Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

cw18

lilylass wrote: »

May I ask a couple of hen questions ....... I've fancied getting/keeping some for ages but not sure if I've got enough room.

I think they'd have to be in one of these coop/run things but could get out in the garden when I'm around.

Have heard that they really attract vermin - can you stop this? (Don't think my neighbours would be happy even with the bribe of eggs now & then).

Thanks

First thing you'd need to do is check the deeds for you property. I've owned three houses (including where I am now), and the keeping of livestock was/is prohibited at all of them.......

redglass_2

SandraScarlett wrote: »

I vowed I would not leave my children with such a problem, so every so often, I clear a drawer I feel I'm helping future generations!

That's so sensible of you, SandraScarlett. :T My mum (soon to be 84) is doing the same. She said she'd hate to leave us with a mountain of stuff to clear. When my dad died last year I thought she would struggle with having to say goodbye to his clothes but she started dealing with it in the week after he died. She offered the best of them to a friend of his and the rest went to cancer charity shops (he died of cancer). I would never have pushed her to get rid of the clothes - it was entirely her own doing and I was really impressed by her strength.

lilylass wrote: »

In my 1st month of MSE posting (lurked for a while) & finally getting my act together - for the 1st time in a long time (many, many years!), I'm going to get to payday and:

- have paid off final amount on CC
- have not reached/gone over OD limit
- have reduced OD amount
- have set up pots on my bank account, put money in & not raided them
- have a proper budget in place & have stuck to it
- have set up several spreadsheets & kept them up to date

I must say a huge "thanks" to everyone on here (and some of the other threads/challenges I'm doing) for all the advice, support & everything else :A as I really couldn't have done it without you all!

Well done, brilliant result!!!!!! :T

(((Hugs))) to everyone that needs one and I agree that we shouldn't be too sensitive but should appreciate the amazing support that's available on this thread. It would be awful if we all started running in fear and apologising needlessly in case someone took offence - it would make the thread miserable and paranoid. Instead, let's cut each other some slack and look for the best in one another.

rubytuesday

:jLily you have done so well!
Sandra your mum's house sounded a bit like mine! I have old two science chests in the front room so that's eighteen drawers in there alone! I'm also a bit of a hoarder but I'm trying to apply your principle for my kids too.

rubytuesday

JayneC wrote: »

Talking of Spring _ I noticed on Friday when I finished work (we finish at 4.30 on a Friday) that it was still light so Spring definitely coming
And I went up to my other garden on Sunday and there's bulbs poking through too Tidied the greenhouse and pruned the vine in there. DD cut down about half a ton of bamboo - honestly you wouldn't believe how rampant it is! Am utilising some bamboo poles as curtain rails to hang door curtains - how's that for frugal!!

I have a sari over a bamboo pole as a curtain in my bedroom. I didn't grow it myself though! Well done!

Erme

It's getting really bad. Not been out of the house for two days cos of lack of appropriate disguise. Hard to eat. Can't cook. Downing haloperidol like it's about to be made illegal...not really helping much...

Seeing gp on Wednesday @ 3.30pm if I can get myself out of the house..Hands really hurt too and paracetamol not helping. Sometimes I can knit for a little while but that's it...

Can't listen to the radio or anything..finding it hard to understand what folk are saying to me. Finding it hard to go on the forums on moneysavingexpert cos can't read....

Erme le fatwig
PS. Mr C and Mr D - am only sending this to you in case I don't make sur panel on Wednesday. trying to avoid medics cos they're part of the conpsiracy. reckon it'd be self murder if I turned up. ELF

PPS. Am posting this here cos I'm pretty regular on the forums when I understand stuff but right now I don't. I know tomorrow is big giro day when i normally PAD but even with the spreadsheet I haven't the foggiest idea how to do it

someeting about being allergic now to all deodorant bar the home made stuff and sleeping in my clohtes in case there's a knock at at t he door taking me to the stake and not washing my ahir..

