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

Hardup_Hester

We're back from out happy (one day) hols & the sky was clear, we spent a few hours laid on a blanket watching the stars, hubby treated us to breakfast at a Little Chef & now we're home.

dramarama

Lucielle,
I can sympathise re: washer...ours has been on the blink for 2 weeks now...we're in rented accomm and it's a slow process to get it fixed. I've done a load this morning and mopped the floor where it has leaked!! Everything seems to break at the same time...eeek!

Hope your little one is ok.

gailey_2

sexki11en wrote: »

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

Another bristolian Im envious of people wo live near gloucester road its so fab for shopping with so many indepndant foods shops used to work down there.

Im other side of bristol frenchay shouldent whinge we have some greengrocers and butchers.

I got my spuds in mr m in end 4.50 for 12.5kg need some mince to do some sheppards pie and chilli.
Will do fishpie tommorow and several portions of mash.

For someone who asked cardiff-been few years since I lived there riverside had chinese supermarket and splott/city road near roath had few asian shops.

Wish farmshops were not so pricey do wonder if they been hit in recession one we went to other day was off beaten track do wonder how many people go there.

Gutted hubby threw away blackberries said some were mouldy so got to start from scratch.
Wish it would stop raining here.

Im having serious issues with freezer its too full big chest.
I dont think 20bags of plums are helping:rotfl:think I need to do some chutney, jam and jar them pretty soon maybe have a week of the plum.

eldests new bed arrived yesterday took a while to build few screws missing.
Dident come with mattress so put toddlerbed one on it but its topo short as iots fullsize 3f single so got spare duvet and pillwos to fill in gap, put throw on top then bottom sheet so you wouldent know will do until can find cheapo matress.
Its bigger than I thourght its midsleeper so get nervous her being high with ladder and slide the baby loves slide too.
definate hit for 40quid.

Last night spent hours cooking huge gammon slipper joint thank god for my new ikea pan as wouldent have fit in anything else.
Followed instructions boiled then simmered for 2.5hours, left overnite in fridge with water, will drain later and hopefully nice ham.

Doing beef casserole today huge portion as use some in pastry to make a pie.

Suppost to be tidying bedrooms but have to pop to co-op as reductions so good in there on a sunday altough not sure how to fit more in freezer.

Looks dreary weather here again today.

went to mr m last nite spent 108 but did get a lot including pullups for eldest at night. baby sauces for pasta as on offer, organic puffs for kids and treated ourselves to bottle of wine.
so we got 35quid left until 15th sept on food so we doing aldi super 6, getting milk and bread at farmfoods we should be fine.

going to try make a cake a week.

jedi teacher-stole my soul comment made me chuckle out loud.

Hope everyones having nice weekednd

muffin_man_7

lucielle have u tried rearranging the washing some of them have an out of balance thing where they don't spin proper happened to me hope your little one better soon .Dramerama have you tried emptying the filter mine was leaking and as soon as i de clogged the filter it stopped worth a try hope it works for you

northwest1965

gailey wrote: »

need some mince to do some sheppards pie and chilli.

Im having serious issues with freezer its too full big chest.

going to try make a cake a week.

Have you tried turkey mince? So much cheaper. I tend to use it for cottage pie - having said that? what should I callit now, its not cottage or shepherds:rotfl:


Im having serious issues with freezer its too full big chest. :rotfl:
Sorry I read that differently !!

I made a lovely banana & sultana loaf on Monday, by Thursday it had gone (there was only me & OH) I do love baking though.

Been to Morrisons today, had a few things on offer, bread still 30p and 1%milk 50p, my freezer is bulging now too.

Its gorgeous up here in Stockport, 2nd load of washing is drying. Tomatoes are enjoying some sun

ceridwen

parsonswife8 wrote: »

Good morning

Was watching Sky News earlier and the reporter had bought a loaf of bread in Moscow. Apparently the price has already gone up by 20%, because of the bad wheat crop in Russia.:eek:

Guess you don't want to know about the way I was reading earlier today that most of Pakistan's wheat crop/seeds? seems to be under water then....:cool:.

Ye gods - 20million of them homeless at current count = 12% of the population because of the flooding.

