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

skintjenny

hey guys.
going to CAB tomorrow to get some advice so wish me luck! am worried they might make me bankrupt on the spot!
jenny

chika

BigMummaF wrote: »

Don't remember where I first heard it, but one good tip I've used is to put a pair of old socks OVER your shoes as it gives a better grip in these icy conditions. HTH.

People do laugh at this but it works. Due to foolhardy vanity I went out in gripless ballerina type flats, stayed the night and woke up to snow just before Christmas. My mate lent me a big pair of hiking socks which I put on over the shoes and miraculously didn't go a$$ over t!t as my cheeky so called friends predicted.

chika

skintjenny wrote: »

hey guys.
going to CAB tomorrow to get some advice so wish me luck! am worried they might make me bankrupt on the spot!
jenny

best of luck for tomorrow Jenny. They are really well trained at the CAB and they should talk you through all your options. Hopefully they will be able to help you sort something out.

Kerry_Woman

skintjenny wrote: »

hey guys.
going to CAB tomorrow to get some advice so wish me luck! am worried they might make me bankrupt on the spot!
jenny

Wishing you all the best for your CAB visit. Hopefully they can guide you to the best option suited for you.

jtb2412

Well we're all snowed in here ....... about 5 inches :eek: and both schools shut so they, and I, get another day off work (I work in a school too).

We've got another dose coming in around 9am and although I do love the snow, I really worry about people who can't cope with it. Some poor chap got stuck in his car for 12 hours last night only a few miles down the road. I hope everyone is managing to stay safe and warm xxx

DH isn't going into work (has to travel to London every day).

I should be able to manage a NSD today under the circumstances :rolleyes: .

I hope the power doesn't go off, want to get the clootie made today (didn't get round to it yesterday) and do some batch cooking !

Will probably spend the rest of the day decluttering, fiddling with the spreadsheet and snowball fighting with the family :j

Kiwisaver_2

NSD for me today and once again I'm shamed by you all into doing a freezer inventory when I got home from work - looks lovely all neat and tidy, now I just have to keep it like that. Used up a mystery tub of chilli, with a few stray wedges, grated some cheese and a dollop of sour cream - so a 'free' and easy dinner into the bargain. Same again for tomorrow, defrosting a mystery tub of HFW Chicken in Cider, which I'm gonna make into a pasta dish with some remains of creme fraiche.

It's all good and I shalln't buy any other mains in this weeks shopping other than some meat for Sunday dinner and plan to use up as much as I can from the freezer over the next week or two. Some demon meal planning coming up tomorrow, in lieu of the weekly shop on Friday.

Decluttered Aussie $80 (not mine ) that's been languishing in the dressing table drawer for about a year. I'm going to take to the bank tomorrow and exchange for Hong Kong $s - a small step towards my homecoming journey. :T

Blairwitch - Sri Lanka is amazing and you simply must travel up to the tea plantations and see all the cultural stuff around Dambullah and Kandy. A must do: climb to the top of Sigiriya to see the cave temples. My OH has still not forgiven me for making him climb up there and it's many, many moons since we were there.

Top-drawer – what a productive day you had, can I borrow you for a week or two?

Skint-Jenny – Good luck with the CAB! I hope they can provide some useful advice and a positive way forward for you.

rozeepozee

aeb wrote: »

My DS1, 2 and DD1 all put themselves together in one bed with the three duvets all piled on top (to the best of their ability) and thought it was great fun! The babies are in with me all in one cot with the side down pushed up by my bed so I can grab them in turn in the night before they wake each other.

I watch your posts with interest aeb and am finding you very inspiring! I was wondering how I'm might feed my two in the night without them waking everybody. At the mo, myself DP and DS aged 3 sleep in same room with cotbed with one side off pushed up against our bed. I'm about to move into spare room and sleep on the double sofa bed as I wriggle around too much and disturb anyone. I'll probably remain in there with the babies when they arrive at least at first to see how they feed and sleep. It's gonna be a steep learning curve!

skintjenny wrote: »

hey guys.
going to CAB tomorrow to get some advice so wish me luck! am worried they might make me bankrupt on the spot!
jenny

Best of luck, skintjenny. Hope it goes well.

zafiro1984

Snow: lovely to look at but when you have animals it's a nightmare. At the moment it must be at least 10 inches thick and still snowing.
We have just dug a trench in the garden for a new sewer pipe, dog (small Jack Russell) disappeared down it!!!!! Just discovered a dead sparrow hawk next to the house.
We have a 3day old foal - it's already wearing thermals!!
Hens, They are Free Range but if I let them out they would disappear under the snow, all 300 of them. I think it will be 'breakfast in bed' for them. Also today is a day I deliver eggs around the pubs - no chance - as there is a steep hill just up the lane - oh dear, more lost income.
I think I'll put some eggs out at the gate: free for the neighbours to help themselves.
Like I said, snow is lovely to look at until you have to work in it.

A NSD for me, and I'm getting quite inventive with the contents of the freezer. I have a bad habit of not labelling leftovers, just putting them in a bag and shoving it in the freezer, so this month I'm using up one bag a day, but from now on I must remember to defrost it first as we ended up with gooseberries in a casserole yesterday - tasted a little odd.

Hardup_Hester

We're snowed in here & school is closed so no work for me. Still I bought a tin of baked beans yesterday as it was the only thing I didn't have in the cupboards, we won't need to go to the shops for ages. Amongst other stuff I have 18 eggs, 36 rashers of bacon & 6 litres of milk & there is only 2 of us, lol.

xnatalie81x

NOT HAPPY! I hate snow and to add to that the fact that if i don't work, i don't get paid but i am assuming my childminder will (as she is effectively still available for work) means that if my lessons are cancelled i will be £7.90 down and that money is wasted grrrrrrrrr. I may take them anyway then and then at least i get some sort of break!

Kids' school is closed so one day back at school for son and now he is home AGAIN! - DD not due to start nursery till mon (previously went to preschool) - why o why couldn't it wait till tomorrow lol when i don't work (thu and fri's)

On another negative note I START MY OWN SWIM SCHOOL SAT!!!!! It is the first lessons of the year/term/entire career!!!!! and i really wanted it to go smoothly SOB SOB SOB - i am sure snow will be gone by then but if the school (school pool) is closed and i have to cancel the lessons it will be a pain in the bottom - i will credit all the parents for a lesson next term but it is a pain pain pain!

So today i am mainly
1. saving money on nappies by getting son to use potty - 4 done already - one as i type
2. Bake some cakes to keep kids busy - Realised cannot do as not enough margarine
3. Go and check on chooks and cover hen house so don't get snowed on too much - DONE USING free BIG PLASTIC RUBBLE SACKS CUT DOWN SEAMS AND PUT ON TOP WITH SOME POTS TO HOLD ON!

My tesco order came yesterday and as they did not have the 3 loaves of tesco value wholemeal at 1.50 total they sent me 3 loaves warburtons wholemeal 3.60 total cost BUT they price matched it mmmmmmmmm sarnies and toast for me today lol - gonna crack open a tin of sardines! YUM

Bought 10 packs baby wipes on special and added to 3 already have - hoping it will last at least 6mths now youngest is potty training! Also have 2 big packs tesco nappies which should last a while now!!

Ok, off to watch backyard science on kids' 'pop' channel - it is brilliant! Showed you how to make a chicken feeder once so if mine ever broke i would be fine lol