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

jtb2412

Hi everyone

Back from the wedding/birthday parties - had a fantastic weekend and was really good to spend quality time with all the family (and we're a big one ! lol)

Did spend rather a lot of money over the weekend as the wedding reception was at a swanky hotel (drinks a tad on the expensive side :rolleyes:) and we went for a meal out the night before too. Also had chinese takeaway for sis birthday on the Sunday . I didn't feel too bad as weddings don't come round that often in our family :rotfl: and it's nice to be able to treat ourselves occasionally. It's rather an expensive year for us (lots of milestone birthdays, anniversaries etc), so need to stay with this challenge to be able to afford to do it all ! Stayed at mum and dads in a tent in back garden :rotfl: so saved on hotel costs and they fed us the rest of the time.

Away this weekend too (we've been away more of August than at home :eek: ) - MIL and FIL Golden Wedding anniversary. They're having a meal but they insist on paying for everyone but I'm hoping they'll let us buy a few bottles of wine as a present (also insisting on no gifts :rolleyes: hence the offer of buying some wine). Staying at mum and dads again so save on hotels and we're taking the doggie with us this time so saving even more on kennels. (Bro, his GF and their dog away on hols so a bit more room for us and the dog ).

Popped to Mr T tonight as DD wanted a book and I got some swede reduced to 20p each and a stew pack for 28p which will go in SC with a turkey leg tomorrow. Think I need to pop in more often at this time of night . Swede will cook up and go in freezer (when and IF I find room :eek:). Also been to the allotment and picked what we think is the last of the runner beans. Finished quite early this year but we're quite a bit ahead being down here. Still digging up potatoes (main crop), some nice big ones that will do for baking. My tomatoes have blight so they've got to come out :mad: . 2 pumpkins also ready so they'll go in the shed for later on in the year. Raspberries are extremely prolific and I'm picking approx a lb a day :eek: :eek::j:j:T. Most are going in freezer and will do some jam with them in a couple of weeks but a lot don't even get in the back door .

grandma247 very tempted to look at the canners but tbh they scare me - it all seems very complicated ! I think i'll have to look into it a bit more when I've got time to sit, read and digest .

SFT really sorry to hear about the roof. Re: jams, I made up hampers for family last year and they loved them, much preferred it to the usual 'bought' presents and they've asked for the same this year too . If you've got lots to spare, is there anywhere you could sell some pots to put towards the roofing fund?

Sorry if I've missed anyone out, not had time to catch up properly yet - not sure if I'll be able to but will try over the next couple of days.

Apologies for the long post (I tend to ramble in the evenings while DH is watching the TV lol)

Blairweech

Chika - Glad you got your horn taken care of And so frugally too! That little story made me chuckle, so thanks for posting that! £3.99 for 12 eggs?!! Were they faberge eggs, laid by the golden goose?

SFT - That is so unfortunate about your roof, but pleased that you still the house. Glad you got home safe and sound

Lynne - Shame you had little success with the lentils. I must admit, this is about the 3rd time I have attempted it. Used about 400g mince, half and half with lentils and made 6 portions. I have tried using oats to bulk things out before and they were bleurrrrrgh _pale_ Like a meat porridge. Might venture to adding grated carrot next time...Anyway, I did have to boil the chilli for a while, just put the slowcooker on high for about an hour.

Interesting debate about the nutrition - I am currently ploughing through Weezls 50p a day thread and learning so much (tbh, I have never really been that fussed about it all). However, now I have constant muscle cramp in my arms and legs and feel utterly exhausted all the time, I am certainly paying more attention to what I eat. Just started taking multivitamins, plus eating a banana a day *pulls face*

Well, it's all drama here - my kettle just blew up! [insert colourful expletive here]. I am having to soothe my nerves with Ben and Jerrys. Would normally go to Mr T in such an emergency, but will try and hold out until Friday and just boil water on the stove *quails at the thought of trying to operate the stove before having a cup of tea in the morning*. I actually swore so loudly that my neighbour (who has not spoken to me in the 18 months I have lived here) heard me through my stone kitchen wall and came to see if I was alright :rotfl:

grandma247

Grated carrots are great for stretching mince. I have a shepherds pie recipe that calls for 2 large grated carrots. It is one of the nicest I have tried.

shaz_mum_of__2

grandma247 wrote: »

great news about the canner Shaz but not so good about the duty. Dare I ask how much?
Should have read further down. No idea how I got away with not paying it but its not as bad as I thought it might be.

I am using ordinary recycled jars that used to containg spag. sauce,mayo,pickles,saurkraut etc. I did buy some lids for them but after reading a discussion on the canning group about re-using lids I decided to risk a couple and see what happened. All have sealed. I probably will only do it this once and I will keep an eye on them but one we opened was very hard to open and it made that sucking sound when the air got in so it must have sealed properly.
I did five jars today,2 new potatoes with just a spoonful of lime juice to keep the colour nice,two of baby corn on the cob and mangetout(sp) and one of our own cut green beans. some of the potatoes were ones we had given ,I just used the smallest. and some were what I could not get in the dehydrater (got them cheap at Mr.t last night along with corn and mangetout).
I am just doing small quantities of some things till I get used to it. I do have some pea and ham soup cooking at the minute though and I doubled the quantity so that will make a few jars. Mr M does gammon hocks for £1.49 so I used that instead of ham.

