It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

ceridwen

ginnyknit wrote: »

Maybe I will buy a van and fill it with growing gear and drive round the Uk setting people up with veggie plots - hey thats a good business idea :T I see a gap in the market.

Well - actually yes..you might have spotted the proverbial "gap in the market".:)

I was personally quite surprised recently when some friends were studying my tiny little garden and commenting very approvingly on just how much foodgrowing I had managed to cram into it and how well everything is doing - and then asked whether I had had some "expert" in to tell me what to do/help set it up. My reply was "No - actually. I just read an awful lot of books about it and changed and re-changed my plans a lot of times.":D

So - I think a lot of people do wonder a bit about the "mechanics" of how-to set up a productive foodgrowing garden with maximum usage of available space.

Mum_on_a_mission_2

AnnieG wrote: »

Scary stuff, isn't it? I shall be planting some carrots and beans tomorrow, to add to the few bits I already have growing. I'm newly unemployed and although I'm ready for the challenge of living on income support, I'm actually scared stiff that we're going to be really, really poor and will have to go and move in with my mum or something. So, Im going to start stockpiling what I can... oats, pasta, pulses etc. I'm currently running the freezer down so that I can defrost it and then have a mega batch cooking day. I think the worst thing for me is knowing that I might have to restrict DS's extra curricular stuff, he currently does football, cricket, cubs and drum lessons, and there's no way I'll be able to afford all those as well as feeding and clothing us both.
Still..... if I'm not going to work it'll mean I don't need to buy any more work clothes!!

Many afterschool things for children will consider lower/reduced fees if you are unwaged - worth asking?

sammy_kaye18

ceridwen wrote: »

:eek: Well - I fear you are right and hope you are wrong. One has to do all sorts of ensuring everything is safely locked away/possessions are kept close at hand as it is - the thought of having to redouble efforts to keep things safe would be worrying.

I suppose it's one way to find out who your friends are - ie the ones who wouldn't dream of stealing from anyone no matter how hard-up they were (but you would, of course, help them out if you could).

Am having this situation with family at the minute - it always gets down to the last week of the month and we are all skint, my sister is a brand name freak so spends £200+ on food for her and her 5 year old daughter and then when she runs out insists on raiding my mothers fridges/cupboards etc because she has nothing in the house. Hence me baking / cooking something for my mum every time she visits for her to either eat whilst she's here and then extra portions for her to take home with her. I also get reduced items from the coop for her - even if its bags of fresh rolls or loaves that are reduced down to 25p.

My mother in law and myself tend to swap a lot too - or if we have bogof deals we tend to give each other the freebie one so it keeps us going through the last week.

Have found out on Saturday that I will be getting £180 every two weeks in maternity allowance and I am due arrears of £129 within the next few days and my last lot of wages - I have a 2 bills to pay though so will be using £85 of the arrears to pay them and then the other £45 will be a shop for us to stock up on basics. Might actually spend today rearranging under my bed/the airing cupboard and the kitchen cupboard to make suitable storing space - still on the lookout for some good Tupperware tubs though or tins to store dried/baked goodies.

Plus I am on a countdown now for getting things done as I only have 17 days until my pink bumps due date. :j

Wee_Jo

ginnyknit wrote: »

Hope no one minds me adding a bit of fun its just a reaction to the scariness of it all. Maybe I will buy a van and fill it with growing gear and drive round the Uk setting people up with veggie plots - hey thats a good business idea :T I see a gap in the market.

We don't have a garden, Ginnyknit - what do you recommend for a 1 bed flat with some hall space and a few window sills?? I would LOVE to grow my own veg (or fruit) if possible. Or are we beyond help??

mardatha

Waiting for ginny- but if I can grow gorgeous windowsill tomatoes 1000ft up on a bleak Scottish moor then anybody can !

Wee_Jo

mardatha wrote: »

Waiting for ginny- but if I can grow gorgeous windowsill tomatoes 1000ft up on a bleak Scottish moor then anybody can !

Thanks Mardatha, you are probably way more green fingered than me though!!!!

mardatha

Plant them.
Water them daily.
Leave them alone.
LOL and pray for sun !

Wee_Jo

Hmmm, saw this on BBC News this morning:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10305906.stm

Thoughts?

Optimisticpair

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Hmmmm...................if there is a definite list then I'll be up for reporting back on if the SP or Value items are available in my local tesco too - that way you can get the welsh contingencies report as well!

Yeah, I'm up for it. Info shared is power in our hands.
We have a C0-0p and Sainsbries in town which I can report on so there will be a West Wales contingent to compare with.

I use Ald!, Tesc0 and Wilko which are further away.

Where's the thread?

The_Thrilla

ceridwen wrote: »

So - which country/countries do you think they might take Britain to war WITH? - and what would be the ostensible "reason" for it this time?

It is not that Britain itself is squaring up to anyone. I am more concerned about the USA squaring up to Iran. If that kicks off, Britain will be tagging along, even though this country really doesn't have many issues with the Iranians. I have been listening to a few American phone-in programmes, and some of the rednecks that phone in are very ignorant and quite frightening. I have encountered a few myself, including the one who wanted to get back at the Iranians for the Tehran US embassy incident which he said happened in 1976!