Live on £4000 for a Year, 2009 Challenge, part 1

cw18

sophiesmum wrote: »

Frugal ingenuity:T :T , wish I'd have thought of that I have an electric steamer that is rarely used as I prefer my stove top one.

Just thinking exactly the same thing..... think I only used my electric one 2 or 3 times, as it just didn't cook things despite taking much longer !!

Mind, I may be glad of it yet if we start losing gas supplies (I have a gas hob).

LollopyBear

Wow, you lot are still being so chatty! Makes me wish I was still at home and could keep up all day

*big hugs* to those in emotional pain. Good luck to Pips mum. Well done to all of the frugal living!

Count me in the crowd how doesn't have central heating. We've been in our house for nearly 4 years and the only heating we have is a plug in electric heater in the bedroom (where we mostly live as our sitting room is a pile of rubble that will eventually be done up) and a calor gas heater in the bathroom. It is FREEZING here, particularly in the mornings. I don't know the exact temperature but you can see your breath in most parts of the house. We have 2 duvets, a comforter and a blanket on our bed. I want some warmth!

Today was a bit of a naughty spend day: Another £1.50 on a sandwich (I couldn't find the breadknife this morning), a total of £5.90 on two glasses of wine and £1.20 bus ticket for getting back to the train station as I was too tired (and a little bit tipsy) to walk. I was out with a friend I haven't seen since November though so I don't mind the cost. We exchanged Christmas pressies and she had knitted me a great pair of fingerless gloves! I'm chuffed to bits. I wear the scarf she knitted me 2 years ago every day of winter because I love it and it is toasty warm, so delighted that I have gloves now too

DH had been to the chippy for his tea as he wasn't feeling well and I was planning on doing the same, but changed my mind last minute and had toast and jam instead (on hm bread).

sophiesmum_2

cw - old t - shirts cut up or even old sweaters make great hanging basket liners;)

If you go for the muck make sure they use straw, or if they use shavings that it is rotted properly, my mum used some last year and ended up with strange fungi sprouting over the area she had spread it - was a fungus from the shavings

My market mission this weekend is going to be looking for bargain mushrooms for freezing.;)

fizzel81

evening all, some more days carp from me and hugs all round to thoose who need them


quick one from me was a nsd unless i count my enegry saving (hopefully) remoska

just about to start the evenings houseowrk, fineally got ds3 to bed so i need to play catch up (they wont be at school/pre school untill next week)

tomorrow should be another nsd as will anything up untill monday, dont need anything and if i do my brother is over friday so i can get out for half an hour he comes over oncea week if he can to give me a little time for myself or to help with bits
and bobs i cannot do or run out of time (he is fab at ironing)

im going to miss lots of people out as ive scanned through (sorry!)

Sophiesmum them sprouting seeds look great are they easy to do and dumb question where can i pick the seeds up from? im thinking of trying it out with the boys now ive seen pictures

Cheryl will text you shortly need your details, thank you for that today

Pips mum goodluck though im keeping it crossed that induction is not needed

Bails it sounds like it may have been shrunk already would a tumble dryer do anything?


im off to stardrops the floor the tiles are looking really dull (my utility room is tiled floor) i want to brighten it up a bit

angelatgraceland

Well I "was" cross earlier as Ive been using electric fires to make up for our awful heating system. Pulled out the 2 sofas tonight just to doublecheck the vents were open in the floor and some idiot had closed them!!! Same in the bathroom. So-Ive wasted goodness knows how much on electric while having the heating on at the same time. I know its warmer tonight but the difference now is amazing! Fires are off! Suppose my conselation is that I found out tonight and not at end of February!
So-its good to have a laugh on here-it puts things back in perspective somewhat.
Oh-Ive got an OWL too-we are a little obseessed with it-every now and then shouting up the stairs thats its read XXXX-what on earth have you got on?

cw18

sophiesmum wrote: »

cw - old t - shirts cut up or even old sweaters make great hanging basket liners;)

If you go for the muck make sure they use straw, or if they use shavings that it is rotted properly, my mum used some last year and ended up with strange fungi sprouting over the area she had spread it - was a fungus from the shavings

My market mission this weekend is going to be looking for bargain mushrooms for freezing.;)

Thanks for all that info :T

T-shirts and jumpers are something I have waiting to be sorted to get rid of -- may as well make use of them, but may have to watch how much is on display to the kids


Have seen straw in the piles -- which is what made me think of it, as the 'destructions' on the see packet said to mix in straw if collecting 'fresh' manure

purplevamp

Janey :grouphug: - music has such power, it effects people in different ways.

Kittikins wrote: »

I now have to google olive oil + nits - DD gets them (and passes them on to me, unfortunately) very frequently; she's biracial and her hair is a nightmare to comb at the best of times....anything i can do that'll make it easier, will be greatly appreciated!

My DD has lovely long but very tangly hair. I use conditioner on it and comb it through then rinse off. I check DD and DS2 hair every bath/shower night, and *touch wood* they don't get nits. DS2 had one a couple of times but as I'm always on top of it they were soon a thing of the past. What I find annoying about nits isn't the fact children get them, it's that lazy parents don't check their children's' hair and therefore pass them on to kids who have to check their hair because of it :mad: .

I only spent £4.30 bus fares today, £3.50 for my return, and 20p each child to and from school. I spent 20 minutes waiting outside the school today after work freezing my t*ts off. Normally I go into the shops to browse , so very pleased with myself.

Day off tomorrow, but I really must get organised and sort my house out. The mess is not good for my brain :rotfl: .

Edit to say: Just withdrawn £40 from L!ttlew**ds Bongo :j . Hopefully it'll come quickly.

cw18

fizzel -- was about to sort out at my end. had GDs from not long after I got home -- and they were hard work tonight!! As a result we didn't get tea until almost 8pm :eek:

Marru

SFT: This is for you:



Copyrigh: Marru :cool:

sophiesmum_2

fizzel - the seeds have been easy to sprout and would be great for the boys as they grow really quickly so they would soon see results. Have now read up a bit about sprouting as didn't have a clue before.
You can use the bog standard packets of pulses, lentils, barley,chickpeas,mung beans,aduki beans,split peas etc (NOT kidney beans as these remain toxic until cooked) also many veggie seeds. You don't need a lot as they grow to about double the volume you start off with.