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

born_blonde

I once gently melted tea lights into oyster shells for little candles which much to my amazement worked.

I just popped the tea light out of it's metal case, positioned it in the shell and then put them on a baking tray on the top of my old Esse stove until melted.

Did get some very strange looks from my husband though!

*Maya*

born_blonde wrote: »

I once gently melted tea lights into oyster shells for little candles which much to my amazement worked.

I just popped the tea light out of it's metal case, positioned it in the shell and then put them on a baking tray on the top of my old Esse stove until melted.

Did get some very strange looks from my husband though!

Oh they'd be nice in scallop shells as well. The possibilities are endless. :rotfl:Am really interested in the candle making now.

kidcat

Not sure ceridwen - the rules surroundings car insurance are a minefield, I know the church I attended had to stop organising lifts on a rota as it left them responsible for checking people had the relevant insurance, tax mot etc.
If you were advertising for people to give a lift and charging a set rate it could be construed as "for hire", my understanding is that if you give someone a lift and they simply give a contribution towards costs that should be ok, yet putting it on the mmore foraml setting of putting up a notice would move it into more difficult legal grounds.

I can see small villages having to be more self sufficient and co-operative - maybe converting village green to food growth, ordering one large delivery of food etc that cannot be grown. Either that or villages will become the domain of the rich, with people who are struggling being forced to sell up and move to a less remote area.

*Maya*

kidcat wrote: »

will become the domain of the rich, with people who are struggling being forced to sell up and move to a less remote area.

That's happened already in lots of areas.

I agree with you that the car lifts thing could be a nightmare with regards to insurance. And I can just imagine some people not really being willing to part with cash for a lift. I know some elderly people, like my great Aunt who'd do her share of biatching if the vicar asked her for petrol money but she maybe isn't the norm.

shegar

Living_proof wrote: »

I filled up my car with petrol today and worked out that the cost of even a Micra is almost 13p per mile. It used to be about 9p but has steadily risen.

I imagine that a lot of people will have to give up their cars as they become expensive to maintain, insure and run. It is worrying that over-zealous cuts might leave rural communities without a bus route altogether.

I have severely cut my mileage to curtail expense, but there is a limit - I work from home and really have to get out of these four walls a couple of times a week or cabin fever would set in. I am not keen on home delivery for food shopping as I enjoy looking at what is on offer but I fear a lot of older people could become almost housebound by using this facility, having their prescriptions delivered, etc.

Maybe if all the community had a free bus pass it would be used to capacity!

I think we will all have to try to cut back even more than we did at xmas time, we always say "we will cut back" but theres only a certain amount you can do on a fixed income..............Iwas thinking tonight now where CAN I cut back again, and I really CANT......................

Unless I sell the car which I desperately need for getting my disabled husband and myself to hospital 56 mile return journey, and Drs surgery 8 mile round trip, not on bus or train route , so we need that car........ive cut back a little on the GCH as its a tad warmer than it was.....I make most of my meals from scratch, we both dont drink or smoke so cant cut back there either.................

We dont ever go out of a evening, so cant cut that out..!!we dont eat take aways, so no saving there..............
Ive checked the DD and standing orders to see if I can save on some monthly expenditure but the little we do pay for is what we have to have each month.............

The answer is we all keep trying to cut back, but when you get down to the bottom line there is nothing more you can cut out...........I appreciate there is many people out there worse off than us ,I do feel for you all, especially those with high rents and mortgages and on low incomes with children .............I think all the goverments recent spending cuts will hit us all this year quite badly...........so we have to do what we can for ourselves ...................

Im not too impressed with all the money being spent on the olympics stadium , to me that dosh would be better spent on hospitals, etc etc............the countrys in a financial mess and here we are spending millions on that !!!.....my rant over for now, I must calm down a bit ,im going for a long walk in the morning to lift my spirits , im fed up with the non stop rain and cloud, that weve had all day today, tomorow is suppose to be quite sunny so haps my mood will lift slightly too..........:)

bluebag

*Maya* wrote: »

Oh they'd be nice in scallop shells as well. The possibilities are endless. :rotfl:Am really interested in the candle making now.

In the deeds to my house (built 1910) is a clause my solicitor stressed to me ' the making of all and any candles is prohibited within the property boundaries'

Pretty weird huh? But it would invalidate my house insurance if I burned the place to the ground whilst making candles.

Pitlanepiglet

Shegar, are you sure you are getting all the benefit assistance that you could be getting? Do you get carers allowance if your DH is disabled? That's non means tested I think. Are you eligible for income support if you do?

Big hugs, I hate that no light at the end of the tunnel feeling

mardatha

Thanks to somebody in here I have been to this great site and they are sorting me out with some seeds !! Nice site and good OS idea, to swap seeds
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http://www.seedswappers.co.uk/index.html

redlady_1

mardatha wrote: »

Thanks to somebody in here I have been to this great site and they are sorting me out with some seeds !! Nice site and good OS idea, to swap seeds
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http://www.seedswappers.co.uk/index.html

Will have a nose at that as I have more tomato seeds and cabbages than you can shake a stick at!

Thanks very much!

flowertotmum

Evening ladies..how are we all today...
Shegar..i agree with plp..are you getting all your entitled to hun?
Bertiebots..your doing great with your children..i taught all my older girls to sew,bake and cook a meal,so at least they won't starve..i also showed them how to budget money ..they are very good with their finances and make the meals from scratch..my eldest Andrea(annie) told me she never realized how hard it was running a household..but she appreciates all i taught her,in these tough times all y older girls are doing ok..not rolling in it but using the things i showed them to get through it...my son however is completely different to it..i have tried with him but he tests my patience and i really don't want to get cross with him ..so i have left it for now..will resume training when he gets older..
Today i have baked,baked,baked and baked more..my feet hurt from being on them all day..fern helped me do fairy cakes and i let her ice them..she did very well...she has also started to learn to sew..i got her a kit from wilkos with pre-cut holes and a safety sewing needle...she loves it..sat there all afternoon doing it..only got muddled once and had to be rescued by her dad..she is now the proud owner and maker of a finger puppet robin...got some felt and lots of buttons so am going to sit and show her how to sew those ...she has already learnt how to polish her boots for school..make her bed.put washing in the basket and she helps me fold it too...
On an os note i have made my own febreeze today..got some water out the de-humidifier,put it in the old empty febreeze bottle,put a few drops of essential oil in it and gave it a shake..bingo i have my very own room spray..
On the subject of candles..oooh i want to have a go..have seen those teacup candles and i would love to have one for a present..
I really love this thread and i don't care if it goes off topic coz it always comes back to it..
Maya..have you tried getting free seeds for your garden..i got loads last yr..just googled free seeds and applied for them..got lots and they grew..poundland have gardening bits in..seeds 6 pks for £1..
About the car situation and petrol costs.. i think it will be a case of using it when you absolutely need to..i have a bike,simon has one and we invested last yr in child trailer..its brilliant..they fit in with seat belts and have bumper bars for safety..we can get our shopping in the boot of it too...if i can't use the bike then i will walk ..think there are going to be a lot of folks walking..
right got to go..iris whingeing..and i need tea..desperately..
love to you all
ftm