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

silvermaid

Redlady I am so glad for you. £173 per month - that is a huge saving well done

I thought you could get fridge and cupboard locks to make them childproof, in M0therc4re perhaps?

I have bought Lock n Lock boxes at T3sco and L1dl

Silver x

Bitsy_Beans

Morrisons sell their own version of Lock n Lock boxes.

GreyQueen

:wave: Hello MSE world, I am trying to work out how I can be feeling so supercharged with energy yesterday and today having been woken up at 3 am and 2 am respectively by IB and kept awake the balance of the nights. I've come to the conclusion it must be that full moon sending me a bit loopy. Whatever the cause, I'm enjoying the energy rush and getting stuff done.

kitcshy the line "Weebles wobble but the don't fall down" was from a telly advert for the same back in the seventies and you're very welcome to enjoy it. I had a Weeble myself, it was a little male person in a blue uniform with matching cap. Can't for the life of me recall what he was supposed to "be". For anyone who is thinking "What the hell is a Weeble?!" they were egg-sized and egg-shaped rigid plastic people whose unique selling point was that they had some kind of weight inside their base and however you handled them they always returned to the vertical after wobbling. Gawd, were we unsophisticated or what? Try to imagine offering a Weeble to a modern tween and seeing what happened......:rotfl:

After the freezing fog burned off yesterday was glorious, the best day of the year; flawless blue skies and uninterupted sunshine. It was shirtsleeve weather. The blackthorns (sloes) have come into blossom in the last few days and the perfume is delicious. The wild plums which I forage from are also out and I'm keeping an eye out for other flowering trees as they're easy to spot at the mo and I shall want to know exactly where to do my foraging in a few months.

I finished the last little bit of digging for the potato patch and then spent the next few hours with my big builder's barrow going across the site to a friend's lottie to collect the spent barley grains (he brings them down from a microbrewery) and barrowing them back to my plot. 15 loads with each one representing a 10 minute round trip. Think my arms have stretched. Lottie is now peppered with what look like giant sand-coloured mole hills....:rotfl:Today I shall fork them in and plant the tatties. Can't be up there too late as have to come home and get self and flat cleaned up and cook my veg chili for my guests at 5pm.

It's amazing how spring suddenly goes WHOOOMPH!!!! and then it's as much as you can do to keep up with things and before you know where you are, it's October.....;)

Have a good day everyone.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

feeling pretty positive about things at the mo as we have turned another corner financially. All the extra expenses from around xmastime have been caught up with (unexpected funeral bill we got landed with for one...long story) but hey ho we are actually saving some money!

Todays little venture is sorting out a carrier bag of 1/2 empty bottles of shampoo and conditioner from when we had the bathroom done (the kids were trying out new shampoos and said they didnt like them so they never got used) anyway, my cunning plan is that I am going to empty the contents into 2 big bottles that have a pump dispenser (OH got them from work recycled for extra MSEness!) I will refuse to buy any more of the stuff until said contents have been used!!!

Have a lovely sunday everyone x

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

re lock and lock boxes.... wilkos sell them and lakeland have a buy 3 for 2 deal



re rice pud......I find flaked rice cooks quicker than short grain, about 10 mins in a pan

suzid

Good morning all.:D
Very interesting reading about the cat burglers :rotfl: Glad I don't have any as it's bad enough getting 'the look' from the dogs when eating on a comfy chair. However when Junior was younger but hadn't tried nicking anything for a couple of years, I did leave DH his tea of stir fried chicken out on the work top. Next thing I knew was DH coming to ask if I'd made him anything as there was only a clean plate out on the side. Whoops! Dinner really was in the dog! :rotfl:
fedupfreda on BBC Breakfast they did a feature on Happiness which included doing something 'kind' everyday and noting down 3 things that make you happy every day. I've just read through mine and realise they all involve people and nature. One of them was passing a lady at a bus stop with Junior. She gave him a stoke and then laughing stoked my arm saying 'you can have one too'. That still makes me laugh and really brightened my day. I was sitting with a cuppa yesterday, sun shining through the kitchen patio doors onto the table with a bunch of daffodils glowing in the light. I felt so happy just looking at them. Like you greyqueen, yellow is my favourite colour and have either yellow or green tones throughout the house. The daffs were out of the garden, so free and the sun light was priceless.
I went to pick up the cot mattress I'd ordered recently and there was a half priced high chair for £35 luckily I'd printed off the £5 voucher I was given online to spend when I collected the mattress instore, so I ended up getting it for £30. I had wondered about getting cot sheets untill I saw the price :eek: So I was very happy to find an offer in A£da for sheets, one for £8 or two for £9. As I'd just found one of our Kingsized sheets had worn through, I needed to replace it. I bought one fitted and one flat sheet. I then cut up the flat sheet and the old worn sheet and made 5 cot sheets, one pram sheet, a pillow case and two man sized hankies. So chuffed . Now all is ready for child minding DGS next month. :T
Not all is sweetness and light in the Wolves den however as last night I felt like snarling at anyone who dared come near me. No idea why - must have been the full moon as so many of you have commented on.
Says she tilting back her head and H O W L I N G!! :rotfl:

