make do and mend for tougher times

Possession

I was just looking for Christmas hamper recipes and found this:
http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/easy-food-gifts/12

I thought of you, Kittie and Pops!

Pooky

I'm a big believer in insurance, was always told mortgage/rent, council tax and insurance get paid before anything else. I've seen friends in bits when they've had stuff stolen and no money to replace it, I've seen the effect that floods have had, be them acts of (insert deity of choice here)/mother nature or internal plumbing defects (we had a toilet on the 2nd floor thats waste pipe cracked suddenly and deposited gack down through my then toddlers bedroom ceiling which caused it to collapse - the assessor had everything removed due to sewage damage).

Please, please, please shop around and get some!

prepareathome

Hi and welcome stella and Barry love to meet new people.

Stella I am so sorry to hear news, it stinks it really does, to many good people are being dumped on the scrapheap these days oh makes me soooooo mad.

Well after my machete adventure this morning so far no sign of infection which is good.

I have been extremely lucky today on freegle ( been extremely lucky past few weeks since i got that portpotty, as got 40 tealights the other day and today hubby was sent off to pick up a ceanothus plant ( Californian Lilac) and it is sitting at side of house to be put in ground as soon as I can muster the energy ( might be double dose of meds again but no machetes involved this time only spade - note to self wear thick boots so not to chop off toes ) and yesterday I was doing some shredding as not done any for quite a bit of time and letters and stuff were piled high in unit in study ( not to mention the 5 bags of MILs papers sitting in thick plastic bags at back of garden that up to now hubby has refused to let me destroy, been out there since kitchen and central heating were done so that is 4 years now, but he now feels he can let them go) so merrily shredding away and the thing stops dead in middle of shredding a bank statement - unpalatable you might say because of the red ink, untrue I cry as we cannot go into red as we are with building society and no overdraughts - thankfully, how I bless the day I went to them as I dread what kind of debt we would be in now otherwise) so took it all apart and twiddled but no luck alas it was dead a defunt paper shredder so into the bin it went and went off with the rubbish this morning.

So thought well why not try freegle and lo and behold yesterday a lovely woman decided it was time to sort out her loft ( story behind it which I will not bore you with, not boring though she told me all on phone) and what did she find up there, yes you have guessed it a shredder, all boxed up and never been opened never mind used. She cannot remember when she bought it and on previous day had gone out and bought a new one and kind person that she is she decided to offer it on freegle but before she could my wanted post appears and the rest as they say is history, said paper shredder resides beside me on the bed as I type.

I offered three things on freegle myself yesterday, one went this morning ( twist and lock bathroom fittings which when I got them home thought nope do not like them but I hate taking things back if there is nothing wrong with them so they have sat in study for two years and being a lurker on the hoarding thread I am being inspired by all those of you who are trying hard so study is my dumping ground and going to try to stop that). Some one else has said they can pick up the lever arch files mid week and someone wrote me an excited email how they were doing their daughters bedroom up in pink and the light and dark pink hearts shade would be perfect and could they have it - said yes and nothing since so it might be going to cs ( from when GD had hubbys bedroom, bedding got offered when she no longer wanted it but had not got round to changing shade till about 6 months ago and again dumped in the study - the black hole).

Hugs, Love and healingxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

debbie

Pooky

Also on the insurance front, as DH has just reminded me - if someone came into your house/flat/home and tripped on a carpet ridge, a frayed edge, a wire etc etc etc then they can sue you. Your contents insurance covers you for this.

It really is a must.


(off my soap box now)

optimistic

Kouzapastella wrote: »

so this bad news this morning has me smiling inside, is that bad to feel like they have done one big fantastic mahoosive favour.

I'm glad you're smiling inside - september is a lovely time ....... for FORAGING! especially the gorgeous blackberries and of course apples and pears - many people leave 'help yourself' boxes of these at their gates, so you'll be ok for fruit and maybe jam too.

also do take a look at the coupon thread - currently in a shop beginning with T you can get free pizzas and there's always plenty of bargains to have when you have the time to find them.
Good luck with the new chapter in your life.;)

prepareathome

Right couple more things - our HA offers insurance and its the dearest quote for us, I went with our building society last year and it was a quarter of the price, before that other places. I always check the HA insurance but always far, far to dear.

Solar radios - we have been using one for at least 10 years, hubby uses it to listen to football matches and even after a couple of hours battery still fine. It lives on window ledge in between uses and so always fully charged. Do have various other wind up radios and lanterns.

Would love a generator but as GQ said noisy and smelly and would be a give away to everyone we had power when they didn't so unless they come up with a very cheap silent one or we move into middle of no-where ( any houses up by you Mar?) I doubt we will be getting one any time soon.

I do have so far just one ( but hope to get another) car charger - the type that has crocodile clips on it, plus it has two cigarette lighter connections a normal 3 pin connection and a port to charge up usb type gizmos like phones, mp3 etc. That reminds me must lift it down from it place on top of a pile in study and plug it in to check its still fully charged. i also have a very bright light built in. Cost last year I think about £80, replaced our old one that died.

I have a mini fridge mum bought me about 6/7 years ago - whenever England were in the European cup as it has a English red cross on it - for my birthday that works both on power and cigarette lighter so I would plug it in to car starter if it was warm outside:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: to keep some milk, butter and cheese in. Its just the 6 can size but its amazing what can be squeezed in.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4031559

That is the link to the 'who doesn't have a storecupboard ' thread and some fantastic lists on there on what you might possibly want to have in. Some people have really gone that extra mile in helping by typing out fantastic long lists, really kind of them.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3519771

That is the link to the 'preparing for winter III thread. Again great lists. This year it never really stopped being used as so much bad weather has made a lot of things talked about apt for our spring and summer and of course everyone busy getting ready for what 'might' be a rather nasty winter ahead.

SGD forgot to say thank you for the hugs, I looked at the depression, anxiety attacks and agoraphobia as if they were someone trying to bring me down so it was me against my mind ( I know its my brain) but way I thought of it as if it was not part of me and something I had to beat into submission and it worked for me, although the depression only finally went when I got at last dr to check my Vit D levels and they were 'ahem' rather low, as in 2 ( asked dr last week exactly what rather low meant in figures) and found supplements, daylight bulbs and a SAD light - which i admit have hardly used since finding the daylight bulbs really kicked it into touch, but it flares a bit now and again, but again that is part of my health problem.

Oh that reminds me must order another daylight bulb as other week when I had the ding dong with hubby I took the daylight bulb out of its socket and threw it down and one broken bulb and dogs banned from bedroom till i was 100% sure every bit was up.

Right going to get bank statements and do some shredding, want to catch up on countryfile as not seen it yet, hope its available now as wasn't this morning.......and not watched the 2nd and 3rd programmes on 'The men who made you fat' and they will disappear soon....

Hugs, Love and Healing to allxxxxxxxx
Debbie

Mrs_Veg_Plot

Hi all

Have not been able to keep up with the posts so hugs to all who need them and welcome to the new posters.

Used the last of the broad beans I grew last year on sunday dinner and OH enjoyed them. I would not mind but every other time I have served them he has not liked them so I did not bother growing any this year. The spuds are doing really wekk on the lottie. I harvested and cooked two artichoke as well but they were a lot of effort for not a lot of gain. I think I will just leave them to flower as they look lovely.

DD2 was away on an outward bound course last week. Luckily we had good weather so I was able to get everything washed and dried before the second one this week.

DD1 is making herself usefull by doing house work for me whilst she is between college and uni which is really helpful with me working full time and OH working long hours.

I took OH's autny into hospital on Wed for a hip replacement on Thursday. The surgery went well but unfortunatly she had a stroke on the Friday, she is recovering well from both but it was a shock for us all.

Right I'm off to bed now as it well past my bedtime.

Goodnight all

Mrs VP

Kouzapastella

Hi

Thanks for the lovley warm welcome...

Well after todays news (:D)I felt guilty about smiling inside while some were hyperventilating how they would pay there credit cards and run there gas guzzler cars....the ones that block my likkle Y reg Ford Focus in with there thoughtless parking most days, so tommorow I will find out what my redundancey package is going to consist of....then I can plan ahead.

Poperwell thank you fo the tips etc, I have brought home from work a couple of notepads (tut tut) and will be making notes and plans on my future life....am I strange that this redundancy feels like a gift from God ?

I have been reading the Old Style Forums on MSE for a long time, I have never posted but decided tonight to join you all in this fight to live well but on much less money.

I am lucky that the HAssoc allowed me to do a mutual exchange into this bungalow it has one bedroom and in light of this poposed bedroom tax I think it was a good move.

The person I exchanged with left me a lovley fireplace and all the carpets and the kitchen is lovley too, its the wetroom that lets the bungalow down, its full of damp and mould but its coming along amazing what a good clean can do.

