If push comes to shove...?

born_blonde

Approved food are selling Bertolli Olive oil 500ml for 4 for £5 which is quite a good price.
http://www.approvedfood.co.uk/sauces_and_pickles/bertolli_olive_oil_mild_taste_500ml
I've tried it and its fine for cooking.

Lotus-eater

If you want to make really quick cider (although we are getting away from the point of the thread now ) you want turbo cider.
Google it for the recipe, but basically, it's the cheapest pure apple juice from a supermarket, yeast and sugar, really easy as well, just bung everything in a bin.
OK, you really need to refine the recipe a bit and it can make quite.......er, rough cider, depending how long you leave it. The longer you leave it, the better it is. Don't be rushing to drink it. Trust me on this one

Davesnave

newwen112 wrote: »

I have wondered this. I have always thought if the conspiricists are to believed, in August this year we start world war three.

Rummer wrote: »

Typical, just as everything is ready to eat!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:......................

rhiwfield

born_blonde wrote: »

My pleasure yorkieorchid. I'm just about to start ginger beer now - one track mind.
Christine

Can remember making ginger beer with the never ending plant. Lovely taste but always got that sulphurous whiff, must have been doing it wrong

Now, believe it or not I do look for good news on food prices, but afraid its more of the same in February.

Winged_one

Our allotment will continue to produce, but we have already increased what we are at in the back garden (small but some small beds, a hanging basket for toms, and a couple of pots of herbs). If armageddon came, we'd increase what we have in the back as that's where the sun is, and probably use the garden of our elderly neighbour too in return for a share of the results.

The front garden would probably get some things put into it, like a few turnips and parsnips among the flowers. It is very shaded, so not sure if it would be worth trying much there, but we could if need be. I'd be making use of the crab apples on the green though.

And getting another water butt or 2 for watering.

Of course, if it got really bad, we'd head out of the city either to our parents places, or my folks holiday place - all in the countryside on the shore. All have plenty of green around them, all grow some veg, and would be happy to have more grown if the work was done for them. And we'd be able to do lots more foraging around there too - fishing, trapping, gathering. Even shooting if we got a gun (there is shooting locally, and both of us have done it before, just not worth actually getting properly involved at the present).

Rummer

Given the recent news in relation to tax, inflation, benefits and pensions I think this thread is becoming ever more relevant and I am certainly looking at my resources anew.

As I have said before we had a 5 year plan for our garden but I am now looking over the plans we had made to see if we could increase growing space should the need arise. Each year I am extending our fruit and veg production Now I starting to think I may have to make my space work even harder as our income is being slowly chipped away at and the long term prognosis is not good.

I think it would be useful in this thread to discuss and show pics of clever uses of space such as vertical gardening and ways to cut back the costs of gardening such as collecting your own seeds and producing your own compost.

Poosmate

Rummer wrote: »

Given the recent news in relation to tax, inflation, benefits and pensions I think this thread is becoming ever more relevant.

I agree with you there Rummer! No pay rise here for the last two years and the prices of almost everything keeps going up! I really give a sigh of relief when the BoE announces it's kept the interest rate down. Sorry to all those with savings.

Still haven't got into my own garden yet! What am I like!?

I think I may be £16 better off from April with the rise in the income tax rate. :j

Got some good news today, my Council Tax remains the same as last year. :j

I have decided to resurrect my worm bin, though I'm going to try to use worms from the garden to start it. If you read worm bin sites it says not to but I think that's just because they want you to buy theirs at something like £8 per half kilo (I think)!

Poo

Rummer

It is the knock on effect too, if I can reduce my outgoings I will have more cash available to throw at my mortgage and to save putting me in a better financial position for when things decline further.

Poosmate

Too true Rummer.

I didn't realise how clueless I was with money up until 2 or 3 years ago when I joined this site. I thought I was doing ok as I didn't inccur bank charges and never bought PPI. The dawning of the realisation that the reason I didn't notice the last recession was because I used my credit card when my o/d ran out absolutely shocked and sickened me to the core! I couldn't believe how stupid and niave I had been! My only defence is that my debt was flying under the radar as I was meeting all my bills/mortgage/loan/CC payments and only used my CC for large purchases like car tax and insurance, Breakdown Assistance etc. plus maybe £30 on "stuff" towards the end of the month. It just didn't twig that putting £600 or so a year on my CC and paying off £700 (most of which was interest) was getting me deeper in debt!

So after a few months on this site and much eye opening, the light came on and someone was at home! I now have a 10 year plan in which time I'll be debt and mortgage free. Though at the moment it's more like 12 years given the tough times were in. However, I have no doubt that I will get back on track and knock those 2 years off in better times.

Thicky Poo has evolved into Frugal Poo and hasn't used a credit card (unless to transfer to 0% deals) for almost 2 years!

Pushing and shoving sure does pay off!

Poo

Rummer

I think as you have highlighted Poo it is looking at the whole picture that is important and growing you own certainly has in impact on the rest of your life.