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

silvasava

GreyQueen wrote: »

One thing stockpiling has made me more aware of (apart from the storage capacity of one standard double bed ) is how much I use of an item. I use 1 litre of cooking oil and 1 kilo of porridge oats a month, for instance. It helps me manage the best-before dates if I know how much I'll be using. Out of curiousity, I stuck a date on the back of a deodorant to see how long it takes to use that up, too.

Yeah, I know; oughtta get out more.

OOhhh GQ - so glad I'm not the only one!! I prefer a stick deodorant & for some reason they only sell small ones in the UK - on the continent they're twice the size & one lasts me three months (yeah - I checked yesterday). I'm going to a wedding abroad at the end of the month and I shall be bringing back as many deo's as my case will hold - dont know what customs will think of me :rotfl:smelly tart!

Mrs_Chip

Morning Chaps!

TMI warning:

:rotfl:@ Short_Bird - yes they were a problem. Yuk yuk yuk !!! What on earth possesses people to sit on the toilet picking their nose then wiping it on the wall :eek::eek::eek:!!!! !!!!!! - There are rolls of paper a grab away!!!!

But nooo.... that was not the worst of it.... :eek:_pale_


Lovely sunny morning but freezing so I will go up to the garden when the sun is on it. I have made a big pot of potato and mushroom curry this morning, and just about to make some Welsh Cakes - OH can take some back to London for the neighbour who keeps an eye on the house, and some for Mr & Mrs OG.

The mini greenhouse sits nicely on the windowsill of the dining room (nice deep sills as the walls are very thick), so with a little bit of heat (it is perishing cold in there, the room is not heated at all and the window is single-glazed) the seeds should do fine.

Re deodorants - I use 'pit rock' type things. They are a bit more expensive to buy, £4.50 I think the last one was, but seems to last for ever. And I think they work fine:rotfl:.

Happy brithday Bruno, hope you get nice treat for your tea!

GFN123

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I have a theory about men and lavatory-paper. I have done some research but not extensive. This is from observation rather than cross-examining total strangers, you understand. Even I'd be too ashamed to do that.

Men wrap TP round and round their hands several times for each use. They have to get at least ten layers of paper between their hands and the Other Dirty Place. Chuck it and then wind again. None of that stingy folding-it-in-half crack-pot and dangerous business. This is the reason why men, who only use the WC when visiting for A Certain Purpose Alone, use almost roll a day while the ladies who use it for every single visit use about half of that or much less.

:rotfl::rotfl:

Hilarious! Good theory too. I think observing OH on the loo is a step too far, but there's definitely something in what you've said

(Late) good morning to everyone.

Happy Birthday Bruno Dog - so glad to hear he is back and OK. My best friend's dog is going in for investigations and potentially surgery today. I'm just waiting to hear now.

My other friend (the TV addict) moves in today, but we took in his lovely Dolly-Cat yesterday to give him space to finish packing etc. She is sooooo adorable. Bold and curious and playful. She kept leaping into bed with us and demanding fuss and cuddles. Eventually she snuggled down for a while and it was just fab to be lain beside a loudly purring cat.

Well, despite now struggling with a horrible cold (awful timing) I had some very good news yesterday - I have a job interview on Monday :jI don't think I stand much chance, as it's for a MUCH more senior position that mine, but the interview will be great experience nonetheless. If (big IF!) by some fateful chance they offered it to me, it would be a 50% pay rise which is too much to contemplate! But of course I am already working out how we'd be better off and even I]whispers[/I how much I could save, as we'd still live frugally but finally be able to put something away.

And last night, OH bought the Groupon voucher for Ocado - £39 including £40 worth of shopping and free midweek deliveries for a year. I used to use them, and now every week they send me quite good discount vouchers so our aim is to utlise those plus our free delivery to supplement getting essentials from Aldi. Hopefully this will drive down our shopping bill as well They have 25% off all their meat at the moment and the prices seem pretty keen, I just wish I had a bigger freezer as ours is full so can't take advantage.

Anyway, apart from the rotten cold I feel pretty bouncy today. It's seriously cold, but very sunny which is helping. I have my work-subsidised Pilates class soon. The first was last week and I really enjoyed it, so going to sniffle my way through!

I hope everyone else manages to have a good day, lots of thoughts and hugs to anyone in need

scrabbles_2

smileyt wrote: »

Awww, Scrabbles, sorry to hear about your cat. xx

Don't be! He's doing okay, we have to make sure he can't scratch and bite at his tumour and he does have bad patches, but he's got to a fair old age now and over all he's enjoying life In fact, he's spoilt even more rotten because of it. The tumour has got bigger and meaner looking over time but we cover it over and just don't think about it (the cat now wears little jumpers, which look very fetching on him, although it makes me look like the kind of mad cat lady who dresses her pets up ) The vet told us, take him home and enjoy life together - you'll all know when it's time. So that's exactly what we've done. Sadly, if you have a pet you do have to accept that you will lose it one day. At least this reminds us to make the most of our time together.

:bdaycake: Happy Birthday Bruno! _party_

GreyQueen wrote: »

We had a wee scrap of a cat, very affectionate, who once had to have 2 surgeries in 3 days. The vet kept her overnight after the second on a heat pad and when we collected her, warned that she might be mentally-confused for a while and bite or scratch. She didn't, bless her heart, just fell deeply and profoundly asleep in my arms, zonked like an exhausted kitten, and woke up much restored.

You've reminded me. the last time Mittens had an anaesthetic they told us, oh, he won't want to eat for a day or two, but that's normal. Normal for who? I wondered. The cat is like me, he never loses his appetite. When we got him back he staggered around like a drunkard looking for his bowls, before eventually giving me the most contemptuous look a cat could give. Oi, mum, I had a teensy run in with the cat doctor, that's all. Where's my dinner? And then he munched down a whole sachet of Whiskas :rotfl:

GreyQueen wrote: »

One thing stockpiling has made me more aware of (apart from the storage capacity of one standard double bed ) is how much I use of an item. I use 1 litre of cooking oil and 1 kilo of porridge oats a month, for instance. It helps me manage the best-before dates if I know how much I'll be using. Out of curiousity, I stuck a date on the back of a deodorant to see how long it takes to use that up, too.

Yeah, I know; oughtta get out more.

I do this too. But I write down how long the last one lasted and compete with myself to make this one last longer.

GreyQueen wrote: »

I'm sort-of regarding thrifting as a bit of a science project. I guess can you rant and rail about having less money than your peers/ your past/ your sense of entitlement/ whatever, and I'm all for a bit of a whinge from time to time, but ultimately it gets you nowhere. So I'm girding my loins and getting on with it............:rotfl:

I look upon it as a personal challenge - I still have all the enthusiasm of the newly converted I have always done some thrifty things but now my personal obsession is to prove how well I can live for as little as possible. I really don't think I have less than even my wealthier friends and family members - most people I know are up to their eyeballs in debt so lifestyle is not a reliable indication of affluence anyway.

Edited to add: GOOD LUCK! GFN123

shegar

D&DD wrote: »

Happy Birthday Bruno XX
Hope he has a great day Smiley

I've been up since stupid o'clock already done 2 loads of washing,OH wants DS2 to go to town every week as I've never been so tidy lol.

Washed out the hallway yesterday then decided it wasn't clean enough so have stripped the wallpaper and will be redecorating it today

I got the sardines for 43p sorry GQ they were reduced by 12p a can

Will catch up with all the news later my paintbrush beckons have a great day all X

Ive started my hallway, but its 28 foot long by 4 foot wide so its not a mornings job, my neighbour is a retired electrician so labour dont cost me too much, he has just gone home for his lunch so im having a sandwich and thought id pop on here to see how you are all doing ..........
Im having 14 spotlights put up and keep the 2 hanging lights that ive already got up..........Then the decorating will start, plus Ive got 10 doors which lead off from the hall and they will need undercoating then glossing up then ive got the dado rail ,skirting boards, and ceiling to do, using Dulux Pale Citrus matt emulsion against white gloss should look nice and light and airy..................

God that makes it sounds as though I will be 2 weeks at it, but my son is going to do the walls and ceilings so that will help me so much...................I think winter is the best time to decorate as its normally too cold to go outside in the garden all day so I may as well get stuckin.......Good job ive got no ornaments in the hall apart from one sideboard and a telephone table.................

Super sunny today but so dam cold again a lovely drying day for the washing, ive let my hens out until tea time to have a good scratch about...............Smiley T glad your dog is doing okay ........Well its back to the decorating now and catch you all later........

Byatt

Love all your positive pet tales . My Bess has a malignant tumour and I was devastated at first, but it's slow growing and she is great in herself; doesn't believe she should slow down at all.

Happy Birthday Bruno; hope you have a lovely pie to eat!

Quite excited, bounded round to the garage to top up my electric, and thye had a walking leaflet for the village; asked how much and it was free. Yay. Just looked through it and there are circular walks starting off at a litle over 2 miles. One is part of the Fosse Way, so going to start there and build up.

Any tips on what to take with me? Also any safety tips as will be walking alone.

GQ your philsophy " I'm sort-of regarding thrifting as a bit of a science project. I guess can you rant and rail about having less money than your peers/ your past/ your sense of entitlement/ whatever, and I'm all for a bit of a whinge from time to time, but ultimately it gets you nowhere. So I'm girding my loins and getting on with it............"

is excellent and a timely reminder for me...Well done on the job interview GFN.

Bobbykins

Good [STRIKE]Morning[/STRIKE] Afternoon toughies! I started typing this this morning then got a bit sidetracked (oops).

So sorry to hear about all with poorly pets. We lost our old soldier (14 year old border collie) just before Christmas, they really take a huge chunk of your heart don't they?

Will be keeping my fingers crossed for your job interview GFN123 .

I am a very cuddly build and am told my hugs are worth having so huge ((((hugs)))) to all in need or any who want one.

It's payday!! :D:D:D thanks goodness. We have managed really well eating out of the cupboards/freezer in January but I really do need to do some shoppnig now. We still have a fair bit in stock but I'm at the stage where I've got about two-thirds of the ingredients for about 20 meals and can't make a single one because of some missing ingredient or other....I've tried to be imaginative but even I can't conjure up an omelette without eggs.:rotfl::rotfl:

Earlier, I think in this thread, there was some discussion about why people either need or choose to be OS. Like Scrabbles, for us it is more of a lifestyle choice, I think. We are fortunate that it isn't yet an absolute necessity for us but we do need to budget carefully and choose to try to put a little money by for the odd luxury.

OH and I have reached a decision which will challenge the purse strings a bit this year. We are lucky enough to be able to holiday in our caravan but have found that petrol costs, when towing, have put up the cost of even a short holiday to ridiculous amounts. We haven't had a non-caravan holiday for 10 years but worked out that for what it cost us to have our one week in Scotland last year we could almost had a week abroad somewhere. So, we have decided to take the plunge and book a week in Italy. We are now squeezing the pennies to make sure we have the money together in time.

We find that working for a specific goal helps us to stick to our budgeting without feeling we are "doing without" or feeling we are poor. Do any of you other peeps find that helps or do you have other ways of dealing with it?

Well, I've wittered on enough about nothing really so I best get off and get back to the meal plan and then the shopping.

Have a good day all.

gardenia101

Brrrr! Just got back from doing my weekly dog walk for a lovely lady with a somewhat overweight dog - think it will take me ages to thaw out even though I was wearing thermal top, gloves & fetching cat. Plus my ski jacket & scarf :rotfl:

Obstinate dog accepted my offer of a walk to the park today (wasn't having any of it last week) but she dug her paws in when I tried to take her around the park. She'd spotted the car park attendent & made a beeline for him. I'd been warned that she likes men but for a small dog she's suprisingly strong & drags you off when she's spotted one! We also had to stop by the council roadsweeper for some fuss, then on to two gardners .... what a tart! Thankfully all the local men know her by now & are quite happy to give her a pat. She'll tolerate being fussed by women, especially if they might have food.

That is my good deed for today (although I don't limit myself to just one) & even though it was jolly cold, it was lovely & bright & I feel loads better for getting out & about. I'm back in my fleece pjs (got quite muddy on walk) with a fleece scarf on & a fleece blanket over my knese - there is a theme here . Making another teas to warm my hands while I go back & catch up - hope everyone else it warm & comfortable today.

BitterAndTwisted

I'd like to see a photo of this fetching cat. I've never found them in the least compliant.

It's very chilly indoors, I think the temp dropped from 11 degrees to 10 overnight but the heating will not be going on until this evening, if at all. I've been doing some rather vigorous cleaning jobs and the kitchen is sparkling. Or rather, it was until I got stuck in to some cooking. Once I've tidied up I'll be doing something with that kilo of plums I snatched at Tesc0 for thirty pence. If I'm going to poach them should I blanch them first?

Talking about pets and being a slave to their whims and well-being I have just popped a hot-water bottle in its cosy cover in my little cat's bed up on top of the wardrobe. He's now draped over it like it's his birthday or something.

Now tell me, why is it when you have a pet, particularly cats, that others think you'd like your house stuffed with cat-motifs on everything imaginable? I even have two pusscat doorstops of unbelievable ugliness which I can't quite bring myself to get shot of because they were well-intentioned gifts from people who think they know me well. Shall I take them outside and burn them?

ginnyknit

Isnt it funny how something new can inspire you? OH saw me looking at a Rachel Allen mixing bowl in the sale at Mr T last week, I was muttering to myself at the time 'sooo pretty, cant justify it blah blah' When I turned round he was heading to the till with it. Its perfect size for muffin mixing and is still sooo pretty :rotfl:

Have been busy today after losing all of yesterday to a migraine, reckon all the stress needed to come out and, like Vesuvius, I erupted

Luckily I had made tea for Monday on Sunday, trusty slo cooker! Today I have sausage casserole in cooker with dozen scones and a dozen muffins ready to go in next. Ham shank bubbling in the aforementioned slo cooker and now I have run out of energy. Of course the sausages were whoopised and the veg is from my stash of dehydrated peppers and carrots. the fruit in the scones was lying around needing to be used and the flour was whoopsied too - very rare commodity - and I threw a punnet of blueberries in the muffins from the freezer. So all in all some very cheap meals. Need it now DS has moved back as he is a hungry lad, he happily took leftover hash for his lunch today - I think he has missed his Mums leftovers lol