make do and mend for tougher times

Popperwell

Kezlou,
We've 35 Tesco's in various forms ranging from in my town and a radius of approx 20 miles. Likewise 10 Asda, 32 Sainsbury's. Morrisons around 5 stores. 20 Aldi's stores. Lidl's website seems to be down at present.

Its funny when you see distances on the internet none of this seems so far away but when you have to use public transport/buses it does appear to be further away and more out of the question when you have to pay the fare.

I can pay approx £12 one way to travel 5-6 miles one way by taxi. One way on a bus 7 miles can cost approx £8 but a return ticket is £4.80 or if you can afford to the best buy is a ticket for £25.50 that lasts 7 days(if you can use it each day)but then you can use it as often as you like during that period and trevel the whole county of Durham for £3.60 a day.

It is value in one way but still quite a bit to find on a regular baises if your income is low. I appreciate that busineses have to male aprofit but in these days this not a luxury but you'd think that it was.

The end of the world...I remember one featured on one of David Frost's chat shows in the late 60's, we're still here!

SpikyHedgehog

GreyQueen wrote: »

Please don't run away and hide, that's a really good idea. I love the idea of high rise carrots. I shall keep my eyes peeled for barrels ready for next year. Perhaps if I grease the sides with a mixture of Vaseline and Vicks Vapour Rub the dadblasted snails and slugs won't get them in there.

Gawd but I hate those blasted things..............:mad:

Spiked collars so they can't climb over? Would look great

monnagran wrote: »

Hi, all you people with verbal diarrhoea (OK I looked it up, right?) I am trying to keep myself to one visit a day or I wouldn't get anything else done.

Ginny: On the subject of baguette mountains, yesterday one of our Drop-in visitors was heard to wonder what they were getting to eat. His friend said that whatever it was they were bound to have garlic bread with it. He was sooooo right.

MrsCD: Organised? Moi?

emalou: welcome and very sorry you are having a sad time. The hole in your heart will never be filled but you will learn to live with it in time.

SpikyHedgehog: I'll have you know that I played lacrosse at school.
Well, perhaps not so much played as lurked around the edges of the field communing with nature and hoping like hell that the ball wouldn't come any where near me. Oh yes, I'm ever so posh. Or at least I can do posh if the occasion demands it. I'll draw a veil over what I'm like if the occasion doesn't demand it.

I have a cheapy Mr T's microwave that I find really useful for re-heating things and dealing with small amounts. My Dad, who was the original MSE-er, used his microwave for just about everything as it was cheaper on the electricity. He did wonderful syrup sponges in a teacup for his puddings. Although he had a good pension and quite a bit of savings, all his plant labels were made out of cut up washing up liquid bottles. One Christmas one of my boys gave him a bundle of 500 proper plant labels. Dad was appalled at such extravagance and when he died I found the plant labels, untouched, in his shed.

Now here's an interesting thing - I have an intermittent patch of some eczema-like rash on my arms. A friend saw it at the weekend and said she had just the thing for it, a cream she made herself from beeswax, borax, distilled water and a few other things I can't remember. She dropped me round a pot this morning, I rubbed a bit in and my arm hasn't itched all day. I'll keep you posted.

That's enough for today.

Sleep well all.

x

Ha, I knew you were posh! It's the chablis that gives it away

ginnyknit wrote: »

Ginny: On the subject of baguette mountains, yesterday one of our Drop-in visitors was heard to wonder what they were getting to eat. His friend said that whatever it was they were bound to have garlic bread with it. He was sooooo right.

I knew it, the baguette mountain lives on :rotfl:

GQ did have some success with a dish of water with a sprinkle of yeast in - cheaper than beer though you have to keep replacing it. For the slugs I mean of course

I played lacrosse too, hated sports with a passion and it wasnt just a bully off it was a bully with a stick, attacking ankles. Was always much better at indoor sports - I mean squash or am I just digging myself in deeper.

thank you all for your good wishes, have a basket of sweeties and yarn just need to pack a book, and of course 6 tons of stuff for OH

Indoors sports are indeed much better

SpikyHedgehog

thriftwizard wrote: »

This thread moves so fast that when I'm busy for a day or two it'd take me hours to catch up - mostly I just read the last couple of pages & hope I haven't missed too much.

- I'm probably not the only one who thinks that having habits like this is probably how he came to have quite a bit of savings? As my OH sometimes says, it's not the money you earn, it's the money you don't spend that adds up.

Another reluctant ex-lacrosse player here...

I'd have loved to play lacrosse, the girls in school stories did and then they got to be popular members of the school... (Yeah, really I'd have hated to play lacrosse, because I did not like school sports and was rubbish at them. But in my dreams...)

fuddle wrote: »

Is that the girl who the council banned from blogging about her school meals a short while ago. Caused an uproar and an embarrassing u-turn. I hadn't realised it was a charity fundraiser. I will look into it later.

I have a problem of the smelly kind. My wheely bin has been emptied and is in rather a rank smelling state because of all that rotten meat being sat there for a week and a half (we get fortnightly bin emptying). I have called our local bin cleaning company but they don't do one off's you have to sign up for £2.50 every other week. I don't want to commit to an extra £5 per month right now.

So, DH is getting one of the van drivers to call off, load it on to his van, take it to the depot so DH can pressure wash it down... nice job I'm lucky in that I can do that. What would happen if we didn't have access to a van and a pressure washer?

So, I would like to put a bin liner in the bin when it's cleaned to prevent further smelly episodes. I'm sure I've seen them big enough in people's bins. Can you help with where to get them from? Also, how to they clip onto the bin?

Any help would be fab.

Digging weeds out of my borders this afternoon. Going to bark it as I can't keep the weeds down and is an eye saw. I'd like to put pot plants of edibles there. Also does anyone know how to sand down the rust off an old gate? That is also an eye saw. What paint would I get to paint it black again?

Bother to being house proud in a house you don't know whether you're going to stay in :cool:

fuddle wrote: »

Yes, DH called and said he's found some liners 10 for £2.50. 25p per bag seems a bit extreme to me.

Welcome Aria`s Tail What a good idea to have a 'smelly' bin out the back. I'll look into it.

It's been a bin liner day today. One of the other dinner nannies pulled the bag of food scraps out of the bin and the liner split spilling it everywhere! I had to go outside and was telling dinner nanny C who was telling me the local farmer used to come pick it up to feed his pigs with, we had a good old chat about WTFarm. I think we're going to get on really well.

Since Errant Husband left, I've not needed the bin liners because we've had no meat remains, but they really helped when he was here and there was always odd meaty rubbish to attract the flies and smell yucky...

Our bins are emptied fortnightly, so it worked out as 25p for 2 weeks, and the £2.50 would last 20 weeks, so not so bad...

I use a bucket of boiling water and disinfectant in the bin at work and scrub it out with a broom.

SpikyHedgehog

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

MONNOGRAN - Had you not heard, they'd double booked the 12th of December and cannae fit us all into eternity until the 22nd at the earliest, no prior bookings even on the find you a room in a posh hotel for peanuts site! Such a dissapointment isn't it?

GINNY - Very glad that all was well today and the recovering patient is tucked up in his own bed, keep taking the cocopops, The lurcher is veri plesd vat yew is onna saym wavlenf as hym an sendsis yew a veri Biggggg sssslllluuurpppppppppppp!!!!!!!

Take care all Cheers Lyn xxx.

That slurping can't be good for computers! It got me all the way over here! (Wiping my face on my sleeve)

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

GQ I now have a mental image of Smileys Bruno and Tess in the park wearing Basques, Supenders and flasher macs - this is not a good thing to do to a fellow dog lover, Docky thinks its bloomin marvellous and now he's jealous!!!!!!!

HELP PLEASE - Docky is quite right in saying I am a Numpty like a choklit teapot!!! How do we put a picture on this thread He who knows cannot work it out and it's out of my realm of experience then you can see who's nattering in lurcher at you - Thanks in anticipation Lyn x

I signed up for a photobucket account and put on the photos from there...

I hover over the photo on photbucket and click on the IMG code, then paste in the insert link thingy up above the typing box. I suspect I should resize them first though...

Anyway, here's someone running round with a dog biscuit. Yes, it is a hamster...

fuddle wrote: »

Help is on it's way Lyn Give me a min to type out the instructions to get Docky on here.

click http://tinypic.com/index.php
click 'choose file'

it will bring up your files saved on your computer
choose a gorgeous Docky one and click 'open' on the bottom right

back on tinypic click 'upload'
answer the spam filter question then click 'upload now'

you'll get a few boxes with codes in. You want to highlight 'IMG Code for Forums & Message Boards' then copy it (Cntrl and C together) and then paste it on your reply box on MSE (Cntrl and V together)

as if by magic, Docky will appear!

Alternatively, if you want to email Docky's pic to me, give me a shout via PM and i'll send you my email address and i'll do it for you Hope to help Lyn

Ha, that sounds much easier!

[Deleted User]

Bless you all for helping with the photos, when He who knows gets back from being walked by the lurcher I'll bluetack him to the study chair and get him to work at once, you are all brilliant, thank you so much.

MONNAGRAN - We could always launch an appeal over the date of Armageddon, trouble is I can't off the top of my head think of a higher authority to appeal to! Over to you..........

FUDDLE - Thanks for the offer of putting the pic on for us, if we can't crack it I'll certainly pm you and send you one to do for us, you're a star!!!

SPIKY - If lurchers could blush he would be now, sorry for the splashing. Howsumever he is a brass faced little gipsy and currently
rolling around on the floor laughing 'cos he's bin a kleva boy!!!!!

