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FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 2, April - June.
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gilligansyle wrote: »Hi all
I read somewhere they encourage aphids - is that right?
My MIL called today and said she'd received the Dig In seeds that I'd sent off for her (she doesn't use the internet). She was pleased as punch and was straight off to plant them all out (she's very lucky to have an allotment that backs off her garden). I then i discovered that mine arrived too so I've planted some courgettes and seeded a tray of various plants for my mum who isn't very interested in growing but is interested in eating for free so I'm hoping to !!!!! up her interest via her stomach. She's no garden to speak of but she can grow in containers or grow bags.
My ramshackle old conservatory is being well used and you can't see a flat space in it that doesn't have something growing on it. I've sqeezed two baths in there and already harvested a couple of salads for us (lambs lettuce which I grew over the winter and some baby leaves planted early feb) and we've picnicked on them in our camper van. I think all this furious planting and growing is my version of nesting - I'm too large in this pregnancy to be getting down on my hands an knees to scrub floors as I did when I was pregnant last and you can sow seeds sitting down! I'm dead chuffed with the results so far, and I'm trying to be as productive as I can before my Caesarean in a week's time - EEK! :eek:
OH has resurrected a freecycled child's wardrobe that we've had in the garage for a while and is going to paint it cream tomorrow (it's dark blue and not a very nice colour but it's a good quality one from habitiat so plenty of life in it). Not buying nursery furniture from new will save a fortune. A good job really as we've discovered we need a damp course in one of our bedrooms. This is not what you need just before you give birth - I'm having to organise and get electricians, plasterer and other builders in - ho hum. And about £1000 in cost in total but I have at least budgeted for maintenance this year. I'm hoping the work will be done by the time I'm out of hospital with the babies.
[Edit: the swear checker on this thing makes me laugh. It objected to the word pr!ck in this post - a little oversensitive, I'd say]0 -
rozeepozee wrote: »A good job really as we've discovered we need a damp course in one of our bedrooms.
We had terrible problems with 'rising damp' in our lounge/diner at the last house the first winter we were there, and I called in three companies for quotes as we assumed this was what was needed.
The first 2 that turned up hummed and tutted, stuck probes in the walls, and tutted some more - then presented us with huuuge quotes for the 'necessary' work. The 3rd was round for about 10 mins tops, looked at the room, asked when the double glazing had been put in (a couple of months earlier), and informed us it was purely a ventilation issue - and he wasn't interested in the remedial work.
So we then got a local builder to come and put a ventilation brick at each end of the room (it ran front to back of the house), and we didn't see the problem again in the 10 years between then and selling the place.......Cheryl0 -
rozeepozee wrote: »I presume you mean discourage aphids. yes they do but I think you have to get the fragrant type. Seemed to work for me last year in my raised bed baths (more successful than my efforst to keep the slugs at bay).
Probably, just remember reading that they were a good thing to have in with the veg. Also apparently garlic is good as it helps discourage pests. Still a bargain at a quid anyway.
On the milk issue, I have a problem with milk because I only take milk in tea, so buy a pint at a time and it goes off before I can use it all. (I drink coffe black but need a bit of milk in tea)
I have the cheap powdered milk from Mr T and can make it up in half pint amounts which is fine for tea, can't say what its like in anything else as I don't do cereal etc.
In a recent AF order they had some of those little cartons you get in cafe's a box for a pound, so I've got some of them for emergencies.Debts at LBM - Mortgages £128497 - non mortgage £27497 Debt now £[STRIKE]114150[/STRIKE][STRIKE]109032[/STRIKE] 64300 (mortgage) Credit cards left 0
"The days pass so fast, let's try to make each one better than the last"0 -
gilligansyle wrote: »In a recent AF order they had some of those little cartons you get in cafe's a box for a pound, so I've got some of them for emergencies.
I'm another who uses hardly any milk (despite drinking vast numbers of mugs of tea), and one of those little cartons is enough for 4 or 5 brews.
Cheryl0 -
this is an interesting way to grow food.0
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Thanks guys for the tips on Lidl's milk :t. Lidl's is up by Uni so will get
Now for some bad news. My work order looked good (-75p loss) till I did it online this am and realised I'd forgotten to add VAT (which they added) so I got charged £12 plus tax....something MLM companies don't tell you. Combined with postage (£6) = bye bye my first month's profits (not that I had any having an outlay of around £70 including websites). So will need a frugal week this week.
Hope everyone is well....Have to save for a wee break next week - was hoping to get like £50 saved for 2 days (my friend is paying for the hotel) but like so far it looks like only £40 which I'm gutted about!!!
This am I have a meeting so no time really to go down to FF for milk and stomach is already complaining (I have gastritis)....but tis life...
