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

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

Hi everyone, I havent read the thread all the way through but just wanted to join in (will catch up later..)

I am trying to cut things down a bit too as I have noticed price rises going through the roof, I bought 2 telegraphs today as they has £10 off a £60 spend (and will have tomorrow) and me and hubby went to Lidl and got 2 trolleys and filled up on cheap staples such as flour, tins, orange juice etc, stuff that keeps with a long sbd. I asked the guy behind the till to stop when he got to £60, whipped out the voucher and then started again! I am £16 up as the paper was £2 each so a good saving. I got 10 jars jam and 10 jars marmalade which is 84p and 54p and very good.

Storage is being sorted out too as pantry is now full! I have sorted out the spare bedroom and turned off the radiator and will just open the window in there in the mornings for circulation. I have put the extra stuff in there so hopefully will be ok for ages now.

I am definitely cutting down on everything and not buying much, energy companies got switched via quidco a few months ago and keeping things to a minimum for xmas too. The kids know that money is tight and are not expecting much but I have squirrelled away some bits and will give them money.

I have joined one of the savings challenges for the new year and thought if I can get in front with stocking up on stuff it will help me to save more.

I have set the thermostat too and got some knitted throws for the settees which I knitted with oddments, a packet of mince lasts us 4 for 3 days if I stick loads of extras in (red and green lentils, mung beans, aduki beans, porridge, carrots and celery) you're lucky if you get any meat on yer plate lol.

Rubber chicken tomorrow should last until wed and then back to the mince!

Good luck everyone, times are getting harder for everyone especially thise that are already broke. I feel for those who have lost their jobs with families.

short_bird

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Do you know why she fell - worn carpet or slippers or a health related issue? Just thought maybe the cause of her fall should be looked at as well.

I could be found on my knees rolling the corner of a rug at my Mum's yesterday: as I'd caught my foot on it twice on the way through from the kitchen, I knew something had to be done to flatten it out. Before you ask: there is no way she'd be persuaded to get rid of the rug, even though it isn't really needed as she had the coal fire replaced so doesn't need a second layer to protect the carpet. Some battles you just can't win, especially with parents.:o

ETA: and I'm sitting in front of this computer wearing 2 hooded tops with both hoods up, for some reason, I'm really nesh today.

icontinuetodream

onion soup simmering....freezer full of chopped raw onions, onion tart in the oven, onion bread cooking in breadmaker and chutney cooling...eyes not sure that they still exist and hoping that I haven't completely messed up the bread as finished my bottle of wine and may have got the measurements slightly squiffy!!! :eek::D still have about a third of a bag of onions left, but really can't do anything else...no-one else dare venture into the kitchen because of their eyes so hopefully it will stay clean for the rest of the day!!!!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

kidcat

Short bird - I used to double sided tape all my grandads rugs along corners and edges to keep them flat. My dad also found carpet tape to match one rug colour and used that to tape one down.

lizzyb1812

Kimsmum wrote: »

She got new glasses during the week and she said she feels they are too strong, she said she just missed the step, so i am taking her back to the optician on monday for him to have alook at them.

Are they varifocals? My optician warned me that in the beginning I should be sure to lower my head when going downstairs until I got used to them.

lizzyb1812

prepareathome wrote: »

Now that is somewhere I never thought of, just think of all that space going to waste, mmmm wonder how easy it will be to remove the wood.......
:T:T
I admit I have books everywhere including a big pile in bathroom they survive fine.

If they are anything like mine they will be held on by plastic clips that grip the legs of the units - I got mine off fairly easily. I've got stuff in plastic boxes in the spaces but would like to find either plinth drawers or boxes with lids - have to be under 15cm/6".

SavingFreak74

Thank you for the welcome. Apparently we can only have 6k in savings but we have quite a bit more than this. We are lucky atm but really need to get some work within the next 3-4 months. Like I said we are frugal with our money but just don't want the dwindling to much. I think we've chopped everything that we can. I managed to get a load of stewing lamb last week, so will make some stews and soups this week in the slow cooker. Have tins of kidney beans and black eye beans so can pad out with these. Have a lot of chicken pieces too, so can make some curry up to portion for the freezer also. I'm aiming on cutting food bill to £30 per week after coupons or voucher codes.

prepareathome

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

If they are anything like mine they will be held on by plastic clips that grip the legs of the units - I got mine off fairly easily. I've got stuff in plastic boxes in the spaces but would like to find either plinth drawers or boxes with lids - have to be under 15cm/6".

I know when they put the kitchen in it units sat on the legs till everything else was finished and then guy went round on his knees putting the wood, didn't take him long so is likely to be clips. Will check and if so measure the space. I have seen very low boxes in B&M for under low divans so if they are not to wide they might just be right height, oh got me all excited and would be food out of hubbys site, he is complaining of seeing food everywhere in study. He takes me shopping so wouldn't be as if he didn't know I bought it, but if can put some there, then can buy more without him moaning about my stash.

Thinking about this made me think where else haven't I thought and there is the little cupboard under the stairs where gas meter lives, there is a big space that goes right to bottom step and nothing in there, so would be room for not cans as its an awkward place to reach but maybe bottles of water as even if they end up out of date they can be used for washing up or garden........mmmmmmmmmmm where else now, main part understairs is full of bits and bobs that we cannot put anywhere else so no room there, oh got me thinking now where else. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I to feel food in house is better than money in the bank. I was telling my doctor what I am doing the other week as she asked how we would manage if I didn't get ESA, and was there any way she could help, she is good that way, as I know she wishes she could cure me and cannot so wants to help. She had a think about buying food instead of saving the money and agreed it was a very sensible idea, can see her passing it on to other patients. Can imagine her now stocking up, as she only works part time as divorced so her income will not be that high although much more than what most of us have on here as she is a partner in the surgery - she was a surgeon but became a GP when she wanted to have children and now on her own.

prepareathome

Brisket can be reasonable - I got what I thought was 6lbs in butchers last week for £17 and asked butcher to cut it up into 6 portions and when I defrosted a piece to have yesterday I weighed it and it was just over 2lbs so that means I bought around 12kgs for the money. I get days like that when don't know what I was doing as I was asking money wise for amounts not weight. So we had some last night, and some tonight as I adore it so that was 24 meat part of meals for £17. I think if that is his prices I can justify going to him every week if money to tight to buy a large amount of meat at once. Cooked in SC its so tender and moist and not much shrinkage.

Lentils are great for padding out and they don't actually taste of anything, barley also is nice in a stew. Check out recipes on here, its amazing just how far you can make a meal go especially one that is sauce based, but I do it with gravy based ones as well as the thick gravy ( I blitz it with a handblender, easier than getting processor out and so cheap and worth the money). SC is also worth its weight in gold, I have two )

It is frightening just how quickly savings can disappear so well done being frugal a lot of people if made redundant will take the money and blow it on a massive holiday, known many like that.

nannygladys

I have just had a chq back from changing G&E suppliers so shops here I come for tins, tins, tins!!!!! Plenty of storage since dd's left home so no
problem there.

Was in Sainsbugs today and noticed their basics range has gone up, well the tinned toms have anyway!!!!