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Live on £4,000 for a year - 2009, Part 3
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On a negative note I've just come back after being away from home for 3 weeks to find out I'd left my immersion heater on for the whole time :eek: the elec company raised my monthly dd a little while back and as I'm only home at weekends I think this will cover it. Am going to find out about getting a timer switch fitted to the immersion.
Ouch. We had a timer when we had an emersion heater. It worked out a lot cheaper for us as we never needed to remember to switch it off and if we needed a bit more hot water we just hit the overide switch. Even if we forgot that we knew it would switch off anyway on the next cycle. We had several cycles a day of varying lengths depending on what it was needed for.0 -
Nyk and SM glad you enjoyed your day out. Ds1 has booked two nights in Dunkirk, the ferry only cost £12 so they were happy.
Cheerfulness, no.3 do you sew your own? I did out of old towels for inner part and cotton tshirts in dark colours for the outer cover. So simple and no cost except for washing and then they went in with the normal wash after rinsing.
Haven't needed them since last November though.
BB well done on the money saving front Life keeps coming up with lemons doesn't it?
Thriftylass well done with the jam it looks yummy. I love the smell of fruit cooking.
We had an afternoon out in Lancaster today. Only spent a few pounds on fruit and veg as they had a market on. It was supposed to be edwardian but did not see any evidence of that. 10 gala apples for £1, 12 clementines for £1 and a large bunch of beetroot for 50p , we bought two bunches. I am going to bottle them without vinegar so hopefully they will be like the ones we buy in the shrink wrap.0 -
grandma247 wrote: »Cheerfulness, no.3 do you sew your own? I did out of old towels for inner part and cotton tshirts in dark colours for the outer cover. So simple and no cost except for washing and then they went in with the normal wash after rinsing.
Haven't needed them since last November though.
I haven't sewn my own so far but that was my next target. I never thought to use tee shirting - although one of my bought ones is clearly in that type of fabric.
Mainly the ones I have are flannel so I've picked up some flannel pillowcases for pence off CS and car boots and am going to have a session making them.
I was checking the price of hemp on ebay but I'll cut up an old towel now for the middle - thanks for the tip.
Did you use press studs to fasten yours? My bought ones have 'wings' and snap poppers. Didn't really want to go to the expense of buying poppers if studs did the job as well. :rolleyes:
I've thought of my No 7 - making our own bark chippings.
We've got a shredder and were lazy with disposing of chippings from a tree a year ago. Has made great dark chippings for the border. Think the acidity goes within 6 months or so and is safe round plants. We've made 3 more sacks in spring and are about to take a large tree down, so plenty more to keep our paths/borders covered with no more wasteful spends at Wickes. :TMAY GROCERY CHALLENGE £0/ £250
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Good Morning
Blue skies and sunshine here again, hope it doesn't disappear, as I need to get washing out to dry.
Today's loaf is baking (did I mention that I love my new toy, the breadmaker?) and last night I made home made chips for the first time in many years in my newly acquired deep fat fryer. HM chips are so much better than the frozen oven chips and they cooked much faster! At this rate, surely my grocery budget has to shrink considerably for next year.
Loving the list, cheerfulness, I'm going to write or print mine out and keep it on my desk to remind myself just as soon as I have finalised it.
Good work with the jam making, Thriftylass.
On the passport front, I'm wishing I had got mine at same time DS got his, as I'm now classed as a 'first adult application'! This is an absolute pain as it entails a personal interview and about 6 weeks of a wait for the passport! Looks like my little plan to head off with cousin on a cheap flight during October school break is off the cards for good now! There's no fast track service for us first timers! I can't believe that it's so long ago they abolished annual passports and that's all I ever used when I was younger. Apparently, these no longer count as having previously held a UK passport, it's as if they never existed. :mad: Thankfully, I don't need to spend the entire day on an assortment of public transport trying to find my way to the Glasgow office, I can apply for live video link up from Government offices in Stranraer, about 30 miles from here. I can get a lift into town for the bus, paying my £5.35 return and then get a lift back home again. Or maybe I could invite HS for a trip into town and we could take his car? Wonder if I'll be tempted to jump back on the ferry whilst there? :rotfl:I reserve the right not to spend.
