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

penelopedee_2

I wish our media would find something more positive to shove down our necks at breakfast time!

So on a positive note, morning everyone hope you are all well.

Its my day off today so I am going on a charity shop trawl to see if I can get some trousers for work. Whilst I was sat around poorly at the weekend I nearly purchased some on-line but was horrified at the prices - especially for just polyester black nothing special trousers. So luckily some MSE sense cleared through the fog in my head and I held off.

I'm quite looking forward to going shopping - I've saving dribs and drabs of change to go for ages so it will be guilt free (thats if I can find some trousers that fit :eek:).

Hope everyone has a lovely day, Pen x

hellsbells45

Money saving with cat food

Ok, so since poor kittie broke jaw I have had to feed him alternative things to cat food, mainly so he can eat it and also to build him up as he lost so much weight is such a short time.

I have 4 cats in total. 2 adults and 2 kittens. I would normallyy spend at least £10 per week on cat food.
So far I have spent £1 a day on fresh fish ( either whoopsied or cheapest mr m has) and have got pigs trotters and bones free from butchers.) Yesterday I got £1 worth of sprats (£2.35 per kg)

Result-cats prefer fish and pig trotter jelly to any of the cat food junk especially the sprats-the youngest kitten was absolutley hilarious when i gave him a raw sprat, wish I had a camcorder it was deffinately one for you tube.

Nutritionally I suspect that this is a far healthier diet for them, esp the raw fish, more natural, no addetives, full of fish oil etc.

So I intend to continue doing this even though the pig trotters make me feel sick, I will ammend this however by adding mincemeat (£1) and a couple of carrots- this will be the equivalent of that highly priced cat gormet stuff. It will def bring the cost of cat food down and will also produce healthier cats and if what i read on the net is true and greatly reduced risk of obesity, diabeties, fleas and skin problems so the potential saving is hugh as well.

Do you think i spoil my cats and am totally cracked?:)

skyelark

hellsbells45 wrote: »

Money saving with cat food

Ok, so since poor kittie broke jaw I have had to feed him alternative things to cat food, mainly so he can eat it and also to build him up as he lost so much weight is such a short time.

I have 4 cats in total. 2 adults and 2 kittens. I would normallyy spend at least £10 per week on cat food.
So far I have spent £1 a day on fresh fish ( either whoopsied or cheapest mr m has) and have got pigs trotters and bones free from butchers.) Yesterday I got £1 worth of sprats (£2.35 per kg)

Result-cats prefer fish and pig trotter jelly to any of the cat food junk especially the sprats-the youngest kitten was absolutley hilarious when i gave him a raw sprat, wish I had a camcorder it was deffinately one for you tube.

Nutritionally I suspect that this is a far healthier diet for them, esp the raw fish, more natural, no addetives, full of fish oil etc.

So I intend to continue doing this even though the pig trotters make me feel sick, I will ammend this however by adding mincemeat (£1) and a couple of carrots- this will be the equivalent of that highly priced cat gormet stuff. It will def bring the cost of cat food down and will also produce healthier cats and if what i read on the net is true and greatly reduced risk of obesity, diabeties, fleas and skin problems so the potential saving is hugh as well.

Do you think i spoil my cats and am totally cracked?:)

Not at all! I am the same with my 2 dogs. I make sure they have mackrel or mince or chicken in evening(even enough just to mix through) because I dont think most pet food on its own is healthy.
They were both really underweight when I got them(rescue dogs) and they had a hard life before, they deserve a little spoiling now. Still works in to the budget too. Small tins of sardines and mackrel in aldi really cheap. One of my dogs was covered in thick, dry skin all over when I got him.......not a sign of it now!

mardatha

Nargle, we said exactly the same thing ! The reason the French are happy is that if they dont like something then they hit the streets until the govt changes it...and the govt know that once you've had one revolution then you can have a second one !!

fantacee

mama67 wrote: »

My 15 yr old (DS1) has a habit of dropping his dirty clothes all over his floor, around his linen basket. The 12 yr old (DS2) is not quite as bad yet.

