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

Spendless

Prudent wrote: »

I have often wondered if reducing school holidays to shorter blocks would help parents so it was interesting to read your post. I am a teacher and currently on seven weeks holiday. sometimes its eight in summer. We don't get half term breaks though. I really struggle with my health as we can work long hours for long blocks. I am also a single mum which brings its own demands. Shorter but more frequent holidays would really help. I work with special needs children and some of the parents feel fairly worn out at the end of the summer hols as it is a long time to cope. I do wish they would change the pattern of the hols.

I've no idea why it's only 5.5 weeks long this year. Shortest one I've ever known. I'm classing it as 'compensation' for the 7 week holiday last year. :rotfl:
It doesn't 'feel' as long or as hard to sort out somehow. Last year I had a voluntary job and even with me taking 2 weeks off and Mr S doing the same, they were still 3 weeks to look for childcare (that I paid for as I didn't get any help with costs). The last 1/2 week works out beautifully for me as I work Mon & Thurs and Mon is a BH and Thurs they are back at school . Childcare is often hard to sort for the last week though, it was in week 7 last year too, so you do have to be organised and have spotted that and sorted something in advance.

Prudent wrote: »

That is a brilliant idea. I teach in a large scool and bits of the uniform are expensive. Will put the idea to the PSA when we go back after the summer

I suppose a fear that the school may have is that they will lose out on the mark-up if parents buy 2nd hand, but of everything I bought yesterday from the school only the school jumper would I have bought from them new, the shops would have had the money for the other bits so the school gains in that way. Just in case you are up against an argument against. It also ticks the boxes of helping out families in times of recession and recycling - both things promoted by schools.:)

ETA- An area where I thought they could improve with this was; I noticed that there was a lot of age 3 clothes. I know from experience of buying this size that it's a pig to find in the shops and when you see it buy it cos it won't be there when you go back! But the parents of 3year olds were unlikely to be at the summer farye yesterday unless they have an older sibling already attending the school, so my suggestion would have been when they did the nursery evening a couple of weeks ago for the new starters in September to ahve said on their infomation about the schools uniform 'we are also holiduing a 2nd hand stall on x date on the school field'. That would also attract extra people to spend money at the fayre, the new parents could see what sort of things the school does to raise money and they'd have been customers for the aged 3 items.



Re-buying and renting. Frequently I stop and think how lucky we were to have bought prior to house prices going up in an area where we wanted to be. It was a struggle we had 2 mortgages and 1 income and let our tenants rent my house out at cost because we were so grateful to have them. Couldn't sell my place as we were in negative equity. Though we are roughly half way thru a fixed term mortgage so have never benefitted from lower rates we are lucky that it costs us less that the equivalent rent for the same style house on this street.

I was just leaving school in 1983 and unfortunately do not remember the programme mentioned, which I think is a shame from what others have said about it. I tried googling to see if I could find any more details but without success.:(

wild garlic- The programme 'Grow your own Drugs' which my 10yo son is mad for featured it but I really can't remember what he was using it for.

frosty

I follow shirley goodes blogg and remember the books,Shirley sometimes visits this board:T(she mentions it in her blogg)no idea of her user name,maybe if we ask nicely she will reveal herself.:):):j


www.shirleygoode.com

exlibris

gailey wrote: »

I have been a bit down latly its been a struggle last few months july is cartax and mot so was dreading it.

If you haven't paid the car tax yet could you just pay for 6 months? This would move it to Jan but would split the two bills.

marmiterulesok

Prudent wrote: »

I know where wild garlic grows locally, but didn't know it could be harvested. What do you do with it?

I picked some recently with a friend-I wouldn't have known what to look for otherwise.
I made a lovely risotto using it fresh.I chopped the rest finely and froze it with some water in an icecube tray.A little goes a long way.I would say that an ice cube size amount would be enough to make a risotto for four.
Here it's called 'l'ail des ours' -bear's garlic.You can buy wild garlic pesto,soft cheese and filled pasta.I might have seen other foodstuffs with it,but can't think of any offhand.
HTH.

Larumbelle

Spendless wrote: »

wild garlic- The programme 'Grow your own Drugs' which my 10yo son is mad for featured it but I really can't remember what he was using it for.

I have both books (birthday present from work - I was so touched that they knew what to go for ) I will have a look a little later for you!

gailey_2

Hi

hows everyone doing today.

having very demotivated day kids woke early as usual.watched andrew marr and politics show on bbc2 then made lunch for me and kids as hubby working.
some freinds came round very unexpected I was still in my pjs,s as sunday my chill day.

the lounge looked a mess as just had lunch dining table in lounge kids drop lots of food hoover 2-3times a day in there.

Got lots of washing to do and housework.
weather glum looks like rain so not going out.

Gave mate box of cherries she ssaid she has some free baking trays still in pack shes never used to give me plus we agreed to do carboot next sunday as hubbys off work so chance to sell clutter and buy more tatt as hubby likes to put it.
Kids do need new clothes so will be looking for specifics, hubby gets bored at carboots spent hour half last month searching for stuff we needed for hols body board 50p, coolbox 2quid, beach tent 1quid, beach mat 1quid, bucket and spade 50p so was well worthwhile as kept costs down plus need to start looking for xmas presents.

