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

Lavandula

purpleheather2810 wrote: »

If we as a family are going to make it through these tough times, we need to take a long hard look at everything we spend. We are quite frugal but there are plenty of places we could cut back if we had to. I like Lavandula's list so I have copied it below, with my own comments:

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

• all convenience foods we can be quite good at this but do slip up occasionally and buy crisps etc when on offer
• out of season foods i.e. toms, strawberries etc...just grow your own instead we have an allotment and do try to wait until our own food is ready - we have a lot of fruit bushes on our plot because they are low maintenance and save us the most money
• alcohol/fizzy drinks etc we spend too much on wine, imho. Should cut down
• cosmetics, skincare stuffI don't buy much - I always ask for birthdays/xmas etc. Have to be careful as we all have very sensitive skin
• tv/satellite tv/broadband -comes as a package with cheapest cable tv option, phone and broadband for around 40 per month. we have no bt line so can't shop around for other deals unless we pay to have one installed. DH works from home and has to have broadband so he claims some of the cost back through his company anyway.
• magazines/newspapers - never buy
• hairdressers! ........long hair keeps you warm - the kids and i go about 4 times per year myself. My hair is a mess! I cut DH's.
• beauty treatments, sun beds etc (never had any myself, I'm far too gorgeous to need them:rotfl::rotfl:) - never have these now
• holidays (could take off season holidays in the UK) - we go to my mum's house in France to stay in the summer - I would really hate to have to stop doing this
• cigarettes - never done this, nor DH
• restaurants etc....take a picnic out to the seaside or a lovely wood.. when i go out I often offer to drive, to stop me spending too much on drinks. I go out with my friends for a dance/meal/whatever about once every 2 months on average. during the day i don't always prepare enough food when I take the kids out.
• gym membership (a good walk is just as good) - I do have a gym membership at the mo. I took it out when I couldn't go for walks because it was so icy, cold and dark. in the summer i will still use it though, for swimming. as well as a slimming class which i will use all year round.
• 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 I do have some items which have lasted for a few years and will get a couple of tops a year from somewhere like asda just to update things a bit, or when things fall apart!
• toys for kids..... buy a few good quality toys that will last (wooden ones are good, e.g. building bricks, train set) Definitely agree with this one - my kids very rarely get toys inbetween birthdays/xmas. I don't see the point of buying cheap plastic tat all year round and then scratching my head wondering what to get them for their birthdays/xmas. I know so many families like this!
• flowers...grow your own!
• petrol...walk moreI could definitely improve here!

Thanks for the positive feedback;)

Lovely and sunny here, so I planted some tomatoes. The packet of seeds cost me 10p in the bargain basket at the garden center. I put some seeds in polystyrene cups (I retrieved them from the bin at work) filled with compost and a hole made in the bottom. The trays I use for the cups are the packaging trays that Mr T's fishcakes come in (I do buy these occassionally, I know I should make my own).

maryb

HariboJunkie wrote: »

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.

Don't know if it's too late but the easiest way to check out the bset offers is on Mysupermarket.co.uk. You can switch between the main supermarkets without having to go to a different webpage

HTH

NualaBuala

Hi all,

just stopping by quickly to say hello and send big hugs to everyone who'd like one. Hope everyone is coping ok and if not, am sending good thoughts your way. I haven't been able to read/catch up with what's going on so sorry if I'm missing anything important.

Shegar, thanks for your lovely PM, I will reply soon. You are such a love to think of me! :A

I'm taking a break (temporarily) from the internet/laptop. Have really messed up my right hand from being on the laptop too much and can hardly type. It started with twinges in my hand and am now getting shooting pains up my arm. I've been saying for ages I'll be sensible and cut back and kept sneaking on here for a wee read and I'd be still here clicking away a couple of hours later!

I found some stretches which seem to have helped my hand but feel I've got to bite the bullet and lay off the laptop for a wee while so if you see me here tell me to go away! :rotfl: I'm sure I will sneak in from time to time though! I'm trying to confine myself just to checking email a couple of times a day but it's so hard, I reckon I'm an internet addict!

On the positive front, I've been feeling very well and had much more energy than usual so I got lots done over the past week or so. I even started doing some gentle yoga at home and it feels amazing! The surge of energy has subsided a bit but am still doing pretty well. Maybe it is the sunshine and daffodils that are putting a spring in my step!

Hugs,
Nuala xxx

P.S. Gailey, am thinking of you pet - hope all goes/has gone well with the birth! Jedi - not sure when you're due but hope you are minding yourself.

elona

Went to Lidl with DH so I could get fruit,veg,milk, cold meat, cheese slices etc and he could "have a look" at the gardening stuff.

Ended up needing two trolleys - one for all the gardening stuff- he spent 80 pounds - forty of it on a greenhouse thingy!:eek:

Still, he will use it, he is chuffed to bits that we have a garden at last and it should keep him happy for months. Consoling myself that it would be even more expensive if he played golf or something now he has finished work (hates to say early retirement as it makes him feel old).

Thanks to info on here when we got a water bill for 2010/2011 today I was able to point out we were on ""soakaway"" so should not be paying the full amount - did he want to phone up or should I?

I got a weird look from him but he phoned up and was gobsmacked when he was told to fill out a form coming in the post and that we could be due a refund for the six months we have owned the house - as well as a smaller bill.;)

Feeling really smug now but any money is better off in our pocket to help Dds etc rather than in utility companies etc.

kitschy

NualaBuala wrote: »

Hi all,

just stopping by quickly to say hello and send big hugs to everyone who'd like one. Hope everyone is coping ok and if not, am sending good thoughts your way. I haven't been able to read/catch up with what's going on so sorry if I'm missing anything important.

Shegar, thanks for your lovely PM, I will reply soon. You are such a love to think of me! :A

I'm taking a break (temporarily) from the internet/laptop. Have really messed up my right hand from being on the laptop too much and can hardly type. It started with twinges in my hand and am now getting shooting pains up my arm. I've been saying for ages I'll be sensible and cut back and kept sneaking on here for a wee read and I'd be still here clicking away a couple of hours later!

I found some stretches which seem to have helped my hand but feel I've got to bite the bullet and lay off the laptop for a wee while so if you see me here tell me to go away! :rotfl: I'm sure I will sneak in from time to time though! I'm trying to confine myself just to checking email a couple of times a day but it's so hard, I reckon I'm an internet addict!

On the positive front, I've been feeling very well and had much more energy than usual so I got lots done over the past week or so. I even started doing some gentle yoga at home and it feels amazing! The surge of energy has subsided a bit but am still doing pretty well. Maybe it is the sunshine and daffodils that are putting a spring in my step!

Hugs,
Nuala xxx

P.S. Gailey, am thinking of you pet - hope all goes/has gone well with the birth! Jedi - not sure when you're due but hope you are minding yourself.

Hi Nuala

Can sympathise with the hand thing - I've recently been diagnosed with carpal tunnel, and can highly recommend the McDavid wrist splints - my symptoms were similar to yours. I got mine on Amazon. Plus, the hard bit underneath is good for giving OH a clip round the ear'ole if he needs it

Hope they get better soon x

mardatha

Nuala, train yurself to type left handed. I'm left handed but hurt the tendon once and couldnt use it so I made myself use my right.

suzid

Good afternoon all,
Very interesting read but I'm in danger of spending hours reading and getting nothing done. :rotfl: Oh well it'll still be there when I've finished typing.
kezlou I only grow the blueberries in tubs because they're acid lovers and I put them in old loft plastic water tanks about 18" by 30". I try never to use peat but can't remember if I found a substitute or swallowed my principals as a one off. I use chicken pellets and bone and blood fertilisers and always use rain water not tap. So far they've survived me. The strawberries run rampant in the soil and have to be reined in ever year. They too have chicken pellets. I gave up on vegies last year as it was a constant battle to stop bugs, wind, and disease killing it before we eat it. Now we have a king size pond instead and the frogs are doing sterling work on the blooming slugs. So now I grow, strawberries, black currents, plums, apples, blueberries and apricot tree plus a fig in a tub yet to produce. My neighbour gave me a goji berry and still waiting for that to do something, anything!
Many thanks jumblejack for the yogurt recipe will try it next week with some UHT, could save a fortune.
My thoughts on cutting back are:
Don't smoke of drink (only occasionally) household
I cut DH & DS's hair and haven't been to the hairdressers in 20 yrs.
Don't buy magazines or papers.
Could do without one of the cars and seriously looking into it.
CAN NOT DO WITHOUT MY DOGS - would rather sell up and live in a caravan. The ancient one is on medication which costs an arm and a leg. The insurance finishes in October so may have to either get rid of a car of find part time work providing he's still with us. Going to be tricky as I'm having DGS when DD's working.
Have the heating set to 18 as found if it's set at 16 the house gets damp and have a real problem with mould. I sit with extra layers on in the evening and a 'nuggy' (the blanket I'm knitting, only half done so far) over my legs. I take said nuggy to bed at night too as DH a night owl and it's cold without him.:D
Very rarely have holidays or go out for meals - God I sound a boring old xxxxxx!
Don't use many cosmetic only cream to stop skin turning to parchment with all the wind and rain from walking with dogs.
We cook from scratch and freeze summer produce for the winter.
New big problem is DS4 diagnosed with Coeliac Disease this year and all his food costs a fortune - still trying to sort out prescription products. Lots more baking to try out but his hm muffins worked a treat.:T
Other than that I'm always checking for the cheapest ins, fuel and money saving tips.
We've already lost a quarter of our income last year and DH public sector so no pay rises for at least 2 yrs. Hanging on to his job for dear life.:( DS4 wants to go to Uni in Sept and feel bad that there's so little financial support we can give him. With five kids it's always been a case of nail down your furniture when one of them left home.

scotsaver

bertiebots wrote: »

Had my e mail today confirming ds2 has got into the high school of my choice! I am very happy and its probably going to be here very soon with the speed this year is flying:j. The only down side to my 3 going to a very good school situatated in a posher area than I live in(:o) is the uniform cost! Its discraceful and I am just going to have to start gathering bits now if I am going to kit all 3 out with new stuff for september. One blazer costs £48 in the school shop, or £39 in the uniform shop but the quality isnt as good , a rugby shirt is £18 and so it goes on:mad:..cost me over £300 last year:eek:and that was mostly just dd! (it was her first yr).
Any tips on stunting childrens growth would come in handy at this point:rotfl:!!!!

bertiebots - I've only just caught up with the pages and think this has already been said but I would suggest Freecycle too, I'm always seeing Uniform being offered and also at our School they sell used Uniform bits, always look like they are in really good condition too so might be worth checking out.

GreyQueen wrote: »

:question: In 2011, I shall be venturing into jam-making as a complete newbie and I guess there are plenty of old hands up here? Would greatly appreciate some pointers, if people would be so kind. Can you make jam with granulated suger (if so, I'm off to the shops), recommendations for sizes and types of jam pans, is a thermometer strictly necessary, can anyone recommend a good simple book to have by me? And anything else you can think of, please?

GreyQueen - I made Jam for the first time last Year as I have an Allotment and I used Granulated each time with no probs and I also didn't use a Jam Thermometer and it worked every time and if I can do it anyone can.:o The taste is amazing, I've managed to plant up more soft fruit since last year so hoping to make even more Jam this year and store more to see us through the Winter months as we ran out quite quickly last year. Been picking up jars from friends and have quite a lot already.

Thought it was about time I posted something as I've been following this Thread for a while now but felt I didn't have anything worthwhile to say.:o Thanks for all the useful info.:)

Definitely going to cut back on using the Car, it's just too easy to get in and drive off without stopping to think that it would be better for me if I walked so I know that's something I have been guilty of in the past.

kegc

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

I failed to notice that I'd put the microwave on the grill function rather than medium and it started smoking - at which point I yelled "Daddy" and the old boy had to hobble to the kitchen to rescue me and point out my mistake :rotfl: A timely reminder that he might be old, he might be a bit forgetful and he might have quite a lot of joints that don't work but he's still my Dad and he can still rescue me in a crisis

Pitlanepiglet - this is so lovely! My Dad has MS and it really bothers him that he cant do as much for my sister and I that he used to - we like to give him little tasks nbow and again to make sure he feels needed! :A

kegc

Mind you - he doesnt normally have to put out fires for us!