make do and mend for tougher times

SpikyHedgehog

stiltwalker wrote: »

Kidcat - I've had software and sensory items from this site and had great service (lost parcel replaced straight away no probs) and excellent items. I see they do weighted blanket cheaper than most seem to be.

http://www.cheapdisabilityaids.co.uk/special-needs-clothing-23-c.asp

Wow, fantastic stuff at fantastic prices! Have about a dozen links open on the desktop ready to place an order when DS2 gone to bed.

fuddle wrote: »

Morning pops, morning everyone to follow.

I've saved the link, thank you very helpful. I've been trying to find out the running costs of the halogen compared to a fan oven and cant. It doesn't really matter because I know I will be saving.

Going to wander around MSE this morning on a quest to try to shave down my bills even further. We do still squander money and DH lunches while at work is the main factor. I need to sort that and having tried a packed lunch, which was still expensive for a man, I think the only way to go is left over meals from the night before with a desert too.

Question for you. If I make a steamed pud or two, cut it up and freeze in portions, can I then defrost and give it to DH with a splash of custard to reheat in the microwave at work the next day?

Sounds good to me, or if you've got a few ramekins, could you do mini puds to begin with?

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Morning all

Figured I should pop in and give you an update on my ongoing rent saga

Well they still cannot find the payment.

So when I went in on Wednesday to pay the outstanding balance was £544 :mad:

I paid £360 with their telephone banking again :eek: stupid force of habit but do have a card reference and a transaction number as well as paying by card so its on there.

and then paid £120 myself. So I had £64 outstanding which at least is better than £500!

Also got my council tax practically up to date - I think I owe £7.

Although I am royally skint this month now so have been taking stock of the fridge, freezer and cupboards! Im paid Thursday 9th but most of it is accounted for. After everything being paid I'll have £50 to my name to last me until the 28th/29th.

but thank god next month we should be back up to date and not have so many extras to pay!

Sammy-kaye, I had a card when I paid my rent in person to old HA, & 1 for council tax when I paid that in person, that got stamped at the council as I paid CT & written on by whoever took the money at the HA - do your council do anything like this? If they don't, you could suggest they start some to easily record when people have paid. Have they said how they'll tell you if they find your previous payment?

GreyQueen

PAH, I've had a thought about your sewing machine problem; could it be the feed dog (the toothy bits that are under the presser foot on the top of the machine table)? If the dog is lowered, as it would have to be for quilting, buttons, free embroidery, the fabric won't feed thru properly. Your hand is just to guide and steer, it's the "dog" which drags it.

Have just stuck my nose into my machine's manual and the adjustment for the dog is in front of the needle, on the side (you have to remove the table to access it). Hope that makes sense.

I have an Elna since 2004 which was a present from my parents to replace my 1970s electric Singer which was as simple as she goes and built like a tank. I had it so many years and it did such a lot of work and I could use it with my eyes closed. The Elna is a good quality machine but nowhere near as strong. I still feel I should have forked out the £80 I was quoted to get the Singer repaired.

Mum has a special centenary treadle Singer (1951) which was given to her by her then-boss. It was his late wife's and was such an expensive bit of kit when he bought it new that it had to be bought on terms. He knew that she'd've wanted it to go to a careful and appreciative owner.

Back in the day, I did have some time with industrial sewing machines. All I can say is OMG but are those powerful and dangerous beasties. You give them the lightest of nudges and they travel 10 inches.............:) It takes 3 years to train a machinist on one of them. Used to scare the stuffing outta me.

Mum and I once rescued an elderly Singer from a jumble sale where we were helpers. It hadn't sold and the organiser wanted to bin it. That didn't sit well with thrifters like us, let me tell you. It wasn't one of those gorgeous black-and-golds but a more prosaic model, probably 1960s, which had been pimped with a motor. It didn't work.

Mum like a challenge, so she investigated; it was wired up wrong. She sorted that and it went but was as rough as a badger's b*m. I took over at that point and cleaned and oiled it up thoroughly. Since there was no manual, I had to experiment with the threading until I got it right and we had her up and running like a dream.:D Even newish machines get a heckuva lot of fluff and lint in the bobbin well and this is best exracted with tweezers.