Bonus of this bungalow is that it has had cavity wall insulation and loft insulation and double glazing and a newish combi boiler so Im hoping the gas/elec bills will be cheaper.

Ok am off to wander around the other threads to see what info I can glean

Till late x

fuddle

The Coop Insurance have always seemed quite good for me. Although I can't shop around very much due to my financial history, the coop do accept me and to be fair they have pretty much topped the quotes for me anyway. HTH

My take on contents insurance is this - we cant afford to replace anything 'in one go'. If we need something we have to save for it. If I had to buy my kids new clothes, shoes, coats all in one go we couldn't even do that. The thought of having to do that and a new bed, or that there was a leak and we had to pay for a dehumidifier and new carpets... well we just couldn't do it. The £10 we pay a month may be money down the drain but it gives us peace of mind.

SpikyHedgehog

Popperwell wrote: »

I'll regret saying this but I cannot remember when we had the last gas or electric cut...Here am I buying camping stoves and wind up radio's, torches and lanterns...who'd have thought.

Our powercuts are usually due to someone cutting a cable whilst building something like a shop...

Now who has thought of, ever invested in a generator?

I do try to get wind up stuff like torches as we get new ones (though the light from torch that takes 1 huge battery & is as old as me gives better light - ssh! Don't tell my parents I've got it or they'll want it back ) especially as the boys go camping with Scouts & it's a lot easier to throw in a wind-up torch than scrabble about searching for charged batteries to put in.

We've got a wind up radio with a light on the end, neighbour gave it to Errant Husband when he'd got 2 of them, so it's better than now't. Rubbish signal though really, so I would buy better than MrT's budget one

GreyQueen wrote: »

The best bread I ever had, bar none, was made with wholemeal flour with a teaspoon of powdered Vit C from the chemist. Better than cake...........

Evening, Pops. Re contents insurance, some social landlords offer policies to their tenants, via rates negotiated by the LL. Have you checked to see if your association does this? Might be worh a quick email? I'd be reluctant to give up mine now, although I lived without it most of my life through necessity. Try pricing up your goods and chattels for total replacement and you might be surprised about how much value there is there.........

Gennies are pricey, noisy and smelly and highly attractive to thieves. I wouldn't want to be responsible for one of them, but then again, my flat would offer no viable space to keep one in any case. I'm tempted by a wind-up lantern, tho.

:T Hello Stella, lovely to "meet" you and I hope you'll post lots. They're a fantastic bunch on here, so kind and supportive.

Whacked out from a hard few days a-murdering the gastropods (which always reminds me of gastropubs ) and the endless chilly rainy weather. It has rained ALL day and I have mislaid my brolly somewhere. Hope it's mislaid and not permanantly lost as I only have the one. (Cue husky voice) It's not just any umbrella, it's a Marks and Spencer umbrella. I can imitate that advert off to a tee.:rotfl:

Urgghhhh, need tea. Where's Nursie when I want her?

ETA, Brolly found. In the bottom of one of the many shopping bags on the living room floor. *blush*

GQ, I think your gastropods need a gastropub of DOOM - buckets of beer to lure them to their death.

I priced up the insurance cover I could get with my HA, & it is very basic cover and worked out the same price as the cover I get by shopping around & having no claims bonus.

I won't talk about lost umbrellas suffice to say they weren't lost, just hidden...

Welcome, new people, and hugs to all those who need them - yeah, ok, that is pretty much all of us at times.

I have had enough of DS1 getting up around noon, dozing all afternoon, having a rest while I get home from work & do dinner & do laundry & clean up & put DS2 to bed & feed animals, then playing on the laptop all night till I go to the loo at 4am & tell him to 'Go to bed!'.

So I have exercised my maternal control with the parental controls of my Vista laptop and restricted access between 1am & 6am - but I've only told him I want to him to stop playing the computer at midnight & go to bed :cool: Compliance will mean he not scream with horror when Minecraft ceases to be at 1am tomorrow morning. It's not fool-proof, as the deskie is XP so doesn't have the same controls so he could just sit up all night watching youtube podcasts of other people playing minecraft.

His list of chores for the week is:
Make plans & carry through seeing friends in person;
Draft design plans & do costings for a porch for outside the back door that I can submit to the HA for permission before we make it as a holiday project;
Keep washing up done;
Dust, hoover, mop hard floors;
Empty bins & put black bin out for the bin men;
Do CV for circulation & potential part time work.

He has plans to see friends as 1 has a party, & another asked him to go to the cinema. & did a load of washing up earlier.