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

bails

Thank you everyone x I've been trying to research what's going wrong with the charity but it doesn't appear to be available information.

I agree with all that's been said about the cottage SFT, I'm sure it's a shock so soon after moving in but you're a very determined and focused person so I'm sure you'll find a way x

Blairweech

Oh, baiils I am gutted for you both, so sorry.

Feeling a bit perkier now, and OH has put up a mirror and a clock for me, so the house is finally taking shape. Am a bit lost now he has gone home...

andromache_2

Oh bails, *hugs*, this must be so disappointing for you; I hope that you can get hold of them tomorrow to find out what the situation is and sort something out - I know that you're resourceful and will find a way of managing it and achieving your dreams:)

I've read through everyone else's posts but don't have time to respond properly as I'm starting a new internship at a different law firm tomorrow morning and should get an early night! I've had a lovely weekend staying with my OH - feeling very very happy at the moment. Thinking of you all xxx

lingojingo

Bails how awful at this late stage, hope you get something sorted really quickly (maybe that unexpected silver lining someone mentioned)
Andromache good luck with the new placement
Sft hope you manage to get something for your roof, echo what others have said about long term benefit, and glad you still love the place.

Hugs to all who need them, including various family members and friends who haven't been so well, hope they're all recovering.

Nyk I'm intrigued by your local train station, do tell more!

cw18

I'm guessing Nyk's train station is something like the closest to my house - which is very similar to the one at my last house too......

From either house I need a bus or car to get to the station (2 buses from current house, even though it's not quite as far away!). Station is only part time (more so with current one, which doesn't even open the doors to the station on a Sunday), and the ticket office isn't open for as long in each day as the platform is. Single (double sided) platform, which you stand on and watch about 80% of the trains pass without stopping

grandma247

Just caught up on the last few days. First I hope everyones relatives are getting better and that goes for anyone here who has been ill too.
Bails I hope you get some answers soon and that your trip is only slightly delayed.
Bottling fruit. I have been bottling red and green gooseberries,blackcurrants and cranberries (these have been in the freezer a few weeks) and 2 jars of apple and gooseberries. Altogether so far I have done 18 jars and have about another six to do tomorrow.
I asked daughters to save me their jars last year. I bought lids earlier this week for them from here 150 lids in three sizes for just over £22 pounds including postage. About 15p a lid so cheaper than buying the proper bottling jars. I hot packed the fruit in a medium syrup and put them in a deep stock pot covered with hot water 2 inches above the tops of the jars ,slowly brought the water to a rolling boil and timed 15 mins to sterilize jars and fruit then left the jars on the worktop to cool for 24 hours. The jars were well known pasta sauce ones (3 different makes) with the twist off lids.
This works well as I did a few jars of apple pie filling to test them out last year. They are still good. I am going to try fruit salad next.

lingojingo

cw18 wrote: »

Station is only part time (more so with current one, which doesn't even open the doors to the station on a Sunday), and the ticket office isn't open for as long in each day as the platform is. Single (double sided) platform, which you stand on and watch about 80% of the trains pass without stopping

Our station isn't manned ever - no ticket office, you have to pay on the train, or when you get off (if that's a manned station, sometimes you just can't find a way to pay on a short journey - sounds frugal, but I suspect the fares are probably higher to compensate). But all trains stop there - approx one an hour in each direction, they just go between Huddersfield and Sheffield, stopping at lots of villages, including mine, on the way.

Skint_Lynne

Brighton_belle wrote: »

ah,if she said she'd fix it, I can see she would be right to cough up something - obviously she hadn't thought it through and realised the true poential cost and is just as shocked as you. I hope she feels able to offer something to keep good feeling between you all as I know that that really matters to you too. It's just bad timing isn't it. But you may live the rest of your life there... and have years of no major problems after this,which is a lovely thought. And each bit you fix stamps 'you' and your time in this living piece of history.
I suspect the ins wouldn't cover an acknowledged pre exisiting problem but I am absolutely no expert on that so do make enquiries.

Lynne:
Chicken Dopiaza adapted from ‘Top 2oo low f@t recipes’ by Judith Willi5
2 – 3 chopped onions
Chopped fresh tomatoes:
1(heaped ish)tsp each: cinnamon, cardomon seeds, tumeric, garam masala mixed with 200ml yoghurt

Add chicken – I personally add chicken pieces. Add what ever quantity you feel should cover 4 meals.
Bung into slow cooker on low for 6 hrs.
Serve with cauliflower & any other veg you things will suit – I had butternut squash tonight, spinach is quite nice too… and OH had rice. I cook enough for 4 and freeze the other 2 portion. A mild taste but distinctive. And I always find it filling and don’t miss the rice at all.

Sounds lovely,

I can't wait to try it out.:drool: Who said that this was a 'diet'? All I have done is eat!:p

I ended up watching a movie on bbc1, the one about the shoe factory, I've seen it before, but it is brilliant. It's a holiday monday here tomorrow, should really go to bed as I wanted to do my housework and get working on the interview tactics tomorrow.

I have been 'bad' tonight, had a packet of crisps and 2 ca3burys fingers, but I actually feel quite sluggish now. Must be after all the healthy foods, so I won't do that again in a hurry. I've not eaten a lot of 'syns' so hopefully it won't do too much damage.

I'm off to bed now, nite nite. xx

Kittikins

Bails so sorry to hear about the placement, big hugs to you both. I'll echo the others, maybe something even more fantastic is just around the corner...fingers crossed.

Am too hot to sleep, DD came in for a cuddle and I had to politely, cuddlyishly but firmly get her out of my bed and back into hers, or I'd be even worse (Will make it up to her in the morning though )

Frugaldom

Good morning frugallers

Bails, I'm stunned, so I can't imagine how you and OH must be feeling, hope the cancellation doesn't affect your overall plan of going there in the first place. Perhaps there have been personal safety issues or similar, which can be resolved, and you'll still be able to become part of a similar project. I agree with the others, silvber linings and all that.

Grandma247 thank you for the fruit bottling info, I was just researching that earlier in the week, as it seemed more frugal than freezing, spacewise.

Lingo & CW - Train station isn't the smallest, by far, it's just a little bit remote, so can be awkward to find if you aren't familiar with the roads. It's a 45 mile round trip from us and it's a fairly busy station compared to several I have used in the past... It's on Wiki here. We just joke about it because DS' friend arrived by train and thought he could walk to the village bus stop from the station. We found him wandering along a farm lane completely bewildered. :rotfl: