It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

kezlou

narabanekeater wrote: »

I dont think ive ever seen any fruit growing wild. I guess thats living in a city for you.

The i forage grow between a chemical works, train tracks, another industrial estate, a dodgy beck, covered over with the flyover and another busy main road. Such is where my house is situated i'm in concrete city with fumes off the works everywhere and i can't or rarely get a parking space outside of our house. Ah well

Such a shame though about animals being abandoned , wish we could take in more but we simply can't afford it. Ours cost enough as it is.

Thanks for your help gailey, i've been looking on the net, i've found a couple of recipes. But all of the recipes say to use rice paste to achieve the distinctive markings and smell. So i'm going to have a look in the asian food store near me for some, as it will be a darn sight cheaper than the supermarket.
Ask on freecycle for jars that's where i got all mine from.

Lauren you've had it all today haven't you. Chin up love, i would phone council tax again and say look i'm going to be kicked out of my house because i can't afford the rent. I did this last year and lo and behold there it was first class delivery.

katiegizmo

:grouphug: hugs to all those that need them today!!! Seems everyone is in need of one!

It is hard not to worry about the future. we want to start a family soon and I worry so much about being able to afford it. I know there isn't a right time, but it feels like this is a more wrong time!

It annoys me to think of all those who've struggled and gone without who might be hit harder again. I've had nice things in my life, some have cost a lot of money - but I've always made sure to have that money first. I couldn't borrow and borrow and borrow again just to have these nice things like some have done. I find it hard to have sympathy with everyone moaning they can no longer eat out 7 nights a week and now only go out 4 times a week etc. It does feel like being cheated.

got hubby buying up some of the morrisons pasta today - they'd sold out completely yesterday. I'm going to work at getting stocked up again over the next few weeks and I'm setting myself a challenge of learning to cook one thing new from scrath (or nearly) every fortnight:)

lauren_1

Thanks, I have learnt my lesson about joint finances and being a 'cashcow' a million times over now.

Thats_Me_3

lilac lady, oh you made me cry, which was unfortunate as I'm at work! Thank you so much for your kind words all, I do feel a twit sounding off but hey, I haven't got a gun!

onwards and upwards xx

gailey_2

katiegizmo wrote: »

:grouphug: hugs to all those that need them today!!! Seems everyone is in need of one!

It is hard not to worry about the future. we want to start a family soon and I worry so much about being able to afford it. I know there isn't a right time, but it feels like this is a more wrong time!

It annoys me to think of all those who've struggled and gone without who might be hit harder again. I've had nice things in my life, some have cost a lot of money - but I've always made sure to have that money first. I couldn't borrow and borrow and borrow again just to have these nice things like some have done. I find it hard to have sympathy with everyone moaning they can no longer eat out 7 nights a week and now only go out 4 times a week etc. It does feel like being cheated.

got hubby buying up some of the morrisons pasta today - they'd sold out completely yesterday. I'm going to work at getting stocked up again over the next few weeks and I'm setting myself a challenge of learning to cook one thing new from scrath (or nearly) every fortnight:)

Has morrisions got special offer on pasta or something.
pastas gone up cheapest i cant find is lidls 50p for 500g think tesco do a value pasta but rarly shop at tesco I often buy the basics spagetti in sainsburys.

Lauren 1 can empathise 4year olds driving me mad hate the summer hols, house looks like constant, tax credits dragged their feet for over a month and barclaycard ring so much i unplug phone most days. Hubbys got 2weeks off hols and the mess, destruction and noise of 2kids is driving him potty.

naran-dont envy you with 6kids in hous emust be hard. Im trying to find those big bags of potaoes you mention as sounds much better value than supermarket.

Kezlou hubbys grown sunflowers in garden im saving seeds for bread.

I think I might be 40 before I get hang of baking think I just need lots of practice.

Weather dreary here visted a mate 1st time parent 12 week baby moaning about tiredness and lack of money.

Thanks for link on soap gingervamp as caustic soda sounds quite frightening.

I know homemade will cost some money but hopefully some savings.

need to start now stagger the cost so far brought one toy for quid at carboot.

I have my 2 kids to buy for, 3cousins and freinds baby.
Everyone else is getting framed photos or food hampers.
Was thinking few pamper hampers with toilitries that are on bogoff maybe.

Think will save up xmas money for boots sale and buy years worth of toilitries managed to get soap and glory hatbox and still using the stuff.

Going to join freecycle as need new furniture.
will put wanted in netmums for new bed for daughter.
Trying to sell 3prams to pay some bills.
daughter still needs new school shoes, coat and few uniform bits been putting it off.

Right off to make pasties, quiches and flapjacks before kids in bed then need to seriously tidy as felt poorly last nite and went to bed early.

mardatha

Making melt and pour soap isnt cheap. I did it for ages and had a big website, but gave up because suppliers kept putting prices up and customers weren't buying

katiegizmo

Gailey Morrisons is doing 1kg Buitoni pasta buy 1 get 2 free, so thats 3kg for £1.97. Also have small dolmio sauces buy 1 get 2 free. not a bad offer at all:)

At least i think thats the size of the pasta... doubting myself now.....

mama67

annie123 wrote: »

How do you make mint jelly please
and what do you serve it with?

This is from Basic Basics Jams, Preserves & Chutneys by Marguerite Patten

I adapted it but used the correct ratios

900g cooking apples ( i used peelings)
600ml water

put apples into a pan with water and simmer gently until very soft stirring and crushing to extract the juice; once really soft and looks like no more juice will come out put through a jelly bag ( i used a nylon sieve)

re boil the pulp with only half the water simmer again until all juice is extracted, strain through jelly bag again. discard pulp

measure the juice and for each 600ml of juice you need 450g sugar

heat the juice add the sugar and simmer to dissolve, then boil rapidly until setting point is reached ( small spoonful on a cold plate which doesn't run when plate is tipped)

add in 2tbsp white vinegar for every 600ml of juice, and 3 tbsp finely chopped mint ( I added a couple of drops of green food colouring to give that distinctive colour) spoon down into hot jars and seal.

Goes well with lamb

pagangirl

Culpepper - sorry to hear about you cat hunny, big hugs

Cheapest place for sugar atm is faarm f00ds 59p. Bee n Emm was 59p Tuesday, gone up to 69p by Thursday :mad:

Hugs to all who need em, have a good weekend all.

Gigervamp

narabanekeater wrote: »

it sometimes feels like itGinger! It wouldnt be too bad if it was a large house but it isnt. I dont know if you saw my post the other day abut finally being able to cook the right amount of veggies etc for dinner but im really proud of myself. I buy sacks of pots from the farm and theyve gone up from £2 to £5.50p for 12.5kg so with them doubling in price cooking just the right amount is a skill im glad that ive picked up. Before id be stacking the plates high just cause ive cooked it. Now leftovers are put into tupperwear tubs and made in lunches the next day. Another thing ive started doing only this week is adding a splash of water to the washing up liquid. DH is very heavy handed with it to the degree I could taste it on the pots so now its been ready diluted especially for him.

DS2 is like that with the washing up liquid. I swear he must use about a tenth of the bottle. Mind you, he doesn't do the washing up very often which is a good job I suppose!

Whenever I make mashed potatoes, I always make more than I need, then freeze the left-overs. One of those chinese take-away containers of mash is ideal for topping cottage pie, or makes 2-3 portions of mash for when I'm out of spuds. Your potatoes have gone up an horrendous amount!