kitschy

Thank you GQ! I had weebles too - just never thought of using them as role models:rotfl:

gailey_2

Morning guys.

redlady-congrats on morgage saving.

Kidcat-you are organised, how much exactly is a years worth of toilitetries and whereyou storing it all?
only ask as hubbys put me on a boots ban which isbit unfair as got lots offree stuff and dove deodrant on glitch at 35p!
But even with extra shelving our small bathrooms bit cluttered.

Flowertot mum you sound hectic as usual.

desperate housewife-sounds like you doing fab I love searching round for best deals and getting bargains.

Well its another sunny day here.

Eldest daughter had birthdayparty yesterday.
luckily im now organised has some prizes leftover from her party to give as presents.
store twenty one does 2pack birthday wrapping paper with tags quid apackand 3 for 2 so2quid for 6sheets and matching tags.
localcorner shopdoes 10pack of birthday cards for 50p so 5p a card!Store 21 alsodoes packsof 10for quid so 10p a card.
total costof present/card and wrap £3.50!

Just a shameshe has 3more coming up the next 3consecutive saturdays!
This may not sound tooexiting but is for us as last year it was frantic card/present dash on day of party which was costing us more so for meto be organised and save money is doing well.

Thinking maybe a misc present box when see things insale or on offer might be good mixof adults/kids.
always have cards means always sorted.
Anyone else do this?

I know some people on their income and expenditure sheet do add birthdays/xmas.
does everyone factor thisin by having annual amount and dividing by 12?

Was hoping to do what did last year for xmas mix of carboot finds for kids as they wont know not everythings new.
alsolot of homemade treats as dad was so pleased with his hamper.
Wanted to start some savings in stamps,cards and loyalty points.
meandhubby agreed tosave nectar points for xmas hopefully have least 50quid asdo mil shopping saisnbury and fill up onpetrol there.
Wanted least 50quid on sainsburys savers card-balance-0:(
Got 2pound on asda card hoping to save 50.
Would liketohave 50pounds boots advantage points too.

Think that be good as boots have 3 for 2.
asda living fab for toys.asda ok for booze too.
sainsburys our main foodshop and they have toy sale in september.

Hubby have me liein today but now downstairs a complete mess:(

Hes ingarden for next 4hours.
its totalmess as gotold furniture and junkthat needs to gotip.
green waste needs to gogreen bin.
pationeeds jetwashing.
shed needs good tidy and sortout.
garsss needs cutting.

Im embaressed to look out at the dead xmas tree from dec.

He went to homebase yesterday for 2hours thourght he got lost.
he got exited as they had refit and 20percent off and brought lost seeds/plants dident even realise jaimie oliver did seeds?
He spent 35quid which guess could be worse!

Was annoyed though ashe dident discuss what he brought and know few other places have somevery good deals on gardening stuff too.

This year planning stuff we will actaully eat.
comprehensive sald garden
2herb gardens one in pot on kitchen windowand 1outside.

For front planning floral explosions of hanging baskets/windwows and pots as hubby always has back looking good want to show neighbours that our front garden can look good.
wondering if should push himto do garden competition as its a hobby he loves will look into it!

Wewere suppost to be reveiwing family finances yesterday but dident.

Im sure we can save by switching house/car insurance.
annoys me all best home insurance deals include buildings/contents combined as a renter feel penalised by this!

Confused by council tax got letter thourght it was frozen now not sure need to check.
rent goes up by 20quid month from next month.
Want hubby to change his contacts from specsavers to boots as costs less and advantage points.

Wanted to switch to rac breakdown fromaa but hubbys reluctant and think we missed out on best deal now.:mad:
Imsuppost tobe sorting slightly better deal with sky.

We seem to have extra costs as eldest reguarly been having schooldinners £33 a month.
youngest giving up gym which saves a little.
Also nappies hardlyusing cloth for 18monthold as shes weeing through them so using pullups as shedontkeepstillcheapest islidls at 3.30 .Eldests whos 5 still not dry in night as bedtime pants which are extortionate at fullprice over 5quid for pack of 10 but been getting ono ffer.

Just hate spending 30-40quid on disposables.
newbaby definatly in cloth
Will start potty training 18month old when shes 2.

Im suppost be sorting out cupboard today.
hubbys stillnot built wardrobe.
Ineed toring vigin fix the wireless.

Hubby declared yesterday we need to go shopping we have no food.
we doj ust none he wants to eat.
defrosted some sausages to make sausage casserole.
freezer fairly full still and complete mess desperatly need to sort.

someone put my poor20bags of plums out their misery:rotfl:
I need a simple greengage jam recipie that I can do on saucepan on hob as sick of looking at them.

Have about 15empty jamjars.
1bag tate andlyle jamsugar
1lemon
ist hat all I need tomakejam.

Its having the wrong type of pan,getting right tempeture and knowing when its ready ie wrinkles that makes me think it must be tricky.
Im fine with making chutneys just jam that scares me.

still no baby.clary sage not working and fed up.

won bargain pram so selling mosesbasket and baby can sleepin that downstairs.
alsoselling oldstroller so having good declutter.

Got to goshopping later for stepsons 13th birthday present.

Hope everyones ok.

kitschy

gailey - You put me to shame with the amount you manage to do - there's only me and two cats here! Take it easy, and eat some pineapple, apparently that gets stubborn bairns moving!

I sort of do the present box - I buy nice toiletries or generic things when they're on sale and pop them in a box, and then take them out and put them in baskets or cheap make-up/soap bags as needed as last minute presents.

kidcat

Gailey - I am storing the toiletries on the top shelf of the wardrobe, its huge so can fit loads in it. When we move I have a kitchen cabinet I am going to fit on the wall of bathroom to store every day toiletries and a few extras in, need to be careful though as OH never uses the ends of bottles of stuff, he always opens a new open, but if there isnt a new bottle in the bathroom he is more inclined to use the last of the old one, so it makes more sense to keep it somewhere out of bathroom.

Its my aim that when we move I will have three months minimum of animal supplies, toiletries, household goods and dried food. Last time we moved it was so expensive - even silly things like having to buy takeaway because the guy didnt turn up to fit the cooker in time but it cost a fortune and I am aware that things will be alot tighter with than they currently are so I want to be sure we have everything we could possibly need except for the very fresh stuff. It will also save so much time too, I struggled to find time to shop last time so I am hoping being organised will alleviate that stress too. DD will be sitting her exams whilst we are moving so its incredibly important that we are as organised as possible to create an environment she can still study in.
Have begun saving for Christmas and have about £30 on my Asda card and when I returned some stuff yesterday they refunded onto a gift card - I plan on converting that into Christmas savings asap, I am aiming to fill one full card but would like to fill two (to allow for emergencies).
I have an account with DS7 school bank and we have managed to save £200 in that which I plan on keeping up as much as possible to pay for days out in the summer - we are not having any holiday this year so its important that we plan some days with the kids.
Have bought half the Easter eggs already and will finish the rest this week, usually buy the kids a small egg and a cheap DVD each, so will order DVDs this week too. Not buying any new outfits for Easter - which we normally do - but kids have loads of clothes and dont need them so am skipping this year. My parents are paying to decorate DS12 bedroom when we move as his Easter present and will do something similar for the younger two. Eldest is getting money (which she will be spending on curtains - or at least contributing - think its only fair that if the others all lose a gift to pay for room stuff she should contribute too)

Free listing on ebay this weekend so am hoping to get a couple of things listed - have got so much baby stuff to sell its unbelieveable.

DD16 has prom in a couple of months and all the group have purchased very expensive dresses £300 upwards - I would rather not spend that type of money if at all possible - can anyone advise me whether a dressmaker would work out cheaper??