make do and mend for tougher times

prepareathome

katieowl wrote: »

DD and her BF AND his brother are all here... we will tackle the letting agent tomorrow. They've moved their valuables to my other DD, just up the road from them, which is where the dog will be living. Fortunately her house is in good repair despite being owned by the same man!!!

No it's not their first place....the first place they were sharing with a friend of BF's who they fell out with, they ended up coming home to live with us. We left them in second place, the one in London, that they had to leave when local authority wouldn't help out with the rent when they both lost their jobs, we had to go and rescue them and they ended up with us again and slept on the sofa here in Wales for a year. Third place was a damp caravan, fourth place was a teeny weeny bedsit in a convertions shared with loonies, and this will be place number 5.... :eek: I swear it's not them...they are both perfectly normal nice people. I guess that just what happens when you can only afford to rent right at the bottom of the housing ladder.

Kate

Your DDs housing saga sounds like my son and his GFs before they had the kids, we twice rescue them from down south and they lived here about 5 years all told but longest was 18 months at one time. They always just seemed to find the worse LL or lost jobs and one LL when they told him demanded they leave straight away as he would not have benefits claimants in his property ( scruffy one bed flat with damp-no where near as bad as that flat and hubby had to drive down in middle of night to get them as LL got some mates and put all their belongings in the street. They were only 18 and to scared to even call the police.

They are in private rent now but thankfully so far LL seems decent, the house was his aunts ex council and he inherited it, so didn't plan to make a fortune out of renting properties,just has this one. Son still does work LL should do but he will do big jobs.

That LL really does sound a piece of work, obviously knows the flats are bad but until he is made to spend money won't to bring them up to standard. Your other daughter is lucky hers is ok at the moment, I hope it stays that way.

grandma247

I freeze Mozzarella.

grandma247

Can someone tell me what I should do? I won a pair of kids jeans on fleabay but they did not arrive and I eventually got my money back but I keep getting fleabay emails saying leave feedback. I do not want to do this as I did receive another pair quickly from the same person ( I won them both on the same day.) and it would be negative if I did?
I did leave positive feedback for the pair I got.

I have not been using it for long so have no idea how it all works really.

greent

prepareathome wrote: »

Right does anyone know if you can freeze cows milk mozzerella balls, Mr S basic. As they were selling them off at 5p each so I bought 6 and if I can freeze them great if not will turn them into mac cheese, portion it and freeze that tonight.

Yep - freezes fine in its little pouches - I do it all the time

Popperwell

I'm about to but haven't quite decided what. I still feel guilty buying expensive food and using taxis just to reduce the income, it's against all my instincts especially when I know what is coming and trying to be a saver and live frugally.

Being in this position makes me look those people the media complain about and gets people's backs up...

But we've scrimped for years and the future will be even worse. It's a bit personal but when Mum was alive towards the end we were buying those pull up disposable pants and getting no help so over the years we were saving the DWP/NHS lots of money...

An example of spending for the sake of it but I will enjoy them no doubt, some fancy chew bars 6 boxes(£15)when you think what budget people have for meals:eek: Then, again they are in reality 41p each(I'll eat some and put some in my store room)

Well, I'll go and eat the chicken, possibly some potatoes and vegetables(I can do the veg and tatties quickly in the microwave...)

Popperwell

grandma247 wrote: »

Can someone tell me what I should do? I won a pair of kids jeans on fleabay but they did not arrive and I eventually got my money back but I keep getting fleabay emails saying leave feedback. I do not want to do this as I did receive another pair quickly from the same person ( I won them both on the same day.) and it would be negative if I did?
I did leave positive feedback for the pair I got.

I have not been using it for long so have no idea how it all works really.

The fact you received a pair and a refund I'd say the seller was genuine. Can you contact E-bay to say that you've left feedback and to stop sending e-mails regarding the order that went slightly wrong. Though you don't need to tell them the last bit;)

prepareathome

Thanks Grandma and greent will go and take them out the fridge and put them in freezer.

