make do and mend for tougher times

Cheapskate

Morning all

It's taken me half an hour just to catch up on yesterday's chat!

I've read a few of the new blogs from the folk on here - they're very good, and am very inspired and tempted to start my own, but worry that I'll waffle or no one will read it.

After worrying about little money until next week, out of the blue DH paid himself early, but it still means we have to stretch the cash until mid-September, so still on amber alert! Think I'll have 2 more wages from my weekend job from which I've just resigned, then we'll be £65 a month down, hard but not impossible, to cope with.

I have 2 tins in the house; one contains £2 coins, the other the money I save when I use DS' supermarket discount. I've lost the latter, it's in here somewhere, which is maddening as it has about £40 in it! :mad::eek: Well, when I find it, it will feel like extra money that week! :rotfl:

The littlies and I harvested some of our meagre potato crop last night, the bag gave up about 3lb of spuds (should have been double, but the barstewarding slugs got the rest! :mad:). Kids were delighted and posed for photos with said spuds! Might get about 6-8lb from the few left in the garden, but my baby apple tree is LOADED with fruit - well, about 17 apples - not bad for a 5 year old tree! :j

Can't decide yet about paying a bit extra into new pension, putting a bit into my savings account, or even starting another tin in the house with folding money! Will have to invest in some new plastic storage boxes this weekend, though, to store things like flour, sugar, etc as our pantry is a bit cold and damp. Think we'll need to start buying now, to pre-empt price hikes in the early autumn - the SM won't wait long before that!

At the cooking event the other day apparently everyone loved the pastry I made for the pies, been told by a few people - feel pleased in a little girl way, like your mum saying well done! Such a little thing to feel pleased by, I know, but I'm easy like that! :rotfl:

Have a good, OS day peeps, hope to call back later. Good vibes to those having bad times.

A xxoo

fuddle

Hi elisamouse. I have to say that actually yeah, I agree with you about putting money on pre pay is hiding money and I'm embarrassed that I was part of it. I got carried away with trying to help someone plan for future.

There's a lot of uncertainty out here at the moment and it is making people worry. It's inevitable that we're going to discuss the issues why it is getting so tough though. It's something that has gone on right through the history of the thread. See a headline that will effect us, post it up and we all put our two penneth in.

I do agree though that while it's interesting to us, the posters, the ones who are interacting with each other, offering support to one another etc that it may be boring and tedious for lurkers. Maybe if people wished to get it back to hits and tips to cope they should post like tink did, asking for help, interact with us and help alter the course that the thread takes sometimes?

Tink my meals are mainly mince based, I'd love to help but my knowledge is pants. Like you, I'm working on it

grandma247

Cheaskate being able to make good pastry is not a little thing. I know a lot of people who are afraid of it because they think they can't make it.

meme30

Tink_04 wrote: »

Morning all - thanks for the tips about the SC do the oats disappear? Do they alter the taste at all? Been looking for recipes and still struggling to fine somthing that looks safe mince seems easiest but I have freezer full of spag bol & chilli after my last batch cook, was looking at either beef pork or lamb but these all so so expensive much more than id usually spend on meat, maybe im looking at the wrong stuff? YS meat is a never for me as is DD bath time and bed so always miss out the only time I used to get them was on a Sunday but with the longer opening hours that's gone too. I usually like lidl for meat and is reasonably priced so if anyone can recommend something to try that would be great! I have asd* morr*sons small tes*o and an ald* im just confused what I get? Diced meat? a joint? Little chop size ones?

Sorry for asking stupid questions

Both my DD's make sausage casserole, they just buy a 'mix' and follow the instructions. Low heat all day. They both add dumplings after they get in from work to the pot too. If gravy is too thin mix some cornflour and add it. Also corned beef hash, they put everything in on low, pots, onions, carrots, 1/2 pint stock and then add the corned beef in chunks for half an hour when they get in from work

Fuddle:- Liver and onions is wonderful and inexpensive to buy. Dh is the only one who likes the liver but we all love the gravy! I have always added sausages to the pan and chicken breast cooks well in the gravy too. Mashed potato, turnip, liver and onions that's proper comfort food! Dumplings do lovely in the gravy and I would imagine it would cook in a SC too. It's also high in iron content as well as all the usual protein/carb/vits you get in other meals