The less I spend, the more I can afford.
Frugal living challenge - living on little in 2025 while frugalling towards retirement.0 -
shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »I do this too but in the pressure cooker as it cuts time down i also add a stick of cinnamon and a star anise too adds a nice spiciness
SL - Re bigamy ...............probably is one in every family, divorce has been around for a while but it was expensive. When a couple separated it was common that they just moved away from the area and married again pretending they had never been married and as marriage banns are only read at the local church it would be unlikely that anyone in the new parish would know of their past marriage....................women with children would often say that their first husband was dead too. fascinating stuff my dad is loving it.
quiet day here due to neck /shoulder probs back at docs tomorrow to review meds might manage some knitting later once my left hand wakes up!
Girl obviously got into trouble but gave son her surname so it carried on that way.My self & hubby; 2 sons (30 & 26). Hubby also a found daughter (37).
Eldest son has his own house with partner & her 2 children (11 & 10)
Youngest son & fiancé now have own house.
So we’re empty nesters.
Daughter married with 3 boys (12, 9 & 5).
My mother always served up leftovers we never knew what the original meal was. - Tracey Ulman0 -
Good morning,
you know you're getting old and grumpy (I'm only 31 :eek:) when you try to annoy the student neighbours back by sticking the washing machine on at 7 and making breadcrumbs with the food processor.
Re: homemade sanitary towels, that's definitely an area I wouldn't compromise, especially as it only cost me £1.20 a month bying ownbrand from MrT.
Hope your day is as lovely and sunny as mine hereDEBT 02/25: total £6100 Debt free date 12/250 -
Morning all
Nyk - sorry to hear the passport application is being a bit of a bug-bear for you
Been busy with a 'feeling sorry for myself' dog here the last couple of days. He wasn't much of a problem between his tests (Monday) and operation (Tuesday), nor between being collected on Wednesday night and going back for his check up on Thursday morning. But shortly after that it all changed.......
About half an hour after getting home from the check up he started crying/howling, and nothing was consoling him. He'd sit next to me, roll over for a tummy rub, and carry on howling while I was fussing him. After a couple of hours I called the vet, and was asked to take him back a couple of hours later..... They scanned him to make sure he was clearing out (all OK) and gave him an injection of some extra painkillers that they said should calm him overnight. About an hour (6pm-ish) later he started again, though not quite as loud - and didn't stop until after 1am despite more pain killers at 10pm!!! Friday morning I overslept, got up in a mad hurry, grabbed my GDs, dropped them at school (made it by in the nick of time), came home, retrieved dog from DS's room (he was still quiet then, despite my having had the front door open a couple of times - normally gets a reaction), and gave him his meds. Within half an hour he was off again :eek: By 1pm I'd had enough, so went down the shops for a couple of bits we needed - and called in the vets for a chat.
Was told it could be a very rare reaction to the anaesthetic (he's only seen it twice in 7 years), and the only cure is a steroid injection. Couldn't be given it on Friday due to a (one-a-day) pain-killer he'd had in the morning, so don't give him that on Saturday and if he's still bad take him down for the injection.
But then the vet had another thought - the dog had been fine at his check-up, when I'd also been given tramadol to give him twice a day..... and it was just after the first dose of that we'd started with the problem. So hold off the tramadol as well.
Friday night he didn't get any meds, and first thing yesterday morning he was running around the back garden like normal (we're supposed to be keeping him quiet - but he's been begging for walks Friday morning, so the vet has had to OK them as long as kept on lead and at a slower pace than normal). I then gave him his anti-biotics (complete with fight to get the tablet down - a sure sign he's feeling better), and within a couple of hours he was starting to cry - but it was definitely his "I want a walk" cry. So DS took him out, and came back reporting the dog had been pulling more and refusing to be kept to a slow pace :rolleyes2
Since then we've had no crying at all, and he's had no other meds at all until his anti-B's this morning, which involved even more of a fight - so looks like it was a reaction to the tramadol, and he's quite happy with no pain killers at all !!
