71p and Three Nappies

scrooge2008

Hi there,

I remember your original thread too. Welcome back. I look forward to following your progress, and picking up some more make do and mend tips.

If you copy and paste the link below (highlight it, then press ctrl C, move to your first post, where you want to insert it, and then press ctrl V) people will be able to access the link.

Memorygirl

Memory_Girl

One of the worst things about being left standing in the middle of the bank with my kids an no access to my benefits was the scary thought ”what am I going to feed the kids.

Since that happened on the 19thof October I have also been left without Tax Credits for two weeks (the bank returned a payment to them, they stop you payments, recalculate what you are due up to the end of the financial year and then start paying you again). In the meantime I was within a whisker of having to go to a doorstep lender to put food on the table.

How ironic would that be

“The Government sent me into the arms of the loan sharks!!!!!”.

In fact I am so terrified of being left with no Tax Credits again that I haven’t called them up to request that they start paying the money into my new Bank Account – instead I walk to the bank and physically remove the money in cash and pay it in over the counter instead. Maybe when I have built up a little “slush fund” I will attempt to make life easier.

Time to get properly Old Style and start building a store cupboard that can keep us through the tough times ahead – start thinking of this year to come with the positive spin of getting prepared.

So today is being spent getting my store cupboard organised for 2010.

Cleaned out the walk in cupboard in my room and cobbled together some storage to contain all my store cupboard goodies. Got some wire baskets in a metal drawer frame and a couple of plastic boxes with secure lids on.

The idea will be to allocate spare money to build up my store cupboard staples so that I can “shop from home” if time gets tough. Also I can take advantage of and BOGOF offers or freebies and store them in there.


In my trawl around the house on “the great voucher quest” yesterday I turned up the following.

1. A Tesco gift card with £80 on it. This was a thank-you from my local MSP and Energy Action Scotland for an interview I did at my house about a new insulation and Central Heating Scheme that they are running at the moment.

In my defence they did turn up as I whipped my world famous ginger snaps out of the oven and produced my gloriously sticky gingerbread from the cake tin for them to have with their eleven o’clock cuppa.

The voucher was a thanks for the home baking and buy yourself some mare baking goodies seeing as they cleared the plate and the tin (doggie bags all round).

Bet you I can make £80 go a long way in Tesco’s!!!!

2 Tesco’s clubcard vouchers of £36.50 that I was saving for Christmas but I think I will “donate” to my store cupboard project instead.

3 Two bags of tile adhesive that need to be returned to the local tile shop for a refund – Total of £19.50 there.

All this store cupboard thrift is inspired by the best thing that happened to me yesterday – the best thing that has happened in quite a few yesterdays in fact.

About 11 am the door goes – and no-one ever knocks at my door except the Postie. So with a heavy heart I go to the door half-expecting it to be the Postie with a “please-sign-for-it” letter from the bank saying “No” to our offer of repayment.

Instead it’s a courier guy with a HUGE big cardboard box and a smile on his face.

“Someone loves you, Love”, was his breezy cheerio!!

It was a Christmas hamper – full of the most gorgeous Christmas yummy stuff!!! Biscuits, crisps, sticky toffee pudding, cheese, onion relish, crab pate, raspberry cordial, mince pies and the most fabulous clementine and clove Christmas Candle.

Oh!! And after I stopped bouncing around the kitchen I found the little gift card tucked in the top!!

The hamper was a thank-you from The Energy Saving Trust for an interview I did for STV’s “The Hour” a couple of weeks back in Glasgow. They loved the interview and are using some of it in their web stuff – so thanks for my help.

TBH I was not expecting anything like this from them!!! I would have done the interview for nothing to get the message out about the Central Heating scheme that we have benefited from out there.

Not only will we have a cosy Christmas – we now have some extra special goodies to munch on too. It will make the day extra special for me and the boys.

Its amazing how having some “naughty” foods in the cupboard make you feel like you can take on the world – LOL.

So inspired I am off to the big Tesco’s in the local city to get “more bangs for my buck” – our local Tesco has a limited range of Value lines so a special trip to return the tile adhesive and do a great big shop is called for.

Hi Ho!!! Its off to Shop I go!!!!!!!!!!


Memorygirl

moo2moo

How fab! Stuff like thats great.

Whist stocking up your storecupboard bear in mind that you get more lentils for your money in the asian aisle than you do in the whole foods section. You can use lentils to stretch just about anything you can make with mince whilst keeping the nutritional levels high.

Also 8p noodles come in three flavours (usually hidden near the pot noodles), one pack per person per meal is just aboput right. Use the noodles in place of Sharwoods expensive chinese noodles and save the dried flavourings to flavour other dishes.

Happy shopping!

scrooge2008

What lovely, thoughtful actions from the energy people, inspired no doubt by your own kindness.

That hamper sounds absolutely scrumptious and quite old fashioned, in a nice, homely way.

Hope the bank decision is favourable. Sending positive vibes.

Here's a link to your SOA/bank thread if you want to add that too. MemorygirlSOA

Memory_Girl

moo2moo wrote: »

How fab! Stuff like thats great.