My DS (10) room was getting so bad you couldn't even see the floor, the bed trick wouldn't work, though I like it, he just pulled out the lower sofa bed of his bunk over the top of everything! - However he got a library book from school call Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which I picked up and read one evening (fun wee story).. a storyline running through it was how the "kid" had been given a basketball type hoop type laundry basket which he thought was a boring pressie and wouldn't use, after while kids Mum read the riot act and said she would only wash what was in the basket. Kid didn't use basket and by end of book had had a couple embarrassing moments with stained smelly clothes, needing favourite t-shirt etc.. book was written in a funny way that appealed to kids.

A few days later DS was telling me about the bit he had just read (about a clothes incident) I smiled and said to keep reading and that there was something to be learned from this book..

later.. he said is it about the washing hoop? I said yes and he asked more then I went into a full flown small riot of my own, basically saying I was going to exactly the same - got the ususal I'll just wear something else, also said I was on a mission to clear out small clothes and not replace them so he would soon run out, I happened to mention also that it was coming nearer winter and did he remember the mice last year wanting into the house.. well mice like piles of dirty clothes (not that there was mice in his room last year ). Rules: 1.School clothes are always basketed or put onto a chair when they come off, (no probs as they always have been as it makes it easier for next day) 2. clothes on floor will be left to rot (having lived with the mess this long a while longer won't hurt) 3.no hoovering or cleaning will be done as long as the floor is not accessible. 4. washing basket will be washed/ironed and put away by me as long as I can get into the room.

that was about 5 weeks ago.. all's well so far I really would have let it get to squalor and filth, DH was present and on board with the plan too - result is I actually have a lot less washing as DS is reusing his "playing clothes" - when they're laying neatly (or semi neat ) on the sofa bed he doesn't auto reach for clean ones..

I know this may not last forever but no-way am I going to let the room get to that state again, I'll be making a new riot act before then LOL! I secretly thinks he likes the new "clean" room now anyway. After the clothes bit was working we cleaned the shelves, toy boxes, desk etc. TOGETHER, a little at a time rather than trying to do a mega clean out and getting ratty with each other (a tip from my sis was to make it into fun, flylady type, 15-30 min blasts over time) - his room is still not immaculate, (I personally like "lived in look" type rooms, and this is his space) - but it is cleaner than it has been for ages and I'm no longer embarrassed when his friends come for sleepovers or just to play PS on a rainy day..

all from a school reading book, thankfully DS enjoys reading stories with things to be learned so I knew when I read it might work -> must have been Karma that made me pick it up and read it.

Am loving reading all your tips on here and feel for those with tough situations at the moment.

We have no heating here yet though I'm in NE Scot, (though mum bought us an extra elec heater as she was cold last time she stayed here!) - Boiler needs replacing (cost £2300) and I too have been trying to get from July to October without paying for Oil to help save towards the new boiler cost, .. am off today to see if the CTC I claimed is coming through and if it is and over a certain amount we might get something towards the cost of the boiler replacement if not plan B (friends and family) needs to be deployed. We have spent the last few weeks working on a repayment plan for plan B hence the extra notches of belt tightening.

Received loads of apples from the neighbour the last few weeks and didn't know what to do with them (am trying to get a second garage freezer from Freegle/Freecycle for my new OS ways - 1st one fills easily with the stpcking of bread and milk from bulk buying).

Anyway yesterday I found a recipe for Apple butter and the second lot is on in the SC as we speak. it freezes flat in ziplock bags so should just about manage to store it.. apparently you can use it for all sorts (like Jam), with plain youighurt, as an ice cream topping, on crumpets, toast etc.. Not really a sweet tooth person so this is the first try of it, First application will be a Carrot Cake being made for this weekend for Mum's birthday, suggested filling is apple puree, so I'll try the butter..

I made 1st lot too spicy so am making the 2nd lot plain and sweet and will mix the 2

sorry for the long style post, it's taken me so long to read all this, but it has been so heartening to read while going about the day-day business of OS'ing

Thanks to all for support and rants
Annie(56?) you have me stitches - keep your chin up!
Gailey congrats and hope you get over the sickness soon (I was fortunate to never have had any so I can't offer any tips) Sammy-Kaye I have a paranoia about having absolutely no money for those little things that crop up, we recently did 3 x car-boot sales to which friends and family contributed heaps for us to sell, - it's much easier to ask for "junk" than money, as it was we didn't have to ask most knew and just popped in with the "can you chuck this for me, or sell it if you think you can" BLESS 'EM - the money raised (well some of it, did I mention the boiler ) sits only to be touched for exactly these type times, though I hope they never arrive with the budget and OS'ing

