As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

ChocClare

HariboJunkie, DH used to be a project manager responsible for providing sets, labour, equipment and film crews all over the world. When we had our kitchen installed, he embarrassed me so much I had to go and hide in another room, but boy, did he get those tradesmen working together!

The problem with any sort of extension is that, unless you get a firm which employs builders, carpenters, electricians and (if necessary) plumbers, then you are co-ordinating different tradesmen, all of whom want to work to their own schedule...

No problem for DH - that used to be his job effectively. But he agreed a schedule with all the different tradesmen to start with AND HE MADE SURE THEY STUCK TO IT. So when the kitchen fitter said, actually, I know we said we'd be finished by Wednesday evening, but it's looking more like Friday morning now, DH told him he'd have to get more men in. And when he protested he'd have to take men off another job, DH said, not my problem, you agreed Wednesday night and if you want to reschedule, you'll have to pay the cancellation charges for the electrician who is coming out on Thursday morning.

As I say... I hid in another room. But our kitchen was finished without problem and on schedule.

Funnily enough, I bumped into the kitchen bloke the other day, and he was as pleasant as they come. OK, so I didn't think he'd actually spit at me as he went past, but he wasn't bothered to have been bossed around so much. I honestly think some tradesmen push it to see what they can get away with but others are just a bit disorganised. Our lovely builder always arrives an hour after he says he will and then goes off to the builders' merchants to get what he needs. DH always says one day he'll arrive on time with all the stuff already in his van and he'll actually make a profit on a job

Anyway, my point is, if you've got different tradesmen, KEEP REPEATING WHAT YOUR SCHEDULE IS AND WHAT YOU EXPECT. If you can get it in writing, so much the better

kezlou

redlady_1 wrote: »

Kezlou - give FK meat??!?!!! I have the only cat in the world who will not eat fresh meat!

no thats my tortie as well, aka lucy aka scabby cat, won't touch fresh meat/fish only tinned cat food and whatever were eating. Fussy little so and so. Oh and as for spicy food that my cats all over. they eat chillies from a jar :eek:. crazy animals.

congratulations jedi!

Well we went out today for a special treat, i'm sick of the cold and rain so i thought i need fresh cream scone:o. £12 lighter but still we all enjoyed it.

~Thanks for the info kittie ~

Ah i hear the kettle boiling, then back top carp throwing out for me.

jamanda

kittie wrote: »

I will go back to read the several pages I have skipped but I want to keep you up to date on futures. Here are a few snippets from today 30 may

extreme weather threatened to limit output as global demand increases. (this refers to agricultural)

The Standard & Poor’s GSCI Agriculture Index climbed for the second straight week as droughts lingered in China and Europe while excess moisture delayed planting in the U.S. and Canada. Last week, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley signaled a bullish outlook for commodities, raising their forecasts for crude-oil prices by more than 20 percent. (bullish means that futures prices are going UP)

The global recovery from a recession that followed the 2008 financial crisis “is gaining strength and is becoming more self-sustained, (this means that other nations will be more competitive for commodities)

I cannot get through to my own DDs about stocking to save money later. Anyway heres the info and do with it what you will. I know what I am going to do!!

Thanks for that. Can't get through to my DD either. Nods wisely and then ignores me. I have decided to give up and let them get on with it their own way. If the reality of their situation hits them, they'd be scared out of their wits anyway. I'm not going to say anything else at all on these lines. No point.

Swampmonster

redlady_1 wrote: »

That is what I am missing, a general DIY bod. I want a fence putting up but suspect the digging out of the plants/hedge/trees that are there will be more than putting the fence up.

Christ, our Focus had been ram raided!!!! Still it is the only DIY shop in the town. I will keep my eyes peeled for fence panels coming down as most people had gone for power tools and compost, together with the paint. I didnt realise how expensive paint actually is these days. I painted everywhere with just cheap magnolia when I moved in and so am now getting round to painting properly now the big jobs are done. Not to mention the masonry paint!!! That was frightening but at the back of the house it is pink flakey stuff and the dreaded cellar of doom will need doing at some point. Perhaps I should have bought some floor tiles for the dungeon (as it is known down the pub!) while I was at it but I have just spent a fortune so thought better of it.

