How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

floss2

GreyQueen wrote: »

...Sloes vs Damsons Due to a little stupidity my pal K and I ended up picking damsons instead of sloes last autum but they made "sloe" gin just fine.;) She also did something with the previous year's batch, which were definately sloes; kept the boozy pulply sloes after bottling the finished gin and used them to make truffles with cream etc. They were the most luscious things I have ever eaten in my entire life. I could almot feel my arteries furring up.:rotfl:

When we couldn't find sloes a few years ago I managed to get some damsons...after being ginned, they were transferred to a sterile jar and used as ice-cream topping or with chocolate cake to make a grown-up's Black Forest Gateau dessert!

Frugal wrote: »

Someone was asking earlier in the thread about where to buy airlocks and stuff for home brewing/fermenting. I have found them on ebay quite cheaply

Have you tried Mr T's? Our local one has started selling home brew stuff - equipment and kits.

RAS

Poundstretcher have a brewing section as well.

Bigsister

"I finally bit the bullet today and arranged to get rid of the cable tv and phone. We are just going to have the broadband..."

Grandma247
How do you get broadband without a land line, do you have a dongle?
The reason I ask is that we have gotten rid of the land line and I thought that meant I had to get rid of my broadband.....
We couldn't afford to pay the charges on the phone when we used so little in calls but I do miss the internet (use work one in lunch breaks which is approved as we have 24 hour network access)
Thanks

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi everyone

Remember the way you respond to someone shows your character as much as the person you're responding to. Please just report if you feel it's necessary and ignore. If you feel you may not be able to ignore until something's been looked at, take some time away from the thread.

Thanks!

Andrea

HariboJunkie

silvermaid wrote: »

Pinkwinged thank you for the leftovers link - I always cube and freeze lo joints & gravy. Chicken carcasses always get picked over to get meat for a pie or sauce and the remaining bones and skin are used to make stock. x

That reminds me of something I was talking about yesterday. I too stretch out my chicken roasts (they're free range and expensive so I like to make them good value), and I have found the best way to make some of the meat stretch further for sandwiches is to whizz it up with some mayo. I had 2 slices of chicken left the other night which would make most people one round of sandwiches but whizzed in the blender with mayo and a little lemon and black pepper it stretched to make 4. :money:

ps. does anyone know if Asda or Sainsbury's have any major offers on at the minute? I'm heading off for the 100 mile trip to the city later today so tought I could stock up on offers from the supermarkets I don't usually have access to.

grandma247

Bigsister We have the modem plugged straight into the cable socket, but we got a phonecall on monday after i cancelled to say we could have the lot for £14.99 a month for a year which was cheaper than just broadband on its own. If you want to have a look just go to the site that is the same name as the airline

kitschy

Just reading this arcticle on my lunchbreak. Is it me or does the recommended temperature sound awfully high? I think perhaps that might be taking into account the whole world and that we are a little more used to colder weather here. I only ever heat the living room, as it tends to be only me and the cats at home (I just pop the bedroom on for 10 mins if OH is home), but only on it's lowest level (I have storage heaters).

grandma247

21 would be too expensive in this house and very warm if the weather is dry. I have noticed that if the weather is wet it seems colder even if the thermometer is saying the same temp.

dollydaydream07

jackieglasgow wrote: »

dollydaydream I am sorry to hear you are struggling, been there, done that two years ago, and you will come through the other side honey. Could you not change your house insurance to monthly payments? (have you shopped around?) We took the car off the road when we were struggling as we couldn't afford to repair it, is that possible for you? Have you made sure your tax credit award is right - www.entitledto.co.uk There are things you can do as a SAHM wto earm without going back "out to work"- things like mystery shopping, surveys, daily clicks, selling Avon, Betterware, becoming an Usborne book seller. Think outside the box, things like these have very low start up costs, and can be quite profitable. x

Thanks Jackie, we usually pay our home insurance monthly and this tome round we wanted to go for yearly but it's looking like we might have to continue with monthly for now! currently shopping around for it
tax credits, as far as i'm aware they are right, we have never got more than £21 a week
i already do some surveys but haven't done any for a couple of weeks, i dread to think how much cash i've missed out on by not doing them

mama67 wrote: »

We are like this as well in the ideal of mum being at home for the kids, I work in the local Primary School as a dinner lady so get all the holidays off the same as the boys. I know my 2 are older and obviously can and are left as and when now but when younger this was an ideal, gave us some extra cash and I was also there at beginning and end of school day. Might be something to look at.

currently help out one morning a week and have just volunteered another morning, all good experience for me as i have always wanted to work with children, i am on the lookout for something term time if possible

Lavandula wrote: »

Some thoughts on things people could cut down on if necessary (unless they are homegrown/homemade of course)

• all convenience foods
• out of season foods i.e. toms, strawberries etc...just grow your own instead
• alcohol/fizzy drinks etc spent far too much on this last month so this month is an alcohol free month
• cosmetics, skincare stuff currently using up my stash but i am very low on shampoo
• tv/satellite tv/broadband -have cut this down quite considerably but might have to do more
• magazines/newspapers my only treat is one mag a month
• hairdressers! ........long hair keeps you warm
• beauty treatments, sun beds etc (never had any myself, I'm far too gorgeous to need them:rotfl::rotfl:) these have already gone
• holidays (could take off season holidays in the UK) booked before we had our LBM
• cigarettes i don't smoke but DH does and we buy these from abroad when we go away, always manage to last him, although we have discussed him stopping if we have to buy from shops
• restaurants etc....take a picnic out to the seaside or a lovely wood.. never go out(no night out in 5 years) and have started buying stuff to make fakeaways instead of buying takeaways
• gym membership (a good walk is just as good)
• clothes/shoes/handbags etc....just have 1 or 2 reasonable quality items that will last years e.g. 1 winter coat, 1 summer coat, 1 pair of boots etc....be individual not a fashion victim
• toys for kids..... buy a few good quality toys that will last (wooden ones are good, e.g. building bricks, train set)
• flowers...grow your own!
• petrol...walk more walk as much as we can but need the car incase of DD's medical condition

Hope that doesn't sound too grim:o

A simple life is a happy life in my humble opinion..and we appreciate the things we have more..

some good tips there, thanks

i tried to multi-quote more but it only let me do 3.......
to whoever asked about the CC...... we haven't balance transferred yet but are in the process of looking into it

kitchy, i think it was, will be heading over to DFW for a nosey, hopefully will pluck up the courage to post

and to anyone else who replied to my post, thank you very much

i've been at school this morning, helping out, come home and the house is freezing so i'm sat here with my scarf and thick cardi on but i'm still bl**dy cold, but won't put the heating on till DD gets home
have to take her to the docs later and i won't be moving until they prescribe me something for her....... she suffers from tonsilitis(takes after DH) and each time she gets it, she starts off with a cold, then 2 days later gets a horrible cough and her breath is so stinky and i always tell the gp whats wrong with her........ anyway back in November i took her as she had this cough, gp said it was a virus - plently of fluids, paracetamol and tlc.... fast forward 4 weeks later, DD is still coughing and not improving, take her back and it's tonsilitis........ so she has the same cough again so i am not moving until i get something for her............. also going to ask for some paracetamol and ibuprofen on prescription for her as we have run out

on the subject of washing machines.... i won't leave that or the tumble dryer on while i'm out or in bed, we got a new washer, got BIL to fit it(he a qualified plumber) next day, i set the timer to come on while i was out so it would be finished when i got home........... got home and there was water everywhere, apparently the stop tap thing on the hot water pipe had popped off........ BIL came round and welded the hot water pipe and it's been fine ever since

jumblejack

7_week_wonder wrote: »

Jumblejack - could you share your recipe for hm yogurt. I've tried a few times (even using a lakeland yoghurt maker) but mine always comes out really runny and not much more than slightly soured milk. It sounds like you've got it sussed!

Here goes.. This is soooooo easy:

Warm up your milk (ANY milk, UHT, skimmed, full fat, soya even!) to blood temperature. Test it on the back of your hand (you shouldn't be able to feel it. It should feel neither cool nor warm!).

Pop in your thermos that you've rinsed with boiled water first.

Then glug in some room temperature plain bio yoghurt (a tablespoon or two).

Shake and leave for 8 hours or so then voila!!! Fresh yoghurt. Pop in the fridge.

Remember to leave a little bit of your yogurt to start the next batch off.

It is soooooooo scrumptious.

We like to add honey, fruit juice, banana, tinned fruit etc and blitz in a blender for ace smoothies.

If you use UHT skimmed milk it will only cost 39p for a whole LITRE of fresh bio yogurt!!!

Share your success stories or adaptations with us!