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

sophiesmum_2

Shaz - jam sounds and looks yummy, wish I could find a wild plum tree:D going to investigate what looks like a wild pear tree later, it is near where I have seen two crab apple trees so might be in for more foraged fruits, also need to pick more blackberries as they are starting to fade now.Off work this afternoon so that will be my plan of action after visiting dad.

Frugaldom

Thanks guys, don't know why I didn't think of grand kids! :rolleyes::o:rotfl:

Shaz - it is wise that I avoid horse sales like the plague, trust me, very wise. Finding stabling and grazing would be the last thing on my mind if I went into 'must have a horse/pony/donkey' mode. :rotfl:Jam looks great!

CW - I am a wimp when travelling alone by car for the simple facts that A) it's not my car and I talk so much that I find it almost impossible to go anywhere without having someone to talk [STRIKE]at [/STRIKE]to during the journey. When I was travelling between Aberdeen and Newmarket by trains, I always ended up adopting whoever was sat next to me and could have a whale of a time, but you don't have that choice when driving alone. If I lived on a bus route, I'd be desperate to get my free bus pass, believe me! :rotfl:In fact, I may move onto a bus route as part of my retirement plan - rather than be a jet set gran, I'll be a bus set gran. Hmm... more worryingly still, by the time I'm a pensioner and get my free bus pass, I'll probably be a great gran!! :eek::rotfl:

SM - sugar would be great, will square you up for it tomorrow.

cw18

nykmedia wrote: »

and I talk so much that I find it almost impossible to go anywhere without having someone to talk [STRIKE]at [/STRIKE]to during the journey.

I solve that problem by making sure I have plenty of music I like that I can play loudly and sing along to :rolleyes2

If I lived on a bus route, I'd be desperate to get my free bus pass, believe me! :rotfl:In fact, I may move onto a bus route as part of my retirement plan - rather than be a jet set gran, I'll be a bus set gran.

Caught something on the TV a couple of nights ago, which said that companies/governments are losing too much money due to the use of the free bus passes - and they're now considering making them a means tested 'perk' :eek: I'm sick of everything being means tested, as my company pensions mean I won't get a thing - but by the time I've paid for everything I'd have got free (had I not invested in pensions) I'll probably be worse off than someone who qualifies for everything :mad:
(This was England based, and they did mention that the Welsh government are also looking in to the situation - no mention of Scotland though, so could be another reason for me to 'move up norf'!)

Hmm... more worryingly still, by the time I'm a pensioner and get my free bus pass, I'll probably be a great gran!! :eek::rotfl:

You and me both :rotfl: Had DD at 17 (7.5 weeks shy of my 18th), and became a Grandma for the first time at 37.5. So even if elder GD is a couple of years old than DD was on having her first, that would still only make me 58 or 59......

And (according to the government) I'm not a pensioner until I hit my 66th birthday !!!!

slowlyfading

Morning everyone

Went to see a performance of Wind in the Willows last night at Mount Grace Priory, which was lovely Very small cast, and very innovative with what they can do with minimal props. My parents went, and the bf's parents went, so that was the first time they had met each other. Luckily, they seemed to get on well, and mum and dad said how nice they thought they were, so that must be a bonus!

Today is my 13th nsd of August. I have an essay to write today for uni, which I am not motivated to do at all, but it needs to be done! So I've decided I'm not allowed out of the house today until I've done it. Its on pupil teacher influences, but I just can't be bothered to write it lol :rotfl: the upside is that its only 1,750 words, so not that long at all I'm used to writing essays that are either 3,500 words or 4,000 words, so this is just a little one in comparison. Doesn't mean its going to be any easier to write though, I have a feeling :rolleyes:

SM that jam looks lovely! Although I must admit, I thought it was pasta of some sort in the first pic! :rolleyes:

sf xx

Skint_Lynne

Hi everyone,

I am back from the camping trip and have survived............ It was an experience if nothing else.:rotfl:

It was quite good, the weather was terrible most of the time, but the tent done it's job, it was really robust and did not let a lot of water in until this morning when we got up, we found that there was a very slight flood, and we were leaving today anyway.

We had some 'entertaining' neighbours, a bunch of guys, one was very camp and wanted everyone to know, he was running about like a wee girl. They got rather drunk and some posh neighbours in a very nice caravan came to ask if we were okay. They actually didn't bother me much, they were just a bit crude (not the sort of language that you would want wee ones to hear). The posh man said 'who are these people and where do they come from.................absoloute trash! It was funny, say that back to yourself in a posh accent, I had to go into the tent to laugh as I didn't want to be rude.

The noisy ones left on Tuesday because of the rain, they were heading for Oban, so it was a bit of a shame for the oban people once they arrived.:rotfl:

I done some walking, we went to the mull of kintyre yesterday, that was an achievement for me, I am paying the price today.

Glad to be back, I've missed you all, now I'm off for a bath to help the aching limbs. I am most lookng forward to my nice bed tonight instead of the airbed.:p

will check in later. xx

sophiesmum_2

Sounds like you had fun Lynne:rotfl:at least you didn't get flooded till you were ready to leave:D
When you go camping it makes you realise how you can survive perfectly adequately without lots of the "stuff" we are so used to having around us - nice to get back home afterwards though:D:D

Foraging haul for today, 5lbs of blackberries and a carrier bag full of crab apples

Skint_Lynne

Yes, you're right there SM, DH said the same. I had to wear lots of clothes at night though, 2 pairs of jammies, 2 pairs of socks, a cardigan and DH's big mountaineering jacket, I was fine.;)

You are doing well with the blackberries, I checked mine out when I got back this afternoon and there are a few more ready to be picked. I'll catch them tomorrow when there is a dry spell. I am just working my way through the washing at the moment, I've about 4 loads to do yet, DH is back to work on Saturday morning so all his kit needs freshened up.

I'm going to have an early night (if I don't end up messing around on here), I am sooooo addicted to this site.:rotfl:

Blairweech

Hi all,

Just thought I would give a heads up - Approved Food has Ready Rolled Marzipan in, at £0.95/roll. Might be useful for those who make Christmas Cake? (sorry to swear)

cw18

already have my marzipan - bought it back in March when Q/Save had some in !!

Not ready rolled, but I prefer the block form for stuffing dates (which I already have from App Foods) - paid 59p/block for mine

thriftylass

Just watched "Coast" about the western isles on iPlayer and just for fun had a we look what houses cost up there. Uuuuuh, I'm tempted......You get lovely houses (that might need some work though) there for much less than here. Sooooo......if I ever win the lottery...eeem.....or more realisticaly, in about 12 years I could probably buy the one I saw outright if I keep saving at the current rate. Well, that is if I don't ever have kids and leave BF . Although I still would need to win the lottery for living costs as I couldn't do my job up there...or become a science teacher :think:. Oh, I could talk myself right into it. Maybe I keep it as a little dream if life changes in favour of such an option.

Anyway, had 4 NSDs in a row which is good as this month didn't go too well so far. I already planned most of the next 2 weeks food wise with stuff we have in the house, so hopefully there are more NSDs to come and I hope I broke the spending spell.

Got the Thrift Book by I. Knight from the library. I was a bit disappointed by the content but at the same time the fact it couldn't teach me much new shows I must already be well educated in frugal ways (I guess I only miss the discipline to follow them )