make do and mend for tougher times

manchestermargo

Fuddle can I just add re your liver! Best to try lambs liver for your first time, it's not as strong as ox or pigs liver. I like to cook it so it's still slightly pink in the middle. Hope this isn't reminding you of Rosemary's Baby!!

MM

shegar

greent wrote: »

I am a perfectly lighthearted person. Not a worrier - although I am a realist and perfectly able to cope. I tend to think of the worst case scenario, decide if I can deal with it and if the answer is yes, then move on without worrying about something which I usually have no control over. We have had 3 redundancies between DH and myself, major depressive illness with suicide attempts, life-long health issues, depression on and off for the other one of us, a complete and total physical and emotional breakdown, other worries re jobs at other times. Both of us come from poor originally single parent families where (between us) we can count alcoholism, major (and minor) drug abuse, theft, several prison sentences (inc the aforementioned and GBH, ABH and a case where the police wanted to try for attemoted murder) from one of our parents/ step-parents. We have not had it easy (and I'm not saying that anyone is saying in any way that we have) and I do really understand tough times. However, I am still (for the most part) lighthearted and an optimist by nature (which does not exclude me from being a realist)



I, too, thought the same about the rolling laughing smiley.

Rainy days - We have claimed contributions based JSA once in this household, using our savings (redundancy money) to top up our allowable weekly allowance of £40.44 (after tax). This was all that was claimable for a family of 6. Thankfully DH gained another job before we spent it all and we never needed to claim anything means tested.



Fuddle, I have been on the 'tough' threads for a long time and have seen the swift degeneration that can occur at times. I don't think that either myself or elisamoose were being impolite. Possibly controversial in what we've said, but not impolite.




Popperwell, you have posted elsewhere how much your mum's money is expected to be - whilst not a vast sum it is not to be sniffed at.

No-one was 'giving you the third degree' - merely responding to your many posts. And just because elisamoose and I may not post regularly does not necessarily mean we are not regulars - as I said earlier, I have been on the 'tough' threads for quite some time



Good luck to yourself, too, WCS. It was never my intention with any comments I have made was to make anyone feel the need to bow out, but I, too, may do the same (again)





So sorry to hear that news, Byatt. Things like that can make us all re-assess our lives and what truly is important to us. I hope the two of you can make the most of the time you have together for now


On that note (of a very, very long post - sorry!) I shall end

Thanks Green t that was a very well explained post from you, I think you have summed up what a lot of us regulars think, well done......

prepareathome

I was asked by a guy who was filling shelves with more expensive teabags if I planned to bath in tea:rotfl: but the guy on the till never even blinking an eye at 20 boxes going through, but they are used to me and my buying ways - 9 tins of tomatoes as well today, 15 bottles of vinegar the other week and 15 tins of rice pud another....as I don't do all my shopping there they cannot build up a full picture of what I have in, they will just think I drink a lot of tea and eat rice pudding every day for pud and have the tomatoes with every meal with vinegar shloshed over them:rotfl:. When I used to go more than once a week I would not buy as much at once, but as went today will in all likelihood not get there now till next week.

Once I used to be embarrassed about things but one thing getting older has taught me no-one cares two hoots about me and my doings so I might as well just do as I want so long as its legal and doesn't harm or upset others......:cool:

Now the fun part to sort out and find space for my riches as they are all sitting in boxes and carrier bags that I keep falling over but don't want to shove in a corner as that way lies to forgetting things and they will not get used......also need to basically restart my stock list rather than update it..........

Fuddle I have never really bought from P I either when I can afford it buy from somewhere decent or cs-and even then only something decent so things last years, in fact usually I get so fed up with them after 4/5 years I take them to cs still perfectly wearable......just keep a few items I love and some I have many, many years. I still wear a long waist under-slip I bought to put under a long dress I was wearing to works Christmas do in 1974. It at the time cost almost as much as the dress, the dress I gave away many moons ago but under-slip still perfectly usable so why replace it. It is worth saving up for decent things as cheap ones are ok for a short time if that is all you can afford but decent clothes do last years.

Hugs and Love xxxx

recoverydust

greent wrote: »

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...

I dont think it is. I think it's about planning ahead. I would load a pre paid card, as I do over pay my gas and electric key meter. I will also pay upfront for insurance, car, house and life. I will also over pay my rent as I did my mortgage.

If we have to live on £110 a week I want to have some security.

Nothing at all like fraud, nothing like tax avoidance, just what my grandmother did

Watching the food we eat on STV, shocking prise hikes and food poverty, that's what I want to avoid in our 21 st century developed, rich country. It's appalling I should have to at 52' having worked all my life. I paid plenty of tax and NI.

I have physical and mental health issues, which mean I CAN'T work, I should have a basic standard of living, and the state SHOULD provide that till I recover enough to join.

I value this and other threads on this board, to help keep the wolf from the door. I insist on planning for a rainy day

See my debt free diary, for more of me and my journey

Peace be
Xxx
Dusty:A

jamanda

Anybody watching ITV? On about food banks and people not being able to feed themselves and their kids.

A bit of an eye-opener!

prepareathome

What is the name of the programme on ITV I will I hope watch it on catch up later?

