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

sammy_kaye18

penelopedee wrote: »

The other thing I stick to is not taking DH or any children with me. Between them that adds another £20 at least.

shopping with my OH and Ben is lethal too. A newborn is not so bad although it takes an extra half hour to get round the shop for old ladies wanting to squidge her cheeks!

I tend to take cash too as I like the idea that if it aint in my trolley and I'm on my budget then its tough poop.

Trying to empty my store cupboard down ready for a fresh shop though on Thursday so am making some interesting meals indeed at the minute!

flowertotmum

Hi i hope you don't mind me joining...had a bad yr..hubby got made redundant from a company he has worked for since he left school..it made us take a good long look at our finances and get them sorted...that was a relief i can tell you...only 8 more months and then we are almost debt free...then he found out he has got osteo-arthritis of the hips and spine...he is in so much pain..and because he is 44 they won't do anything for him...we have 6 children...only 3 at home thankfully...5 girls and 1 boy..we have 2 little girls at home age 4 and nearly 2,teenage boy 16..he has just started college..we have 2 allotments and 4 chickens in the garden...money is tight but we manage...i plan everything,budget for everything..i have started to bake again and sew..so its homemade christmas presents for other family members this yr..i never realised what i had before and how much i took it for granted...now i am grateful for everything i have..especially when others are worse off than us...any hints tips i get i will gladly pass on...thanks for listening..

penelopedee_2

Hi Flowertotmum, sorry to see you been having a hard time of it. I agree, its amazing how your mind set changes when things become less easy.

flowertotmum

penelopedee wrote: »

Hi Flowertotmum, sorry to see you been having a hard time of it. I agree, its amazing how your mind set changes when things become less easy.

hi penelopedee..thank you...i have totally changed my life...lost quite a few friends too...thankfully made new ones who see me and my family for what we are..and not for what they can get out of me:(..which is not a lot unless you like homegrown veg and fruit with the occasional egg thrown in:D...my life has gone from buying everything to having a go at making everything i can..it works sometimes and sometimes not;)..nevermind...got to go my little ones are wrecking the shoe rack and its bath time...:eek:....

penelopedee_2

We dropped a few friends along the way too. The good ones will stay, out of all of ours I am surprised the ones it was

It gave me a few good lessons in how to or not to judge people as once we'd admitted to being totally skint most of my other mates were relieved we were all in the same boat. The ones that I thought would understand didn't fancy home made dinner parties.

The funniest was one Christmas Eve - we always have a tea time party here because I find it easier entertaining the children when they are all excited about Father C than dealing with a huge roast dinner and grumpy adults the next day. We had friends who were most put out at traditional sarnies, home made cake and cheese and pineapple on sticks. Wouldn't admit that the homemade bread was lush when it came out warm and crumbly. I had a friend who wouldn't sit down and eat anything cos she couldn't find a m&S wrapper in the the kitchen.:D

alec_eiffel

penelopedee wrote: »

We dropped a few friends along the way too. The good ones will stay, out of all of ours I am surprised the ones it was

It gave me a few good lessons in how to or not to judge people as once we'd admitted to being totally skint most of my other mates were relieved we were all in the same boat. The ones that I thought would understand didn't fancy home made dinner parties.

The funniest was one Christmas Eve - we always have a tea time party here because I find it easier entertaining the children when they are all excited about Father C than dealing with a huge roast dinner and grumpy adults the next day. We had friends who were most put out at traditional sarnies, home made cake and cheese and pineapple on sticks. Wouldn't admit that the homemade bread was lush when it came out warm and crumbly. I had a friend who wouldn't sit down and eat anything cos she couldn't find a m&S wrapper in the the kitchen.:D

It is surprising the ones that stick around isn't it. The best thing is that you don't have as many of those meeting you don't really fancy when everyone you're seeing is a real friend. Makes things less stressful all round I think. When times are difficult the last thing we need is our precious social time taken up with things we'd rather not do.

JulieGeorgiana

penelopedee wrote: »

ANOTHER RANT (SORRY)

I have just been to Mr T's (on a Saturday lunchtime I must be mad!).

It was a real eye opener today for people buying a complete load of processed rubbish and having absolutely trollies full of it. I did a whole week's shopping plus squash and cat food - this week for 2 adults and 2 teenagers - and it just about filled the small trolley. Normal stuff - veg, fruit, milk, meat, pasta, bread, few tins of beans and lunch box bits.

Perhaps I've been wandering around with my rose tinted specs on again but living in the small village I do, where unemployment is really high (especially for males) I really thought people were getting the hang of it. You could just see piles of the stuff churning through the tills and probably just ended up in landfill somewhere next weekend.

It was expensive in there today just buying basics, they've already started adding a few more sneaky pennies onto stuff. Especially carb type foods. Some of those trollies must have had about £200 in them and hardly anything to make main meals out of.

I am always pointing out other peoples trollies to my husband... the rubbish that most people put in their trollies is beyond me...

No fresh meat, veg or fruit... microwave meals, cereal filled with sugar, crisps, sweets and chocolate!

YUK!

You can tell a lot about a person by what's inside their trolly!

flowertotmum

penelopedee wrote: »

We dropped a few friends along the way too. The good ones will stay, out of all of ours I am surprised the ones it was

It gave me a few good lessons in how to or not to judge people as once we'd admitted to being totally skint most of my other mates were relieved we were all in the same boat. The ones that I thought would understand didn't fancy home made dinner parties.

The funniest was one Christmas Eve - we always have a tea time party here because I find it easier entertaining the children when they are all excited about Father C than dealing with a huge roast dinner and grumpy adults the next day. We had friends who were most put out at traditional sarnies, home made cake and cheese and pineapple on sticks. Wouldn't admit that the homemade bread was lush when it came out warm and crumbly. I had a friend who wouldn't sit down and eat anything cos she couldn't find a m&S wrapper in the the kitchen.:D

Hi tell me about it...i can honestly say that i am embarrassed to be associated with them now...i can't believe i was like them:o....thank god i now have few friends who don't mind having eggs with poo on them or a lettuce with dirt on it...coz they all have allotments like me and are a great bunch of people...me and husband have also discovered we still like each other after 24 yrs of being married:D..and together have discovered the wonderful world of e-bay and charity shops...we got rid of the car and bought bikes with a trailer for the girls..haha..we whizz along everywhere and i know they are laughing at me but hey i'm the one who has dropped 2 dress sizes and got fantastic legs;)..
Juliegeorgina..i do that too...my husband gets a bit embarrassed at times..when i point out the ready meals they have in their trollies..i get quite a few funny looks...

Charis

I've PM'd you Flowertot Mum.

Chipps

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

You can tell a lot about a person by what's inside their trolly!

I'm not sure I'd totally agree with that - looking at the contents of our shopping trolley you would come to the conclusion that we don't eat any fresh fruit or veg this time of year...

... but of course we eat loads of fresh veg - it's just that we don't buy it from supermarkets when the allotment is overflowing!!!:j