Have a good day all, Cheers Lyn x.

mardatha

Rosiepuddingpaws you are a WITCH! My gas ran out just as I went to make some urgently needed tea this morning ! Then the RV changed the cylinders and found the regulator leaking... so we had to phone the Calor man and ask him to bring a gas + a reg = £76.50 :eek: coming this afternoon.
But that's the big 47kg one and lasts me over 7 months.
I'm seriously not happy today - can I have a grump? Anybody not wanting to hear/see a grump please leave the room now!
Last 4 weeks I've been so ill, dragging meself around like one of GQ's wee pet slugs. I get out of bed tired, I spend all day tired, I go back to bed tired. I ache I shake I sweat and I wobble. I cant do anything that involves standing for more than 20 mins, I've lost what appetite I had -which wasn't much- and my hair is falling out in buckets.
I've been to the doc who took bloods & sent me to the hosp for a chest Xray. Bloods all came back totally perfect. Xray showed "lung abnormality", poss CODP. Went back down to the nurse who did breathing tests... My lungs are perfect and operating at 120% for my height and age!
Soooo I'm perfectly healthy, reading my stats you'd think I was an olympic athete! And yet I can hardly cope with the house and cooking, and can't leave the bloody house or enjoy anything at all. I said do the tests show a virus? If I had flu would I still be "perfect"? and she said yes you would, it wont show a virus. I said so where do I go now? What do I do ? She said I dono. :mad::mad:

SDG31000

Hello everyone

I have been MIA for a few days but have been reading along.

Welcome to all newbies :hello:

I am still feeling snotty and tired, but am mostly better. I'm back in the charity shop and am enjoying it thank goodness. I am just finding it difficult to plan everything as I'm not used to having three days a week taken up. I've had to make a routine doctor's appointment for Tuesday which is Knit and Natter day and means I'm going to miss three in a row. My cardigan is coming on we'll so fingers crossed I'll have some progress to show them when I make it back.

I have just found a stray maggot on the dining room table. I took a pack of turkey steaks out of the freezer and put it there and when I moved it there was a maggot. The pack is completely sealed, has been frozen for a few weeks and there are no signs of more of them. I have no idea where this one has come from. I will carefully check the turkey once it has defrosted and if in any doubt will throw it away.

I'd better get my bottom in gear and get to work. I am now official, I have my own tabard and name badge

Take care xxxx

VJsmum

Morning

Mar - sorry you are so poorly. Hope you crack it soon. Moan away if it helps.

Well, interesting news overnight. What it means for us in the short or long term - who knows? But for now we assume OH still has a job. Heads must roll somewhere for this - surely? So much money to be paid back, and the whole thing starts again. Sir Dickie must be cracking open the champers - whether the victory is pirrhic or not...

I really must crack on - washing to hang out and money to juggle round some accounts. Oh and then the small matter of going to work..

Hope you all have a fabby day.

savingqueen

RosiePuddingPaws - could you ask one of your neighbours for a flask of hot water to make drinks throughout the day or do you have a local cafe. If you explained your plight I'm sure they would only be too happy to help. I would find going withour hot drinks unbearable so feel for you.

Popperwell - I've no idea why our Aldis is closing. They do a really good trade and I've noticed it getting steadily busier this year and Tescos getting quieter. I hope the staff manage to find new jobs both at Aldis and the swimming pool.

Happy to have you shorten my post Pops - I do waffle on a lot!

ginnyknit - I've been reading the posts about wrapping casseroles etc in duvets and thought I might give it a go. We don't eat lamb though, casseroles usually pork/chicken so am very grateful that you mentioned not to use these - would never have crossed my mind. We do like a vegetable casserole though (might find the receipe and post later - its easy, healthy, cheap and filling) so that should be fine to try.

How is DH today?

Shegar - don't think I said before (don't usually post much) but I'm also offering my hugs and thoughts to you.

DH was left in charge yesterday afternoon/eve due to orrible bug and I came down this morning to such a mess. Don't mind as DH still not 100% and off work today for both our sakes but detest coming down to that much mess (including left over McDonalds as he didn't feel well enough to make tea which I wasn't happy about - pasta and sauce would have done but kids very happy!) He woke me up early this morning to help with kids as couldn't find clean uniforms or think what to put in their lunchbags. :huh:

Well feeling a bit better today, managed some water and crackers for breakkie and looking forward to dossing about til kids come home and hopefully can get back to normal tomorrow. Shame had to miss a workshop but can't be helped.

Hope you all have a good or at least bearable day. We have some lovely sunshine here
sq:)

jem132

Hi sorry I haven't been around for a few days . I went to see my 96year old manna last night I took her a shepareds pie for tea and came home with a full set of brand new still in the packet flannelette sheets the price was still on it said 2 1/2 p I said nan that would be at least £40 now and she had at least 6 more unopened packs bless her. Well better go get my new sheets on the line x