....and then I went on to read just how many perfectly normal people in America are 99ers now - ie had the statutory 99 weeks of benefit allowable and have gone to week 100 or longer. Sat there thinking "What? Does that mean they dont get ANY income from ANYWHERE? Surely they must do......?" and went off and calculated how many weeks I am from retirement if any "bright spark" in Britain starts getting any (un)funny ideas....

How the heck - in a Western country (ie America) could they possibly be shutting all 3 libraries in one of their cities, taking off ALL buses in another place, etc.....???? These are obvious necessities....:eek:

Wanders off thinking about just how much money is still obviously being thrown round by my own Council currently - and what their chances would be of "volunteers" taking over looking after our parks if they made their staff redundant...:(

Think its time I had a cup of coffee and stopped reading the news for the day....

gailey_2

northwest1965 wrote: »

Have you tried turkey mince? So much cheaper. I tend to use it for cottage pie - having said that? what should I callit now, its not cottage or shepherds:rotfl:


Im having serious issues with freezer its too full big chest. :rotfl:
Sorry I read that differently !!

I made a lovely banana & sultana loaf on Monday, by Thursday it had gone (there was only me & OH) I do love baking though.

Been to Morrisons today, had a few things on offer, bread still 30p and 1%milk 50p, my freezer is bulging now too.

Its gorgeous up here in Stockport, 2nd load of washing is drying. Tomatoes are enjoying some sun

Glad im not only one struggling with huge chest freezer.

Problem is I batch cook and freeze meals.
everything grown in garden or foraged frozen
anything reduced.stockpile of offer bread.
Lots of potato products chips, wedges, waffles ect.
deserts and icecreams.

realised last month did rubbish on gc as dident have enough frozen standbys.

Im wondering if times come to get a 2nd freezer think hubby might flip but chests doing my head in as he cant find anything .
I know my foraging activities caused serious strain butw as waiting until tomatoes ready in garden to amke loads of chutney although short of jars and vinigar.
Was waiting until finished picking to do huge batch of jams.
I think I need to act soon and do something with cherries and plums.

Got 1 30p loaf in morrsions forgot too look at milk as got 8in farmfoods other day.

ceridwen- I think usa welfare much harsher than her, think a lot of countries its tougher.Think I read their maternity is only 6weeks.
Americas a weird country as bits we see are the wealthy steotypical part but the disparity between poor and rich quite high.
Gaps getting bigger here but when we say we poor in uk we are lucky we get housing benefit if eligable and have luxurues like sky ect.

I find watching news depressing its almost like media want a double dip, labour just want co-alition to fall flat.

Im trying not to panic we doing are best as family to keep costs down, said to hubby my daughter will remember when shes older that fires too expensive.But at 4 she understands meaning and if she wants something and I say no I comprimise and get cheaper treat luckily milkybar small been 17p forever now.

muffin_man_7

northwest 1965 how about chick pie i call mine chickless pie cos i'm veggie haven't had one for ages now the weather is changing i think i'll be getting some new containers one portion size i need reusable ones only got one left little oven friendly dishes are so useful too

northwest1965

gailey wrote: »

ceridwen- I think usa welfare much harsher than her, think a lot of countries its tougher.
Gaps getting bigger here but when we say we poor in uk we are lucky we get housing benefit if eligable and have luxurues like sky ect.

I think in Spain you get 3months benefit and thats it, correct me if I'm talking utter rubbish:)

I think a lot of people who say we are poor in this country are talking crap, they smoke, drink and have mobiles and laptops. Did anyone see that programme last year when celebs went to live with 'poor' families? People need educating what to spend their money on, having said that, most wouldnt listen

Gigervamp

The sun's come out to play and there's a nice breeze, so got washing number 3 almost finished and I suggested to hubby that the bushes around the oil tank need cutting back as they've grown a lot this summer. He's just finished doing that.
Both of my boys are away this weekend. A rare occurrance, so we have the house to ourselves for a change!

Found out that our butcher is closing down next weekend! :eek:
He was the best butcher around. Meat was local and chickens free range and he made great pies. The other butchers aren't a patch on him. It will be a sad day. Going to have to stock up before he closes, luckily, hubby gets paid on Wednesday.

After that, we'll have to travel up to Nantymoel where there's a farm shop that sells organic meat at non-organic prices.