Done, was 7 packs I picked up for 35p (5p each) and they sell at 52p each am so pleased as never thought of freezing it before and so have only bought it fresh but at that price I couldn't leave it(well did leave some and supervisor went off and got them:))

All other bargains were gone but saved myself £3.29 just on that

prepareathome

Popperwell wrote: »

I'm about to but haven't quite decided what. I still feel guilty buying expensive food and using taxis just to reduce the income, it's against all my instincts especially when I know what is coming and trying to be a saver and live frugally.

Being in this position makes me look those people the media complain about and gets people's backs up...

But we've scrimped for years and the future will be even worse. It's a bit personal but when Mum was alive towards the end we were buying those pull up disposable pants and getting no help so over the years we were saving the DWP/NHS lots of money...

An example of spending for the sake of it but I will enjoy them no doubt, some fancy chew bars 6 boxes(£15)when you think what budget people have for meals:eek: Then, again they are in reality 41p each(I'll eat some and put some in my store room)

Well, I'll go and eat the chicken, possibly some potatoes and vegetables(I can do the veg and tatties quickly in the microwave...)

Pops please stop beating yourself up. You are not that well off(sorry if that sounds cheeky) its not as if you are going to inherit millions from your mum.

So at the moment you are not living on bread and dripping good, eat well and enjoy it. As you say you don't know what the future might hold and by being miserly now will not put food on anyone else's table(unless you buy it for them and then the government would most likely find a way of cutting their benefits by saying what you give them is classed as income).

You spend your money in a way it makes you happy- if that is buying sweets, getting taxis or going on holiday great its your money.

Its not as if you don't spend now and government say you are over the limit so we will not pay you but we will give what you would have got to that family down the road with 5 kids, no it will just end up paying some MP some outrageous expenses for something they didn't need and anyway should have bought themselves.

Please Please enjoy your income while you have it. Putting yourself off your food and not eating again will not see anyone else better off.

So you go and buy what ever treats you want we have not as yet got to the stage where the government is telling us what we can and cannot eat(unlike the food stamp programme in USA - I girl I have got to know via facebook over there has had to claim them for first time, she has been left widowed with two teenage children and was shocked to get a list of what she can and cannot spend her foodstamps on.).

I am just so worried about you that you are going to affect your health with feeling so guilty, so forgive me if this comes across as not nice I don't mean it to be but just cannot get the words to come that would sound better.

Eat well now and have your treats as in 10 years you might be one of the ones trying to make a small amount of benefit go a long way.

Hugs and Love xxxxxx

Popperwell

You are right of course PAH, I'll be struggling sooner than that once I claim Mum's savings and they come through...so you are right.

I could probably have a short holiday every month, if the DLA is not stopped or I qualify for the replacement but then with other cutbacks there would be less coming in so I would have to see where to reduce spending...

I've never had IB just DLA, IS which has also meant I am allowed help with CT and HA. But we know IS and DLA is being scrapped or replaced so even I don't know what they would give me in the future.

Got to live for now...I say that so I must and not just say so...

Bought some wine, some bread buns, some salad items, belly pork, mashed potato already just to be heated, some cereal on offer, marmite, spinach, for the first time in years liver and bacon(already prepared rather than me doing it)those cereal bars, some kind pie with chicken, bacon, leeks and mashed potato on top, some cartons of orange juice, some kind of spread for sandwiches and some Rustic chips which are a bit like wedges(they were on offer too)bacon, coffee...

Someone on my blog was suggesting I may get mice and cockroaches with my food store but all the windows are closed as are the doors, I see the room daily and most of what is in the room at ground level is contained in glass or metal. The cereals etc...are at head height so I doubt that's likely to happen. Fresh items and bread etc...is in cupboards. The crates are stacked so I don't that is going to happen...

I've been managing on one or two meals per day but for now I may up my food intake. At least I have proved that I can eat less and still feel full...

prepareathome

Oh Pops been sitting here wondering if I upset you,which was never my intention. I just want you to enjoy life while you can.

You got some lovely things while shopping. I wish I could drink wine, I used to enjoy a glass but meds aside it suddenly started causing my face to literally go bright red and I mean fire engine red which would last for hours so even non-alcoholic is out.....

Hope you get some sleep tonight and you have eaten:)