Had a bit of a batch cook yesterday (14 meal portions of mince meals done), and have more mince to cook today which I intend to turn into at least 8 potions each of chilli con carne and spag bol. Only problem is space in the freezers for all this food, so am now having to re-sort them (and pull out what I need for the next few days!)Cheryl0 -
cheerfulness4 wrote: »I haven't sewn my own so far but that was my next target. I never thought to use tee shirting - although one of my bought ones is clearly in that type of fabric.
Mainly the ones I have are flannel so I've picked up some flannel pillowcases for pence off CS and car boots and am going to have a session making them.
I was checking the price of hemp on ebay but I'll cut up an old towel now for the middle - thanks for the tip.
Did you use press studs to fasten yours? My bought ones have 'wings' and snap poppers. Didn't really want to go to the expense of buying poppers if studs did the job as well. :rolleyes:
I've thought of my No 7 - making our own bark chippings.
We've got a shredder and were lazy with disposing of chippings from a tree a year ago. Has made great dark chippings for the border. Think the acidity goes within 6 months or so and is safe round plants. We've made 3 more sacks in spring and are about to take a large tree down, so plenty more to keep our paths/borders covered with no more wasteful spends at Wickes. :T
Lady I bought them off told me fleece was better at wicking away the moisture, and that flanel let it seep to the edges.
hthMy self & hubby; 2 sons (30 & 26). Hubby also a found daughter (37).
Eldest son has his own house with partner & her 2 children (11 & 10)
Youngest son & fiancé now have own house.
So we’re empty nesters.
Daughter married with 3 boys (12, 9 & 5).
My mother always served up leftovers we never knew what the original meal was. - Tracey Ulman0 -
I some of these which I bought and these are fastened with wings and press studs.
Lady I bought them off told me fleece was better at wicking away the moisture, and that flanel let it seep to the edges.
hth
Oh I'm glad that the press studs work, mama67 - I couldn't see why they wouldn't but always best to check.
I have two fleece ones as well and they are good. I've found the washables very comfy to use, the more washed the nicer they seem to become.
NYKMEDIA - my son had to go to one of those 1st passport interviews last year in March. He was in for barely 10 mins. He was told that it would be about 4 weeks afterwards for his passport to arrive but it only took 2 weeks. I don't know if its the same routine in Scotland.
Just decided what my No8 will be - no mobile phone credit.
I have £10 left over from my holiday spending money from last week so I'll top my phone up today (only 4p left on it ) and I'll REALLY only use it for emergencies, as was planned when I got the phone.
No using it to chit chat to DS1 or friends when we're bored.
If they text me I'll wait and text back on my lappy using a free texting service like I used to use. I'm not a big texter anyway and it can waste so much money.
Think I'll use my free weekend calls to organize meet ups - more fun.
I also think I'll add biscuits and cakes to my bread making one. Thats going to be a hard one as the Bogofs on biscuits are so tempting and I'll often think better than baking but I'll steel myself against them. :rolleyes:
Actually HM are so much nicer anyway - they just disappear much quicker out the tins. We're so greedy.MAY GROCERY CHALLENGE £0/ £250
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The fridge freezer has sold giving me a decent profit... which will very soon be spent on 3 Sablepoots and a Lavender Pekin bantam. Must buy a coop quick!!! We have a week to get sorted out....
In a moment of insanity I've decided to try making all the bouquets for the wedding, so have also spent £30 on silk flowers on ebay. I couldn't find any ready made ones I really liked so I'm going to give it a try myself. Never done any flower arranging before so hopefully they won't be too terrible!Live on £11k in 20110
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