FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 1. (Living on £4,000 a year)

ceridwen

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

Need to check if smallholders group do a lets type thing ......

There are many variants possible on the basic idea. So - even if they dont - then there is no reason why not to come up with one yourself.

Hmmmm....first thought that immediately comes to mind is a Veggie Stall once a week (maybe Saturday mornings) - a sorta "bring and buy" equivalent. Everyone puts their surplus produce on a decorating table or two. Everyone gives what they can and takes what they need (within reasonable limits....I wouldnt bother personally to specify what is deemed to be "reasonable limits" - it will soon become clear if someone is "abusing the system" by putting in one cauliflower they have surplus and taking back a sack of potatoes and some peppers and......etc.....) and you can work out at that point whether to bring in some sort of "rules of exchange" or whatever seems necessary to bring things roughly into balance.

lynzpower

Yeah I heard about the ebay listing day!

I hate listing on ebay boring! What turbo lister is everyone using? Might make a head start on it now so I dont have to waste sunday

NualaBuala

Thanks to Ceridwen and others who have mentioned LETS - I really like the idea. I'm not aware of any scheme in Dublin but when my life is a bit less chaotic I'd seriously consider trying to get one going if there isn't one already.

Before all that helpful info was posted I did a bit of googling and this was one of the pages I found. I really like the site; the Slow Movement fits in with the simpler and more frugal way I would like to live my life.
http://www.slowmovement.com/lets.php

Off for my frugal dinner now and will probably spend the evening multitasking - reading MSE, watching TV and doing a bit of knitting and/or attempting crochet with my new hook. I can now do a chain but it looks wonky - haven't got the hang of tension yet.

ceridwen

ceridwen wrote: »

There are many variants possible on the basic idea. So - even if they dont - then there is no reason why not to come up with one yourself.

Hmmmm....first thought that immediately comes to mind is a Veggie Stall once a week (maybe Saturday mornings) - a sorta "bring and buy" equivalent. Everyone puts their surplus produce on a decorating table or two. Everyone gives what they can and takes what they need (within reasonable limits....I wouldnt bother personally to specify what is deemed to be "reasonable limits" - it will soon become clear if someone is "abusing the system" by putting in one cauliflower they have surplus and taking back a sack of potatoes and some peppers and......etc.....) and you can work out at that point whether to bring in some sort of "rules of exchange" or whatever seems necessary to bring things roughly into balance.

.....and a little further think on this idea. Maybe people might like to have an occasional communal lunch cooked up from the produce and/or brought in from home? A "Harvest Supper" at the traditional Christian "Harvest Festival" time of year on the one hand? A meal to commemmorate a Solstice on the other hand? Just summat very simple - salad maybe/homemade soup and bread maybe? (Its taken as read in my "circles" that social meal type events might end up coinciding with one religion or another's "special times" and thats as far as it goes. YOu just note what date its on - and what the heck...thats as far as the mention of it goes....and everyone from all different viewpoints gets on and has a mini-celebration...

lynzpower

ceridwen wrote: »

.....and a little further think on this idea. Maybe people might like to have an occasional communal lunch cooked up from the produce and/or brought in from home? A "Harvest Supper" at the traditional Christian "Harvest Festival" time of year on the one hand? A meal to commemmorate a Solstice on the other hand? Just summat very simple - salad maybe/homemade soup and bread maybe? (Its taken as read in my "circles" that social meal type events might end up coinciding with one religion or another's "special times" and thats as far as it goes. YOu just note what date its on - and what the heck...thats as far as the mention of it goes....and everyone from all different viewpoints gets on and has a mini-celebration...

On this note, I regularly see posters on the Tube requesting volunteers to host Sunday tea once a month for older people in thier area.

http://www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk/page.php?page=volunteer&gs=1

Seems its not just in London. I would love to do this, but the place we live has SO many stairs to get in we struggle so I just dont think our place is appropriate for many isolated older people. But its something I will definitely do when we move somewhere with ground floor access

cw18

lynzpower wrote: »

On this note, I regularly see posters on the Tube requesting volunteers to host Sunday tea once a month for older people in thier area.

http://www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk/page.php?page=volunteer&gs=1

Thanks for this

There seem to be a couple of areas round me listed, but I'm possibly a little further out than they'd want - certainly as a 'host'. Need to get my house straight/tidy any way (been far too slow a progress in 2009), but once it's sorted I meet the 'not too many steps to door' (none) and 'downstairs toilet essential' criteria Just not sure my living room is big enough for 6-9 guests plus their drivers plus me (and possibly other family members) !!!!

It also sounds the kind of thing my DD would be more than happy for me to involve my GDs with (they had a fantasic time at a Christmas Party with SophiesMum's "oldies" in Dec 2008), and would probaby come and help me host it too.

The thing that surprised me is that hosts aren't asked for references or a CRB check !! I realise that drivers will be alone with a 'guest' and that the co-ordinator may have cause to go visit members to sign them up (meaning they're also alone with them), but I really would have thought they'd ask for references from/run a CRB on the host as well

lynzpower

the thing is with CRB, you cant just apply for one as a member of the general public, you have to be employed ( or volunteering for ) an organisation who sponsors the CRB check. As someone whos had a crb check for years, I actually wouldn't have thought youd need a crb check for this, as you are never likely to be left alone with any one person.

LilacPixie

Iamsobehindwith my spread sheet. Have not updated my sheet yet with mobile bills but spends looking like just over £500 so far which is just under half of my budgetted spends. This thread is fab.


Lynzpower - i fncy growing veg too. thinking pots, peppers, tomatos, garlic, strawberrys and alad leaves as they are things that we seem to spend alot of cash on. Not 100% sure how much i can actually grow on a balcony though. pot and bags r us.

cw18

lynzpower wrote: »

the thing is with CRB, you cant just apply for one as a member of the general public, you have to be employed ( or volunteering for ) an organisation who sponsors the CRB check. As someone whos had a crb check for years, I actually wouldn't have thought youd need a crb check for this, as you are never likely to be left alone with any one person.

I know it's not an issue for me personally - already been done for voluntary work at school just under 12 months ago, and -- while I know it would have to be run again for a different 'employer' -- that does at least mean I know I'd "pass" the check

(Think this was also looked on very favourably when I went for my interview with Mr M. The application form says they run these - or reserve the right to - as we could be handling cash, but my voluntary work clearly indicated there'd be no problem/need to do mine :rolleyes2 )

I guess the assumption could be that a host would also be a driver - ie. I'd host one month, then drive people to other hosts for a number of months until it's my turn to host again -- and the drivers have a CRB check run on them

lynzpower

LilacPixie wrote: »

Lynzpower - i fncy growing veg too. thinking pots, peppers, tomatos, garlic, strawberrys and alad leaves as they are things that we seem to spend alot of cash on. Not 100% sure how much i can actually grow on a balcony though. pot and bags r us.

Lets see how we do. In the morning im going to go up and take a picture of what is a barren space- but will be amazing once its transformed :j