Oh something else Hippee, keep it professional. Dont become all friendly with them (beyond normal polite stuff) and remember they are not doing you any favours no matter what they say.

What sort of percentage reductions have they got at focus at the moment?

Would need to make a special trip but wanted to check if it was worth it first.

Many Thanks :T

[Deleted User]

The things I`ll be stocking up on (and I have already started) are purely basics ie barley (approved food absolute bargain) dried chick peas (AF again) pasta (got 29 500g bags in the wardrobe) tinned tomatoes, tom puree, oats, lentils, flours, oil, sugar (already in). In fact anything that I may use over the winter to spring 2012 just assuming that the weather and world circumstances might improve by then. Its very hard knowing what to get but you can`t go wrong with basics

I have stocked up on good stainless steel cookware too ie bought 2 x 18" tri ply le creuset casseroles as I can get both in the oven at the same time so saving electricity and my time. I used them already using excess produce from my garden/allotment.

chunks of overwintered onions
fill with chopped chard to the top
press down and layer of potato
add 200 ml stock and 130 ml cream to each casserole
top with little grated cheese
bake 170 ish for 1 1/2 to 2 hours

really gorgeous and I just reheated the second one the next day.

edit: I have been very very glad that I started to collect tri ply years ago. It uses very little energy once hot and also works on my induction hob. The casseroles completes my collection

[Deleted User]

I second Ceridwens view of lock and lock. It is the only make of storage box I use and have got home dried porcini in them as well as apple slices, which are two years old now and good as new. Doesn`t let any air or water in and I store my seeds in them in the fridge

I have to start sorting out the freezer this week as produce will soon need to be processed. This week onwards I will be removing some more very large overwintered onions from the allotment and sauteing in olive oil and packing in costco foil cartons for the freezer. Excess after that will be dehydrated

and my flour is storing perfectly in the large ones, in a windy shaded `shed`. They were a considered purchase but will last my lifetime. I think that a place called spices of india were the cheapest

redlady_1

Swampie - everything is at least 20%. 30% on screws etc. To be honest I would suspect if you havent been in there yet then there may not be alot left. Be careful though as 20% off the compost (which was what I originally went in for!) would not have saved me when I know there is a 3 for 2 offer on over the road.

CC - if I had said that to some of my tradesmen then they would have walked off the job. The difference is now that no matter who you get in, as long as you can live with the inconvenience then no one is irreplaceable. I have learnt much whilst doing this place up not least they do try it on with women no matter how tough you are.

Kezlou - mine is also a Tortie. The lazy fat knacker has been on top of her scratchy post trying to fight with her tail, the muppet!

Kittie - I am very grateful you have your eye on the ball.

cbrown372

Charis wrote: »

ceridwen wrote: »

Just make sure you hide them well. A thief would bless you for giving your identity away in a handy holdall

Believe you me, if you have smoke in your house the last thing you think about it grabbing anything apart from your family and getting out of the house

brownsauce

I have just read through this whole thread. My eyes are soo tired that i fear blindness and brain so frazzled that im not sure i took in half of what was said! lol.

was just wondering if handwashing dishes uses up more water than the dishwasher?
I heard somewhere that it does, but i seem to have to half was the dishes anyway or food just dries onto the plates and glasses?! I generally just handwash the stuff, but am staying in my mums at the mo and she puts everything in the dishwasher.

Hippeechiq

lovebargainshatewaste Thanks for the advice on how to get rid of my ants with ground cinnamon

Not sure about the bleach idea as it's difficult to know where they're coming in from because the whole base of the g/house is paving slabs - so cracks aplenty. Not sure the plants would appreciate it either, but I'll definitely give the cinnamon a shot. The washing up liquid/water combination has successfully killed all the aphids that I can see, so I just need to stop the ants from brining them in.

RedDoe Really sorry to read about your garden. How soul destroying for you :grouphug:

Sympathies to everyone in Scotland actually. You really are having some appalling weather

Kittie - many thanks for keeping us informed.