Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - Part 3.

tumptyteapot

3 pots of apple jelly made from the thinnings of the apple tree - it is one specially for small gardens but it overproduces and the branches break if I don't thin it out. There are a couple of carrier bags of apples left to pick on it, think I'll make chutney. The apple jelly looks good but it is really sweet! I have bread on the go, overnighting for cooking tomorrow. Signed up to a group on deal boot camp! £10 for 10 sessions sounds like a bargain to me though and I booked the Dr to see about my ouchy knee which is really getting me down.

Cats! Mine had a sort of stroke on a sunday, vets call out fees etc would have been hundreds, luckily I got through to an emergency service who spoke to me and said that there was nothing they could do today that they couldn't tomorrow..... I took her in on the monday thinking I was going to have to say goodbye but the vet gave me £50 in pills and she is ok now, blind, stroppy, given to crapping and puking in inopportune places just as normal. She does bump into things though. People say 'is she happy' it's hard to tell, she always was a cantakerous old biddy. I got a bit upset at a local cattery I emailed to about prices - the response was ' is the price the main point in the care of your loved dear cat?' actually yes, it is! but they made me feel like I didn't love my cat enough to spend more on her. Actually their prices are ok but it is the principle, I don't choose to live on a very low income!

mooomin

tumptyteapot wrote: »

I got a bit upset at a local cattery I emailed to about prices - the response was ' is the price the main point in the care of your loved dear cat?' actually yes, it is! but they made me feel like I didn't love my cat enough to spend more on her. Actually their prices are ok but it is the principle, I don't choose to live on a very low income!

What a horrible thing for them to do. If you have other options, don't choose this cattery and send them a long letter explaining why. Gits.

silvasava

Tumpty - thats just emotional blackmail!! We all know we will spend what it takes for our pets but comments like that are outrageous.
Ive just had a reminder from the vet for furbaby's annual jab next week. That'll be 40 quid and a puss that's going to feel really poorly for a day or so. I know its for her own good but you try looking at that reproachful stare - makes me feel like a torturer!!

Many thanks SF for taking over the 'mantle' & a lovely 'new' thread with lots of 'old' friends, and big thanks to CW for all her sterling work - enjoy the break

rubytuesday

Managed to swim twenty lengths of the pool today. that's a kilometre.

Just had a nice hot bath and lay out on the sun lounger looking at the stars - it's so light I didn't see many but it was still nice.

That's free entertainment for you!

cw18

rubytuesday wrote: »

That's free entertainment for you!

My free entertainment for the evening has been about 4.5 hours of text messages from a certain someone

Not technically totally free, as I pay a flat fee for an add-on to my contract each month (just over £5) which means we have free calls and texts between us. But we'd spend more than that on texts in just one evening (probably each, not between us!), so I guess it means they are free for the rest of the month

rubytuesday

Glad it seems to be going well Cheryl!

redglass_2

tumptyteapot wrote: »

I got a bit upset at a local cattery I emailed to about prices - the response was ' is the price the main point in the care of your loved dear cat?' actually yes, it is! but they made me feel like I didn't love my cat enough to spend more on her. Actually their prices are ok but it is the principle, I don't choose to live on a very low income!

Many years ago I had two dearly beloved rescue dogs (mongrels) and once, when their usual kennel was full, I tried another nearer home. They ummed and aahed and said they didn't know me. I felt I was being fobbed off and I asked how they ever got any new customers if they only took on people they already knew. I then got the real reason they were being so peculiar: they told me that because the dogs were 'only' crossbreeds, the kennel couldn't take the risk because I probably wouldn't be responsible for them and would dump them there and not bother to pick them up (!). They hadn't even met me or the dogs, all they'd had was my enquiry by phone. My jaw still drops when I think about it....their amazing rudeness and the nastiness of their thinking (which they assumed I would share) about 'second-rate' dogs. My dogs definitely weren't second-rate; they were never neglected and lacked for nothing and I never, in about 17 years of keeping the dogs, had another kennel turn them down. I wouldn't use those kennels now if they were the last in England...and I made a point of telling everyone I knew who might have given them any trade.

tumptyteapot

redglass wrote: »

they told me that because the dogs were 'only' crossbreeds, the kennel couldn't take the risk because I probably wouldn't be responsible for them and would dump them there and not bother to pick them up (!).

Quite right too, anyone with a cross bred dog must have a criminal record and a history of animal neglect! (I was joking!) good grief! That is really peculiar snobbery.

I emailed them - "No matter what my budget was I'd need to know what your prices are. You seem to be implying that I don't love my cat enough.Sorry but I really take offence at that."

and I got back

"you take offence extremely easily when none is meant and draw extraordinary conclusions in a quite reactionary way which is sad"

That's me all over, sad cat woman :-)

Anyway - Chel - you are getting all the nice men, give someone else a chance :-) Glad it is going well!

Paid in Chickens - I stopped taking mine to the vet unless it is urgent after the very expensive cat food they said she needed gave her cystitis which then needed medication.....££££££, I finally saw sense and bought her the cheapest option of tinned food and she has been fine ever since, only gets it when she is stressed out now.

mooomin

tumptyteapot wrote: »

"you take offence extremely easily when none is meant and draw extraordinary conclusions in a quite reactionary way which is sad"

If that's how they treat their human customers I wouldn't want to leave my moggies with them

paidinchickens

If you could live on guilt my food bill would be £0:rotfl::rotfl:

I sat there most of last night thinking what on earth happened to my local vet who had stables in the back. The waiting room stank of dogs, cats and gerbils. The owners all used to sit there swapping stories and giving hints on well-being and behaviour! The nurse used to come out and talk to all the pets and knew them all by name. Come to think of it I was registered under my pets name:rotfl::rotfl:

Now they are all franchises with young vets and terrible nurses that do not even seem to like animals. The only goal they seem to have is selling you something. Last year when one of the cats went off their food they sold me some minute tins of meat for squillions of pounds but found he quite liked just tuna thanks very much. When the vet was told he was eating tuna she almost bit my head off saying "he should be eating the food I GAVE you (gave me for a squillion pound:mad:)

I just think they all play on your emotions because they know you are at your most vulnerable and will pay anything but then you feel like an animal murder if you refuse to be extorted.

The last time I used an emergency vet it cost me £200 and one year my old fella cost me £3000. I know people say to get them insured but over the age of 10 they never used to insure them (not sure if this has changed)

It has made me feel soooooooo much better having you all tell your stories. Funny how other peoples problems make you feel better:rotfl:

DSS no 2 has decided to help our FL lifestyle by asking all his friends parents if he can stay for tea!!!! He rang last night to ask if he could stay at one of his friends houses.

Peoples opinions please...............

I was brought up never to ask for things at peoples houses and only take if offered. After asking him last night "did you ask or did they offer" he replied "ummmm I asked" to which we had a lengthy conversation on how many times he has asked, the answer being most of the time:eek:
So now the whole estate must think I starve him:rotfl::rotfl:
I explained this way..."if your younger brother had a friend who was always coming round and asking to stay for tea or for cakes and biscuits would you get fed up?" to which he saw my point.
Here is the guilt again.... Am I behind the times? is what I was taught as manners long gone? Am I a cruel step parent? answers on a postcard please xxx

Sorry I have overtaken this thread with my personal problems:o

On a frugal note I spent half hour yesterday pricing up wash powder in Mr T working price per gram on the special offers V stores own:rotfl:And finally tracked down some dishwasher powder as tried to cut the tablets in half and nearly chopped my hand off:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: