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

starsandmoon

Havnt posted for ages although have been lurking. Well Ive been stockpiling various things as my wages are being cut by 20% in October so Ive been buying coffee, washing stuff etc if I see it on offer. Have also squirreled away some money for the heating bills. Im in school hols hell with all the juggling of work, dropping DD off at holiday club and general running around. Washing seems to have doubled.

Getting whoopsies is a challenge these days. There was an actual fight in my local Asda over the reduced stuff! I find Im getting my shopping from lots of different shops, no longer go to just the one shop and buy it all there. Im lucky I have a lot of choice and a car for this though. Also try to use the car as little as possible and combining trips. Never used to think twice about going out for the weekly shop on a day off whereas now Il pop into Aldi on the way home from work as I drive past it.

Ive had some major jobs done on my house too which will help when Winter rolls round. I can insulate my loft now and hopefully save a bit on fuel.

Fairie

just popping up to say hello.

have eventually managed to read through the thread and have found many interesting and useful tips. Meant to say thanks!!!

I'm having our first baby in september and so will be on maternity leave with maternity pay, oh is self employed and is still relatively new to his buisness (been working for himself for just over a year).

We were very lucky to have found an allotment not long after we moved here in march, unfortunatley i hav'nt been very well (have now been off work for 6 weeks and am very annoyed as want to be at work before M.leave, also although I am off I'm not actually able to do alot) and so have not been able to do anything to it yet apart from plan. I am hoping that i can get some things in for winter though.

thanks to the poster with regards to BB4L. have just placed an order for stuff i would of bought anyway so will now eagerly await my free stuff. have only placed 1 order with them previously and found their communication very poor and delivery very slow - anyone else or just me?

Fairie

toottifrootti

thanks for the welcomes:)

cat_smith wrote: »

Hi toots. Welcome fellow flylady. This place is great - and a good excuse to procrastinate

Slinks off to check todays list.

Hi cat nice to see you too:D
smileyt thanks for the info I will check it out
taurus they love a chocolate biscuit or the snack size bars - or I sometimes bring them a big bag of teabags because they have to provide their own. Hope its not too long before you get home.

toots x

short_bird

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

More reorganising today - well decluttering actually. I realised today that I have loads of storage space, it's just filled with carp :eek: What's more lots of it is in plastic storage crates - dozens and dozens of them. I've been lured into a false sense of being organised by having all this stuff in boxes but really most of it needs to be recycled in some way or just binned. So I cleared a big box today and intend to have a go at a box a day for the next few weeks until they are all sorted. I'll then have room for stuff I want to keep. Have also dug out a felt pen and some sticky labels so in future I will know what's where and won't fall into the trap of buying what I've already got!

Ah, nicely organised jumbles of all sorts of carp - but in identical boxes as they stack so beautifully?
I wonder how I know all about that?:whistle:

However, look on the bright side: when you've emptied a couple of these fabulous identical boxes, you don't have to buy any new ones to sort like with like:D

Good luck with it, I'm having a good go at my carp with a view to continue getting rid of it. I've had a good go at the low hanging fruit to start off with 'cos it's really :o:o

:wave: Toots!

RAS

VJsmum wrote: »

I have been to Sweden and Denmark. Beautifully warm weather - in fact the further north we went the nicer the weather (i have had much worse weather than that in the south of france this time of year).

We took our caravan so drove a long way - after the force 8 gale we crossed the north sea in :eek: Things aren't as expensive as you might think in those countries - about the same as here in most cases. Except alcohol :eek: You can't buy alcohol in supermarkets except for very weak beer - anything else, in Sweden, has to be bought from state run off licences which aren't open much. So in fact we didn't drink much. Having the caravan means that we don't have to eat out much and in fact there's nothing nicer than cooking something outdoors and eating it with a view of a beautiful blue lake surrounded by trees in the very light evenings. Bliss.....

I always take a bottle of spirits into Scandinavia and mix it with orange or brus (those little local sodas). Much cheaper. Also in some of the remoter areas the nearest off-licence can be 50 miles away.