Also this morning did rough xmas action plan and would like to make 90jars of jam but worried this is too ambitious:eek: never made jam before but with so much free fruit would be super cheap.
But also another prob is got 20jars need another 80 as planning on doing

cherry brandy:beer:
cherry vodka
sloe gin
chutneys- already made these quite good at it.

as doing mixed hampers of
jam, chutney, alchol, shortbread and maybe xmas cake.
It will save money but have to spend money on some jars and ingrediants.

trying to do some for us too so we dont ever have to buy jam for ourselves and few treats for xmas we would normally buy.:T

I have tried to get into comping did a few hundred each month and never won a thing and gets tonnes of junk email as result.

A thourght about council waste as got my mind thinking and councils do what businesses do .

Basically you cautious with budget given throughout the year.
But after xmas they have surplus if they dont spend it and chose to save then powers that be assume they dont need it and reduce the money the following financial year its why you see so many roadworks near april but guess other councils waste money on things just for sake of using up budget.
I happened to me any years ago when set up uniform bank reclcyling uniform to save stores money but resulted in them lowering my uniform budget on profit and loss.

re car tax are getting 6months but does work out more pricey than 1year meant to put money aside but had other bills least it got through mot cheaply.
My biggest bugbear about car is its too small and not hatchback so when I do see cheap furniture i cant pick it up.
Would love to take car on ferry to france next year but is just too small to fit all our stuff we struggled on way down to cornwall.

Right best go clean seems neverending with kids.

Am dreading school holidays so hard as most things cost money.
going to new parks we never visited as being in city dont always visit all areas.

mummyslittleboy

honeybun16 wrote: »

she is quiltting for all of her grandchildren this year for christmas but she is scared that her DiL will think she is just being cheap.

My MIL made DS one of these for his cot when he was a baby it was lovely and kept DS nice and snug now he is in a bed it is to small so I have attached some tabs and hung it on the wall:D
I have just started making the girls a patchwork quilt for xmas I think they are a lovely idean and much more personal, I hope her DIL does appreciate how much love and effort will have gone into it rather than a shop bought present.

Grumpycupple wrote: »

Now I see that some of you bake biscuits from scratch and I find it so admirable. How on earth do you manage to not eat them all at once shows how much discipline you all have. :T We buy Asda's basics because MPH would eat me out of house and home if it was all home baked.

I make refrigerator cookies that way I just slice of as many as I need each day and cook them:D Kids love them especially in the winter when they get in from school and are greated with hot chocolate and home made biscuits.

I have been thinking about the hamper Idea and wanted to do something similar for my mum, trouble is as she lives in scotland jars don't always travel to well:( But after sorting through a cupboard last night and finding a dressing gown I was given for xmas 4 years ago that wouldn't fit me now it has given me a great idea for a pampering hamper it will contain Dressing gown, Body shop bath milk,body lotion, face mask (got these from the carboot this morning barnd new 3 for £1.00) some mini bottles of body shop/next smellies( I cant use them as have sensitive skin) and a voucher for Lovefilm for DVD's (they keep sending them for free to me) oh and the basket I have in a cupboard that was of something and I never used it so total cost of her present will be £1.00 and the postage:T

Thankyou so much for the idea my mum will love it (well I hope she does)

jackieglasgow

mummyslittle boy any chance of a recipe for the rfridgerator cookies please?

mummyslittleboy

Refrigerator cookies

225g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
225g SR Flour
5ml /1 tsp vanilla essence

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add vanilla and fold in the flour
Mix to a smooth dough
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or two. Roll into a sausage shape approx 5cm/ 2in in diameter, put in fridge to chill until firm.
Wrap in foil, pack in a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze.

I slice it from frozen and cook no need to defrost they taste lovely Or you can cook them once chilled

For Chocolate add 25g cocoa powder instead of the vanilla or just add chocolate drops

Cook 6-7 minutes at Gas 5/190C

Spendless

gailey wrote: »

Right best go clean seems neverending with kids.

Am dreading school holidays so hard as most things cost money.
going to new parks we never visited as being in city dont always visit all areas.

How old are your kids? We've now decided to put ours (10 and 7) into a holiday playscheme one of the days I work. They are going the day they are doing trips, and pretty much costs me my days wages but it also means that they have a weekly excursion and the days I'm home with them I'll look for free/cheap stuff, so will work out overall.

I intend getting down some games that have been overlooked since Christmas. For example I know that a mineral dig was left 3/4 done so that can be completed and then there's space in the wardrobe ready for the next lot. Board games mean they sit at the table and don't make a mess elsewhere.

DS likes making 'concoctions' so I've turned this to my advantage by putting 'Kim and Aggie' type programmes on, as he really really has to see if it's true that squeezing lemon juice into water cuts works when cleaning stuff.:D

Vue cinemas do kids AM for about 95p each and run each day in the hols. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief are showing at ours soon according to the website.

I discovered a pub not that far away from me last year that has a kids playground and a swimming pool to use. It serves meals which are dearer than the rest cos the facilities are free, but they don't serve between 2-5pm which always seems to be the times we are there.

Swimming here is free for children, just pay for me.
If you look at your council's website they should tell you of anything running in the hols like special events at museums or in aprks etc.