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

ms_london

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

sorry annie - love you lots but that tickled me. Well done you on the hunky allotment man - let us know how your date goes! chicken stock is easy -- chicken carcass hacked up, plaenty of water and any old veg trimmings you have flitting about and let the lot simmer, and season. :T

OH OH OH have to tell you all!!!! I had the mother of all bargains earlier!!!

15 small cartons of premade baby milk --- was 68p each --- reduced to 17p each. :T saving of £7.65

10 small jars of stage one baby food (chicken and bolognese) --- was meant to be 60p each ---- reduced to 15p each :T saving of £4.50

8 small jars of stage 1 baby food (various) --- meant to be 76p each ---- reduced to 19p each :T saving of £4.56

4 mums own stage 1 baby food --- meant to be 68p each --- reduced to 17p each :T saving of £2.04

1 box of baby porridge with fruit ---- meant to be £2.29 a box :eek: --- reduced to 57p :T saving £1.72

2 bottles pre mixed baby apple juice --- meant to be £1.91 each --- reduced to 48p :T saving £2.86

2 packs of 52 P@MPERS nappies (so effectively 104 nappies) in Size 4+ (should explain Holly was 13lbs 12.5ozs three weeks ago and the weight range for these is 20 - 44lbs so a little big yet) but ---- meant to be £9.59 each ---- reduced to £2.40 each :T saving £14.38 :T:T:T:T:T

In total the whole lot should of cost me £50.29

It should of cost me £12.58
with my 10% discount should of been £11.32

but some of the jars wouldn't scan and boss got so bugged by it he told me to just have them. Think it was a sneaky thank you because I worked all the crappy hours no one likes as overtime! so in fact it only cost me £9.95 in total. so I had a saving of £40.34

:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j

so the nappies are now underneath Holly's cot ready to be used when she needs them.
Have put all the jars/juice etc in a kitchen cupboard I've just cleared for all her stuff.
Am paid tomorrow too and need to go and do a food shop for us but think I will go and have another look in there afterwards to see if anything else has been added. Its end of range sale stuff (all the dates were good until mid 2011 or up to 2013! :eek: )

Plus whilst clearing Hollys cupboard out I found an unopened hot chocolate gift set, a pamper pack (loofah eye mask etc) and an unopened cup/placemat/tray set which I will now re gift for Xmas presents!

OH!!! and to top it off I had a chip / pin card form the post code lottery through the door earlier too with a free gift - filled the bits in online and my card has £12 on it!

so having a fairly good day --- since I've been so lucky I've even had a quick go at the lottery too! .

:T:T

Bless you Sammy, I am really pleased for you - I remember you first posting and have followed your posts. You manage so well and put most other 26 year old's to shame!

xx

jamanda

I think I may have laid it on a bit thick with DD. I've been showing her how I make the pennies squeak and she now thinks I am destitute. I've tried to show her that if you don't spend it as it comes you have some for emergencies, e.g. dh work boots disintegrating, etc. Lesson has gone slightly wrong. She and SIL are going through a bad patch and I offered her some shopping money, to get the indignant reply "I'm not taking your money when you are struggling like that".

I'm not sure how to play it now. I've been trying to teach by example and it has been essential for quite a while. However, things are a bit better at the moment though I need to keep frugal because of various reasons, e.g. job security, something dropping to bits, etc., bit behind us to stop the worrying.

What should I do? Should I tell her that I'm a bit better off now, in which case she won't understand why I am as tight as a ducks botty, or should I leave things be?

Advice would be much appreciated.

jackieglasgow

I would tell her you've been putting a wee bit extra away each week by being extra careful in case ANY of you need it with economy being the way it is. and that you did it because you wanted to be in a position to help her out if she needed it, but you still have enough put by for your own emergencies. If that won't work, buy her a savings card from Asda or Tesco or wherever you shop and say you've been putting a wee bit on it over the course of the year to give her some extra for Christmas?

PS you sound lovely!

ms_london

kidcat wrote: »

I am always humbled by the response of people on here, some days I feel very much that I battle through life alone, and then I spend time on here and it really helps me see that we are a community battling lifes up and downs together. Its always struck me how many people have problems with children and certain food stuffs, you'd think that someone somewhere would work out exact;y which of the additives causes the most difficulties and at the very least put a govt health warning on items containing those bits.

DS6 has just started throwing up again, this has gone on for almost two weeks now, he will be very sick for a day followed by upset stomach for a few days then fine for a couple of days then back again to the start, going to take him to see a doctor tomorrow as this really cant continue. He will be devastated tomorrow when he realises he is going to miss the Fireman Sam live show he was given months ago as a reward for being good, its tomorrow afternoon and no way can I take him now.

