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

ceridwen

Softstuff wrote: »

I think it would have been fine with fruit juice, but fruit juice hasn't been on my shopping list for some time, we tend to stick with either tea or water.



I dare say the texture of it means it will be great in cooking. I'll give it a go with the thick hot choccy (since I have the cocoa and sugar in).


I'd certainly be happy with it like that, I generally make porridge with water and a sprinkle of sugar, but hubby wanted his milk. Can't complain when his demands are that simple, especially when he's the only earner right now!

We made a dash out and bought a carton. I'm stupidly irritated that I had to go into next months budget. Shouldn't be mad at myself really, since thanks to varying things the entire housekeeping budget was $200 (about 130 pounds) this month. So I guess I should really give myself a pat on the back.

Yep - so you should - ie give yourself a pat on the back that is:).

Stuff happens - rueful comment at the moment, having opened todays post and found that an unexpected expense (of the £1000 odd variety) had taken me over the overdraft limit - ie didnt have an overdraft before that unexpected expense and thought it could be contained within that "limit". Errr...it wasnt and I have to get out my "elbows" and write a suitable letter to my bank protesting about the amount they charged me in unauthorised overdraft charges for it:( - ie £75 or so:mad:. I would have thought they should have notified me that I was about to inadvertently go over that limit and I could have hauled out a bit of money from emergency savings instead of using my debit card as normal for paying for things...:mad:.

Hope things soon come good for you Softstuff ((()))

BTW - I'd be interested to know how the rice milk goes in cooking with it purlease....as I'm still well into those culinary experiments...some successful....others well....there was that nettle pasta yesterday:cool: (thinks I might have another go at it with adaptations before giving up on the idea of trying that....).

Bitsy_Beans

Cheapskate wrote: »

Too true - I was cold-called recently by some firm claiming to be able to reclaim my "mis-sold" PPI, twice in one day despite me saying (politely) that I was a)registered with TPS & they shouldn't even be calling & b)I was 100% sure that I could manage my own affairs & could find out for myself! The young men got quite stroppy, almost saying that I didn't know wherof I spoke, upon which point I quietly said goodbye & hung up! :rotfl:

My mum had a cold caller and despite her repeatedly telling him thank you but I am not interested he wouldn't take no for an answer. She she hung up on him. He then rang back to tell her how rude she was :eek: I am afraid if it had been me I'd have gone all fishwife on him and hit the roof!!!

I am afraid that cold callers get a very polite no thanks and after that it's fair game <insert evil icon> I've asked some of them if they understand the word no before hanging up I appreciate that cold callers is a job and a grotty one at that but if someone tells you no thank you can they not just call it a day there and quit while they are ahead?

ceridwen

Kitchenbunny wrote: »

JoJo, you mentioned about ransoms - could I ask where you got them from please? I know of someone who is looking out for them but has not had any joy in finding any yet.

TIA

KB xx

Tell them to plant some of their own in a suitable location - there is at least one company where one can order seeds and plant them in any suitable location that doesnt yet have any. This is a longer-term project - ie plant them at the end of one year and go back and harvest them the following year. So it takes - 6 months or so to come to fruition - but it will indeed work.

Cant recall the name of the firm that specialises in selling ramson seeds and bulbs - but google and it should come up and the seeds are fine for "doing the job" - just scattering a few around and lightly dusting earth over them and then sit back and wait......

ceridwen

bertiebots wrote: »

Thanks for this....hells bells -hope I dont have to pay stamp duty as well:eek:..I am starting to think that it might just be easier to sell up and buy my own house and have a completely fresh start (if its at all possible):cool: My head is spinning with it a bit and I hate not being able to get a straight answer. I cant do anything until after the bank holidays now and the kids are going to their dads for a long weekend. I may just crack open a bottle when I get back from work and watch a dvd and try to put this all out of my mind. Easier said than done when there is just me inside these 4 walls for 4 days:eek: .


FEWWWWWW!!! Just checked the hm revenue website and stamp duty doesnt apply to my situation

..well...think of it this way...as I imagine you are buying a portion of a house that is worth less than £125k (ie the bottom level stamp duty limit) then it wouldnt be payable I would imagine - even if the whole of the house has a value of over £125k and WOULD attract stamp duty if you were buying that.

I would imagine the rationale is that "Are you buying the WHOLE of the house value or buying a smaller amount than the £125k base level from that house value?" iyswim.

An analogous situation would likely be where someone is buying one of those 50% shares of a house and paying a housing association rent for the other 50% share. That is - I would imagine it would be the case that if that house was worth £200k as a "standard buy" house and therefore stamp duty would be payable. But - the purchaser would only be buying £100k of it (and therefore underneath that £125k stamp duty limit).

Well - I know what I mean - hope I've explained it clearly...

ceridwen

jackieglasgow wrote: »

It was eleven o'clock at night in the middle of the coldest winter known to this generation and he had two radiators which weren't heating up, and I refused to send an emergency engineer to him

Errrr...why?.....

lostinrates

ceridwen wrote: »

Errrr...why?.....

I read it as two inoperative out of a system where more were: in which case I assumed people with no operative heaters were priority.

kidcat

lostinrates wrote: »

I read it as two inoperative out of a system where more were: in which case I assumed people with no operative heaters were priority.

That is how I read it too.:)

[Deleted User]

Oh I found you, goody goody. I thought it was all packing up, phew!!

Hippeechiq

allybee101 wrote: »

Hi,
I've been reading the threads but don't normally take part but can help with the maths!
Hippeechiq, based on the measurements you gave each bag will take 12.5 litres of compost (a litre of water is the same volume as a cube 10x10x10 cm)
Hope this helps!

Hi allybee
I'm not even going to pretend that I understand the part in brackets :rotfl: but the first part is very helpful - thank you.
I've now bought the compost, 10 bags, so have 330L. Divide that by 12.5 and I have enough for just over 26 wine bags, but that's fine as I was thinking of offering one of each of my plants to DDs boyfriends Mum and/or my neighbour who lives on her own and who I noticed grew a few bits last summer.

crumblepie wrote: »

Hippeechiq - on the container/ compost thing.
I mix my compost with perlite - that way I use less compost in each tub!! It also stops the compost being so claggy and my plants thrive in the perlite/compost mix. It's also lighter to carry home! Loving the idea of using the wine bags I'd been thinking of using the ladybird bags,

Hi crumblepie
I've never heard of perlite, and I've read your post too late now, as I have already bought my compost, but thank you for suggesting it.

I had also been thinking of using the ladybird bags (and in fact bought one of each to compare sizes at home) but as pleasant as they are on the eye carrying one in each hand with groceries in them, I thought 30 odd cobalt blue bags covered in red ladybirds in the back garden might be a bit garish, lol. The wine bags are slightly less "in your face" and will also take less compost to fill.

My plants may well have preferred the depth of the ladybird bags, but as I'm on a budget, the wine ones suit my need better.

Butterfly_Brain

I found my bookie wook on companion planting

R u lot sitting comfortably?


The African marigold, along with other plants, are well known for companion planting, as they exude chemicals from their roots or aerial parts that suppress or repel pests and protect neighbouring plants.
Marigolds planted with tomatoes keep greenfly and blackfly at bay

Sage planted with cabbages, brussels, caulis any other brassicas and carrots

Nasturtiums with cabbages because the caterpillers prefer the nasturtiums

Plant carrots and leeks together on the allotment or vegetable patch to protect against a number of pests. Leeks repel carrot fly and carrots repel onion fly and leek moth.

Make sure companion plants are planted at the same time as your edible crops to prevent pests from getting a foothold.

There is a more comprehensive list here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants