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make do and mend for tougher times

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  • prepareathome
    prepareathome Posts: 1,931 Forumite
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    Morning, actually had just a normal nights sleep at last (went to bed and only slept 8 hrs instead of the 14 I have slept since Tuesday night) so feel at last got some time back but of course its pouring and dark.

    Yesterday we had sun all day but it never stopped raining, was so weird hardly a cloud in the sky yet it rained quite heavily all day. All everyone at Mr S when we popped up to at 3pm yesterday was where the rain was coming from, so weird.

    We have had 23 totally dry days this year (and most of them were during that summer weather in, March ) that is all, on every other day its rained either part or all of each day, am surprised we are all not covered in mould. Last year from October it also rained daily, never missing one day.

    Last few summers its rained nearly every day, heavy tropical type rainfall, but was hot as well, so it didn't feel so bad going out in it. This year its much cooler, even in bedroom today its only 18c.

    Was hoping as DGD is here that we could maybe go for a walk by the fields near - well me in my scooter - but rain just to heavy.

    Tumble drier hardly getting any time off as with air being so damp washing hung up in house takes days to dry and smells musty, really need heat on to stop that and not cold enough for that. Tumble dryer makes must be rubbing their hands in glee over my area as so many people here have bought one.

    Friend told me local radio station on Friday had a phone in over how do you dry your washing and so many people called to say they had bought a tumble dryer even thought they thought they were expensive to run but had given up trying to dry without one as their homes were becoming damp. Some people had bought dehumidifiers instead and were saying they feel the power companies should give a discount or government as the non-stop rain was not usual. :rotfl::rotfl:
    Need to get back to getting finances under control now kin kid at uni as savings are zilch

    Fashion on a ration coupon 2021 - 21 left
  • Possession
    Possession Posts: 3,262 Forumite
    Have just been in my new Aldi. First impressions - my FIL will definitely hate it and I'll never get him in there! LOL. Prices definitely cheaper than all but Tesco value. Not much impressed by any of the seasonal type products but will go back Thursday morning for school uniform. I got various little bits and pieces to try and presuming we like them will definitely go back, but not to do a big shop as I can't bear the policy of having to shove all your stuff in a trolley and pack elsewhere. Very nice to have the choice though. Waitr*se opened on the same day so Mr T is obviously feeling threatened - huge cover adverts in the local paper this week!
  • SpikyHedgehog
    SpikyHedgehog Posts: 1,011 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Fuddle - both my kids have savings accounts and they are 8 and 2 and they have had them since birth. I put any birthday/pocket money they get into them and as soon as it reaches £100 then it is transfered to their trust fund.

    Thankfully for me Ben is quite money concious. He asked for a new game the other day for his XBOX and I couldnt afford it but he said he would trade in old games he'd finished. What we didnt know was it was a bonus day in the game store and if you traded in 3 games they gave you an extra 10, he had 7 games in total to trade - 2 were mine that I had finished and it total he came away with £35 of store credit so he brought himself two cheap games that he wanted for £7.99 each and still has roughly £20 on his card and as soon as he finishes one game or gets bored with it he trades it in and adds to it again.

    I dont think you can ever teach children too early about money.

    Although I will ask about pocket money to others........Ben is 8, he gets £10 a month.....so £2.50 a week but he does chores to earn 50p extra pennies.....like feeding the dog (my dog is daft as a brush but hes still supervised) , tidying his room and I do buy him either 2 packs of football stickers as a treat for helping me with the shopping as he is my list keeper and reader. He also keeps my running tally if I accidentally reset my phone calculator! Everywhere else Ive looked though say for at his age they are giving their children almost £7 a week! Is that a bit much or am I being unfair? How much do your kids get?
    littlecal wrote: »
    Many years ago I used to run a catalogue (does that still happen?) and DS was desperate for a computer game.It cost £19.99 and as he had £1 a week from each set of GPs,I allowed him to buy the game,explaining that it wasn't me he was paying but the company.

    After about 10 weeks,he was fed up with the game and moaned for the next 10 weeks about having to hand over his £1.:D
    My ExH's parents were appalled that I wouldn't pay for it!
    BUT,I think he learned the difference between want and need.Like a lot of people,I've "needed" to have things weekly/monthly,especially when DS was little.

    Oh dear,I'm not saying this very well am I? What I'm trying to say is that,now,he shops and cooks on a limited budget and has his accounts labelled as need and want so that IF he has money left over at the end of the month-even a pound or two-that goes into the want pot.

    Hmmmm - must find his halo and give it a polish! :rotfl::rotfl:

    DS1 (16) gets £10 a week & his chores are wash up each night, put rubbish out from kitchen bins each night, keep his room tidy & make his bed. Plus more as required, for example if he's round the house doing nothing following his exams... DS2 gets £1 a week that burns a hole in his wallet till he spends it on rubbish (grrr). But giving him the money then let's me say when he sees something he wants ' how much money have you got darling? Oh, you need to save 3 weeks to get that'.

    Ex boyfriend (DS1's bio dad) never had pocket money, or a part time job, or any idea that he should try to do things for himself instead of asking his parents for whatever he wanted - which they gave him straight away. I'm not suggesting for 1 moment that that's what caused his alcoholism, but he never had to take responsiblity for anything, so found it very very hard when I wasn't happy with things & needed change for DS1's sake. I know he was ill, & couldn't have changed unless he was ready to try to change, but all he'd been taught all his life was to get dad to fix whatever needed fixing. The extreme & rare side of no pocket money!

    I had pocket money if mum could afford it till I was old enough to babysit, & that's what paid for my stuff till I started work at 18.
  • stiltwalker
    stiltwalker Posts: 1,319 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Morning all, been up ages as DS was up early with his teeth A little sleepy DD appeared in our bedroom at 6.30 saying brother "wake" - he was but quietly chuntering so he'd not woken me. She then climbed back into bed and promptly went back to sleep not to emerge until just after 10! I heard her get out of bed and by the time I got upstairs she was sat at the top of the stairs rubbing her eyes saying "I were sleepy!" - Bless! We took them to a play barn yesterday and she worked so hard climbing and playing that she was absolutely zonko-ed.

    Looking forward to my friend and her little boy coming to visit this afternoon. Just going to have a quiet sitting sort of a day til they get there as I'm pretty zonko-ed too - the downside of the play barn is that I have to go in with DD and help her as she'd not manage on her own and OH may struggle to fit through some of the narrow kids sized stuff as he's got the shoulders of a prop! (and the rest of him is on the same scale). The kids can watch too much cebeebies and do colouring in on the floor (well in colouring books on the floor - or that would brighten up the d!cor!!! probably not to the landlords taste!) and I shall sit and stitch he bag I am currently working on - a little pleated bag for niece for Christmas to be filled with girly goodies (mainly courtesy of the grabbit/freebies boards!)

    Have a good one everyone.
  • thriftylass
    thriftylass Posts: 4,033 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 30 July 2012 at 11:59AM
    Good morning,

    After having been away from MSE for quite some time I had a look through the various saving money, frugal living,make do etc threads and found this one and wondered if it’s ok if I join in.

    I decided enough is enough and I want to go back to my money-savvy days. The last year or two have been quite expensive as we moved/bought a house and had a son 15 months ago. I let saving and watching the pennies slip a bit (luckily without getting into trouble) but want to pick that up again.

    My aim is to stop the money wasting on little things each month and to build up my savings especially the rainy day one as it freaks me out not having that cushion anymore after maternity leave and moving house.

    Just to outline some of my aims (I like making lists, the problem is sticking to them, hopefully this forum will help me):

    As from today I stopped smoking (stupid and expensive habit anyway, but helped me cope with stress and was a reward system that I need to replace).

    I’m not taking my wallet to work anymore and make sure I’ve got enough lunch etc prepared. And I’ll cycle in to save the bus money (and the wasting money to break a bill to get bus change.

    Plan my meals and grocery shops better. Keep growing herbs and veg and store them up

    Although things are a lot cheaper today (especially the clothes etc we buy) I want to mend and make do more (although that’s an easy one as I’m quite good with wearing things down and not buying clothes etc unless I need them). But I definitely want to try and reuse old fabric etc more.

    Got loads more plans but better make a list and take one step at a time.

    S
    DEBT 02/25: total £6100 Debt free date 12/25
  • Uniscots97
    Uniscots97 Posts: 6,687 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Morning All, I have another interview this afternoon. Applied for a few more jobs today including one that would mean a huge move. SS wouldn't like it, but considering he's getting off so lightly with dig money (£120) he should have plenty of money. He's claiming he's skint and can't afford to hand over anymore, yet OH and I know this isn't true. Since SS is 21 we can't force him to show us his bannk statements but I think he's being a bit of a sh*t as he knows I haven't worked for 3 months and his Dad's wage isn't that much. SS is earning more than his Dad and by our reckoning after he's paid everything has £700 spare cahs each month. I had similar conversation with a friend this morning, she thinks her partner is cheating but can't prove it. Her daughter (24) told her to kick him out, when my friend said if I do that I'll need to put your dig money up her daughter replied "sorry Mum, I can't pay more I need a social life and new clothes every week". Nice, how some young people think isn't it? So OH and I have decided if it means a move to get work we're going and SS can find somewhere else to live. He won't like it but tough.
    CC2 = £8687.86 ([STRIKE]£10000[/STRIKE] )CC1 = £0 ([STRIKE]£9983[/STRIKE] ); Reusing shopping bags savings =£5.80 vs spent £1.05.Wine is like opera. You can enjoy it even if you don't understand it and too much can give you a headache the next day J
  • thriftylass
    thriftylass Posts: 4,033 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 30 July 2012 at 12:58PM
    I started my challenge by ordering my last two purchases for a while. One was a waterproof jacket and trouser set for cycling (much needed up here) which will be paid for by not taking the bus for just a week and a meat mincer. Good mince costs a lot and cheap mince is watery or leaves a greasy film floating on meals. So since I buy brisket and bigger cheap cuts for stewing etc, why not try mincing it too.

    I'll have a more thorough read through this thread tonight (once I finished painting radiators :)

    Oh and i finally also changed energy and gas suppliers to save a few pennies.
    DEBT 02/25: total £6100 Debt free date 12/25
  • kidcat
    kidcat Posts: 6,058 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Rant alert!!

    GUy been out to look at roof today and its bad, I knew it needed some mortar replacing at front but its so much worse, valley is gone, ridge tiles are not on properly and basically anywhere there is mortar needs taking off and replacing. Its a huge job and I am gutted.

    We bought this house one year ago and the surveyor found nothing at all wrong with it - how on earth did he miss the roof being so bad, todays guys says it will have been obvious to trained eyes two years ago at least.
    The only plus side is that its covered on warranty. It will mean DS and I moving out for a week while scaffolding is up and there is no guarantee that we can claim for that- he recommends we look at claiming off surveyor - yet another fight to fight.

    Some times it just feels like everything I touch turns to trouble!
  • Uniscots97
    Uniscots97 Posts: 6,687 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Kidcat are you sure the guy that looked at your roof is reliable?

    When my Grandpa was still alive but ill a 'roofer' took advantage of him and my Gran and tried to say their roof needs thousands of pounds worth of work when they called him to fix a leaky gutter. The guy got quite aggressive and my Gran was ready to pay him when my Mum and I arrived. Mum asked him to leave, I started taking pictures of his van and filing his very abusive behaviour. When he threatened us, I finally let it slip that I had the police on speaker phone. He threatened to 'smash my face in'. Told him if he took one more step towards me I'd scream the place down. He took off. He tried coming back and my Gran phoned the police, he was arrested.
    CC2 = £8687.86 ([STRIKE]£10000[/STRIKE] )CC1 = £0 ([STRIKE]£9983[/STRIKE] ); Reusing shopping bags savings =£5.80 vs spent £1.05.Wine is like opera. You can enjoy it even if you don't understand it and too much can give you a headache the next day J
  • thriftylass
    thriftylass Posts: 4,033 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I agree with unixgirluk. we bought our house a year ago too and our roof looks a bit like the way you described yours, was damaged in the bad winds, but it still got it's ok from the surveyor. Maybe get a second opinion and then you can still go ahead. He might not be a scam like unixgirl descibed but it's always good to get two or three quotes in.
    unixgirluk wrote: »
    Kidcat are you sure the guy that looked at your roof is reliable?

    When my Grandpa was still alive but ill a 'roofer' took advantage of him and my Gran and tried to say their roof needs thousands of pounds worth of work when they called him to fix a leaky gutter. The guy got quite aggressive and my Gran was ready to pay him when my Mum and I arrived. Mum asked him to leave, I started taking pictures of his van and filing his very abusive behaviour. When he threatened us, I finally let it slip that I had the police on speaker phone. He threatened to 'smash my face in'. Told him if he took one more step towards me I'd scream the place down. He took off. He tried coming back and my Gran phoned the police, he was arrested.
    DEBT 02/25: total £6100 Debt free date 12/25
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