All I can say is thank God for the extra buckets my dad bought last week!!!

Sorry to hear about your DS6, I hope he feels better soon!

You mention food additives, I don't think it is just children who are affected by this - isn't it funny how eating healthily helps with depression (obviously there are different degrees of depression, I am just talking from my own personal experiences), so there must be additives in food / drinks that are making it worse or not helping??!!

I feel a million times better when I eat healthily, exercise and don't drink alcohol...... Just something I've been thinking about lately....

Also, it makes me think of Jamie Oliver and him trying to get healthier foods into schools, I agree it does make a difference in the behaviour of children. xx

jamanda

jackieglasgow wrote: »

I would tell her you've been putting a wee bit extra away each week by being extra careful in case ANY of you need it with economy being the way it is. and that you did it because you wanted to be in a position to help her out if she needed it, but you still have enough put by for your own emergencies. If that won't work, buy her a savings card from Asda or Tesco or wherever you shop and say you've been putting a wee bit on it over the course of the year to give her some extra for Christmas?

PS you sound lovely!

Thanks for that. I'll go that way for now I think. The savings card is an excellent idea - Do you have to spend it before Christmas, because it occurs to me that a supermarket savings card in her stocking would help out in January which is always a lean month for all of us.

I daren't help out too much, because if I do we'll all go down. I can't keep us all afloat. SIL is builder and money very erratic and difficult at the moment. I'm trying desperately hard to secure my own position so if it all goes wrong for her family, or indeed DS, there is a roof, heat and food for all. (mind you it would be a bit cramped in a 2 bed house with DD, SIL, 3 kids and any waifs and strays that tend to turn up when calamity strikes).

I don't feel very lovely at the moment. I'm looking long term and being cruel to be kind. Hate seeing them struggling but if I lose my security (don't have that much) I wouldn't be able to help if things did go bad, as they may do.

flowertotmum

TudorRose wrote: »

I used to help out at a charity shop & we used to get shoplifters & I know that they still get them. We are not in a poor area by any means & you wouldn't think that anyone would stoop so low as to steal from a charity shop.
One afternoon when I was there we were very busy & there were three of us in the shop serving but none of us noticed someone remove an 18" statue from a top shelf & make off with it. One Christmas we had someone steal two 'new goods' perfume bottles on two separate occasions. The first we knew of it was when we found the packaging from one of them which had been removed & stuffed under a clothes rack.

On an OS note I got some whoopsied fresh fruit in Mr T's last night including 2 packs of rhubarb for 30p each instead of £2.99. Made a lovely crumble with it. Had some for tea with some vanilla icecream. Lovely!

Hi ..thats so low stealing from charity shops...we had a woman going through our charity bag once outside our house..i watched her she went from bag to bag all the way along the road...shame...if she was that desperate i would have given them to her...or as someone else has said was she looking to resell them on fleabay...
Have you tried doing your rhubarb in honey in the oven? its lovely...

jackieglasgow

No you don't and with the Asda one there is a bonus added on to whatever your balance is in mid November, I think its the 10th. My husband is in construction too, so I know exactly where you are coming from. I think a wee bit extra in her stocking would be nice, and if they are anything like us, January is a no wage month for OH, and when we really need to reap what little rewards there are from being careful the rest of the year.

Incidentally, someone mention advant calendars earlier in the thread, Aldi have them from Thursday 89p or 99p for branded ones (eg ToyStory) they also have nice fabric ones for £4.99

ms_london

jackieglasgow wrote: »

Incidentally, someone mention advant calendars earlier in the thread, Aldi have them from Thursday 89p or 99p for branded ones (eg ToyStory) they also have nice fabric ones for £4.99

I love Aldi, Lidl & Netto!

Rosanna79

Kidcat.
So sorry to hear or your problems with your child. May I make a couple of suggestions?

During my H/V days parents oftened presented at clinic or rang up about their child having having feeding / eating problems.

Not always having the most sympathetic GPs the one tool that helped parents collect evidence is a diary in this case a food diary. Jotting down everything the child has eaten or drunk and any apparent reactions to food or drink such as vomiting or diarrhoea can help the medics diagnose the problem.

Whatever your doctor says it can also be useful to ask to be referred to a dietitian. They are the experts on nutrition /possible food allergies or intolerances. You, however are the expert on your child. Best wishes with that for a speedy solution

Thinking of you at this difficult time.

jamanda

Jackieglasgow - thanks for all your help. You have put my mind at rest more than you realise. I'm going to get an Asda card for her and give it to her immediately AFTER Christmas when reality hits. She is a lovely person and never buys anything for herself and if I give her money for Christmas I know she'll spend it on the kids, catching up with bills etc.