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

lambanana

I managed to get him a white shirt for £4 from Primarni and a black tie for £7 from another shop (Primarni didn't have any plain black ties annoyingly) which may be money that could have been spent on something else but there will be other funerals where he is expected to go traditional and he can wear the shirt for work anyway so these aren't completely frivolous purchases. I did suggest borrowing a tie to him but he said he'll need one anyway so we might as well just buy it.

Our veg box will be waiting for me when I get home, a nice treat for a Tuesday and even though I know what should be in there I still like opening it up, it's like getting a present! A fair bit of this weeks though will be going to my mum, we'll be away so can't eat most anyway and she has really been helping out in these difficult times, she helped me with some gardening at the weekend and took away our ironing to do for us which is really appreciated. I can't pay her (she wouldn't take it) but I can share some of our veg box.

I know a box isn't the cheapest but I go to the supermarket a lot less with that and just plan meals around the veggies so it does work out cheaper by me not buying extra bits every time I just want to top up on veg! My attempts at growing haven't been very successful (I'm not much of a gardener) but I will try again next year.

narabanekeater

Ive walked past the charity shops that ive donated to before and seen my donations in the window. Any ones that arent good enough to be sold I give to my local 'rag' bank
My puppys still not a happy lady after loosing the other one she sort of sits and looks all sad.
DS had been doing her hair lol for her this afternoon while ive been trying to rest (well do the wahsing,cook dinner and clean the bathroom)
Wow this is my 1000th post im glad to be sharing it all with you

Kitcaboodle

Very happy with the speed of delivery of my terry nappies, got them in under 24 hours and they even sent me an e-mail giving me an (accurate) hour long timeslot during which they'd be delivered. Sure, the delivery cost was around £7 of the total but the whole thing was still cheaper than it would have been elsewhere, including e-bay, so I'm a very happy bunny. I've paid more for shipping and had to wait weeks with other orders elsewhere (I'm looking at you people who made DS's mattress!) so it's good to see the cost actually translating to service.

All two-dozen of them are currently drying after their initial pre-use wash (I know it should be a couple of washes but electricity is expensive and hey, so they're a little less absorbant for a couple of uses, they get washed when he pees on them, that's good enough for me!)

Edited to add that I mean that they get washed AFTER he pees on them, not that the peeing does the washing!

EstherH

northwest1965 wrote: »

Its a lovely feeling taking a big bag into a charity shop isnt it. I had a good clear out at the weekend and took some along to the charity shop on Monday.

I've been stockpiling and seem to be running out of room. Do you think I could take down some photos and display packs of flour and toilet rolls?:)

You wont believe this but I stood looking at the open shelves in our kitchen before and thought 'I wonder if I got rid of those cookery books that I never use and have had since the 80's, what could I put in their place'.

EstherH

narabanekeater wrote: »

I have a confession to make. I have not been into a supermarket for the last 10 days. I have been to Tesco express and got milk and a few RTC bits but I have not been shopping. I have turned a corner. I am no longer hording food. There we go I said it!
The money I have saved will go quite nicely for our weekend away this weekend

It's since I started coming on here that I've started hording. Not sure what I'm hording it for though - leaner times or a bad winter or what. Hoping to get away for a week at the end of the month to a caravan so will take some of it with us then.

parsonswife8

EstherH wrote: »

It's since I started coming on here that I've started hording. Not sure what I'm hording it for though - leaner times or a bad winter or what. Hoping to get away for a week at the end of the month to a caravan so will take some of it with us then.

I'm hoarding because of price hikes.:eek: We are off to our caravan tomorrow, bearing a cooler bag and a cardboard box of food.:o

northwest1965

EstherH wrote: »

It's since I started coming on here that I've started hording. Not sure what I'm hording it for though - leaner times or a bad winter or what. Hoping to get away for a week at the end of the month to a caravan so will take some of it with us then.

Me too! I'd just got into the mindset of the Economy Gastronomy programme. Making a list and just buying what I needed for the week. Then I kept reading the newspaper reports and what you girls were saying and I started stockpiling.

greent

narabanekeater wrote: »

I am no longer hording food. There we go I said it!
The money I have saved will go quite nicely for our weekend away this weekend

I'm torn between hoarding for Winter/ price hikes/ DH's contract ending at end of Oct (and nothing else lined up) and not (releasing money, gaining room, ensuring things are used up) I can't make my mind up which is the best route to take.....

Made plum jam with free plums today - will keep some and use some for Xmas. Found a recipe for pear and lemon jam/ jelly, too - have about 4kg of pears to use, so I may use some for this - sounds interesting

D&DD

I won't tell you all that approved have some REALLY good stuff in then :whistle:

Finally caught up as soon as I sat down this morning the phone went! Wasn't re DS3 tho thankfully,he was fine today thanks for asking Taplady any news on your boys yet??

It was DS2's head of year sorting out his work,he's yr 11 so needs to keep up! School are providing 10 hours extra of pure maths tuition for him and one of his teachers is coming home to do it,how good is that!!:T

Have more tomatoes dehydrating, Ceridwen which 'posh one' did you buy? The amount I'm drying now I'm thinking of upgrading as well now..

Courgettes :mad: still going on and on like that flamin' bunny advert!

Trying to make a puppy list too atm Rosie is due home around the 4th Oct

seasalt_2

Tricky one isn't it! I also swither between wanting to make use of BOGOFs etc on things we use a lot of and/or will keep (to save money later and be prepared for winter) and not wanting to clutter up everywhere with tins and packets.

Trying to steer a middle course - I will confess to having 4 X 9pack loo rolls now in addition to the already started pack in the bathroom and upstairs loo. And two dozen(!) tins of half-price baked beans. But I have also decided that if there is not room in my kitchen cupboards, then I'm not getting any more (altho the loo roll is on top of our bedroom wardrobe).

But I did find myself looking thoughtfully at the cupboard where I keep my food processor, electric beater and ice cream maker and wondering whether if I put these on top of a high cupboard I would have more space for eg. cake tins! But I put them in there in the first place becasue we have a solid fuel rayburn and anything left out that isn't used pretty much daily soon gets black.

Also, it means I spend more each week than I really want/need to because I think I am saving myself money in the future, only when I get there I'm still buying for the future iyswim! My previous system was to have one thing open and one in reserve and, say, 4 tins of beans or toms in stock and this has always seemed to work alright. So think I am also going to call a halt very soon and start eating some of it!