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

xnatalie81x

Good afternoon frugal friends. I am no longer the owner of a pregnant dog - i am now grandma to 6 beautiful puppies!!!! They are soooooooo cute it is unbelievable and i want to keep 2 already. Ratio is 5 girls and 1 boy - pics will follow if i can work out how to put them on here lol

She woke us at 7am this morning - first pup born 8am ish last one born at 12 - good girl was acting funny last night but let has have one last sleep lol.

Unfortunately missed work this morning (so loss of money) as i needed to be here due to H2B being pants with gore. Our friend helped us birth the first 4 and the last 2 i did by myself. Some difficulties but all over now and she shall be sterilised soon.

sophiesmum_2

Look forward to seeing pics of the pups Natalie:D

Quiet day here today, just a little weeding to do in the raised beds and some french bean seeds to harvest which were left on the plants to use for seeds next year.
Been for a cuppa with frugal neighbour - the alien carrot is even funnier when you see it in real life :rotfl:
Have a good day everyone

BigMummaF

Just having another look thru the various newsletters I get & saw this. I know most of yooze guys are well up on this kind of thing, so I'm interested in your opinion as to value for money etc.
Also, what sort of compost do you use for growing veg in pots; would the stuff in all-round grow bags be OK or do I need to look for something in particular? A fairly local [little] farm shop has had them but being a complete novice I'm never sure which sort to get Had a bash at growing "Flame of the Forest" a few times--even with ericacious[sp?] medium--without success & my general garden skills & lack thereof are legendary among those who know me

savingfortravel

Hi Everyone!

Went to Mr T and picked up some half price razors-next year's supply. More successful stockpiling.
Then we went to the giftshop at T*ptree and I bought mini Christmas puddings and other gifts for family members. Such a pleasurable shopping experience. Pleased I'm getting on with the Christmas shopping I need to do. School is covered. I will do the rest for my family when I break up from school. Making a couple of calendars too using wildflower photos and self-sufficency ideas.

I have put savings totals in my signature but everything I do is not for the sake of saving but to enable me to get to my future goal. Each to their own but gloating about my bank balance is definately not for me.



Morning did wipe me out a bit, definately not well.

Take care all.

sft

Frugaldom

BigMummaF wrote: »

Just having another look thru the various newsletters I get & saw this. I know most of yooze guys are well up on this kind of thing, so I'm interested in your opinion as to value for money etc.
Also, what sort of compost do you use for growing veg in pots; would the stuff in all-round grow bags be OK or do I need to look for something in particular? A fairly local [little] farm shop has had them but being a complete novice I'm never sure which sort to get Had a bash at growing "Flame of the Forest" a few times--even with ericacious[sp?] medium--without success & my general garden skills & lack thereof are legendary among those who know me

Hi BigMummaF, I love the container gardening as it's so much easier for me to protect from the marauding chickens and ducks. :rotfl: However, I think the £35 pricetag is a bit OTT when you could probably buy full packs of all of those seeds and then germinate them yourself in recycled cartons. To start us off in the new garden, we had to buy compost whilst it was available at 3 bags for £10. I also took advantage of the cheap compost bins offered via councils and have been composting for the past year so we have our own 'homegrown' stuff to use for next year. Here are some of the containers I have been using, lots more to add and it depends what's available via schemes like Freecycle, Freeshare, Freeads and LETS.

PS - Congratulations XNatX on arrival of puppies, eagerly awaiting the photos.

cw18

the_cat wrote: »

In an ideal world I think that there should be a 'challenges' board set up, with ALL challenges moved onto it from the other boards. There are so many challenges scattered all over the boards that it is very easy to miss them. I have no idea if the powers that be would be interested in such an idea though.

Now that sounds like a fantastic idea.

I have to confess to not trawling the boards (so don't even know what we have these days - certainly didn't know that was a 'how much have I saved' one!), but have discovered that by hooking up with one or two challenges (found by chance, and which included the GC in the first instance) I'm then finding other challenges through links posted on there (or seen in signatures, resulting in a search). When I find something of interest I then subscribe to the thread (the bonus being I don't lose it if it moves).

The only page I use on a daily basis on MSE is the 'subscribed threads' one, and the only time I wander around anywhere else is if I have problems I'm trying to find an answer for. But (due to the previously mentioned checking of links and signatures) I still find my list of subscribed threads tends to grow

If there was a board that brought together all the challenges, then I think that is one I would regularly check for new things - mainly as so many work well together (I've found the GC one invaluable in helping with the £4k challenge, as it concentrates on a small area of the larger challenge )

FrankieM

Hi,
Been to church this morning and dropped into Somerfield on the way home. Spent £49!!!!! Most reduced stuff but that means I only have £20 for when I go shopping Tuesday. It'll be interesting to see if I can manage it!.
Of course DH popped in last night and spent £20 then. We are going to have t sort out this kind of spending. Most of next weeks meals are covered with stuff I slready have so I should have to buy much else...just as well.

In regards to this challenge. I personally think its best on the OS board as thats what it is and to suggest that the Grocery Challenge is a 'Living Within Your Means' challenge is a bit silly as it's just one part of so much more. While I accept that the Board Guides work hard etc actually I would say this challenge encompasses pretty much anything and everything that gets posted on the OS board. That's just my opinion, though.
SM Your baking looks lovely.
nyk Thats what just about all my carrots looked like the other day but spotty as well!

Hope you all have a good day

Frugaldom

FrankieM, when you can get past the giggling to actually peel & chop them, they still taste good, so still worth the wait for homegrown. Just don't show the guests the 'before' version if they are visiting for a meal.

Looks like there's only one here for dinner tonight, so I can please myself and make any sort of frugal concoction I want without fear or reprisal. Off to rake and see what needs using up first. I know there are potatoes, onions, carrots and chard needing used up, and I still have several of the reduced 'Ll0yd Gr0ssman sauces from App F00ds, so I'm suspecting it'll be something quick and spicy that lacks any meat content, unless I use some 'cook from frozen' fish. :rotfl:

xnatalie81x

In the excitement of delivering 6 beautiful puppies i forgot to mention that it is my sons second birthday today and we are going to MIL for a mini tea party with food and cake.

All my family were meant to be going but sis and her partner are going to puppy sit while we pop out. Free dinner

Have got to pay out for a few puppy bits and now the heating has HAD to go on so the pups can keep warm BUT we will be selling at least 4 of them so should recoup our costs. I really want to keep one as they were born on my sons birthday!!!!!!!!!! - just have to decide which one now!

Kerfuffle

the_cat wrote: »

In an ideal world I think that there should be a 'challenges' board set up, with ALL challenges moved onto it from the other boards. There are so many challenges scattered all over the boards that it is very easy to miss them. I have no idea if the powers that be would be interested in such an idea though. *Snip
However newbies will be much less likely to find and join us stuck out on 'how much have you saved', which I can't see benefitting anyone. This thread has proved immensly popular for over 2 years now and should be viewed as the asset that it is by the 'powers that be' for the traffic it generates (seeing as they seem bothered by this)

My thoughts exactly. This is the best suggestion so far.:T

If Newbies look at a thread and what they're looking for isn't there, they may not return.

Nyk's challenge needs to be where it's relevant.