It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

mypet62

Hi all We already take packed lunchs to work have done for years, so no savings there . However we have made the following changes :-

1) brought cheap energy saving bulbs 5 for 40p at Mr T last Sept (even thou OH hates them!) plus had 4 free from BG.
2) Instead of saving stamps for christmas we are putting £5 away a month in a savings account to help towards the food shop plus £10 towards the prssie shop. Will add more when circumstances allow.
3) Using our caravan more to get the full value, cooking more meals in van as well.
4) Taking a snack ie cearal bar from multi pack with us so that if we treat ourselves to a coffee/tea out we do not have to fork out for the cakes etc. Not that we have many cuppas out but we all deserve a treat now and then.
5) Promise to visit the best before shop in next ''village'' at least once a month too stock up on reduced priced goodies.
6) to make more use of freezer/cupboard contents.
:j :j :j :j :j

trish123

We have cut back on takeaways from 1 a week to 1 a month.Also have cut back on biscuits instead making batches of cakes.

ceridwen

I've been debating the best things to grow "guerilla fashion" and am veering towards sunflowers, comfrey and nettles myself - doubt anyone else would touch them. Have been thinking about potatoes and not quite sure about that one - but in the right circumstances this is a possibility too. Am planning on getting going with growing a few potatoes out in my teensy bit of back garden - and took due note that its apparently not necessary to buy specific seed potatoes. In fact I read comments about only using the sprouty bit of standard shop-bought potatoes - rather than using the whole potato - and am planning on doing that.

Don't think anyone will ever use the phrase "tight as a ducks !!!" about me somehow....but at this rate yer never knows:D

beautiful_ravens

It always confusues me - Organic veg: Veg the way it should be = luxury expensive items.
GM veg - unnatural = cheap.
WHY?!!

We have cut back on everything - less car journeys, no more school dinners, baking instead of chocolate biscuits, no more ready made foods, less sweets for the kids, bulk buys of dog food/potatoes, more casseroles, home made wine, smaller meal portions and bread served with every meal...just generally more eeking out of all ingredients in the cupboards!!

fletch3163

I watch with envy all those people who can forage for food or the freegans who can apply themselves. Here in Scotland I've tried to find things for nothing but there's absolutely no sign of a free tree or fruit bush. I can get brambles aplenty but one fateful day I ate too many with DS and I can't face them again, don't know why:o

As far as freeganism goes, I'd LOVE to do it but my 11 year old is reading over my shoulder right now and he'd HATE it if I did this. The M&S stores, etc have locks on their dumpsters would you believe? Spoilsports.

Anyway, Guerilla Gardening is the way to go. It might cost me a bit but the fun of the forage, albeit pre meditated, is exciting.

sunflower76

ceridwen wrote: »

its apparently not necessary to buy specific seed potatoes. In fact I read comments about only using the sprouty bit of standard shop-bought potatoes - rather than using the whole potato - and am planning on doing that.

I've never tried to use just the spouts but reguarly use a bag of cheap spuds from Aldi or Lidl etc to start my potato plants. Save up some egg boxes and the go and buy a bag of spuds (small, golf ball sized ones are best) and then put a spud into each egg cup in the egg boxes. Store them somewhere dark and warm and within a week or so they should have sprouted. You can then plant them out. If you're doing it in a container then a dustbin is ideal; plant them right at the bottom in just a few inches of compost and as they grow shoots you need to keep topping it up with more compost. this will mean that they grow more roots and more potatoes. When you get to the top of the bin it's usually time for them to start to die off anyway and the leaves and stems will die back. This is time to harvest your crop.

Sorry if I'm preaching to the converted and you already know about growing them; gardening is my passion although I don't get to spend as much time doing it as I like. One of my 2009 resolutions is to make the time to make my allotment more profitable. I don;t mean in terms of selling my produce but I guess I only break even in terms of the goodies I get from it at the moment.

stewy27

fletch3163 wrote: »

I completely agree with this. I used to buy the Asda Smart Price bacon offcuts to make what I considered to be the cheapest and tastiest soup in the land, lentil and bacon. It's still tasty but cheap? No way. I used to buy the bacon bits for under a quid and now they're up to about £1.20 or similar. Shocking.

QUOTE]

I actually made this for dinner tonight for the first time and it was yummy.

I've been lurking on this part of the forum for a few months now and it has definitely inspired me to change and I would have to say the thing we have cut back on is gas and electric, following tips from everyone on here I have got our combined bill down from £106 a month to £56 a month and hopefully I can get it down again... rather have the money in my pocket than in the big companies greedy hands.

So at this point I should say a big THANKYOU to all you OS :beer:

sunflower76

fletch3163 wrote: »

Kidcat I too suffer from a DH who hates my efforts. He's constantly complaining.

I have one of these too. He's learning, but it's a slow process. He wants a new TV but like I keep telling him, if it isn't going to get used (we don't watch much TV) and thesere's nothing wrong with the old one then it's TOUGH!

I have now drummed into him the fact that things need to be switched off. My aim is to be mortgage free in 7 years so that I can give up work, reproduce, and then be a SAHM and the only way I can do it is to be OS right now.

There are two reasons for him not being OS. One, he's lazy and would rather buy something than make an effort to do something. Fuel, for instance. Why buy in coal or use the CH when we can get free wood is my arguement. The second reason is because he doesn't really understand how this money thing works. I bet he couldn't tell you how much gets paid into his bank every month in wages or what our mortgage or bill payments are as he just isn't interested. The faries sort everything round here!;)

Bogof_Babe

I noticed today that Sainsbury's Basics tinned custard has gone from 18p to 25p, which is a 40% increase :eek: .

I got some sachets of "just add boiling water" custard powder for 7p each, and in future I will make up one of those and let it go cold when I want cold custard!

Peartree

Personally, I'm giving up the BBC news website, watching the news and looking at newspapers. I think the difference between this downturn and those we've had before is the endless coverage of it now that we have 24 hour news channels and the internet and are bombarded from all sides with how bad it is and speculating on how much worse it is going to be. Is it mean to suggest they actually seem to be enjoying it - the BBC have even had a special new logo designed for it all!

I'm not trying to be facetious, and I do sympathise wholeheartedly with people who are affected by what are clearly difficult times. But I do think that the media talking everything down are making things worse and even frightening people.

At this point (yes, I know if I lose my job I know it will be different) I'm not really doing anything different - because of the downturn. However, for some time I had been changing my ways because it was the RIGHT thing to do as people on this particular forum have expressed many times. The levels of consumerism, overindulgence and waste were just plain wrong, impending downturn or otherwise!

A friend of mine went on a trip through Mongolia and came back saying that each of us in this country had already won the lottery just by being born here and that's still true, downturn or no downturn.

Gosh, that is sounding a bit like a rant. Better go and lie down!