Popperwell

elisamoose wrote: »

Popperwell wrote: »

Morning PH,
As far as I know when I come into Mum's savings all my help stops. According to the DWP/CAB. I pay full CT and Rent. Then as Mum's money reduces I supposedly can apply for help with HB, CTB and IS but I have to reduce right down to £6,000 to be back to where I am but of course come April next year we have a reduction on the HB, CTB, IS(is being scrapped)DLA the same and replaced by PIP which most people do not think they will get. And that could mean transferring to ESA(but no one knows which group)and if you don't get that you are on JSA. Not forgetting the bedroom tax.

But of course in the meantime if you caled in for assesment and lose DLA before it is officially scrapped and fail during the appeal process...who knows.]





But you won't need help if you have other source of funds? You can support yourself and maybe move to somewhere smaller so that if you need LHA you will not be penalized for having a bigger place than they will fund.


Anyway ...what I really came to say was that I really love this thread when it is full of money saving cooking and homemaking tips ......tales of peoples efforts with them ......but recently it has bacome like an extension to the benefits board with a bit of discussion time too.....and as for the recent talk about loading prepaid cards to keep money away from DWP well how is that fundamentally different to the celebrity tax avoidance?Or offshore accounts for bankers bonuses?

Taking cover ...

The difference is that is an option to be sure when things get tight you can still buy decent food and pay for items that need replacing/repairing. It is not savings more like avoiding going hungry or cold.

We could never ever do a scheme like the bankers and we are already on a low income...it may even allow some of us to stay warm longer.

Smaller properties around here are few. And the difference in price is minimal and within say a year you'll pay the same amount so still be in trouble.

Possession

I'm :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: at the thought of running out of teabags, and even more :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: on GQ's behalf as she isn't here at the moment.
So Mar I'm going to see you your 10 bags of Mr S Basics and raise you another 10. Eventually. When I can get there.

I just mentioned the possibility of price hikes/shortages to DH and he said he doesn't mind what I do as long as we don't have to buy any more tins of potatoes we're never going to eat. It's possible I may have gone a bit overboard on the potatoes.

On the plus side I have now given away all the sweets so in the event of living on our garage stores at least all our teeth won't fall out.

Popperwell

elisamoose wrote: »

But you won't need help if you have other source of funds? You can support yourself and maybe move to somewhere smaller so that if you need LHA you will not be penalized for having a bigger place than they will fund.

Not sure where the other source of funds is coming from...If you mean Mum's funds you have no idea how samll they are...They'll soon be gone...

greent

Popperwell wrote: »

[
The difference is that is an option to be sure when things get tight you can still buy decent food and pay for items that need replacing/repairing. It is not savings more like avoiding going hungry or cold.

.

Really? And just how is it not savings? It is money you have put aside 'for a rainy day'(whether in a bank or a prepaid cc)

If someone is doing it with the intention of hiding the money from the authorities and thereby gain more money in benefits - that would be fraud...

elona

Tink

I use basic diced beef or whatever is there, brown with onions, add diced carrots and potatoes, good amount of gravy using a stock cube and boiling water and bung in SC. I season after cooking as salt added early makes meat tough.

Must remember to get Mr S basic tea bags to stock up on. I don't want to have to go out in bad weather just for tea bags. As long as no one actually sees the packet they will happily drink the stuff

Pops

Could you phone the energy people, explain you have health problems and need to feel safe to put heating on etc. etc . but worry about running up bills so you need a higher amount of dds taken than they suggest.

Re stores
Make sure it does not look as if you are not in control of things - maybe crates stacked neatly at desk or table height then cloth on top to make it look like furniture etc. I got ill three years ago and lost focus on what was there hence throwing out rusty tins

I now am determined to have stuff we will use and to have everything sorted out and easily findable.

Going downstairs now to make brekkie and suggest to dd we go to ald* on Sunday to look at pots etc for uni. Thanks for reminding me.

Hug to all

Popperwell

This thread is still mainly about tips about saving money by being frugal and discussing food, gadgets, meals etc...and it moves in different directions just as any conversation or blog would...