It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

Uniscots97

I had a call about our Bosch diswasher, the lady claimed some had been going on fire. Has anyone else had a call? Mine (the model we have) isn't affected.

3v3

VJsmum wrote: »

I did my weekly shop in Marks and Spencers today :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Before you all die of shock - there was method in my madness. We didn't really need much and i'd popped in to M&S to pick up some school trousers I'd ordered (in the sale with cashback through quidco), so i thought i'd just pick up the bits i needed there as it was so expensive i was unlikely to buy anything we didn't need. I think it worked, some things weren't too bad actually, i got some whoopsied milk, a deal on cooked meat and some veg, however i did succumb to the £10 for 2 meal deal - and even that fed 3!

Guess what? I don't even feel :eek: at your shopping at M&S. Way back when, a Friday "treat" from my childhood tea was ... a bag of M&S BBQ beef crisps, with bread and butter and a green salad :rotfl: Not a 28g pack mind, a BIG pack! (Well, in those days a 40g packet was deemed hummungus ) and my mother believed she was "spoiling us" (tell that to the "bag of crisps per day families of today ) It may not have been the healthiest of meals, but, by hook or by crook, we thought we were the bees knees (plus, our poor mother got a night off from cooking! Win-win)

Back to to the here and now ( ) you do have a good point: when you go to somewhere that little bit more "selective", you *do* become more discerning and it is much easier in some ways to stick to your budget. One of the things which truthfully gets to me is, this "buy cheap, buy twice" supermarket culture we've all been lured into (to one degree, or another). I do understand it; I simply do not like it, or, the knockon health aspects of it.

Well done on your bargains :beer:

VJsmum

Wish i hadn't looked it up, cos now i want an Ozpig!! our powercut and everything else in an emergency is our caravan, which is stored opposite our house. I have thought about buying a camping stove but then realise there is no point when i have a portable kitchen over the road!

Just need to make sure there is enough gas in the winter.

bluebag

Charis wrote: »

I inherited a quantity of AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) buttons in a button box. I offered them to a museum in London (found on the Internet) where AFS uniforms are displayed. They were gratefully received because they can patch up the uniforms they are given but had no source for buttons. Maybe there's a museum somewhere that would be glad to display your granddad's buttons on a uniform?

There has to be an OS use for shirt studs but I can't think of one of the top of my head.

Jusrt a thought but maybe some of the re-enactment societies may like to have spares. The type that do displays with English Heritage and the like. I do know they like to keep it all authentic as possible, even down to woolen undergarments (itchy!)

3v3

silvasava wrote: »

Oooh that takes me back - I used to love playing with the buttons in my mums box - I've inherted both hers & my grandmothers. Yep - I've got suspender clasps & bra extenders. I've also got the brass buttons from various naval uniforms that my grandad and dad wore and shirt studs!

They'll probably go down the tip when I'm gone:(

Used to "swap" buttons when I was a girl It was a girlie hobby back then.

Oh no, I do hope those precious buttons don't! I'm hoping you will be able to inspire your DGD into appreciating them in the meantime.

In my button box, I have quite a few odd military buttons (source/regiments unknown: note to self, must do some research). I plan to make a decorative wall quilt incorporating them - at some spare point in my life :rotfl: - (together with a few Police memorabilia ) I'm hoping that by doing that, it will be less "disposable" than a mere button; I could be kidding myself, of course. Either way, they mean something to me and I can't make them significant to younger generations ... unless ... :think: .... I tell them the stories behind those buttons/numbers/insignia (or, at least the one's I do know).

Charis

Here's the page to check your Bosch dishwasher, they say it's models between 1999 and early 2005 that are implicated. Mine (which burned out earlier this year) was new in 2003.

There is/was also a US recall, apparently those machines were manufactured in the US. Not sure if the dates are the same.

bluebag

SDG31000 wrote: »

Thank you all for offering advice and suggestions for my mega dinner parties.
To clarify a little....there is myself, DH, DS1 and DS2. My friend M, her DH V, their 4 children that live at home and M's DD1, her partner and their son L who is 3.
It started when M's brother and his family moved into their house and M was getting no peace, no help and no money towards their upkeep. She needed a break from it all, so I started cooking for M, V and their twin daughters every friday. Just so M could get out of the house and have a meal that she didn't have to cook or clean up after. M's brother has moved out, but now her nephew and his girlfriend are there instead, her sister and mom have mental health problams and her Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer last week. So it's M's time to switch off and get looked after instead of running around after everyone else. Even if I have to drag her out of the kitchen to stop her washing up. M, V and the rest of the family have been a lot of help to us, including gutting our bathroom and fitting a new one while we were on holiday.
I have to cook sausages every week, that is now a given. So I buy them from Tesco's butcher counter when they are half price and freeze them. I also make pies, stews, lasagne, roast dinners, pasta bakes and curries. Pudding is generally cakes, ice cream, rice pudding, pavolva, sponge puddings etc. I buy as much as I can reduced or on sale, but it's the only time I over indulge with choices and posh ice cream. I feel they deserve it, if that makes sense. It just takes a lot of food to feed that many. Add in 3 teenage boys and two husbands that can eat for England and it feels like even more lol.
Sorry for rambling on. That's the condensed version, as difficult as that may be to believe.

Lady, you are an amazing woman. God bless you.

lil_me

I'm going to try to get them out before I go tomorrow 3v3 so don't worry you can come off watch I'll set the alarm earlier so I can shower too. Always are ready mid holidays when we use less spuds too!!

Ozpig oh I'd love one, you are right with the price and they are right about the exchange rate. We use 4x4s and a lot of sought after goods are Oz based or NZ, many importers have just stopped bringing anything over

We have back up power, a smallish generator. It'll power basics like a FF, it's ok with my George doesn't like the microwave much but the basics it can do and other things go on the BBQ I'd guess or I do have a cadac for the caravan which could come out

Bluebag I agree, that's what Britain should be about! My friend and her hubby decorated this house when we got it, just basics but every room including taking out wood chip while we went on holidays I'd already booked. So I paid for them a holiday

Haribo enjoy your break and thanks for the flask reminder, knew I wanted something else packed! Those cafe trips can bankrupt when away.

gailey_2

Was going to say evening but more early morning must go bed soon.

Theres something wrong with my dishwasher-not bosche but hes hubbys hes been bit rubbish of late.

bluebag

gailey wrote: »

Was going to say evening but more early morning must go bed soon.

Theres something wrong with my dishwasher-not bosche but hes hubbys hes been bit rubbish of late.

Sounds like mine gailey, high maintainance and breaks down often, mostly on the sofa:rotfl: