really old style living?

NualaBuala

Don't worry Reevsey, it was good to share the link - nobody's getting at you! It's just that if they'd come here they could have learned a lot more about being really frugal!

So sorry to hear your job might be made redundant - hope you manage ok. It is so wearing when you feel other people don't "get it" and as for them deriding your efforts, well that's awful. I think it's wonderful what you said about supporting charities and paying fairly. :T

Charis

I've had a wake up call today to remind me just how OS I am not. My telephone/broadband bill is quite unexpectedly 42.5% higher than the regular bill. I think it's due to both a price rise and some items seem now to be payable in advance (so it covers a longer term) but the whole bill is so unclear, few of the terms listed seem to tally with previous bills, so I can't do a direct comparison. More worrying is that there isn't actually an amount alongside 'broadband' :eek: I hope it's listed as something else. I don't think I would stay sane for very long without broadband and it's not something you can make at home.

Reevsey

Ginnykit and NualaBuala - THANK YOU!

Seakay

Reevsey wrote: »

Ok sorry gang maybe i misread it and was having a grumpy day. After receiving work news of possible imminent redundancy and the constant battle to contain home costs i feel weary when others deride efforts to make funds stretch. I believe its more important than ever to support charities right now as many are struggling, i also believe in giving a fair reward for service provided. What i dont believe is fair is judging others efforts to live within thier means even if it involves drastic cutbacks where they would rather not. I hold my hands up on second reading this article is pointing at meanness rather than frugality. Off to find my happy pants to wear today.....

No no, you are quite right and thanks for bringing it to our attention, We are annoyed about the biased and unfair article, not you! The article seemed to me to be equating frugality with meaness

Only slightly self chastising thing I did think was if I feel this way about money savers being depicted as mean perhaps I should bear it in mind next time I hear a joke depicting the Scots in the same way - would it be going too far to actually object or would just not laughing be ok?

ChocClare

Reevsey wrote: »

Ok sorry gang maybe i misread it and was having a grumpy day. After receiving work news of possible imminent redundancy and the constant battle to contain home costs i feel weary when others deride efforts to make funds stretch. I believe its more important than ever to support charities right now as many are struggling, i also believe in giving a fair reward for service provided. What i dont believe is fair is judging others efforts to live within thier means even if it involves drastic cutbacks where they would rather not. I hold my hands up on second reading this article is pointing at meanness rather than frugality. Off to find my happy pants to wear today.....

Couldn't agree more with Ginny and Nuala - it was DEFINITELY the article which was annoying - I was really thankful to you for pointing it out. Sorry if you felt we were "getting at you" - promise you that wasn't the intention at all!

Honestly, the stress of imminent redundancy is awful - I remember it well, although I was lucky enough to keep my job (although oddly, I'd come to terms with the fact that I'd definitely lose it and had planned a whole new life which then had to be shelved ).

You wear your grumpy pants whenever you like. It's your right! Then come on here and we'll all give you hugs and pat you on the back for keeping your costs down. :T

Reevsey

Seakay and ChocClare - really touched thanks. Funny old thing redundancy, massive pressure but doesn't half make you appreciate what you've got. I'm on a OS mission, certainly to save money but if i'm honest because it's actually makes me not take things for granted anymore and can be fullfilling. Keep those ideas flowing....just borrowed the latest John Grisham book, had planned to buy it but finally got organised and signed up to the library and am now reading it for free. Horray!

ginnyknit

Yes we need to support our libraries now before they get taken away! It is difficult when you work, I didnt go in mine for years but now I go every week and actually went to a knitting club there last night - was nice to sit and chat after being so home focused for the last 2 years. It also shut the family up cos since OH's support workers said I need to get out they have been nagging me! I have a day off from caring tomorrow- what should I do????? Me time - :j:j

ChocClare

I know, it's really difficult when you have a day all to yourself. I end up tidying my sewing room unless I'm very careful :rotfl:(why yes, it IS a complete tip 99.99% of the time).

I belong to an embroidery group and we meet once a month to try out different techniques - less petit point and more soldering irons and sweet wrappers sort of thing. I switch off from the family TOTALLY for the six hours I'm there. And once a week, I go along to a friend's house for "craft evening" - usually knit/crochet but this week we were supposed to be making fascinators and I'd brought along a whole load of silk flowers and a huge bag of buttons that one of my Rainbow mums had given me (and which I'll never get through with the Rainbows even if I keep on using this stuff until my current Rainbows are my age). All I said was, "I've got a bag of buttons." We spent the entire evening sorting through them. It was brilliant! (How sad are we?!)

Obviously it's far more difficult to make quality "me" time when it's sprung on you because you can't think what to do, but my little examples above are just to show that you don't need to do anything madly exciting as long as it allows you to switch off completely from family and worries for an hour or two. Which you presumably discovered for yourself at your knit and natter at the library?!

Browsing round the shops (you don't need actually to BUY anything); visiting a local museum; going to a matinee (often have cheapo deals on certain days) - I suppose you have to get out of the house, so you can't give yourself a spa day at home?

Hope you find something lovely to do!

mardatha

Throw the family out and sit on the couch and eat sweeties !!

[Deleted User]

ceridwen wrote: »

Have made a note of that site.

I just went in and checked it out for borax - as I keep seeing "borax substitute" these days, but not "borax".

Does anyone know where I can get "borax" please - or cant we get it any more anywhere. If not - why cant we? What is the difference between "borax substitute" and "borax"?

I just received 1 kg of original borax from ebay