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

ceridwen

D&DD wrote: »

Thanks Ceridwen :jwow lucky Kittie! What fab news

Well my neighbour just heard her OH has been given the push again..3 jobs in 3 months not good.
I often take bits along when we have spare and have made her up a little bag of groceries for her girls tonight from the garden poor thing she's really stressed today:(

Good for you for passing those groceries in her direction:T

I think its wise to think "It doesnt matter if I grow a surplus of anything - it wont go to waste - there will always be someone who will be glad of it one way or another - be it through a LETS Trade, freecycling, handing it over the garden fence, etc".

Hence I think its good policy to "go for bust" and just grow as much as one possibly can everywhere one can.:D

ceridwen

The_Thrilla wrote: »

There are no Asian shops where I am, which is a pity, because it is difficult to get gram flour here, and when you can, it is expensive.

To change the subject entirely. I have something that may be useful to y'all. I have found a way of dealing with these nuisances who ring you up and want your grant to install another 2 metres thickness of loft insulation and cavity wall insultation or whatever. You tell them your number is registered with the Telephone Preference Service, and they reply that it doesn't apply to them. I don't know whether that is true or not. Often they are rude.

I tried this when they rang today, and it got rid of them nicely. Here is what you do:

1. Put on your poshest voice. (I don't need to. I've already got one.)

2. When they bring up the subject of loft insulation. Tell them: "Can't be done, I'm afraid. We can't have a loft, as such. It would obscure the 15th century carvings attached to the roof beams."

3. If they broach the subject of cavity wall insulation, tell them: "I'd love to insulate the walls. This place is dashed difficult to keep warm in the winter. But they won't let us drill holes in the walls. This house is listed as an historic building, you see. We're restricted in what we can do."

They should hang up before you start giving them chapter and verse about the house..."It was built for John Tiptoft, the Lord High Constable of England during the reign of Edward IV, you know...hello?...hello?"

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I foresee a slight problem with that. I've got a "standard English educated" voice and can swop to a "posh" one if I want to - but one look on their system at my address reveals its probably a pretty ordinary little house (which it is...) - so guess I'll have to stick to "No thank you" in "standard English" as soon as I realise its one of THOSE calls and putting the phone straight down.

If they have any idea from anywhere of my salary level as well - then they mightnt even believe I have the level of housing I have - never mind owt "posh"...

.....unless you've got any suitable ideas that would serve for a "standard" type house I could use?:);)

Hardup_Hester

I tell them the property is rented & the landlord won't let me change anything, this works for the people who want me to change utility suppliers.

ceridwen

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

I tell them the property is rented & the landlord won't let me change anything, this works for the people who want me to change utility suppliers.

Good one Hester...for one minute I thought you might be about to say something totally different and nothing to do with housing .....:D:rotfl::rotfl:

northwest1965

The TPS should stop all unwanted calls
http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/

It doesnt apply however if they are phoning from the US

We did this 3 years ago and we probably get 1 a year that slips through the net:)

Gigervamp

*Should* being the operative word there, but we still get a few cold calls. We also keep getting calls for the people who had our phone number before us which is really irritating.

JenniO

Gigervamp wrote: »

*Should* being the operative word there, but we still get a few cold calls. We also keep getting calls for the people who had our phone number before us which is really irritating.

I remember when i was a girl and my dad answered the phone in our house and the person on the other end of the phone asked for someone who did not live with us, my dad told them and i quote 'she's having a 'carp' right now and she's been in there a while, can she call you back?' :eek:

My dad has a twisted sense of humour and yes he is American like me.

Hardup_Hester

Moi Ceridwen, I don't know what you are talking about! I'm often tempted to keep a whip or crop by the front door to get rid of the chuggers & other cold callers, but my DD would kill me if the grandchildren saw it & demanded an explanation. It was bad enough when they saw my Green Man face in the garden & I told them it was a fertility symbol, DGS asked me what fertility meant, I told him it meant the plants greww well, god knows what she thought I was going to tell him!
I signed up to TPS, but found that it made no difference as most of the calls came from outside the UK, I was also called a CU Next Tusday by a guy when I told him I was signed up.

Hardup_Hester

As things are still tough hubby & I are going on our cheap hols today, one night in a caravan in a field, showers & toilets in a block on the main site, the caravan contains a light & a kettle. The up side? No light pollution, what's the betting it's cloudy & there will be no star gazing, still watching the rabbits in the field while we drink our morning cuppa is great. Don't tell me we don't know how to live!

sexki11en

gailey wrote: »

All I wanted was big bag of cheap potatoes shes said they not ready yet in few weeks time god nows how much she charge me.
There is a veg man on van i see going about and one at bath carboot I might try next sunday all I want is lot of spuds.

Sorry to chop your post up but the woman at the farmshop was right. Theres no point in buying a big bag (I assume you're talking about the 25kg) of spuds at the moment as the varieties that are being grown at the moment will not keep very long at all.

You want something like a king edward or maris piper which will be ready and for sale in a few weeks. You also want to make sure they're unwashed as this keeps them longer. If you buy a bag of the variety that are being sold right now, it'll keep for maybe a week or so. That's a lot of spuds to use in a week :eek:

We buy a 25kg bag for £6 from a veg shop on Gloucester road (I see you're in Bristol - pm me if you want the name, they're very good) and it keeps for 9 months (which is the time it takes 2 of us to use them up!)

HTH

SK x