Whist stocking up your storecupboard bear in mind that you get more lentils for your money in the asian aisle than you do in the whole foods section. You can use lentils to stretch just about anything you can make with mince whilst keeping the nutritional levels high.

Also 8p noodles come in three flavours (usually hidden near the pot noodles), one pack per person per meal is just aboput right. Use the noodles in place of Sharwoods expensive chinese noodles and save the dried flavourings to flavour other dishes.

Happy shopping!

Your right - which is why I headed for the city where the Mr T's stock big 2kg bags of Natco pulses instead of the weeny 500g ones.

Noodles are a favourite in this house - but the Chinese Supermarket is our favourite for noodles cos you get loads of plain ones for pennies. Just looked and a 3lb bag was 98p. I find the instant 8p ones too salty which is a shame because I really like the price.

Give me a minute and I'll post up how far the money went.

Memorygirl

miemie

Memorygirl can't believe how much sh*t has come your way and yet your so up beat and positive, loving your diary, enjoy all those yummy goodies and i hope this a positive sign of things hopefully getting better.

Memory_Girl

I came, I saw, I shopped.

Hate supermarkets – LOL!!!

Went around with a clipboard and calculator. Spent every penny of my £116.00 allocation with an overspend of £0.07. Go Me!!! LOL:j

Kept the £19.50 in cash from the Tile adhesive and went to the Chinese Supermarket on the way home to get some stuff that Tesco’s don’t stock.

Came home and stacked everything away neatly in my store cupboard – creating an inventory list for my Lever Arch “Home File” as I did so. (that way I know what is in stock and what I need to replace)

In the store cupboard today Brucie we have …………………..

Pasta 1kg bags 5
Spaghetti 500g 4
Lasagne Boxes 5

SR Flour 1.5kg 4
Plain Flour 1.5kg 2
Bread Flour 1.5kg 2
Sultanas 500g 3
Doves Yeast 1 25g 2

Chick Peas 3kg 2
Red Kidney Beans 2kg 2
Oily Toor Dal 2kg 1
Red Lentils 2kg 1
Yellow Split Peas 500g 2
Red Beans 1kg 1
Cannellini Beans 500g 2
Lentilles Vert 500g 1

Porridge Oats 1kg 1
Toasted flakes Cereal 1
Choco Snaps 1
Multigrain Hoops 1

Basmati Rice 5kg 1
Risotto Rice 500g 2
Thai Jasmine Rice 500g 3
Pudding Rice 500g 1
Sushi Rice 500g 1

Chinese fine Noodles 3lb 1
Rice sticks 400g 4
Rice Noodles 250g 2
Soba Noodles 250g 11 (3 for a £1.00)
Fine Egg Noodles Pkt 6 1
Pad Thai Instant Noodles 2
Tom Yum Soup Noodles 9

Italian Gnocchi 500g 3
Polenta 500g 1
Tofu Kits 2
Silken Tofu 1
Red Pepper Paste 1
Red Curry Paste 1
Tom Yum Soup Paste 1
Bulghar Wheat 500g 1

Atora Suet 200g 2
Salt 500g 2
Tomato Sauce 700g 3
Bisto 454g 2
Japanese Miso Soup 10

Xmas Cake 1
Xmas Pudding 1
Olives 820g 1
Custard Mix 300g 1
Peanut Butter 340g 1
Choc Spread 600g 1
Golden Syrup 680g 1
Nescafe Coffee 200g 2
Blackcurrant Squash 3 litres

Sack of potatoes from local farmer


I also managed to Secret Squirrel away a few Christmas bits for the boys – a Madagascar DVD, puzzles, jammies, shampoo, Dr Who Annual and sweeties for their stockings.

Keep popping into the cupboard to have a look at how far I have made the money go – how sad am I????

I know I should meal plan more – and now I have the staples in place I can start to design our menu’s around the basics in stock with top ups of dairy and Fruit n Veg every week.

Project Meal plan will have to wait for another day as I am too weary to even care tonight.

Still no word from the bank though!!!!!!! :mad:

Take Care

Memorygirl

Memory_Girl

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!

AND DID I MENTION???

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!

Just got a text from my "Everyday Angel" at the bank to say she was in a training meeting all day - but managed to find out just before coming home that the money for my Mortgage Interest has found its way into my Account.

£2788 plus the £608 that they have frozen in there makes a grand total of £3396 - which is 34% of the £10K personal guarantee that the bank is chasing.

I've left a message for the solicitor helping me with the case - so I'll guess I'll have to wait until Monday to find out what her next steps are going to be.

Too excited to sleep tonight - better find something productive to do instead.

Memorygirl

ClootiesMum

Between bank & shopping that is one GOOD day - well done and definitely worth another

WOOHOO

Going to admire your store cupboard is not sad - it's the sort of thing I would do as well and I'm sure I'm not sad - possibly a bit individual, but not sad.

And Clootie is doggy boy number 1 and as a pup with his wee round belly & his colouring when he was curled up against the fire looked just like a wee Clootie Dumpling - hence the name. Now he looks like Spit the dog but I'm not calling him that. Doggy boy number 2 is Diego - but that name is a whole different story.

Have a good evening....

jenjade

wow i am so pleased for you hun!! well done