Live on £4,000 for a year - 2009, Part 3

grandma247

Good morning all. Been busy for a couple of days. I did the meatballs in country stew the french onion soup and a base of courgette ,onion and stock for creamy courgette soup (can't can dairy so will be added when needed).
Feeling a bit groggy due to haveing painkiller early this morning. My hip is bad, probably with being on my feet so long cooking and canning. I could do with one of those sloping chairs you can get. Does anyone know if I could get this free from nhs or social services? I try to keep active because i know if I don't I will loose the ability to walk and I do not want that.

sophiesmum_2

Grandma - contact your local social services - adult services dept -and ask for an assessment for aids. They should be able to provide you with something suitable to help free of charge.It cn take a while to get through th system though.
Bottled goodies sound lovely - no sign of mine yet but waiting patiently and sving jars like mad.:D

Frugaldom

Good afternoon

Rain stopped, sun came out, HS has been out in the garden attempting to clear all the carnage left by ducks & hens playing in the potato patch. I made some trial jam from the rasps and blackberries we've picked so far. Hoping it turns out all right as it'll be very cheap frugal, even allowing for sugar going up to 94p per bag. I reckon each 1lb/450g (approx) jar will work out at about 21p including electricity. It'll work out even cheaper to do a bulk lot. Waiting to hear from next door how the jam making & decorating is going. It's funny chatting online to the next door neighbour, but it's cheaper and handier than a phonecall. I really should get off my lazy b*m and just go round there to see. :rotfl:

grandma247

SM thanks for that.Do I need to see the doc. first ? I don't get treatment from the doctor much becaus I have a problem with the oral meds. Can't take ibuprofen and I can only take anything asprin based for very short periods of time.

bails

Hello lovely peeps! Just enjoyed a very quick catch up on the last page or so, always so heartwarming to see the frugal gang helping each other out as ever:T
We're so busy at the mo and the internet is a bit of a struggle to keep you updated but we're hoping to get a dongle tomorrow which will give us access most places so it'll be much cheaper. We're doing our best with the budget and constantly skimming money off here and there as we find the cheapest places to do things.

We visited the orphanage today which was an amazing experience and are now sorting out accommodation. Sorry I can't talk more now but sending lots of love to everyone and the blog will be up soon xx

Nyk, when is the wedding? And the birthdays?

taka

:hello: Bails! Good to hear from you Hope you are enjoying yourselves! Did you manage to get something sorted on the volunteering/working front then?

When are all these birthdays? Are there more Leos? Its mine this week... :eek: Yuck... :rotfl:

sophiesmum_2

grandma247 wrote: »

SM thanks for that.Do I need to see the doc. first ? I don't get treatment from the doctor much becaus I have a problem with the oral meds. Can't take ibuprofen and I can only take anything asprin based for very short periods of time.

It differs from area to area - contact the adult services and ask what their criteria is for aids referrals.:D

Nyk - Lounge is finished bar the gloss paint which I will do in the morning. Made a loaf but never got around to jam making today, might do some this evening but quite pooped after climbing up and down all day, and moving furniture around.
Chicken coop making on the agenda for tomorrow, then OH is going to try and do some sort of temporary fenced pen for the chooks I need to get feed and feeders/water dispensers and straw before delboy and friends can move into their new home - is the agri store open tomorrow?

cw18

:eek:

Just updated my spreadsheet with todays grocery shopping (am currently loving the last half-hour clearance at Mr M), and realised that if I look at the full shelf ticket price of everything I've bought this year (rather than what I've actually spent, as £250.98 has actually bought me £951.08 worth of 'Whoopsied' goodies), then I'd have spent £1,579.35 -- and my annual budget is £1,590

I may have good stockpiles of some food items, but not enough meat or veg to last to year end. And £10.65 wouldn't even make a dent in the milk I need between now and then -- 21 litres to last 139 days....... I soooooooo don't think so :rolleyes2

jtb2412

Evening everyone,

We're back from hols safe and sound. Really pleased to see bails arrived safely and is settling in xx

Have skim read briefly - you've all been really busy :eek: ! Mustn't be tempted to look at the canners .

Had a lovely week in Dorset, you're right herewegoagain it's wonderful there ! Visited lots of lovely places and the scenery is fantastic. Kept to budget which I was really pleased about :T. MIL and FIL had a nice restful week dog/house sitting and kept the garden/allotment going for us.

Off shopping tomorrow as we've got a wedding next weekend and DD1 needs something to wear. I'm hoping it won't be an expensive shopping trip :rolleyes:.


Plans for next week are:

• sow some autumn cropping dwarf beans and other bits
• pick the crab apples that are on the tree round the corner and make jelly
• pack for the weekend (hopefully I can get all the holiday washing done by then :eek:)

I've got various other bits and errands to do so it'll be another busy week. However, I feel nice and rested after our hols - I definitely needed the break . Good to be back though and focused on things again.

Am hoping to organise some more space for jams etc too (I soooooooo want a storecupboard/pantry, am very jealous of all those who have one ! )

Right off to hang some washing up (airers will be full as well as line :rolleyes:). Have a happy Sunday everyone xx :beer:

Brighton_belle

BigMummaF wrote: »

Were you sitting in the back of the car yesterday BB, while me muvva & I discussed the possible 'joys' of camping :rolleyes: ]

ah, my frugal free taxi rides have been rumbled. Still I've been meaning to have words about the speed you take corners: no fun when muddy wellies are flying past your ear in the boot.

More august birthdays:j. Mine is the 30th and Nyk's and janey's the 31st. Which i believe makes us virgoe's not leo's taka.
I do like to mark my birthday by doing something Nyk, (and it has to be on the day, another one doesn't do) but it doesn't have to be 'big'. Last year was fab though - big picnic with friends in the Downs. I needed a good one after a very difficult year. This year will be just OH & me , which is just as nice but don't know what we'll do yet (Edit: might go blackberrying - that would be great). I can understand other things taking priority for you this year!

What will you be doing Taka?

I think bails was able to get a placement at the orphange once she got to Nepal

I've been out getting a few supplies for my clock/mosaic projects today: I've making a careful record of costs so I can get a better idea of how much they cost me in materials. I'm off to my parents on Monday to take my scroll saw out of mothballs:j.
For you plane buffs out there: OH witnessed a Lancaster flyover the cliffs where he works today at 200 ft. I'd love to have seen that.

This photo is so funny & very cute:
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/squirrel-portrait-banff-pod.html