A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

elizabunny

Hi Scrabbles Thanks for the tip about eucalyptus oil I didn't know about that.

Hi Mardatha I like porridge with salt but DH gave me a very strange look and said he was going back to milk and sugar tomorrrow. I will persevere:D

Hi Mrsspoon I am sure you will find this thread friendly and helpful. So sorry for your situation but you are not alone as many face similar challenges and at least here you can offload and get some tips as well.

PS I love making bread its makes me feel thrifty especially when you see the price of it at the supermarket and it tastes so much better too.

scrabbles_2

Hi Mrs Spoon. You poor thing, that must have taken a lot of courage to post, you are being very brave. I don't blame you for being frustrated, your husband doesn't seem to be facing up to things at all. I'm not very good at giving advice on this kind of thing, but I have just had THE TALK with my other half, it was about saving rather paying things off but it's the same sort of thing. I asked him whether his only dream in life was to sit in front of the cable TV, drink beer and eat takeaway. And of course he admitted that he wanted more from life. Then I said, right, well spending all our money doing that is getting in the way of doing the things we really want to do, so can we stop spending on these things please? And for the first time ever HE GOT IT! And he's being pretty good about it, and seems to have turned over a new leaf, and the best thing is he feels that we've both decided it instead of me nagging. So maybe try that approach? It beats my usual approach anyway (getting annoyed and shouty and starting an argument. Doesn't work very well at all, that one).

JIL

I am just posting this link as some of you may qualify and not know about this. It was announced in the budget and its the warm home discount scheme. It is a credit of £120 made towards people fitting certain criteria, but as its from the electricity company each company have different criteria, some people will get it automatically as the DWP will let them know but some will have to apply.

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/funding/whds/whd_broader/whd_broader.aspx

meme30

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

It's getting more difficult to maintain what people have come to take for granted as a standard of living, but, just because we have had to be sensible about what our wages will do doesn't mean we are living in poverty. When you look back to the 1950's and 60's (If you are old enough like me) we didn't have even a quarter of the things most families feel hard done by if they haven't got. I can remember getting the first fridge we ever had in 1961 and feeling we were posh. I can remember the first time I could offer a friend tea or coffee - it was a real treat for us then. We didn't get central heating until the mid 70's but I really don't remember feeling cold or hard done by because we were all in the same boat. It was the same with things like sweets and going out to the cinema etc. we didn't go as often because we just didn't have the spare cash but we enjoyed things all the more for that. People are very adaptable and we will manage but it won't be easy and we are all here to help in whatever way we can and from all your posts more than willing to do so.

You are right about this. Both DH and I grew up in families with little money to live and none to spare! Using leftovers and being frugal were second nature to our Mothers.
As times got easier for us we just spent more and bought things we 'fancied!' Result was that we got into a mess and after following the credit card and fix it loan method the mess got bigger! :eek:
We are lucky, we are on the same page as far as not spending money now. We help each other by stopping the other ones flight of fancying 'things'.:rotfl: We will get everyone paid off eventually and it will be by hard work and not a quick fix!
I do worry about our DD's and their families. They did not live through the 70's and have never experienced a recession like this. It's a 18 months since one asked me how long would a recession last for! They all work, have their own homes and are lucky in what they have got. They are used to spending money, and things will have to change. They have small children and I remember how hard it is to see your child have less than their friends. This is the hard lesson I know that they will have to learn. As a parent you want the best for your children and they have yet to learn that the 'best' is not a bought thing. They are good at getting the best deals for things like insurance and utilities. Both are good home cooks and often cook from scratch. Still I worry ....It's a Mam thing:D

gailey_2

Morning guys

hectic weekend here.

looks like rain and quite cold here today
Hubbys working all day.

banished kids to watch tv in bedroom or play upstairs as enjoying some pice downstairs and toddler keeps upsetting baby brother just got him to sleep and she woke him up again.

Hes so mobile now but keeps falling down and bumping his head on laminate not sure what to do apart from baby crash helmut as he wouldent stay on a rug.

Trying to catch up on weeks of recorded programmes.


really need to get some house stuff done today
bath all 3kiddies
sort my scary fraggle hair.

got 6packs on offer mince in lilds lastnight so batchcook shepards pie for tonight and chilli for the week as cant do lasagane has dont have all the bits.

must meal plan next 7-10days.
meat to derost gammon but forgot aroom temp you think be ready to cook by tonight?

Hubby annoyed me rang this morning to ask if took tenner out of his wallet!
then he remembered he broiught fags with it at garage this morning!

would never just take? but relived numptyt hasent lost a tenner.

Hes been fine after chicken incident thankfully.

yesterday was manic as

hubby took baby to gym class he loved it!
we went asda living for party pressies, wrap and cards seems best price tried boots but nothing in there and self serve tills drive me mad.

Braved the nct sale at college but had to wait outside half an hour as members 1st.
that dident give me much time as had to leave at 1.30 as had to be at birthday party no1 in nearby town.

Anyway was usual manicness. took look at clothes but mostly overpriced and dident have time to get proper look so dident get much.

But hit toy section 1st as part new organised me.
I have birthday lists and xmas lists for this year.

eldest is 6next month-already brought 2pressies.
baby is 1 in April got him another pressie off my list the elc my first tool bench so thats pressie no 2 as won something on ebay last week as april we start paying council tax anbd small car needs taxing so feels good to spread the cost.

I really cant see point of buying all kids toys brand new as preschool toys can wear quite well and kids fickle somethings get hardly played with.
As boring as kids think I always get part clothhes as their birthdayh gift which one freind thinks is wrong as she reckons clothes are a given and shouldent be a pressie with basics maybe but for nicer stuff dont see any harm in being a pressie.

so by 1st april aim is to be done with babys pressies hes 1 on the 7th april.
but my mum and best mates birthday also april.

eldests 6th will get few bits last min as next payday 15th and her birthdays the 17th.

Once babys birtdays over carboots start at easter so can start shopping for toddlers 3rd birthday in september and xmas 2012.


with 3kids buying throughout year seems best option and cheaper than saving vouchers and buying all brand new.

For me with growing family the challange is to keep living standards up by shopping around.
But its getting harder, papers recdkon this biggest squeeze in living standards since 30,s.
Watching news this morning and some councils freezing council tax others rise hoping mine stays the same.

I need to find a way to help numpty with car tax as both cars need taxing over next few months.
worried about mot.

I know what you mean about kids getting less and cinima is £7 a ticket now. we smuggle in drinks, sweets and sainsburys basic popcorn.Family days out cost small fortune most of time we

go big park with picnic.
do different parks
swimming but even that can work out pricey about £12 for 4

legoland cost £70 last year and that was with 1 free pass.

Our local zoos mad price of £30+for 4 is bad as they dont have many animals.
zoofarm fab but pricey last year won a family day out in raffle and at xmas fayre won another family day out to mini railways so thats one day out planned but realistically couldent afford more than 4family days out a year that cost a lot. rest of times its park and beach with occasional swimming, softplay and kids cinima cost £1.

need to stocktake cupboards and freezer today.still got so much bread.

are food mixers worth it? are they better than blenders?
lusting for mini blender and tefal jam maker.

Welcome newbies

Hope everyones ok.

boultdj

SDG31000 wrote: »

The problem is that we don't have the first clue where to begin. It's very heavy clay soil and the only thing we have successfully grown is ivy that is threatening to turn triffid like. I would love to grow fruit and veg, but every attempt so far has failed.
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My Mum and Gran had heavy clay soil, and what did well for them was blackcurrent's,rhubarb,gooseberrie's, runner bean's, potatoe's and pea's the dried one' you get to do your own mushy pea's pea's alway's planted in three's, 1 to grow,1 for the bird's and 1 for luck is what they use to say as they planted 'em hth

scrabbles_2

Wow Gailey you sound like the duracell bunny! You must be a very busy person to get all of that done. About the gammon - if you put it in the bottom of a heavy saucepan or oven tray it will defrost quicker. Because the metal will conduct the coldness away quicker than the air (or something). Anyway, it works!

