Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

silvasava

Hi all - had a good Frugalista day yesterday - made 2 Chicken & Mushroom pies from leftovers (the £5 chicken has ended up making 9 meals!) and a neighbour gave me some cooking apples that I mixed with the blackberries we picked last year & made a pie and a crumble.
Cerdwen - agree with you. Personally I could not consider an abortion but I could not condemn someone who has as I do not know their circumstances & the ultimate decision is totally theirs - but that's a whole other thread.

Here's to a happy new frugalling week

diddly74

Look I didn't post to promote any controversy, I simply posted because IF I am pregnant then it will mean a shift of priorities and where the cash comes from and has to go! I certainly was not asking for advice on abortion as I am very capable of making my own decisions.

Yes a baby now would be inconvenient – I am almost qualified as a nurse and want to go on to compete my degree in Midwifery, we have just got ourselves back on our feet financially and our 2 daughters are getting older and finding some independence so don’t need us so much. We hadn’t planned to have anymore children and having the coil in place and PCOS I didn’t expect to be in this possible position. But should I be carrying child no3, then my husband and I will make our decisions once we have got used to the news of a positive test. IF there is one!

I decided not to tell the children for 1 reason – so that they don’t get disappointed if it is negative. The equilibrium of the family will be altered if a new person comes along and I will need time to get used to that before I tell them!

As far as what Ceridwen said – I agree. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but shouldn’t pass judgement on anyone else until they know the whole picture and have lived in their “shoes” so to speak. It should purely down to the prospective parents whether they take a pregnancy to term – after all it is they who will have to bring up and love that child and are responsible for it. Thats the ONE huge thing that my nursing course has taught me – there is always another perspective and we shouldn’t speak before we put our brain into gear – even if we don’t give a rats !!! who we offend eh Ceridwen.

artichoke

hi all
Just checking in to say hello - i have not read anything over the weekend as have been outside all the time and not turned the computer on all weekend

we had a wonderful Farm Open day - even though the weather was a bit blustery yesterday...the kids got covered in mud as the ground was so wet but i think everyone had a good time... piglets, 2 day old chicks, goats, sheep, hens - all had a bit of a run around as the kids tried to catch them for a cuddle..

I had a NS weekend and came home yesterday with a very big bag of pigs trotters and other bits that people dont usually want to eat..

today will be a spend day as DH is going into town for a meeting and will buy some basics such as toilet roll, wheatabix, whilst he is out.

I will need to spend later in the week as i need to organise DD's 7th birthday party.... any ideas for frugal parties welcome:eek:

we have booked the village hall and she wants a disco and games party... we always do this sort of party so i have ideas for games etc...it is just that the kids demand party bags with plastic cr...*p in and i try to avoid buying rubbish but to give them something more useful...

at the school halloween party i organised for the PTA i gave all the kids an organic red apple at the end of the night and i got looks of disgust from some kids who refused to take them and asked for sweets as well ( we did give them all a lolly ) and some parent were a bit shocked by the apple as well:eek:


hey i could give them all a pigs trotter that would really shock them:rotfl:
or play pass the pigs head:eek:

anyway i need to find some cheap party bag stuff later in the week..

i will be back later when kids are in bed - i must get on with work now

DD wants some day old chicks for her birthday present..so need to organise that

art

redglass_2

Laushappy wrote: »

I am extremely upset by the comments made by Ceridwan regarding Diddly's suspected pregnancy. I have seriously considered pressing the report button.
I really dont think we should be "advising people " of abortion options on this site. It came across that abortion was being "promoted" here, and i think this was an extremely insensitive comment to put on a forum.

I now feel that i no longer want to post on this site because of this appauling post.

Diddly this is not aimed at you, i feel for your situation.

I have not ruled out reporting this post and at this moment in time i feel like i no longer want to be a part of this forum.

Sorry, Diddly, wrote this while you were sending yours...but let it stand...

As far as I can see, Ceridwen's post responded directly to Diddly's own expressed feelings; Diddly was clearly worried about her possible pregnancy. The forum may not be explicitly designed for this, but all kinds of other things which are not only about cash but which do have an important bearing on our finances have been discussed on this site and support has been offered. These topics include mental illness, unco-operative spouses and kids, bereavements... If it's all right to give advice and support about these, I see nothing wrong with Ceridwen's post. What we are discussing here is permitted by UK law, let's not lose sight of that. I am disturbed by talk of 'reporting' as if Ceridwen had committed a crime. She gave some information. Let's also credit Diddly with the ability to make her own decisions.

wornoutmumoftwo

Well my green house is half up. It has the frame and a roof and a door but nothing round the sides and the OH has worked non stop on it all weekend, and it's only a 6x6. Still, it will look nice when it's done.

My spends are now back up to date and in my sig. I'm spending much less on food this month (touch wood), but still haven't got a budget other then trying to spend less than I did the month before.

Going to go shopping shortly, hit the piund shop for gardening supplies, and have to get some school shoes for the boys.

SandraScarlett

Oh happy day! DH and I exchanged Valentines Cards :smileyhea and then DH suggested we go out for coffee and a cake this afternoon. Now that may not sound much, but DH doesn't usually suggest outings, so this is extra nice.

I hope you all have a lovely Valentines Day. :smileyhea

xx

rubytuesday

To be fair to Laushappy abortion is a very emotive subject and as we are all aware is only up to those involved to make any decisions, so perhaps it didn't need to be raised even with all good intentions. I don't know.

rubytuesday

I am a bit fed up. I have just been to the Doctors to get my hormones checked as I have been feeling very out of sorts lately. Whilst I was there I asked for a referral back to the Homeopathic Hospital for acupuncture as when I had my open appointment last week I was told I needed a new referral. Anyway the Doctor told me he is not allowed to refer there now due to budget cuts. My last appointment was so helpful, particularly for my elbow which has been really bad. The results are only just beginning to wear off. Anyway I shall ring them and see what can be done.
Going to go and buy a free range chicken for dinner tonight to have with roast veg and cous cous and also some stuff to make fudge for Valentines. Hope I can find the few bits I've bought and stashed away!:rotfl:

enjoyfinancialchallenges

I am surprised at reactions to comments made on this site once more and as I said before nobody sets out to offend another and perhaps we should all learn to be a bit more thick skinned, after all we all have opinions otherwise this thread would not exist. Comments are only perceived to be offensive by the receiver not the sender so maybe the offended person whoever they are needs to sort out the issue for themselves. We cant go around reporting people for having an opinion different to our own, now can we. X

Somebody posted about weevils which made me laugh because......... I lived in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe for nearly 20 years, and found plenty of weevils in dried foods but they all die during the cooking. I can now hear the shock horror gasp of breath around me but most floated to the top first anyway and could be scooped off. My children never asked what the bits were. :rotfl:Most people eat meat anyway so whats the difference and they don't transmit disease.

Nearly forgot to say yes, freezing foods is a very successful way to prevent weevils spreading and they will if not prevented.

I don't eat meat by the way.

diddly74

News update = budgets don't need to change. The test was negative - normal service will be resumed.:)

I know I was worried on how it was going to impact on our finances and goals for our lives, and those of our children we already have been blessed with but I was still felt a wee bit disappointed when a negative result came back.