On the brassic bench and loving it!

Living_proof

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Getting brassicer by the day, hubby has been told there are problems at work & wages are being cut, we are waiting to hear the full details but it looks like he's losing about 25%, oh joy, just what we need.

Sorry to hear that Hester, but you and I both know that you will get through it and come out the other side wiser but wearier. It has been the same throughout history - this is the third recession I have been through and may not be the last. Think positive of the 75% of wages you will still have and just keep making minor adjustments and you will be fine.

candygirl

Living_proof wrote: »

Sorry to hear that Hester, but you and I both know that you will get through it and come out the other side wiser but wearier. It has been the same throughout history - this is the third recession I have been through and may not be the last. Think positive of the 75% of wages you will still have and just keep making minor adjustments and you will be fine.

I knowshe will be fine.She's a tough un:D:D

dangers

I thought it was only the locals that called Weston that! We were there today buying my son's birthday present - a new bike!

Hardup_Hester

We have a lot of coping strategies in place.
I have piles of HM quilts & blankets around so we don't put the heating on, I don't use my TD ever, hubby grows most of our veg in our very small back garden.
I buy largish joint from the butcher, slice them thinly, bag in small quantities & freeze. I usually manage to get a large ham & large rolled turkey reduced to less than half price after Christmas, they usually last as Sunday roasts until Easter. I know my butcher well & ask him what's cheap, lol.
I cook everthing from scratch even though I'm often knackered after being on my feet all day, sometimes on a Sunday I cook enough meals to last 2 or 3 days, that makes it a bit easier. One day a week we have 'on toast' for tea, beans or egg, it's cheap & filling.
I walk through the door after work & straight into the kitchen & start cooking, if I sat down I wouldn't get up again & start.
Hubby is a big meat eater, he does a strenuous outdoor job, so if there isn't much meat I go without, this isn't a hardship, I love pulses & vegetables.
I pad out mince with oats, lentils & grated onion, carrot & celery as well if it's not too expensive.
We eat old fashioned food, cottage pie, casserole, rissoles, sausage & mash, liver & bacon etc. I make jam & marmalade & HM soup & waste very little. I buy chicken & pork a lot as they are often cheap & I can make a small chicken last most of the week.
I spend time with my grandchildren, baking etc, I don't spend much money on them & when I do it's on food, milk, eggs & a bag of fruit once a fortnight & the occasional box of cereal. I give very few Christmas presents, partly as I celebrate Yule & not Christmas, lol. I make as many as I can, this year, Mobius scarves & mittens. I buy gifts from ebay, this year, the current foster grand daughter is in to Barbie, I was given a Barbie train & have a couple of dolls from ebay. My grandaughter is into her baby doll, so I'm knitting & sewing dolls clothes for her. I don't know what the 2 boys want yet, they are 6 & 7. I have bought hubby a pair of slippers as he attacked his last pair with the strimmer.
I give as much as I can to friends, neighbours, colleagues & family, I give a listening ear, a jar of jam, a few cakes or biscuits, a recipe, a few hints on how to save money, in return they give me anything they don't want & I pass it on to someone who can use it.
We will keep battling on, but I just wish it wasn't such a battle all the time.
Hester

LameWolf

Hester you are an inspiration!:beer: Do I remember rightly, that you sometimes have canine guests to stay? I have one at the moment, but sadly she's going home tomorrow.

I'm another who celebrates Yule, not Christmas; but we stopped with the present-giving lark some years back, when Mr LW was out of work for 11 months, and we carefully haven't ever restarted it again.;)

Hardup_Hester

Hi LameWolf,
Yes I dog sit when I can, but only during the holidays as I wouldn't leave a dog alone all day, I miss them when they leave.
I did a big shop last week, £101 I filled my larder cupboard & that included all the stuff I needed to feed the whole family who visited for my birthday. This week I spent under £10, all I bought was some chilli sausages from the butcher, a loaf for hubby's packups, mushrooms & potatoes, I have stuff in the freezer enough for this week.
This weeks meals will be
Jerk chicken & rice (leftovers from my birthday)
Cottage pie & spag bol, both made from one pack of mince.
Steak & Kidney
Sausage & mash
Next week I need to go to the butchers again if my car is working. I need to order my turkey, if you spend over £50 the butchers give a 10% discount, so I will stock up when I collect the turkey.
Would you believe it, the starter motor has packed up on my car. I'm praying for a few dry days as my shoes sprung a leak last week & I shall be walking to work for a while. DS is getting a price for the part & we'll make a decision once we know the costs involved & I have packed a couple of pairs of spare socks in my handbag in case my feet get wet.
Hugs Hester

LameWolf

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Hi LameWolf,
Yes I dog sit when I can, but only during the holidays as I wouldn't leave a dog alone all day, I miss them when they leave.

Absolutely right; of course, I'm retired from work (kicked out of the Civil Service on medical grounds *rolleyes*) so I'm here the whole time.

I love weeks when I spend little or nothing on groceries; often I have to ask Mr LW to pop to Morries in Letchworth in his lunch break, and I think I'm now getting him trained to take advantage of BOGOFs and special offers, and to compare prices per unit/per 100gram or whatever, not just pack price, iyswim.:)

He was absolutely shocking when we first got together, he would chuck anything in the trolley, usually branded stuff, and never mind he was paying through the nose; nine years of me saying "I'm not paying that sort of money" is starting to rub off.:rotfl:

Bitsy_Beans

So in order to save money I've spent £130 today :eek: bought a lovely shiny Remoska so it had better earn it's keep. I know there is a thread on OS all about them so that's my homework to read that :rotfl:

Went food shopping this morning, spent just under £50 so happy with that. Bought in addition to my usual chicken, two chicken leg pieces from Aldi for 99p. Would make a cheap meal for the four of us so will of course be layering this up in my new gadget

candygirl

Oooooh hope you enjoy the remoska hun.I seriously can't fit any more gadgets in my kitchen, but wouldn't mind one:D:D
Are you feeling any better today?:D

Bitsy_Beans

candygirl wrote: »

Oooooh hope you enjoy the remoska hun.I seriously can't fit any more gadgets in my kitchen, but wouldn't mind one:D:D
Are you feeling any better today?:D

Yes I am although I have reaffirmed my belief that I hate shopping