FRUGAL LIVING CHALLENGE 2010, part 2, April - June.

Erme

Och for the hugs...kind of went to bed after that and slept for a few hours ... Hope everyone is well. Was trying to keep the Sabbath holy by not being online but suddenly find myself feeling funny. Now maybe not the best time to quit the cigs...leave it a few more weeks off the extra pill till I decide..(kind of scared of quitting the cigs...have smoked like THAT long :eek:)

Anyhow have now decided after 9 or so years of not having a washing machine I need one and only £70 savings this month ...hmm...is this possible. I think getting the machine should be easy....there's a charity shop close by that are getting at least one in this week and I have first refusal :d but it's just the plumbing baring in mind when I got the new kitchen the other year I said no to plumbing for washing machine. Having said that I looked yesterday (and discovered the freezer needed a MAJOR defrost lol) and like there's a cold pipe going upwards below the sink with a stop !!!! on the top in blue and like a join for the waste pipe into the sink so it should be possible (so long as I can get someone to make holes into the side of the board) but I don't know how long it'll take to do or if I do it (or get someone) or the council have to get someone. There's care and repair here that should be able to do the plumbing cheap and I know legally I'm allowed to have the plumbing for a washing machine in here so I think I'm well within my rights.

I was very anti it because there's a cheap laundrette downstairs (£1 a wash, 25p for 15 mins dryer) but like now people keep tampering with my stuff even if I'm just a few minutes late and with being a smoker it's just not practical to sit down there the whole time (and not the nicest of places either). I know technically there's notices up saying you have to take your stuff out promptly so these folk can say they're well within their rights but the other week I found someone moving the thing on the big machine and taking my stuff just cos she wanted to use the big machine :mad: when there were loads of smaller machines available.

It's not like I go at weekends when it's busy. Have learnt that one! Used to but not anymore and if I'm working I've no idea when I'll manage to do it. There's space in the bedroom for an airer. Sorted .

So yeah. nuala Ma gave me the £1 a day book and I've started looking for pennies on the street - found 4p the other day :t. and got my Blokus back so all is good.

Anyhow tis all my news....going to be late for kirk if I keep procrastinating and don't get my act together but like WHEN to have breakkie on Sabbath :shock: cos like if you get up @ 6 you want it by 7 but then you don't get lunch till 1 (instead of 12/12.30) so like you end up in a pickle!



E

NualaBuala

Good morning frunchkins :wave:

Thank you all so much for the hugs and good wishes! I'm still feeling rotten and infection seems to be getting worse so it's a trip to the Doc's for me tomorrow. But you have all helped cheer me up so thank you! Lynda, your cat's "help" gave me a wee giggle!

Oh what a cute piccie Erme! Big hugs from me to you (sorry I'm not creative with pics) and I'm glad you're feeling better. I had never heard of Blokus either - glad you got it back. I enjoyed that book - you've reminded me I should check the ground for coins when I'm out and about.:) Would it be worth trying Freecycle/Freegle for a washing machine? I'd be a bit wary of shelling out for second hand one as you don't have any guarantees and I don't think they are built to last forever anymore - unless you get a Miele which is mega-pricy! But somebody else might know more about them. BTW, I didn't understand what you said about being sued. Not sure if you were joking or not but really hope it gets sorted or not. Would it be worth having a chat with your nurse or Doc if you're worried about the meds?

I've never been to the Skelligs Blairweech ... some day though!

I hope you feet are getting better EFC, you seem to be accomplishing loads despite the swelling! I watched that programme on simple living too! The Buddhist monastery featured is the sister monastery of the one I stayed in - they are part of a tradition of alms mendicants and the nuns and monks depend on the generosity of lay people.

I still haven't got my head around what it involves. One thing I agree with is that giving feels good. If you are able to share what you've got with somebody, even if it is very little - then you feel rich, that you have more than enough. At the monastery, meal times were incredible! I was worried I would starve as the main meal was at 11.30am and there was no eating for the rest of the day. But lots of people brought gifts of delicious meals to add to what we prepared in the kitchen. I don't think I've eaten so well in my life and there was NO fear of going hungry! :rotfl:I even had some lovely chocolate cake as dessert one day!

The monastery seemed to be in a very expensive area - lots of gorgeous chocolate box cottages with posh cars outside. And so the land would have been funded by a lot generousity too.

I did find myself thinking it would be nice to use some of the land for growing veggies or keeping hens but that seemed to be a no-no. Self sufficiency is not part of their tradition. And I nearly cried at the waste when I saw a bucket of porridge being thrown out - but they have be careful about health and safety plus there are monastic rules about not storing food.

I made a donation when I was leaving and it was very hard to think of it as just giving from my heart, and not as a transaction. I had been trying to figure out how much it cost them to have me to stay and wanted to make sure that was covered. I think we're really conditioned to think like that and automatically put a cash value on everything.

Winchelsea wrote: »

Just calling in quickly - just to say nualabuala - I'm so sorry to hear you're not well. You are always so thoughtful about everyone else on here, so I for one am sending you BIG HUGS.