I want to point out about the teabags etc I will not be buying lots of them again its just at £4.57 for 160 on the ones I used to get I could not afford to have more than one spare box in and for some reason I let my vinegar and tinned tomatoes run down, now I have a decent amount in I will just pick up what I use each week - mind you some weeks I have used tinned tomatoes every day so that is 7 tins so 9 is not really a lot in one go..

Obviously if everyone did as I did today that would soon cause a shortage....these things were just one offs. Its I have got used to not getting out more to add to stores......last time I got a delivery there were so many things replaced I said never again so can only get things when I go there, that is the annoying thing of not being able to go out on my own as once bowls season starts trying to get hubby to fit in taking me shopping with his schedule of work and bowls it can be once a fortnight or even longer and I hate paying out for taxis as car costs us enough as it is and I have got to feel I can trust myself being out on my own which is rare.

Oh hubby has got sky for another month at least, when I phoned to cancel they offered me 6 months for £33 that includes the sports channel but not movies which we didn't have anyway but not on a contract so as he thought he has done a few hundred pounds in overtime which will cover sons car I accepted it but said I might still cancel next month. I hadn't realised it was going up by £3 next month so that at least is a saving of £13 but in my eyes cancelling it totally would be a better saving but he was begging me to try and keep it. So he keeps sky, son keeps car and I am one who has to make this happen .............men........

Hugs and Love

prepareathome

Fuddle I keep forgetting to say your bread looks wonderful........very,very tasty looking

fuddle

It took some doing pah but after a lot perseverance and a lot of toughie direction I finally got there with my bread.

Sky costs us £22 per month and every time I dare suggest we cancel I get the whole 'would you prefer I go to the pub of an evening dear?' If I had my way I'd do away the TV license too.

Good news. After all the home cooked food I've been making recently, DH turned his nose up at the jar of pasta sauce... and left it. It seems our taste buds are enjoying my cooking

[Deleted User]

fuddle wrote: »

This frugal malarky isn't always about cheap is best you know. My grandmother didn't have much money but her wardrobe was full of expensive woollen clothes.

I'm a bit confused, if not a bit excited too. I now need another savings pot.

wow, how sensible. My wardrobe is also full of `not expensive` stuff, partly because I don`t live in a place where people would notice what I wear and partly because I have not fitted into average sized clothes for a very long time, so I buy when it fits and that is usually when going into bon marche

Mrs LW what awesome ideas re clothes. Honestly I have no idea about dressing me smartly on a daily basis. I am going to try and do the same as fuddle but I`ll need to keep clothes for the allotment, cycling, shopping via the bus and `resting` at home, also for general housework. So what do `smart` people wear when doing those jobs? I would really love to re-vamp my stuff whilst also coping with +/- a few inches here and there

re teabgs, well last two times I had an order from AF I received tea bags but last time I had 24 boxes, thinking that they were normal small boxes but they were about 12" x 12" x 12" and they practically filled a whole room. I am glad I did that now after reading about tea going up a lot

Farmer behind is harvesting but not with the usual big combine. He said yesterday he was worried about the reduced yield and the fact that the wheat has now got a fungal disease. I reckon the big combines are already booked out so he is using a small one that isn`t automatically bailing, must be desperate times. He does animal wheat. He also said that field conditions for harvesting are poor but he wants to get winter wheat sown

Oh I am still dehydraing as I am finding it the best way to store food in a small space. Sweet potato yesterday, cooked, peeled and mashed, then rolled with a rolling pin between 2 pieces of greaseproof

Found my first bit of blight on an outdoor tomato plant leaf. Cut off and will watch like a hawk. Lots of big toms in the back garden now but am rapidly harvesting as soon as I see a definite orange colour. Just wrap individually in newspaper and put in n facing room. They get red very quickly and have already dehydrated 11 trays. Lol winter cooking is going to be an absolute doddle

Byatt I am lighting a special candle for your sister and for you, trying to send you some strength to get through

becca-2012

prepareathome wrote: »

What is the name of the programme on ITV I will I hope watch it on catch up later?

I want to point out about the teabags etc I will not be buying lots of them again its just at £4.57 for 160 on the ones I used to get I could not afford to have more than one spare box in and for some reason I let my vinegar and tinned tomatoes run down, now I have a decent amount in I will just pick up what I use each week - mind you some weeks I have used tinned tomatoes every day so that is 7 tins so 9 is not really a lot in one go..

Obviously if everyone did as I did today that would soon cause a shortage....these things were just one offs. Its I have got used to not getting out more to add to stores......last time I got a delivery there were so many things replaced I said never again so can only get things when I go there, that is the annoying thing of not being abyle to go out on my own as once bowls season starts trying to get hubby to fit in taking me shopping with his schedule of work and bowls it can be once a fortnight or even longer and I hate paying out for taxis as car costs us enough as it is and I have got to feel I can trust myself being out on my own which is rare.

Oh hubby has got sky for another month at least, when I phoned to cancel they offered me 6 months for £33 that includes the sports channel but not movies which we didn't have anyway but not on a contract so as he thought he has done a few hundred pounds in overtime which will cover sons car I accepted it but said I might still cancel next month. I hadn't realised it was going up by £3 next month so that at least is a saving of £13 but in my eyes cancelling it totally would be a better saving but he was begging me to try and keep it. So he keeps sky, son keeps car and I am one who has to make this happen .............men........

Hugs and Love

was "the hunger shame-tonight".