It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

zarazara

I've started doing lots of home baking and preserves,also veg and friut growing. I try to barter things too,rather than visit the shops,and i go to charity shops in the first instance instead of high street stores.

ginnyknit

Just had a phone call from a friend who had been on the United Utilities website (water board) and apparently if you have a blue badge or registered disabled you can use you hosepipe despite the ban! think I will still save as much water as possible and only use the pipe in emergencies. Strange fact of the day!

BigMummaF

mardatha wrote: »

....water & sewage. It has been frozen for 2-3 years here.

Ye Gods Wummin :eek: You were not exaggerating about the low temperatures--that's positively cyrogenetical proportion

Tregemred wrote: »

....have 5 water butts....

Half your luck We're mid-terrace with no down pipes, other than a drinking straw from the flat roofed porch that goes over the neighbours front garden. Plus both sets of neighbours have put up fencing out back & I'm not sure I can fix anything--hanging basket, water collecting device, etc--on 'my' side. Even our shed is a flattie & possibly asbestos roof too

Thats_me wrote: »

....looking at it like a challenge, not a problem! These threads are an absolute life line. Thanks to all for contributing.

98.9% of the time, I'm a 'half glass full' & honestly believe it has been that mentality that has helped get me & mine through times of true adversity. Also have to second the vote of thanks for Old Style support & genuine desire to share & pass on knowledge; I've incorporated so many hints & tips that have enriched our lives beyond monetary terms & for that, I Thank You :T

Gigervamp

charlies-aunt wrote: »

We have a cesspit too...keeping it happy and cooking is essential to saving on tank emptying.

Hope I'm not trying to teach Granny how to suck eggs on this but a few little things make a big difference

First and foremost - use as little bleach, antibacterial wash powder/washing up liquid as possible ...and chuck away the loo-bloo...they kill the natural bacteria that eats the contents of your tank.

Use cheapo recycled loo roll and use the minimum - the coloured, thick stuff is hard for said bacteria to digest and breakdown.

We have used a commercial additive that puts lots of friendly bacteria into the tank - worked brilliantly and lasts for years. If you do homebrew- flush all the old yeast residue down the loo as it will feed the stuff in the tank

If you lift the lid and it just smells a bit musty - its working ...if it smells 'orrible, it need TLC :A

I thought that was for a septic tank rather than a cess pit, as a septic tank allows the liquid to drain off slowly, hence not needing to empty it very often, whereas a cess pit just stores the waste until it's full.

Mind you, I don't use bleach very often and don't use toilet blocks/cleaners or anti-bac stuff anyway.

Ah yes, just did a quick google and saw this:

Cesspit:

A sealed underground tank that simply captures and holds sewage from the property. It does not process, digest or reduce the sewage in any away. It therefore fills up rapidly and needs emptying often — typically at monthly intervals.
Septic tank:

Unlike a cesspool, a septic tank processes sewage by settling out and partially digesting the settled sewage using natural biological processes. It also discharges a liquid effluent into a soakaway system specially created for that purpose. As a result, it needs emptying much less often – typically once a year.

elizabunny

Crikey! I go AWOL for a couple of weeks and there's 20 pages of posts. Have just started reading thru them. ((Hugs)) for everyone struggling and worried, I think this is only just the beginning. I notice the rising prices of 'basics' and think we are all in for a rough ride. I am relying more and more on my veggie crops to keep us going and will definately try to keep growing thru the winter.

Long story which I won't bore you with, but we have managed to aquire a bunny in addition to our 2 dogs. Probably not very clever given the economic situation. However, I have researched the upkeep of bunnies considerably over the last couple of weeks and I found that their droppings (sorry to be so graphic) make great compost for the garden and because it is not a 'hot' compost I believe you can put it straight onto the land. How brilliant is that!! Free compost! The vet has advised us that we should only feed him on Hay and Herbs and there's no need for loads of those prepacked pricey nuggets. I grow all my own herbs so that will work out well, and I've even found a site that will sell me Hay/grass seed if I want to grow my own. This is great, bunny gets to eat organically and quite cheaply, food which is very good for him and we get to be rewarded with FREE compost and there's not much in life that is free. Sorry for the light-hearted banter and a bit off topic but quite interesting I think and we all need a little diversion amidst all the gloom.

Re: water rates I believe ours are around £470 a year, this is unmetered.

ginnyknit

Thats a good idea with the bunny, and feeding it only herbs and hay means there are no seeds mixed in from leftover feed that will grow in you veggie patch. Mine have a small amount of rabbit feed (bought cheaply by the sack) then bits and bobs of veg and never need a vet, they die of very old age - even though some of them have been rescued from silly owners. One was kept in a bread tray under a bed!

mardatha

We need a thread on the greenfingered forum to teach us how to grow winter veg as well as the more usual salad stuff that we're all doing. I want to do turnips.

elizabunny

ginnyknit wrote: »

- even though some of them have been rescued from silly owners. One was kept in a bread tray under a bed!

:eek::eek::eek: horrendous!!

mardatha I like the idea of a greenfingered forum. I have never grown winter veg. before and usually stop sowing seeds about now, but not anymore. I think I will need all the advice I can get.

Primrose

For those who are interested in growing turnips, you can still sow them now.
Make a shallow drill, water it well and thinly sow a row of seeds. Cover over and keep the soil moist. They should germinate and grow quickly. The leaves will grow up to 12 inches high, and although I've not yet tried them myself, I understand that the leaves can be picked, cooked and eaten as greens. In hot weather the roots need to be watered daily otherwise the inside of the turnips become dry and pappy.

AnnieG

Hiya
I changed from water rates to a meter last year, and reduced my monthly bill from £45 to £31. I think it's due to be reviewed soon so hopefully it'll come down a bit more, I'm sure we don't use that much. Someone told me that if you have fewer people in the household than the house has bedrooms, you're better off on a meter, and vice versa. So, there are 2 of us in a 3 bedroomed house, so it should be cheaper... and it is!
I too am furiously belt-tightening at the moment. The job I was offered last week fell through, and having done the numbers, things are going to be difficult until I can find something else, so I'll keep reading and finding as many money saving ideas as I can!