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

rachbc

HJ - I'm sure I could persuade you to spend the £10 voucher...but as thats no what you want I'll keep quiet ;-)

newlywed

I've just made a spreadsheet working out my ingredients and then the recipes and then totalling up how much per person per meal. I've worked a few out to work out what our cheaper meals are currently so we can eat them more often, and now I can also compare to those websites and mags that say only £x.xx per person and decide if it really is cheap for us.

OH was so completely and utterly unimpressed!!!! - so I thought I'd share with you lot.

But we have to save money somewhere as dishwasher is broken, washing machine is messing about (programs not matching up with dial!!) and MOT is due in a month or so. And I've got no idea how our food budget goes so quickly well some idea but need a better clue

newlywed

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Can someone please talk me out of spending money please? I got a £10 gift voucher from a well known catalogue company today to try to lure me back as a customer. It's impossible to find anything for £10 but I am seeing lots of things for much more than that and trying to justify why I should buy them or it's a waste of my voucher. :rotfl: If I spend £100 I will get another £20 off. Very clever marketing ploy Mr B*den.

Compare to how much the things you like would cost in a charity shop or count up how many others you have like that (I confess to having counted 11 chocolate brown skirts in my wardrobe the other week - pre charity drop)

HariboJunkie

Thank you Ladies. :T

I actually did spend the voucher but with 10% off as well and free delivery I have only spent £15 of real money and have got the girls their first 2 Christmas presents. Resisted all the lovely things for me.

Was about to head to bed but we have a road full of BT engineers with vans with flashing orange lights so I shall wait until they've gone.

Well done on the extreme meal planning Newlywed.

Petlamb

RAS wrote: »

VA

If work are trying to cut pay, then your hubbie has just given them a great way to go about it.

Unfortunately whether he resigns or is sacked, he would face a sanction - likely to be 6 months in either case. So he needs to wise up on benefit rules and employment law urgently.

And to start looking for alternative work and cheaper digs.

He's already looking for work elsewhere (oh, the joys of the job market) and as for 'cheaper digs' - sadly, not an option. We're already in one of the lowest price pointed flats for the area.

Rosanna79

Paidinchickens
Your kitty family sounds lovely and a great source of pleasure to you. Our litle one seems to be OK with these awful gusts of wind but the Big Boy was terrified of it today. Amazin for such a huge cat.

Hope everyone's OK with the windy conditions. Got OH to drop me into town this afternoon so I could enrol for my embroidery class and planned to walk back, a distance of only 2.5- 3 miles. The wind was so strong I had to take a bus after about 1.5 miles. Just grateful for my old f**t's bus pass. Was totally exhausted when I arrived home. I felt a right wimp.

Anyway we've battened down the hatches, harvested as many tomatoes as possible and lowered the netting on the cabbages, This was after harvesting 2 - froze one and found the minicole cabbages this year twice the size of last year's

Made bubble and squeak for tea with our own cabbage, onions and potatoes- It was delicious and really filling but I must now get up at ridiculous o'clock to get into the pool first thing. If I can't walk due to the windy conditions it's essential to get some proper exercise as I see the dietician again next week.

If it gets very bad weatherwise I may have to resort to walking briskly up and down my passage to the Irish music!! Did this when I was stuck indoors the winter before last. 110 lengths = 1 km. The physio was gobsmacked and probaly thought I was mad but at least I didn't gain any weight!

ginnyknit

Hope you are all ok with the bad weather. We didnt have it too bad -touch wood- stayed home all day though as it was threatening rain.

I cannot keep up with you al must find time tomorrow to catch up.

