The Tougher Thread continues.....

dronid

A semi-demi lurkey random poster here. And a gentleman too so be kind please!:D

Glad to be back on board. Living in Central London so feeling the pinch quite dramatically!

katieowl_2

Started my xmas shopping...put in a bid for £1 on fleabay for a little china dish for DD with a deer on it (that's christmassy innit) I actually saw one of these earlier in the year and thought she'd like it...so tracked another down and did it!

Been making a couple of bags this morning as trial runs for using up the fabric I was given a month or so ago, all in the main fairly hideous 80's curtain materials, but as hoped they don't look as bad in very small pieces. They are only meant to be 'shopping' bags so don't have to be things of beauty really. I was toying with making some to sell, but even if I don't do that many...this years gift will be bags!

Had a surprise visitor this morning; the guy who lived here before the people we bought from. He bought a photo album with him of what they did while they were here which was pretty interesting. I gave him the guided tour and a cup of tea. He was the first big winner on who wants to be a millionaire (local legend LOL - I had heard) and gave me a copy of the book he's written. Hope his good luck rubs off. He was a nice old chap anyway...and a pleasant diversion from the usual morning chores!

I'm going out tonight with my friend from up the road and her visiting daughter. She suggested a local posh resturant, which I would LIKE to try, but knowing it's reputation is that it's expensive, I thought I'd ask how much a head? About £40 per person she said. I declined as graciously as I could - I cannot justify spending that much on food for just ME :eek: That's more than I've spent on food for the three of us for the last few weeks, so she had a re-think, and now we are going to open-mike night at one of the local bars...eating in our own houses first! Phew!

Lunch for me was leftovers from last night. I'm going to make some spaghetti sauce for dinner. The OH and DS can have ordinary pasta, and I'll eat some of my GF stuff, otherwise I'll be sorry, especially if I'm having a couple of drinks later.

Kate

mishmogs

Hello and thanks for all your welcomes...:j:j:):)

having an os tea tonight, got left over bangers and making toad in the hole for the first time..... think will have baked beans with it. Also used 4 old and bendy parsnips with chopped onion and spud in a soup with some toasted cumin seeds with a veggie cube and pepper. Had a sample for lunch, very nice thank you, so will start off with that. Bet I'm a bit windy tomorrow

knittingcathy

Good afternoon all, I am also like many others de-lurking, I have been following the other thread for the last couple of days and I am sure my nearly 2 year old thinks that I am a bit demented laughing away to myself.

A bit about my situation. I am mum to 4 wonderful children the oldest is 15. We have just moved from a tiny 2 bedroom flat to a huge 4 bedroom town house, so all our bills have doubled but our incomes are still the same, luckily I had the sense to pay off our debts (not a lot but a lot for us) so this move has not been impossible but we still need to tighten our belts.

This morning I baked and filled the tins so that should fill a small hole in the childrens tummies and as I read through the new thread I sat and knitted a Xmas present.

Minihauk

Thanks for the welcome - it always seems friendly in here.
Not much happening in my world. W*rk, and plenty of it here.
Finished knitting a scarf using Lidl wool - it's lovely and cosy.

EstherH

Hi Katieowl, I started to read the first tough thread last night and noticed that you were having a really hard time then. Just wanted to say well done that you are still hanging in there. Glad your son got his bus fair sorted. Esther x

GreyQueen

maryb wrote: »

I've used mechanical timers no problem with table lamps with low energy bulbs. When we go away, I set a couple to come on for a few hours in the evening so it looks as if there is someone at home

Aha! My timers are mechanical ones, too. Thanks for that info, both of you.

Guess who is getting it's lightbulb switched tonight......it's Mr Uplighter......(Mr U joined me from a bit of wombling a number of years ago and is still going strong).

Mishmogs, my culinary mission tonight also involves turning bendy parsnips (3 in my case) into soup. Are you sure you haven't been down to Shoebox Towers and sneaked into my fridge?:D;)

:hello: Hello more new people including the gentleman. I am a perfectly well-behaved poster but some of the ladies up here.........! All I can say is that if they post linkies with tea-spitting advisory notices, you better believe them that there is something behind the link which will be memorable to say the least.:rotfl:

It's helpful to pick up some Acme Mind Bleach (currently on bog-off at a nonsupermarket near you) to have in-house for those moments when, although you know you probably shouldn't, you click thru an linkie............:eek:

OK, I've drivelled enough. I need to go trawl some c.s and whoopsie hunt and make soup and re-sew some sequins on my handbag........betcha never had me down as the type......:p.

Have a lovely lovely evening ladeez and gennelmen, no mucking up HJ's spanking new thread and I shall revist you tomorrow to enjoy the fun.

Kimsmum

Gone for a day and you move house on me:eek:
Well I spent all day yesterday going over and over trying to work out
how we are going to sort this bill we received out and pay it.

I have allowed £60 for food until the 15th Dec which is nine weeks .
But I have plenty of food in the freezer and cupboard.
So I have done a meal planner until then so the 60 should get me through. There is only the two of us.
I was paying as much as I could to the debt we have, but for now it will just have to be min payments. Until this is paid.

Have also spoke to everyone that we buy xmas presents for and told them they will all be getting homemade presents and cards.
Have some that go overboard with the presents and expect us to do the same. So have asked them not too as they will only be getting something small.
Was feeling down but came on and had a good laugh at the links that smileyt put up.:D
Also its nice to have somewhere to come and know people wont look down on you.:(

jamanda

Kimsmum wrote: »

Gone for a day and you move house on me:eek:
Well I spent all day yesterday going over and over trying to work out
how we are going to sort this bill we received out and pay it.

I have allowed £60 for food until the 15th Dec which is nine weeks .
But I have plenty of food in the freezer and cupboard.
So I have done a meal planner until then so the 60 should get me through. There is only the two of us.
I was paying as much as I could to the debt we have, but for now it will just have to be min payments. Until this is paid.

Have also spoke to everyone that we buy xmas presents for and told them they will all be getting homemade presents and cards.
Have some that go overboard with the presents and expect us to do the same. So have asked them not too as they will only be getting something small.
Was feeling down but came on and had a good laugh at the links that smileyt put up.:D
Also its nice to have somewhere to come and know people wont look down on you.:(

If people look down on you because you don't have any money, they aren't friends or even people you would want for friends.

Good luck - that is a very tiny budget.

katieowl_2

EstherH wrote: »

Hi Katieowl, I started to read the first tough thread last night and noticed that you were having a really hard time then. Just wanted to say well done that you are still hanging in there. Glad your son got his bus fair sorted. Esther x

Ha! Was that when I put my house on the market to solve all my problems and the market collapsed?! LOL!

Yes I'm 'hanging in there' the alternative isn't good though is it?

I'm so used to being frugal now that I don't think I could stop if I wanted to...I'm really glad we did manage to sell when we did though, we got knocked down loads on the house, but also got loads knocked off the house we bought so in the end everyone ended up with a house! The millstone that was the place in London (for lots of reasons) I was SO happy to shed, and although there are still things that aren't the way I'd choose them to be, not worrying about where the next mortgage payment is such utter luxury. We were one month of the OH's work running out when we finally sold.

[STRIKE]Currently - just for the record - I'm not even overdrawn. Shhhh......
[/STRIKE] Nope, won't say that...tempting providence.


Kate