Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

tumptyteapot

23rdspiral wrote: »

i

Also, and quite a surprise really, we exchanged on the house today. :j i'm so relieved it's all gone through finally. we offered in Oct so it's been so long and frought that i dared only hope it'd work out ok really.

Oh wow, huge congratulations! I very nearly bought a house and I was hoping to move at Easter, we are all packed but the bloke selling the house I was buying pulled out. I put the offer in January and I felt it was dragging - October is years ago! It's such a stupid system, I lost £400 in fees, luckily he chickened out before it got more expensive for me but £400 is a lot to lose. We will be better off when we finally do move but nothing else has come on the market since then.

rubytuesday

Just had my home alone dinner as everyone is out galavanting for St Patricks night. That saved me a trip to the shops - I found some brocolli and stilton soup in the freezer. So just cat litter and a huge bag of crisps paid out for today.

rubytuesday

Ooh yes sorry 23rdspiral congratulations on the exchange!

LolaLemon

rubytuesday wrote: »

Another hoarder!

Also can't often have people just drop by as it's too embarrassing!

I love that post!
(admitting here that i have not slept in my room for over a year now i sleep in my sons room he has a bed under his bed... my room is the dumping ground, i try and do a little every week... but its just never ending!)

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Joining in the "hoarders club" - I'm terrible. Very, very clean (have a few OCD tendancies) but extremely messy - yes, I do pick up things, clean underneath them & then just drop them back where they came from!

Feeling a bit stressed even thinking about it - the only good thing about winter is that I don't have to go through this every day!

People have suggested wooden pegs but I just can't .......

in my un depressed times, it will be messy but very clean - spotlessly clean, yet still cant find a seat!! haha
Have you spoken to someone regarding this, not to 'cure' it but to stop it developing further...
what about white plastic pegs? then they are all the same. im not to bad with pegs, but i need to have all my clothes together - pants with pants, jumpers with jumpers etc so i try and use the clothes horse as much as possible to stop my ocd tendencies

Sandra - thinking of you and hope everyone's on the mend soon.

Lola, it's not easy when lots of things are happening at the same time. Hope everything starts to get better soon. If flylady seems a bit scary why not have a look on the decluttering thread on here. Lots of support on there with some good tips, might help to clear the hoard.

[QUOTE tumptyteapot
I too have circumstantial depression (it's been a foul year) and I'm finding that mindfulness is helping - there is a free course here - https://sites.google.com/site/mindfu...e-introduction
It is a pretty big commitment as you diary what you practice and the meditations seem to be longer as the course goes on but it has really helped me.[/QUOTE]

thank you Dizzy and tumptyteapot, i will have a look at them thank you

Rising from the ashes... Hi Lola, yeah, it's fantastic & I've a few friends who have kids about to start Uni so it's a real weight off their shoulders (but still a bit peev'd that I'd get mine paid if I was full time but get nothing as I have to go part time, nevermind)!

Hoping you may be able to help explain something for me .......

I'd obviously prefer to study near me & have found that I can go to Napier p/t (which is great) and I know that Scottish degrees take 4 years, compared to England where they only take 3 years, but ....

I have 240 "points" and have been told by Napier that I would need to do 120 (year 1) to get an Ordinary Degree and another 120 (year 2) to get Hons. (£1800/year).

However, I've also looked at doing it online through an English Uni (which would obviously just be the 1 year) and I only need to get another 120 points to get an Hons degree through them (but would cost approx £3-3.5k depending on the Uni).

So, is an English Hons degree "only" 360 points, but a Scottish one 480 points?

Ta

To be completely honest, im not totally sure. the way it was explained to me was that we both do the same, 3 years to get a degree, and the 4th year to get an honors degree, its just the scottish institutes sort of demand u sign up for 4 years at the beginning. (and many course wont give u the degree at 3rd year, as employers see it as worthless, they want honors)

What course are you doing? is thier any way u could do it full time, as it is only 10 hours a week and you dont *need* to go in for lectures, although they are great, its notthe end of the world if u miss some, but you are required to go to the seminars.... would your work be accommodating about it? make up hours in evenings or weekends? have u aproched them to see if they would help with fees, especially if the degree will help in that sector?

im not understanding how the online course will still only be 1 year, i was sure they take longer, or is that just the open uni thats with?

sorry ive not been much help

enjoyfinancialchallenges

SandraScarlett wrote: »

Desperately trying to hold it all together. Took DD into hospital today, now back for a couple of hours, then collecting DGD, back to hospital, meanwhile DH not great.

Sorry I haven't even thanked posts, hope to have a proper look at the weekend.
xx

Sorry that DH is not doing so well SS I hope things improve soon and that DD is back home soon. Big hug to you and all your family.

NualaBuala wrote: »

HI everyone:

I'm on an enforced absence from the internet/computer because I have repetitive strain injury but have sneaked on here quickly to say hi.

Hope everyone is doing ok - I haven't been able to catch up as this is a flying visit and already tendon is flaring up.

Sandra, just saw your post - am so sorry to hear your bad news. Am thinking of you and your family. x
xxx

So there you are NuBu we have been wondering where you were, sorry to hear about your RSI hope it heals soon, just keep away from us for a while, we will miss you of course but it will bring you back quicker. You mentioned your birthday was at the end of the month, what day is it? mine is at the end of the month also.

I'm still in shock about my unfrugal day yesterday, too shocked to even talk about it at the moment.
This village is definitely the centre of the dead jam jar mountain, they are coming from everywhere at the moment. I even had the bus driver waving his plastic bag at me when I stepped on the bus today, its actually great fun and all my local bus companions are now saving jars for me, any body need any? I intended making some more marmalade tonight but I'm tired and its too late now, my bed is calling me, listen!

Did you get my pm 23rdspiral with the marmalde recipes?

dizzy_lizzie

[QUOTE=23rdspiral;42079834]
Also, and quite a surprise really, we exchanged on the house today. :j i'm so relieved it's all gone through finally. we offered in Oct so it's been so long and frought that i dared only hope it'd work out ok really. yes being made redundant and buying a house is quite daft/unfortunate but it's taken so long to sort things out, and we really really need to leave this house now, and we've done our maths again and again.[/QUOTE]

Great news. Wishing you lots of happiness when you move into your new home

Nuala sorry I didn't wish you 'get well' on your post. I have developed something similar so I know how painful it is I'm waiting for a cortisone injection but not looking forward to that!


enjoyfinancialchallenges it sounds so lovely and sweet when you describe how the 'jam jar plea' has escalated. I'm expecting it to be on the news any time soon, such is its fame ... Plus hope we have a fabulous Summer for you to sell all that gorgeous marmalade in.

Luv Dizzy x
♥

midwinter

eBay have a free listing weekend, 19th & 20th March. Some conditions apply.

23rdspiral

woops sorry for the very long post = catching up plus comments on new stuff.

~ i did a very frugal dinner last night - carrot and cauli curry - both cheap (market/reduced) with 9p sauce and extra currents (not sultanas and you couldnt tell!) and spices, served with value rice. it was lovely! and my OH didnt complain there was no meat or even soya mince in it! :T (i think he understands more now re being frugal, and healthy!) come to think of it it really was very healthy, it was vegan!

Nuala - sorry to hear about your RSI - i've had it bad once and it's horrid. keep it warm and supported, but i guess you know that! x

~ re house / depression / clutter / cleaning... erm... ditto?! my mum was depressed and her house was clean but a shocking state of messy - so i never learned how to do it. as an adult its harder to learn but i'm getting there. i'm better now i've been before - the bath is no longer treated as a wardrobe! :rotfl: i also have my little OCD moments, tied to my state of mind i guess. it's a bit shocking now re clutter but then i'm overworking and stressed and trying to not to slide back into depression. (re PEGS - wilkos sell a bag of ALL WHITE plastic pegs in a handly little hanging tub.. and they were cheaper than Mr Ts... would that help?)

tumptyteapot wrote: »

Oh wow, huge congratulations! I very nearly bought a house and I was hoping to move at Easter, we are all packed but the bloke selling the house I was buying pulled out. I put the offer in January and I felt it was dragging - October is years ago! It's such a stupid system, I lost £400 in fees, luckily he chickened out before it got more expensive for me but £400 is a lot to lose. We will be better off when we finally do move but nothing else has come on the market since then.

Eeek! How horrid. this is what i was fearing so badly... the house we are buying looked great but the survey had a shocking (literally!) revelation, and we were at a standoff - neither us nor them could afford the repairs. it was a deadlock and i was scared they'd scrap the hole thing. then a diff house in the chain got badly damaged over xmas so there was a Huge delay coz of that. irritatingly we've had to suck up some extra costs (one of the reasons for joining the Frugal Challenge). it really is so stressful i would never have imagined.

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

This village is definitely the centre of the dead jam jar mountain, they are coming from everywhere at the moment. I even had the bus driver waving his plastic bag at me when I stepped on the bus today, its actually great fun and all my local bus companions are now saving jars for me, any body need any?... Did you get my pm 23rdspiral with the marmalde recipes?

:rotfl::T:rotfl::T wooo! i'm so pleased you have a Jam Jar Mountain!! so pleased you can now choose to buy fancy ones if you wish. woooo!!!
~ er, not i didnt get a pm i'm afraid.

dizzy_lizzie wrote: »

Great news. Wishing you lots of happiness when you move into your new home ♥

awe, thanks! i cant wait - it feels like we've been treading water in limbo for 2.5 years since we decided to sell... and longer before that really. i know my life wont miraculously change overnight when we move, but some things will and that's enough for me.

Erme

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Hi Lola, yeah, it's fantastic & I've a few friends who have kids about to start Uni so it's a real weight off their shoulders (but still a bit peev'd that I'd get mine paid if I was full time but get nothing as I have to go part time, nevermind)!

Hoping you may be able to help explain something for me .......

I'd obviously prefer to study near me & have found that I can go to Napier p/t (which is great) and I know that Scottish degrees take 4 years, compared to England where they only take 3 years, but ....

I have 240 "points" and have been told by Napier that I would need to do 120 (year 1) to get an Ordinary Degree and another 120 (year 2) to get Hons. (£1800/year).

However, I've also looked at doing it online through an English Uni (which would obviously just be the 1 year) and I only need to get another 120 points to get an Hons degree through them (but would cost approx £3-3.5k depending on the Uni).

So, is an English Hons degree "only" 360 points, but a Scottish one 480 points?

Ta

I fail to understand this....doing this from the Ibook...it was £87 or something but I didn't realise that MAC OS X 10.2 is utterly fossilized and you can barely get anything on it...

I did all the expensive stuff (20 mins @ who knows how much per min on phone to Apple ppl etc) trying to upgrade (and was shaking cos I got fixated with the upgrade ) but now praise God D @ the hosp is going to upgrade my ibook's fossilized os for free to 10.5...

For some reason the only thing I really minded not having was yahoo chat...I don't know if I'll be able to get that even on 10.5 but like snow leapard upgrade isn't much if I need it ($29 @ US apple store) so that' s a possibility .....

But it feels really nice and I'd recommend it for home schoolers to get their kids (or any kids that just need word processing and net) to get a cheap fossilized ibook...

why buy the kids the latest pc - buy something that's been around the block a few times

Even for grannies that don't know they're url from their www. it's worth it....really for a first pc you don't need to pay much these days (and I say that with the 10.2 OS)

I also managed to cancel the DVD rewriter I don't need with PCW....:) yay but not the enhanced knife set off Quidco so will have to see if they fit in my knife block when I get them and return it .....Pray they do

I'm also praying about my anxiety....it does my head in

So far no probs and it's even a nice sunny day here

Och well...best get off the MAC and do the pack list for wednesday

Blessings

(good to hear from you Nuala...I also have a prob with my left thumb - and it's getting worse - hope it's not too serious)

E
PS. Have just discovered the wonderful fossilized mac app 'STICKIES' - it's better than one note

tumptyteapot

argh - £35 in T's and £6 on petrol. I had a small trolley full of value stuff, no treats apart from an 88p 4 pack of value bitter (which I'll probably make batter out of). I did buy a couple of 2 for £3 things though but they will freeze. I'm hoping that I will only have to top up on veg next week.