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How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.
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Afternoon all! How lovely to see that this thread, or the new version of it anyway, is still going! I've been pooter-less for ages, but yesterday went out and bought a new laptop - having done plenty of overtime to pay for it, and supervised by ds incase I bought the wrong thing! It's lovely to be back on the OS threads.
I stockpile, I can't help it, I have a slight panic when the cupboards start to look empty! This morning I was near a big Asda, with a really good ethnic section, so stocked up on cheap coconut cream and garlic powder and other assorted bits. Also bought several tins of their meatballs in tom sauce, I think they smell like dogfood, but dd3 thinks they're the best thing ever, and they do make a very quick snack meal, and I don't think it'll do her too much harm now and again! I have plenty of flour, bread flour was back to 50p the other day in either tesco or asda, so stocked up as we go through it at quite a rate.
Don't think I've got any super dooper tips on getting through things, other than making the most of your friends, both real and virtual, talking, moaning and laughing together can make almost anything bearable.
We have a new challenge, I am expecting baby number 5, so this really will be an OS babe! Think I know enough now to work out what I really need and what I don't, but unfortunately I gave away all the baby stuff years ago, as my youngest is almost ten now! And friends either have children the same age as mine or are not planning any! So charity shops, NCT sales and ebay here I come!
We are also planning to grow more this summer, and I'm living in hope that the weather is a whole lot better and encouraging than last summer, I will get french beans to grow if I have to try every single spot in the garden!GC Oct £387.69/£400, GC Nov £312.58/£400, GC Dec £111.87/£4000 -
More shock horror, we have just used the last tin of beans:eek::eek::eek:
Thats it total catastrophe, the cupboards are bare and my gawd can you tell.
Coddy just walked in the kitchen and said "mam we need to go shopping, were running out of food ". Have the food prices gone that high, my reply yep unfortunately they have.
No idea where the money is coming from though:(.
But we have a jelly with pineapple chunks in the fridge, so the boys are happy with that. Decided were going to have a go scones today.
Oops thats remind need to see if the yeast worked.0 -
I made coleslaw last night and it was horrible, I chopped everything in the food processor and all you can taste and smell is an odd onion thing. Think I will chop the onions by hand next time!
i find i use very little onion in my coleslaw, so 1 large head cabbage, 4 large carrots and a small onion and you get a nice mix with nothing being overpowered
well was fairly os today, shopped in £land and lidls, anyone else's £land do WW food surprisingly cheaply??
as for dinner well i cheated, i bought bbq ribs in liudl and i'll enjoy them!!
nice to see some arms folk venturing up the board :PNonny mouse and Proud!!
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience!!
Debtfightingdivaextraordinaire!!!!
Amor et metus. Lac? Sugar? Quisque massa vel duo? (stolen from a lovely forumite!)0 -
I have made a white bread dough up and am off to make some doughnuts. In my tiny milk pan with a cup of precious oil in as I don't do deep frying, and don't want to waste it. I will reuse it tonight or tomorrow for pakora or bhajisIt's what is inside your head that matters in life - not what's outside your windowEvery worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory. - Ghandi0
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I'm the same BB, we will all lose DLA for sure. To me it makes the difference between scraping by in misery, and having that wee tiny bit spare for things. I usually spend it on good meat from Costco which I suppose is a waste really.
I am wondering if we should buy "things" we need or just hang onto the money... things like freezers or raised beds or steamers , that will help this new old life style LOL
Buy the O.S. things you need Mardatha.
Hanging onto the money just means its losing value steadily at the moment - with those virtually non-existent savings rates there has been for about 2 years now. Personally - I am keeping a minimal "emergency" amount of savings of £3,000 and "cashflow" money of £1,000 in the bank. When I go to add to my savings soon - AT LAST - I simply don't know how I am supposed to do so unless interest rates have gone back up to normal again by then and I've darn well GOT to start saving it soon (or giving it away - but I dont want to do that until I've got all the more expensive stuff I know I have to save for a while to get).