elf

Laushappy

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

Welcome to sascha and sarah
rubytuesday I found that with carrots too, so now I cut them ultra thin and give them a few minutes in the microwave first before adding to a casserole, kind of defeats the object but nothing worse than hard carrots when you were expecting soft.
Had a little spend today and treated myself to a new bag, and I did need one. A side zips has broken on the one I'm using now. My new one was from accesorize greatly reduced to £9 from £30. So a big save there
Not made anyones tea as not in the mood at all. DS bought a huge pizza from Mr As so the lads shared that and DD has had a jacket and coleslaw and I've got a jacket in at the mo.
I go from one extreme to the other were I can cook and bake like a good 'un all day then other times I really do not want to make anything and hardly step into the kitchen. Haven't worked that one out yet
I am really tired though and I'm definately having an early night.

Do you think we'll all feel better when Spring arrives?
Luv dizzy x
♥

I'm just the same dizzylizzy, can either be really in the mood for cooking or quite the opposite!
And yes i defo think everyone will be feel better once the spring arrives, cant wait :j
A NSD here

cw18

Two good bits of news today...

First is that spending time with me over the weekend (which included meeting DS2, DD and GDs) doesn't seem to have scared my chap off - or at least I think that's a fair assumption as we spent at least 1.5 hours on the phone earlier this evening

Second is that while his Dad is still in hospital, it seems to be more of a precautionary measure - and they're hoping he'll be home again in the next 2 or 3 days

Marru

CRANKY40 wrote: »

I had to ring Eon last October too, when they tried to put my direct debit up. I had received a refund of £260 two months before that so couldn't really see why they wanted me to pay more. I gently reminded them that they are my energy suppliers and not a savings scheme, and we agreed to leave the direct debit as it was

This was brilliant, well done and no need for shamed face :T

I am just dashing in reading here and there and dashing out. Despite not having updated my spreadsheets for awhile and being over budget the change from last year is remarkable. I haven't bough lunch from the canteen not once. I have packed brekkie and lunch to take with me to work and then in the evenings cooked from what I have in the house instead of buying ready meals or take aways due to being [STRIKE]so unorganised[/STRIKE] too tired. And I think we have been eating better as well.

Cheryl - well done for your run. Why don't you pop into the DFW running thread for a chat. Not everyone there are marathon runners (yours truly included).

Laushappy

lilylass wrote: »

Hello Sarah - welcome to the challenge, I've started recently too and am really enjoying it. Cheryl's spreadsheet is great (bit scarey when it works out the annual totals though)!.


Evening all, hope a good weekend was had by all and glad Monday's over! (3rd NSD in a row!)

I'm quite embarrassed to say it but I'm actually feeling rather proud of myself .....

In my 1st month of MSE posting (lurked for a while) & finally getting my act together - for the 1st time in a long time (many, many years!), I'm going to get to payday and:

- have paid off final amount on CC
- have not reached/gone over OD limit
- have reduced OD amount
- have set up pots on my bank account, put money in & not raided them
- have a proper budget in place & have stuck to it
- have set up several spreadsheets & kept them up to date

I must say a huge "thanks" to everyone on here (and some of the other threads/challenges I'm doing) for all the advice, support & everything else :A as I really couldn't have done it without you all!

Thats excellent Lilylass, your hard work is paying off :T
I think if we have all got through january, the worst month for managing finances then we have done well
Lets keep up the good work folks :T

Laushappy

Marru wrote: »

This was brilliant, well done and no need for shamed face :T

I am just dashing in reading here and there and dashing out. Despite not having updated my spreadsheets for awhile and being over budget the change from last year is remarkable. I haven't bough lunch from the canteen not once. I have packed brekkie and lunch to take with me to work and then in the evenings cooked from what I have in the house instead of buying ready meals or take aways due to being [STRIKE]so unorganised[/STRIKE] too tired. And I think we have been eating better as well.

Cheryl - well done for your run. Why don't you pop into the DFW running thread for a chat. Not everyone there are marathon runners (yours truly included).

Well done sounds like you have done really well :T