Finally can't remember who said this but related to the XL tv packs and phones, really and I mean really have a look if you can (remembering what it;s like to have no money in purse). We have been like this for years and I can't believe how much we wasted,

We now have an all inclusive land-line as I work from home, DS has been told he can now phone his friends for a long as he likes (have to give things as well as take away) - his and my mobile are PAYG as both of us only use about £10 every 2-3 months, which gives us free texts every time we top up, we both use texts as much as possible and the landline for calls, until we have to use the credit. DH work/contract phone is free to call home, so I text him to phone me if needed.. re: TV (we can only get satellite here) had been downgraded to the absolute minimum SKY package, got upgrade as we were going to cancel and get freesat (though that would have costed about £200 this way I get it for £120 spread over the year and we can go "free" next year if we have to) - we will hire or borrow DVD's for "family movie night" evenings (2-3 per month). Can't get an all-one Talk/Broadband/TV package yet as office pays my Small Office connection for the intranet/VPN connection, so this was the cheapest we could do it. It's not been that hard either, I did thnk in the past we couldn't live without Contract Mobiles and "what we used to" TV - but you know what they're really really not been missed :eek:

lastly, cos I can tell you lot.. between the car boot sales, re-organising packages, switching and cancelling fuel packages, getting refunds and doing a bit of Cashbacking as well as many extra hours as I could get my hands on we have raised/saved £758 this month (a one off as can't get refunds or save on Oil every month, nor is the weather to car-boot much longer though we plan to try and squeeze another 1 or 2 in to the October holidays) but it was thanks in no small part to these boards that I even had the guts to remove pride and get on with it all. and as a family we've had some fun "pulling together"

anyway bank to phone (will leave that for another day) and Tax credits to see if there's any chance we're actually entitled to anything extra.. wish me luck

Claire
x

lambanana

penelopedee hope you manage to find some trousers today!

hellsbells45 sounds like what you're doing is best for your cats and if it works out cheaper all the better!

kezlou I wish my DH would give up on cheese in his sandwiches, he goes through masses of the stuff but doesn't like taking anything messy or strong smelling into work and doesn't like cold pasties/sausage rolls/quiche or anything like that

No news from me really, could do with an ironing fairy and a clothes putting away fairy at the moment...would quite like a cooking the tea fairy as well!! Our washing is still not 100% dry from the weekend so I may have no choice but to put the heating on for an hour or two tonight to finish it off so it's done before we go away.

lauren_1

Hello, hope everyone is keeping well....update from me.....sod all to report apart from finding £4 in change in my bedside cabinet (that really has been the highlight of my week!)

Baby is cooking nicely although still really small, no hint of a bump yet and its the 20 week scan next week :j

I am glad to say that everything is set for the new arrival (thank you freecycle and car boot gods :rotfl: )

kezlou

lambanana wish it were that simple, he's only not having it because we can't afford to buy anymore . Boys are wanting it too so said maybe cheese on Friday. Were all used to eating as much as we want. It one of the rules of the house. Cheese and milk are never limited, i'm scared of the boys having a lack of calcium.

Lauren lovely to hear from you hun xxx Glad everything's going well xx

Well just been catching up with stuff then i'm going to crack on with the fish cakes. Oh and got my appointment on Friday for the clait and ecdl courses. So have to take my WTC letter in as proof of reduction. Then start the courses in Monday .

narabanekeater

Kitty do you have any info about the jobs please?

kidcat

Am sitting here numb today, as yesterday I asked OH to leave, and he did. I have suspected stuff for months (really long dog walks - which tooks ages to get ready for, money going missing, alays late from work, no phoning home during the day, the lsit goes on) but yesterday got the maiden a nd hoover tangled up and caught his dog walking coat, which tipped onto floor and out popped a recipe for a mobile phone sim and top up. As he has a fully paid contract which he never uses anywhere near all his allowance on he has no need to have a PAYGO phone too. I asked him about it when he came home and he kept coming up with even more implausible excuses, and I pointed out that he really needed to go with the truth in order for us to get anywhere. He refused so I asked him to leave.
Havent told the kids yet, and he hasnt been in contact since. So not really sure what happens next.