Lattol is not bad; in Norway it is actually cheaper than a can of Coke or Cola! Never quite understood the logic of that in a counrty that is "strict" about booze.

A lot of people brew their own and distill it. Ouch.

And both countries have a problem with alcoholism despite the restrictions.

bonnie_bumpkins

taurusgb wrote: »

Can any of you suggest some ideas for a gift to say thank you to the nursing and domestic staff when I finally get out of here... ...shocked when on the main ward at the bad temper, aggression, rudeness & downright violence shown by some of the patients. I don't know how the staff put up with it.

You don't know me - I am a newly de-lurked person! Wishing you all the positive vibes I can muster

I think the tea and/or coffee idea (as others have suggested) is great. As is the fruit. Or perhaps something that will help the staff get through what appears to be a dreadfully stressful day :eek: Finances won't be able to line their staff room with padded-cell type stuff, but maybe some sort of stress toy? Pillow to hit?! Funny picture?

I once bought a colleague who needed regular mega cheering up a magic wand (kiddies toy) for a couple of quid from eb - she kept it in her desk drawer and waved it when things needed calming down and it made a lovely tinkling noise. Which, btw, also amused and alarmed the man in the post office delivery office where the parcel was returned to when I wasn't in. Apparently it used to go off with its magic tinkly noise at random moments even when sitting quietly on the shelf :rotfl:

cat_smith

Anyone heard from 'Ark Builder' today? Just wondering if she's washed down stream or needs an olive branch sent to say its safe to come out:rotfl::rotfl:

toottifrootti

:wave: Hi short bird! fancy meeting you here:rotfl:

I am reading all about how you will store stuff and keep thinking I am really lucky because I have a garage but no car! I do have 2 wheelchairs and all the usual garden stuff but there is still room for storing things like food supplies - I just need to make sure the boxes are airtight. and maybe try to get some sort of racking to get them off the ground - would be easier for me to access as well.
my freezer is in the garage too - its only a little one but I will need to get a bigger one when I can afford it because I will not be able to get out if the weather is bad.

grandma247

There must be something in the air. I have spent the last couple of days decluttering in the loft. I am actually supposed to be sorting out the work for the new school year for my youngest and I am doing that but slower because I decided to get rid of a lot of paperwork we don't need while I am at it. So far I have two dustbin bags full.
I have convinced him we can't keep all the models etc he has made over the last few years so he has agreed that we will photograph them and then put them in the recycling since most are cardboard and paper, then I had a brainwave. I am going to copy his past work and put it all on a disk and get rid of that paperwork too. I already feel loads better.

Taurus I hope you are a little better today.

suzid

There really must be something in the air because it's been sorting out time here too. I've been getting increasingly alarmed by the musty smell emanating from DS's room and on Friday decided that enough was enough and evicted him from his festering pit. He had to go through all the papers on his floor, desk and shelves. Go through draws but not yet wardrobe, that joy is still to come. It turns out that the musty smell is coming from mould growing up the back of some of his furniture as he seems to have some kind of aversion to fresh air and since he's not at college any more, my throwing open his windows and door have ceased.

He's now camping out in the spare room until I've got rid of the mould and washed down all the paintwork. He's then going to repaint the horrible brown wall (he chose the colour and it's sucking all the light out of the room - apologies to anyone who has and loves the colour)

So I've been inundated with washing, duvet, pillows, curtains etc. Little car passed it's MOT with only needing wheel baring and the cost of service, MOT, insurance and car tax looks like being roughly the same as new seat in Landy so we've decided to keep it going.

Very odd day today as I've felt totally washed out all weekend and not slept well. DH very restless during the night and cold. Turned out he's been really poorly all day and has had to take the first day off sick in 15 years :eek:. He's slept almost all day and at one point had to gently roast over a low electric blanket just to defrost. Here's hoping we're both better tomorrow.

Lovely to have so many new people to hear from, all posts are so welcome.

Off now to get whoopsied chicken out of the oven, with roasties and veg. yum, can't wait.

Lots of love to you all and ((hugs)) to poorly and stressed peeps.