Its tough, it will get better and guess what its freezing brrrrr!

skyelark

mama67 wrote: »

I have had bread machines for the last 12/13 years, but I only have cheapie ones and tend to only use the dough setting then bake off in the oven, can use a proper "split tin" tin that way, I add in different proportions of different flours, seeds, toppings etc.
I also make pizza dough, garlic bread, rolls, baguettes and doughnuts.

For whatever reason if I try to make the dough totally by hand it never seems to rise properly; end up with doorstops.
So this is a good compromise for us, we get good hm proper bread without paying extortionate prices, and the boys will eat my wholemeal done this way but won't if I buy it.

I am the same with by hand method. The breadmaker is fab cause you can go off and do other things too!

skyelark

parsonswife8 wrote: »

Annie56, whenever I have encountered rude people like you have, I say loudly, it was a real pleasure sir (or madam).:rotfl:

I haven't had any injuries inflicted yet as they usually scurry away feeling embarrassed by their own rudeness.:)

Hee hee, I love this! When I am at work and people are rude to me, I always become super-nice! Works every time!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

mardatha

Hopefully by the time they sort it all out they'll be voted out anyway !
And then we have a whole new lot of muppets dreaming up a whole new lot of nonsense...round & round the mulberry bush eh ? And always its us who get the worry.
I got told by my dad never EVER buy a house. People who buy houses never have any money because the house takes it all. But that was a long time ago in a mining community where nobody ever owned a house. But I'm bloody glad I listened to him !
The big problem I see is - people's jobs are not secure any more, so how can you expect them to take on a mortgage for 25 years or whatever it is... look at the struggles some in here have just to keep the roof over their heads. They cant afford heat or food or repairs ! But at the same time they're telling us we cant expect to keep council houses for ever so where does that leave people ??!

AnnieG

skyelark wrote: »

Hee hee, I love this! When I am at work and people are rude to me, I always become super-nice! Works every time!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Me too... being extra friendly to people who are nasty to you is the best way of making them realise that they're being rude!
My breadmaker is on at the moment, I got it as a wedding present in 1997 and it still works perfectly, it's a panasonic and is brilliant.

I got a reconditioned laptop a little while ago, much cheaper than a new one and was guaranteed for a year. The company I got if from is called Portable IT and is based in Salisbury .... I have no connection to them other than having been a customer. I hope that helps someone!
It's freezing here today, I'm on the sofa under a duvet with a big mug of tea and plan to stay this way for some time!!

greent

Morning all! It sure is ffffff-freezing out there today! DS3 & I are staying inside in the warm - I do need to go into town, but will do that tomorrow and combine it with a very small grocery shop (off up to Edinburgh on Tues - think I'll also need some more warm socks!!)

I don't think the spending review will massively affect our household. DH is self employed and not a HR taxpayer any more, so we'll still get CB (x4...) but I think we may miss out on some WTC because of the lower threshold (but we didn't use to get any, anyway, because OH previously earned too much) We get no other benefits etc (We've even had to pay £1700 for DD (12) braces for her teeth!!). BUT it will likely affect us with OH's work - he's a contractor, so we'll see how often contracts come up and whether the daily rate falls as companies struggle... Obviously we'll be affected by VAT and general price hikes

I'm more worried by how cold this Winter looks like it could be - and therefore the heating bills. Think DS3 & I will take to 'living' in one room during the day if heat is needed in the day (which it will ultimately be)- saves heating the whole house just for the 2 of us (we have 18 radiators in our house!!)

I also don't agree in houses for life - DH's aunt lives in a large 3 bed (all big bedrooms) council house with a large garden for just her & her DH and refuses to move (children long gone) And manages to get some housing benefit for the rent - which confuses me...

Off to research which s/mkt has the cheapest flour - need to stock up on plain & sr (have lots of bread flour).....

Hope you are all keeping warm!

Annie56

Good morning to all you lovley ladies on OStyle and ofcourse any gents as well

Tis I Martin:j:j aka Monty Don lookalike ( think Annie56 needs to go to Specsavers:D)

Hellooooo Kezielou well done on spotting me lurking, Annie56 says I can use her nametag this morning as long as I use a differnt colour and font (shes a right bossy boots), mind my manners and dont try to take over like :)ALL men do????whatever does she mean right here goes.

My admiration for all the posters/ladies/gents who are on this forum holds no bounds, I thought I was pretty cool in the money saving stakes but this forum and others on Old Style have knocked me off my perch so so much to learn, its an eye opener to see it from a female point of view, us men have some hard lessons to learn and this blokey is one of them.

I love the comaraderie and kindness on here that goes through all the postings, there is no negativity just positive and knd advice gleaned from your own experiences and the resulting answers and information given is practical and doable.

Got to dash as the daughter is about to kamikaze dive off the couch and the dogs going nuts at the postman, what life.....

I wil register on here under my own name later when I have time to think of a witty name for myself all answers on an Old Style type recycled cyber postcard please....

You all have a nice day, I have to deposit childkins at my mothers and disapear to the land of work, gardens, greenhouses and other exciting green things...till I see you all verbally again..kisses to you all xxxxx oh and Annie56 is nice too...xx

Best wishes, frugal happiness all round...

Martin aka Monty

kidcat

Welcome Monty:)

Its freezing here today and DS6 is still off school so I have set up camp in the living room - will keep it warmish and he has his duvet.

Discovered that some of the winter duvets have gone missing since last year and am concerned they may have been thrown out and I have forgotten, so now need to buy two single winter duvets. Any suggestions ??

Cats are doing their job brilliantly and my feet are lovely and toasty. Gonna pop into Aldi and Lidl later and look into thermals. DS12 has some tops from his school trip last year and he has some incredibly warm socks (whoopsies from asda) but the rest of us have nothing so will try buy a few bits at least.

Relieved that CB for over 16s is staying - but cant help but feel like mardatha that we only know the tip of the iceberg at moment. Friends DH is looking almost certain to lose his job and he reckons job announcements in public sector will start to be announced as soon as ext week,

flowertotmum

katholicos wrote: »

Aw, bless you for asking...alas he is doing pretty badly. The specialist says he should have oxygen for at least 15 hours a day but the people within the NHS deal with the oxygen doses etc are making Dad wait for about a month from now until they 'asess' his oxygen needs....even though the specialist told him last week that he definately needs 15 hours minimum oxygen per day. We, his family, are just heartbroken to see him like this and feel so helpless.

I imagine you feel the same way about your daughter (the feelings of helplessness we feel when our loved ones suffer, eh?). It's going to get so much tougher for us all with these new financial difficulties we all face. As if life isn't tough enough!

AW hun..i'm so sorry for you and your dad..it is heartbreaking :grouphug:..thats for you and your dad..from me and my family...

jinny

JenniO wrote: »

Thanks for the new thread. Money is v. tight this month and I told my OH today as he was buying a .20 p paper, um, thought we are trying to save money this month! :rotfl:He looked at me like I was an alien and said, 'it's only 20 pence!' Maybe I am getting a little too tight now?

this is a great thread thanks to the poster at the top for starting it up again
I am reading the thread from the start and thought this link might be helpful. You can read any National and local newspaper on line for free
here is the link hope thats is ok with the mods that is

http://www.britishpapers.co.uk/

flowertotmum

anguk wrote: »

EMA was mentioned, apparently it's going to be scrapped and replaced with "targeted support for those facing financial barriers to education".

What this means and when it's going to happen is anyone's guess.

Thanks anguk...i hope my son gets that..every wk he needs to buy a new bit of kit for his toolbox...we have already had to find extra £40 for 2 books he needs...£14 for 2 shirts and now we have been told he has to have this body warmer for the course:(..of course if he needs them i'll make sure he gets them but they could have explained all this before he started the course...thank you anguk...:A