I have heavy clay soil. The good news is that if you can get plants to 'take' to it, you'll never need to tend them again, not even to water them, not even in a drought. But the bad news is, it's hard to get them to 'take' in the first place. The 'garden' bit of our garden is left to its own devices and was all planted up before we moved in. The 'allotment' part we ended up putting in raised beds. One tip I have heard is to grow potatoes in the clay the first year as they will break it up nicely for you. But I've never tried it myself.

It's very chilly today. I am feeling quietly pleased as OH is sat with his dressing gown on over his clothes. A few weeks ago he'd certainly have been sat there in a T shirt with the heating on full blast. :T I'm not going to mention it to him but well done OH!

gailey_2

Im flailing and done not much.

kids happily watching films and making mess in lounge

have entered 10comps aim was to enter 10 a day 70a week im so behind
keep meaning to keep it up then get dishearted as never win .

have looked on ebay for pushbike as that be money saving as can get to supermarket easily for reductions or go carboot minis whiney kids/hubby want ladies ione with basket and maybe storage on the back.

Baby keeps slipping on laminate

have found baby crash helmut online as seen on apprentice and debating if its just plain crazy?

also shoes clarks startrite cruising/crawling shoes a crazy 20-25quid!
How can this be? its like rip off monolpoly.its less fabric surly.
Plus toddlers newish trainers well nov 25quid getting bit harder to put on:mad:

I could look on ebay but 1st would still need hell of dragging baby and toddler to shoe shop be measured.
No high streets seem to have shoe shops these days.,
might go brantano at retail park.They not much cheaper but can least get them measured.

wish i had looked at nct sale yesterday but was totally mad.
enjoying a day doing very little.
suns out so might go feed the ducks hell even splash out on sunday paper which normally takes me all week to read!

Hope everyones having nice relaxing sunday

smileyt_2

Hello everyone, and welcome Scrabbles and MrsSpoons. MrsSpoons, have you tried posting on the debtfreewannabee forum? They will ask you to do a statement of incomings and outgoings and then they may be able to make some suggestions on what you can cut down or change. Some of them can be a bit blunt but overall they seem to be a helpful bunch and they are all, or have been, in the same boat so they know what you are going through. But do stay on here and join in with us too!

I've gone a bit mad in the sales and bought a Kobo e-reader. However I see it as an investment. It arrived yesterday and I've already read one and a half books! And I borrowed three library books all without leaving the house! You don't need an e-reader to borrow library books - you can download software (Adobe Digital Editions) onto your computer and then borrow ebooks by downloading them to your computer and read them using this software. I thought that might be a good tip for anyone who struggles to get out, or is a long way from their local library. I was competely blown away by how easy and instant it was! I can also 'drag and drop' pdf's to the kobo, which means I can catch up on documents I need to read for the tenants' panel meetings I attend in any idle moments I get at work.

Actually you can get Kindle for pc and Kobo pc applications (or iphone apps) and download free ebooks. Apparently there are a million free ebooks out there. Admittedly some are a little obscure (Dutch farming methods in the 15th century, anyone?) but a lot of the classics are there and hey, it's free!

I feel guilty about my Kobo, but then I scrimp and scrape on so many other things and, like PAH, this will be the last treat of the year because in another month I will be really skint as soon as my reduced hours at work kick in. So I thought it's now or never, really. I don't have a tv anymore so I guess six months' worth of that will pay for the Kobo (and my mind will be much broader for reading more!).

Right, off to do some housework. I wish I was like Mrs Weasley in Harry Potter, and could just wave a magic wand!:rotfl:

westcoastscot

Hi smiley, can you point me in the direction of more info about reading library books on an e-reader? I've been swithering whether to buy one or not - my daughter loves hers - but would love access to a larger library
Thanks

WCS