheaper at duty free.
I must admit that when we've been away this year the prices in duty free are much the same as discount stores in the UK probably due to the pound/euro so we haven't benefited from this as much as in the past

TC

PP
xx

you have done really well to become debt free and your post has really made me think :T
we have 2 good incomes but now DD and DS are 15 and 16 it's like supporting 4 adults!! everything they need costs so much and the food bills are double what they were a few years ago, we seem to have very little left at the end of the month

grannytwice

Hi moany moany, I think i remember the couple you were mentioning, i think they were called john and irma Mustoe, i wonder if they are still living a frugal lifestyle, they produced a newsletter called the penny pincher, you never know maybe they read this site now, i think there was a book as well it would be interesting to know what they are doing now..........

mardatha

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/09/12/nosplit/fttips112.xml

this is the Mustoe's book I think.

Bargain_Rzl

Glad - I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong on this.

If you were buying items with the sole purpose of flogging them on ebay for a profit, that would be seen as a business, and the tax-man/benefits people would be down like a ton of bricks. But I think selling on ebay is ok/tax free/doesn't affect benefits if you're selling your own genuine unwanted/finished-with goods.

I think.

Caterina

Hi all

There is a whole LOOOONNNNGGGGG thread on MSE about washable sanitary protection, here it is (sorry can't do fancy link):

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=326445&highlight=washable+sanitary

HTH

Love to all

Caterina

Glad

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

Glad - I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong on this.

If you were buying items with the sole purpose of flogging them on ebay for a profit, that would be seen as a business, and the tax-man/benefits people would be down like a ton of bricks. But I think selling on ebay is ok/tax free/doesn't affect benefits if you're selling your own genuine unwanted/finished-with goods.

I think.

thank you BR

I just want to sell some unwanted things to raise a but of cash for xmas and to have a clearout

so as long as I'm not buying things to sell on I'm ok
does that include selling things received free due to being on benefits too?

Bargain_Rzl

Glad wrote: »

thank you BR

I just want to sell some unwanted things to raise a but of cash for xmas and to have a clearout

so as long as I'm not buying things to sell on I'm ok
does that include selling things received free due to being on benefits too?

Not a clue. I would imagine that anything you own, whether you received it for free or not, is classed as a possession and OK to sell (though you might consider there are moral issues with this). I'd suggest if you have a specific question about what might or might not be OK, you should ask on the Ebay board - they'll know much more than I do