Since we didn't need it, I drew a diagram of the threading on card, ran it through it's paces on a scrap of cloth to show that it was in perfect order and stopped it mid-row. Took 'er to a booter and sold 'er off the back of the van to a very happy lady for a tenner. My own little revenge on the throwaway society.;)

Have had a chillaxing kind of day. The weather gods were spared my sacrifice two days running because I managed to run some errands and got back to the Towers as there was a huge crack of thunder and heavens opened. The drenching you miss by 10 seconds is particularly satisfying, don't you find?

GreyQueen

:eek: I think I just heard a gunshot outside! :eek:

fuddle

trust me to log on just now, I hope not GQ :eek: I know you're a brave soul but keep inside!!

Possession

:eek: Hope it was just a car misfiring GQ!

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

:eek: I think I just heard a gunshot outside! :eek:

Stay safe GQ,
May I prescribe a large mug of tea?

GreyQueen

Just rang SuperGran who's on the opposite side of the block. She heard it, too. It might have been something thrown off one of the upper floors and down onto the concrete. This happens from time to time and if it was even a small electical appliance it makes a helluva explosion when it hits the ground.

I shall stay safely indoors. There are no wah-wahs around so I now think it can't be a gunshot. We've had them before, tho. One of my neighbours also shoots out of the Towers with a BB gun from time to time. At the very snooty private flats across the river. He's pondscum and the victims are arrogant @rses.

Did you know how deeply a fridge freezer will embed itself into grass if you throw it off the 10th floor? About 3 feet is the unscientific answer to that question. Some of my neighbours just luuuuuurve experimenting in their free time..........:rotfl:

nuatha I'm fending off a tea-bearing Nursie even as we speak; it's too late in the evening for me to have caffeine or I'll be awake all night.

;P such fun!

kidcat

GQ - stay away from windows etc just in case, a stray bullet can do a whole load of damage.

SDG - I know that feeling well, when we moved here DD17 room was thrown together as she was mid exams, the bed was second hand and due to layout had to be adapted to fit the area. Its now much too impractical so I have been researching etc and will be purchasing her a new bed this week. Thankfully a friend has given us an IKEA voucher so it will be a little cheaper.

We have had an awful afternoon, it was a new monthly activity session for the ASD group we attend and I took OH, the boys and DD6 along. (Accessing these events is considered by my LA as a respite carers break - although I still have to fully supervise my own children) the guy who owns the place was supervising again today and he just seemed to descend on my boys and watched every move they made, telling them off for stuff that other kids were still doing. DS14 couldnt take any more and went out to the break area, but guy followed him and shouted at him about his "behaviour" I raced in to see to DS and guy walked back into hall and started having a big go at DS8. Ds14 was sat crying in a ball hitting his head over and over and I just about got him out to the car to wait. Went in and OH is ranting at me that if I didnt deal with guy he was going to.
I managed to grab everyone out with promises of McDonalds but am left with three very fragile individuals this evening. Thankfully DS14 has a friend staying over so is recovering nicely but OH and DS8 are all over the place - they fought in the car and DS threw a bottle of water of OH.

I am the first to admit that neither boy is an angel, I freely admit to them both being incredibly hard work (although in public DS14 is usually very quiet and withdrawn) but his treatment of them was awful and he was allowing other kids to do all the same stuff.

It was so upsetting, my friend was there and she walked out behind us in disgust as she said he clearly had picked on them for the sake of it.

I have emailed the group leader (she of cake crisis fame!) but am now wondering if I should complain to the council that their offer of respite has turned into such an issue, its cost me a fortune in junk food, and neither OH or DS8 will be fit for much tomorrow after this.

elona

kidcat

Definately complain.

GQ

Could you move the stash of tomatoes and hide under the bed?

prepareathome

Oh GQ you stay indoors no matter what you hear outside.

Thanks for the info about the feed dog, will have a look tomorrow as doubt my neighbours would be pleased at me trying it now(although he was drilling at gone 11pm last week, one rule for him and another for his neighbours). That was the plus about the treadle its not so noisy.

Stay safe

Hugs xxxxxxx