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

slowlyfading

Just popping in to say hello, and that I hope everyone is okay. I have read through the thread but can't remember what I've read I've had a bit of a rough evening so far, so don't have much to say really xx

sophiesmum_2

Your bottled fruit looks really great grandma, did you use the recipes from the blue ball book for the syrups? or just do your own.
You have had lots more gooseberries than me, I've only had about 1/3 of that amount.

cw18

Only thing I'd struggle with if 'housebound' is milk....... or, to be more precise, the only thing DS would struggle with is milk :rolleyes2 I have 3 litres in the fridge at the moment, which should last about 4 or 5 days if I can stop DS drinking it as if it's on tap :rotfl:

I have a couple of cartons of soya milk in (my preference for on cereal), plus a box of dried (which I can use in tea if necessary). I also have a fairly good supply of herbal/fruit tea bags. However, DS won't entertain any of those options

I have 3 dozen bread rolls in my freezer just now (bought on Whoopsie in the last week, and filling space made by eating from the freezer and not replenishing all month ), plus some seeded bagels (6 ?) and a couple of seeded rolls (DS won't eat the seeded ones). I also have everything I need to make at least 4 - probably 6 - loaves in my bread machine. Add to that about a kilo of cheddar, large pack of (value) chicken roll, a small pack of (value) sliced ham and several (12?) jars of paste, and I guess I'm OK for lunch time sandwiches. (And I have plenty of M@rmite and 1.5kg marmalade for breakfast toast). DS has about 3/4 of a kilo tub of spread, and I have about 3 full 500g tubs of my soya one (plus about half in the one that's open).

The other possible 'problem' would be potatoes. I have no fresh ones in the house (as of last night), but do have a couple of packs of instant (again something DS wouldn't be happy about having - he's a fussier eater than me :eek: ). But I have moutains of pasta and rice, which DS would always eat in preference to even fresh potato - and most of my meals could be adapted to use those instead I guess

I have plenty of tinned fruit and soup, baked beans and tomotoes. I also have a few tins of pulses and a couple of tins of other veg (including mushrooms). Don't have a lot of mince in the freezer, but as I eke it out with dried soya mince - and have a couple of bags of that - I should be fine for at least a couple of weeks even if we have more mince based meals (to work with pasta). And I also have about a dozen tetra packs of pure fruit juice......

I have about 1kg each of frozen sweetcorn, garden peas, cauli/brocolli/carrot mix - and several bags of self frozen carrots and mushrooms. I even have a few bags of sliced peppers and one of diced onion (which can be supplemented with the 3 (?) boxes of dried onions in my cupboard



In fact, if I were just catering for me, I reckon I could easily last a month without needing the shops - and if DS weren't so fussy I could probably last that long for the two of us

bails

Well done on the fruit Grandma :T
Sorry you've had a rough evening SF, hope you're okay.

I've decided to abandon the car boot this weekend as it's not the best use of time and with the weather I don't think we'd be particularly successful. *weird, my dog just accidentally stepped on my keyboard and spelt the word 'milk'* :eek::T This means I definitely won't make the Dream Pot challenge now but it was ambitious! I'll get there eventually.

Sorry to hear swine flu seems to be affecting lots of people.

grandma247

SF. I hope you feel a bit better soon. Do something nice and soothing just for you.
SM. I discovered that the page for the syrups was missing from the bb book but fortunately I had a preserving book from the '70s so I used that recipe to make the syrup. You can just use boiling water if you have issues with sugar . We have 2 red and 2 very ancient green gooseberry bushes. The reds are very vigorous growers and are always loaded down with berries. I cut them right back every 2-3 years. we have eight blackcurrant bushes but I did not protect them so the birds got a lot.
I need to get down there and harvest the raspberries. I have earlies and lates but I like the lates best as they are bigger and juicier.
CW. it looks like you will be ok if they start quarantineing. dont forget t/paper t/paste etc. as well as meds.

cw18

t/rolls, t/paste, soaps, shower gels, shampoo, and requirements for washing up, washing clothes and cleaning house are stocked up for at least the rest of the year

probably should get some more paracetamol in.... have codeine for my back (and ibuprofen, though not a lot of these in either), but tend to forget about paracetamol for general use (and for DS). given DD has been told to take these (and keep giving the girls a liquid version) to control temperatures, I guess it would be worth picking up a few cheap packs

so thanks for the nudge to think about that one while I'm out and about sorting meds for GD (and DD's inhalers) tomorrow

ETA: Also have enough dog food in for a while - should hopefully last until end of August as a minimum..... but I may consider picking up the next batch while out tomorrow instead of waiting until next month. 2 x 15kg bags should see me/them through until at least the middle of October

bails

Oh man, did anyone see 'Wildest Dreams' just now? It's a chance to become a professional wildlife photographer! How did I not know about this as it's filmed by my local BBC and I would absolutely have loved to have an opportunity like that! SFT, you would love it I think.

savingfortravel

bails wrote: »

Oh man, did anyone see 'Wildest Dreams' just now? It's a chance to become a professional wildlife photographer! How did I not know about this as it's filmed by my local BBC and I would absolutely have loved to have an opportunity like that! SFT, you would love it I think.

Just finished watching 'Build a new life'. Bails, its one of the best I've seen because they embraced life so wholeheartedly, worked with natural resources and explained how 'rich'* they felt despite having no money..they so got what life is really about.

I've recorded 'Wildest Dreams' to watch now. What a great concept. Its in Botswana tonight isn't it?-one of my favourite places in Africa, especially the Okavango Delta. I've even chosen it for our class country when we have a world day at school in September.

sft * not entirely off topic I hope

savingfortravel

grandma247 wrote: »

http://yfrog.com/b8imag0022uj
right this should be ok. Have put the tea on so thought i would try again. I am not feeling well and i just hope it isnt the 'flu as dh had it for three weeks and is not right yet
YES!! it works

Wow Grandma-I need someone as clever as you to help me with all my foraging when I get back! sft

bails

Oops yes sorry for being off topic. Can my tenuous link be my frugal ways making me rethink what I want from life?
Darn I missed it - off to watch it now. See, if we lived next door to each other, we could halve our TV licence by watching the same programmes. Now this definitely = on topic MS