'won' some soap @ the free tea last night - imperial leather - what luxury and have put most of the remnants of shower gel into the washing up liquid bottle....
Anyhow tis all my snooze..yes this thread has really slowed down and what's happened to FL?
E:dance:
I believe in the power of PAD
Come and join us on the Payment a Day thread
:dance:
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Have a lovely sunny day here again, so have got 2 loads of laundry out on the line drying.
Have made another AF order, some treat bits for the boys, although like others have noticed that some items are actually cheaper in places like 1nstore or £str€tcher (100 1 cup t/bags £1.09 AF but only 89p in 1nstore), and I was there yesterday for some other bits so got them as Dh provides the t/bags for his works group, another the sugar, another the milk and the fourth the ketchup etc for with the chippy lunch every Friday.Obviously if people live too far from these stores then AF is a good option.
It is DS1 birthday on Friday and he has requested we go to a Carvery for lunch(DH has the day off), then he has having a few friends round for a campout/sleepover with BBQ, I provide sausages and hotdog buns they all bring anything else they want, plus their drink.
I will also make a traybake cake as 6/7 hungry teenagers will soon polish that off.
For his present he is getting cash as it is far easier, and he can add it to other money he receives to buy a bigger item rather than have lots of little presents.
Need to sort out the kitchen/dining room soon as my friend and her 2 boys (same age as mine) are coming tomorrow, we will head off down Cleethorpes and then go to an All you can eat Chinese for lunch, that also takes care of dinner as we eat late on so it is a late lunch early dinner, then my 2 will just get supper snacks later (Dh will have a frozen plated dinner).My self & hubby; 2 sons (30 & 26). Hubby also a found daughter (37).
Eldest son has his own house with partner & her 2 children (11 & 10)
Youngest son & fiancé now have own house.
So we’re empty nesters.
Daughter married with 3 boys (12, 9 & 5).
My mother always served up leftovers we never knew what the original meal was. - Tracey Ulman0 -
Morning all :wave:
You're right Erme, it has slowed down. I've been reading but have nothing much to report. Maybe everyone is being frugal and saving electricity by not using their computers so much! :rotfl: Or making the most of the great weather by getting out in the garden! Hope your work thing works out. I have no idea about those companies - hope it's not a rip-off! It seems wrong that you are out of pocket.
I've been enjoying the nice weather. I've been cutting the grass and digging. The garden is so overgrown but I a do a little when I can. I have cut back most of the brambles but still need to dig up some roots. They sent out runners all over so I end up pulling them up when I find them - it's like lengths of rope running through the soil. And there is ivy too. But I cleared enough to put in the fruit bushes and some garlic. I'm working on another bit now and am trying to dig up a tree root - bloody hard work I can tell you! Somehow a load of trees starting growing, no idea where they came from. Some have been left for now as the house is being sold so my main aim is just to make the place look presentable. I have a nice spot for a container that will grow salad but I haven't sown the seeds yet.
I was very pleased with myself as I collected lots of dandelion leaves from the garden - apparently they taste best in Spring as they aren't so bitter and are quite tender. I made a lovely spaghetti dish with them; garlic, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, a few sunflower seeds, little bits of goats' milk cheese and olive oil all mixed with the leaves and it was delicious! I have a colander-full left and I think I might make a veggie lasagne and layer them like spinach. I read that they are extremely nutritious and they are free and tasty so I'm happy!
Hope you all have a great day.Trying to spend less time on MSE so I can get more done ... it's not going great so far!
Sorry if I don't reply to posts - I'm having MAJOR trouble keeping up these days!
Frugal Living Challenge 2011
Sealed Pot #671 :A DFW Nerd #11850 -
grandma247 wrote: »this is an interesting way to grow food.
My problem is still wondering if I can legally attach things to my side of the fence, as both sets of neighbours physically paid to put them up. Strangely too I was only thinking about half hour ago as I hung out some more laundry, that it is fortuitous that I hadn't yet started growing anything on one side as they are having a new extension built & altering the fence.
For once, it seems I've done something right
Full time Carer for Mum; harassed mother of three;loving & loved by two 4-legged babies.
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Hi everyone,
NualaBuala: the dandelion leaf salad sounds lovely will have to give it a try. My favourite greens this time of year are young nettles,I just treat them like spinach and add a bit of butter..yum. Got given several bags of parsnips so thought I would try parsnip crisps made in the oven. They were quite successful but a bit fussy to make as I had to keep an eye on them otherwise they burnt. Got better as I went on I think. Kids seem to like them.
Been tending to the sick today as dd1 has got a bit stressed in her run up to finals and has glandular fever threatening to make a comeback, so am a bit tied up trying to stop her getting into a panic. I expect dh will pick up on the hormone levels from the drive!0
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