I have a few passata jars i have been saving but a bit nervous about using other kinds .................

We have picked a washing up bowl full of runnner beans yesterday so i at least have something to practice with .

Also picked up 12 red peppers for a quid at the market yesterday and a guy up the road is selling homegrown toms for 40p a pound (and i am going to try for a bulk buy discount..:rotfl::rotfl:)

hoping to make a pasta type sauce too i think for meat dishes i will invest in some proper jars they will pay for themselves in takeaway savings

Also at the market i got a dozen apples a huge bunch nanas (12) 2 pineapples and 6 navel oranges and 2 of the biggest onions i have ever seen (bigger than a grapefruit) all for £3.............I love Doncaster market just wish we lived a bit closer


Anyone been watching the food security programmes on a monday night?

Shaz

tryingtodobetter

Good Morning

Well its a miserable day here (rain and high winds) and DS1 is going to a beach party :eek: DS2 is going to a sleep over so I have the day to myself. I'm going to go to Mr T's to get the last bits needed for school next week and stock up on other things as I have £7 off a £50 spend.

SFT - Sorry to hear about the roof, but at least it will be sorted.

Off to find DS1's wetsuit and water shoes :rolleyes:

Have a good day

TTDB.x.

BigMummaF

I missed the protein debate on here yesterday as I must have been posting in Weezl's thread about the self same thing!
We were watching 'Bank of Mum & Dad' t'other evening & the chappie on there was spending horrendous amounts on food each month, under the laws according to "body building". [I try to get the offspring to watch these kinds of shows to highlight the error of spendthrift ways! ]The show got hold of a former female champ who did it all through diet--as opposed to protein powders & stuff--& she is now a nutritionalist[?]. Anyhooz. She was saying that 50g of kidney beans had as much, if not more, protein than a tin of tuna & obviously cost a lot less. Really pleased we watched it so now I don't have to be so careful about hiding pulses in their dinners any more :T
In real life though, I'm not having a particularly clever time just now..Pup had to have a small op on Monday, where they removed two grass seeds:eek: from inside his leg He's being a nightmare over taking his meds & I had to redo his bandage last night but he's fine. I was a bit taken aback when the receptionist said it was £280, then we have to pay again today when he has his dressing changed & any subsequent changes, and £5:88 for them to complete the insurance forms! Somehow I would have been less shocked if they'd just said "allow £350 & if there's any difference we'll let you know"....sounds less mercenary IMO.
THEN last night I tried to check my balance online, got locked out & when I called the help line, they told me my card had been stopped! Apparently they sent me a new one three weeks ago but when I asked why they hadn't waited till I'd activated the new one, I would have had to gone through to yet another dept. I couldn't handle that last night but you can bet your bottom I'm the first one on the doorstep today :mad: & luckily the new card hasn't been used either. I've now to wait another 10 days or so to get a new one, given we've got a bank holiday in between. If it's going to happen, it will always happen on a BH weekend for me :undecided just to prolong the agony. I swear I must have been Genghis Khan in a previous life to experience all the aggro I get in this one :wall: Thankfully I'd had enough cash to pay half the vet's bill Mon but had considered using my card, & how embarrassing would that have been with the waiting room full to burst. One saving grace is we won't starve cuz I've used the newspaper vouchers over the weeks to stock up a bit, but surely that's not the point.

lyndasharp

BigMummaF, what breed is your puppy? My Nan's last dog, a Springer, had so many problems with grass seeds - in the ears and in the legs. It was a little better after she started trimming her coat, so might be worth you trying that if your dog is fairly hairy?

SFT, sorry to hear about the roof, but I'm glad it's all getting sorted out.

I'm feeling slightly better today, first morning that I've managed to get out of bed without taking a dose of Neurofen! We're still getting the visitors for the weekend, H2B's sister has decided she'd rather the kids get flu in the summer holidays than have them ill during school term...

I think I'm going to do some ebay listings today. I don't feel up to doing any real work jut yet, but I should be able to manage uploading photos...

cw18

lyndasharp wrote: »

We're still getting the visitors for the weekend, H2B's sister has decided she'd rather the kids get flu in the summer holidays than have them ill during school term....

When do schools go back round you then? Ours go back on Wednesday of next week (teacher inset day on Tuesday), so anything picked up this next weekend would probably mean them late going back

lyndasharp

cw18 wrote: »

When do schools go back round you then? Ours go back on Wednesday of next week (teacher inset day on Tuesday), so anything picked up this next weekend would probably mean them late going back

Actually I have no idea! Their Mum's a teacher though, so maybe she's planning it so she doesn't have to go back to school when term starts

Optimisticpair

I'm back after moving house in Nov 08 and no internet connection since. From what I've been able to read to catch up I see you have all been very busy. :T Well done new peeps and a pat on the back to the well practised who have been helping them.

I achieved my 2008 target :jbut got hopelessly lost on how I was doing this year due mainly to building work. OH joins me here this month and I'll be able to get to grips with the new budget for the two of us together.