Aww, thank you so much Win what a lovely thing to say - you made me well up a little (in a good way though!). I could say the same to you - I guess we are just one big frugal family here!

I will be lying low today - the grass needs cutting and I might have a go later but right now I'm not up to anything much at all.

Hugs all around - have a good Sunday everyone!

top_drawer_2

Hello everyone,

Hugs to everyone all round, Nuala your trip sounds so interesting! I can't imagine depending on others for everything, I too hate waste and couldnt sacrifice my independance, its such a different way to think about things.

Erme - I agree completely about the washer, I couldnt return to the laundrette days now, we had them in uni halls days and I hated it!! I used to set my alarm on my phone giving me a couple of minutes to walk there and still would find someone else had removed my stuff from the machine and put their own in, even when there were other machines available!!

I'm fuming still after yesterday when I received a bill from my credit card provider stating I had been given a £12 charge for late payment. I received a text on friday saying they had not received my payment (which I thought I had sent on the 5th) so checked my account and realised I had swapped some numbers about and the payment had not gone right. So I immediately resent the payment and when I got the bill on Saturday rang them and explained. The (rude) guy on the phone replied that it would still take 3-5 days to clear as if I could have made the payment quicker if I really wanted too! and that he couldnt do anything about the charge as it was placed by the computer and "it" would reassess on my next billing date and No there wasnt anyone else I could speak to about it (end of_) depite being a "good" customer and paying on time since getting the card I don't know how long ago (2 years-ish). I've told them that if the "computer" doesnt remove the charge at my next billing date I will pay off the full amount (can afford to, just) and close the account. I am sick to death of foreign call centres this last week! I've also spent 3 hours (!!) on the phone to three over the past week dealing with a internet dongle I have with them as it doesnt work in this house (despite working around the corner at my old house) and after 7 months they have finally agreed that they cant find a way of making it work. Then Friday they sent me a bill saying they owe me money and Im in credit despite the last bill demanding £50 unpaid charges and I haven't paid them anything since November!! Anyway they changed their mind yesterday and said its not actually payable....... I'm confused but as long as I don't have to pay anything to them then I guess I can live with it.

My veggies are coming along nicely although no spuds or herbs/salad just yet! think Im just very inpatient and want them overnight. Leo and Augustus love the grass and even had a play outside last week when it was warm while I was planting/painting (chest of drawers I bought ages ago, pics to come) and tending the veggies and found the box very fast and had a ball running among the grass chomping away!!

Last night I also made some mash out of a HUGE bag of potatoes I bought from Mr M's for the amazing sum of 49p (selected seconds) and am going to make potato cakes (Thanks again to Pink-winged for that amazing method!! they are so good). I'm thinking of adding a little herbs/flavourings to them to make them a little bit more interesting - any ideas?

Jen

Puddleglum

Congratulations Xspender. Glad you are feeling a bit better Erme and that you feel better soon NB.

A minor miracle hit Puddleglum Mansions this last week. We won on the pools!!! Not a massive amount but enough to ease our way through this year, allowing DS and DD to have their time away in the summer and it also means that DH will be able to come with us in the summer when we go North to visit DM. We had a takeaway to celebrate and I have still got to get my head around the finances for this week.

Keiss_21

Congratulations on your win Puddleglum, enjoy every penny! :T:T

NualaBuala

Hi Jen, that's so annoying about the CC charge - good on you for standing up to them! I really hope they waive it for you - they sound a bit like the Little Britain "Computer says no" sketch only not at all funny for you!

What is Pink-winged's method for potato cakes? I love them! I like them with a little grated cheddar and chopped onion mixed in, some seasoning and a bit of flour and egg added to the mash. I picked up a big bag of spuds yesterday (not as cheaply as you though!) and I'm quite tempted to do some.

Can I ask how you folks manage your foreign currency holiday spends in your spreadsheets/notebooks etc? I'm getting caught up on my finances while watching Nanny McPhee and dabbing my eyes (a combo of crying at the soppy bits of the film and mopping up my eye infection!).

NualaBuala

Thanks Puddleglum,and great news about your win!!! :j:j:j

chika

Congrats Puddleglum. I hope you have fun with the money! Also congrats to Xspender and family!

Kerry_Woman

Congratulations Puddleglum on your pools win.

Hugs for those who need them.

cw18

Congrats to all at Puddle(not-so)glum Mansions :T


I'm trying to pluck up the courage to add yesterdays spends to my spreadsheet

Had a (for me) mammoth grocery spend, yet don't seem to have much to show for it I'm hoping is just because it was bulk buys of a small-ish number of items rather than 1 or 2 of lots of different things - but I guess it just remains to be seen how long some of the stuff lasts (cereal, crisps and pop are likely to be hit pretty hard by DS when I'm away next weekend)

I've also hammered my 'anything else' category with new bedding! A lot of mine was getting waaaaaay past it's best, so I've had my eyes open for a while looking for something that I liked, that won't "date", and that wasn't too expensive - and I finally found something in Mr T yesterday. But even at affordable prices it still mounted up by the time I'd got enough for 2 sets for my double (which actually has a king size quilt) and 2 sets for my guest single (otherwise known as DS's bed until September).