OH picked some blackberries yesterday while he was watching his cricket team play the final - and he came home well fed too, the buffet was all Indian food - yummy

Going to try fruit leathers tomorrow when I get back from Mums. She has bought DGS a bike for Christmas from the CS but its pink, so OH can spend his time now cricket is over respraying it. Emptied some oranges out of freezer basket to make marmalade too. When I went back in kitchen later there was a small tidal wave :eek: thought the freezer had died - panic - there goes our savings but no :rotfl: had left an ice cube bag on side out of freezer and it had defrosted al over floor. The pound signs were spinning in my eyes like a slot machine at the thought of replacing either fridge freezer or little freezer...... and breathe...

Not done much but cook and wash after DGs went home but managed a little grandad cross stitch for xmas.

ceridwen

Rosanna79 wrote: »

Made bubble and squeak for tea with our own cabbage, onions and potatoes-

If it gets very bad weatherwise I may have to resort to walking briskly up and down my passage to the Irish music!! Did this when I was stuck indoors the winter before last. 110 lengths = 1 km. The physio was gobsmacked and probaly thought I was mad but at least I didn't gain any weight!

You're reminded me - bubble and squeak - I was wondering what to do with some "greens" I have to use up.

Finally managed to get some tomatoes to use this year - mainly gifts from other people (as my own have turned out such a pathetic little crop:().

Still waiting/hoping for some plums (gifts or otherwise) from other people as there was none there to pick this year:(:mad: - and hoping I can manage to get my stocks in okay for preserving for the next few months okay. So - anyone who can spare 5 seconds to ask Universe for "ceridwens supply of plums for preserving for the year" appreciated - as my own requests havent provided them yet....

Apples - on the other hand - positively coming outa my ears - as I'm getting given such huge amounts this year - so still busily preserving here and re-gifting there. Note to self = must try that recipe I have for home-made cider vinegar - now's the time when I've got enough to spare that it doesnt matter if a few get wasted if it all goes wrong.

Thankfully the Universe heard the "Please give me some of another type of fruit that is a particular favourite of mine and not even available in the shops" request I'd been making when I found they'd all been picked. A friend was mentioning this unusual fruit she's been allowed to help herself too and I told her what it is and she'll be giving me some. So - thanks Universe - managed to get my supply of that this year after all.

**************

Re that "walk up and down the passage" physio - why not? Good idea. Have you got stairs you could walk up and down as well for a suitable number of times? Hey....use what ya got gal...

GreyQueen

One darning mushroom is postively OK but two is.........y'know extravagant :rotfl:I've got Grandma's one and I love thinking of her whenever I use it. Darning is a bit of a hobby of mine and Mum always gets me to darn the handknit socks she makes as I enjoy it and she doesn't. I regard it as the practical application of embroidery, something I do from time to time.

Hope all of us are still anchored to the foundations, hens in situ and leccy still on. It was very blustery here in P.C. but the sun got out and it was a warm wind in the afternoon. Really wished I had a garden but I managed to get the tent dry overnight and have caught up with all the very muddy clothes.

I can now make twine from nettles. How OS is that? Betcha all envious.:o

Went to Little Mr T yesterday at a time of day when whoopsies normally abound but there was nothing. Either their stock-control has improved or, I suspect, more of us are hunting the bargains. I shall just have to thrift harder, IYSWIM.

When we reach a civilised hour, I shall start the Autumn Cleaning by beginning the annual ritual of the Laundering of the Curtains. Cannot be doing with Spring Cleaning as I have an allotment to cultivate but these things need to be done. Shall also drag out applicances and clean under and behind. I kinda like the domestic arts from time to time.

I also have to shop for the replacement for the very poorly Mr Beko; decided I was too exhausted to make good choices yesterday so gave it a miss, plus there was no end to the housekeeping to be done on the computer and all the blogs and forums to read.

Hope everyone has a good day. Must go and iron a blouse for work.....that sound you hear in the background is me cursing that I didn't do it yesterday when the blasted thing was still damp.;)

redlady_1

HJ - I would not have been able to talk you out of spending the voucher as there is a skirt and a couple of dresses that are winking at me!

I now have all the ingredients to make the onion marmalade so now just need the time.