I've been resolving the "I CANT darn well save any more money - they arent letting me with their darn interest rates at present" by eating a lot more luxuriously than before - so I dont end up just buying "stuff" and consuming more of the worlds resources/cluttering up my home more - but there comes a limit to that pretty soon when you're vegetarian anyway and dont want to waste any food...0 -
ooh congrats Mummysaver!! Have you been trying the climbing french beans or dwarf ones? I find I get a better crop from the dwarf ones here oddly enough.
Kezlou are you anywhere near me I have enough beans to feed the street! Have you any dried beans in the cupboard? I know there are a few recipes for making your own in the slowcooker.0 -
D&DD - tried both, had a bit more success with the dwarf ones, but they were slightly pathetic really! I will not be beaten though lol! Though of course, it could be that dd3 and her pals are eating them straight from the plant, like the peas and strawberries that I thought weren't producing, until I caught the improptu picnic-ers red handed! And thank you, wee bit excited about it!
Kezlou - must be time for offers on beans soon, think there was an offer of 2 x 4packs of one of the branded varieties in Asda today, £3 - not as good as the usual £1 offer for 4 tins though! Homemade ones are delicious though, recipe is on the back of the packs of haricot beans usually, I freeze them in old marg tubs, course it depends whether you have freezer space?GC Oct £387.69/£400, GC Nov £312.58/£400, GC Dec £111.87/£4000 -
I've just been reading the other thread in the Arms. Funny how we all feel we "fit-in" on some threads more than others.
I feel like that about this one - but as it's new and sparkly, I thought I'd give it another goWe have 3" of snow and it's not melting, more forecast for monday. Winter is very long nowadays ! We are wondering what is best in a time like now, of high inflation and rising prices. Is it better to scrimp and scrape and keep money -- or buy things we need now before prices go even higher ?
If we're talking about renewing an electrical appliance - I'd buy now before prices go even higher. If it was non essentials like a new bed, or replacing a seen-better-days 3 piece suite - I would, and am, making do.
If we're talking food - personally, I scrimp and scrape (and walk miles) so that when there is an offer on something we eat/use, I buy as much as I can spare from that months budget.
OH loves Kenc0 coffee and I love mature cheddar - I've not paid full price for either for over a year. I try - although don't always succeed - to do the same with meat I buy. I'd say 70% of the meat I buy is on Special Offer. By doing this, we are able to eat a lot better than we would otherwise be able to.
If I can just offer a glimmer of hope to all those trying to renew their DLA entitlement. My daughter has just had her entitlement renewed until May 2014, so they're not turning everyone down. We now have the battle to renew her ESA entitlement as well - the process is draining, isn't it?
Nuala - how did you get on with your appeal?Aug11 £193.29/£240
Oct10 £266.72 /£275 Nov10 £276.71/£275 Dec10 £311.33 / £275 Jan11 £242.25/ £250 Feb11 £243.14/ £250 Mar11 £221.99/ £230 Apr11 £237.39 /£240 May11 £237.71/£240 Jun11 £244.03/ £240 July11 £244.89/ £240
Xmas 2011 Fund £2200 -
Just been reading the thread with great interest.
Can I join please? :j:j
I have been OS for donkeys years, especially when I was a single parent to 3 year old DD a few years ago. My parents brought me up to be honest working class OS, which has been quite useful really
I've found that Netto sell boiling fowl (ancient frozen chickens....in terms of tenderness think of eating your grandma!) I think they're £1.80 each and in the freezer section. But if you pop these in the slow cooker for a day or so you can get several meals out of it and stock just the same. It tastes better if you use it in gravy or risotto etc to keep it moist.
Hmmmm better rack my brains now and think of more to tell you about myself....:love: Engaged since 25/12/2009
Well I was engaged. Until we separated on 8th MarchHere's hoping that having a break will help us solve all our problems. Until then I'm a single mum on a tight budget
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We have 3" of snow and it's not melting, more forecast for monday. Winter is very long nowadays ! We are wondering what is best in a time like now, of high inflation and rising prices. Is it better to scrimp and scrape and keep money -- or buy things we need now before prices go even higher ?
I have been buying now because prices have risen so fast in the last year the money that you save won't go as far in the future as it does today. xBlessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
Not Buying it 2015!0
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