'supporting each other through really tough times'

fuddle

kidcat wrote: »

Fuddle - its a new build so will be very economical to run, all the insulation etc will all be at new regs and windows etc all good too. We moved into our 7yr old house from two old uninsulated houses, we noticed the difference immediately, we used £36 of gas between May and October, that was cooking (hob), and heating water. In previous houses we used £300 gas during the same months and were grateful it was so much smaller than winter bills

Wow, that's impressive. This house has been a fuel bind, and a water one actually. I#'m more frugal with my water usage now than I ever have been (puddle baths, quick washes etc) but use £45 per month on my metered water. In my previous house I was using £22 per month and accruing a little credit too.

Byatt wrote: »

I've been twig gathering this morning, I certainly know how to live it up! :rotfl:

Hey Byatt, you've got my excitable bug I like it! Enjoy your fire and pick up those twigs, I would be doing exactly the same. I liked what you wrote yesterday about living in the here and now and enjoying what you have. That's the right attitude, and certainly I've noticed your bubbly self lately. It's lovely to see Hope you don't mind me saying x

pah if you're reading, hullo

Thank you for the meal ideas. I seem to spend half my life making and tweaking meal plans! I wish my lot were like me and just ate anything! :rotfl: Rubber chicken normally gets me a dinner and a curry and chickn sarnies for the girls. I must try harder.

kittie I've saved the link for later. Sounds like something I would like to experiment with in the new year

2T I've been weaning my lot off shower gels for a bar of soap but they are whinging about it feeling drying on their skin so I'll look into olive oil soap. Thank you!

stiltwalker

Fuddle - as far as meals go I have a bargain with DH, he gets a good range of meats over the weeks but he does have to eat a good number of vegetarian meals without complaint in return! Given that he was a complete carnivore whose theory was that 'cow eats grass therefore I don't have to eat green stuff'! before we got together this is quite some achievement. So I can get a chicken and make it do 3/4 dinners and the other meals will be veggie - he is also aware that if he feels the need to have tons of chicken on the roast chicken meal I may only be able to 2/3 meals and he will have to have an extra veggie meal. I find a big piece of leg of pork (knuckle end) can do loads of meals - It may be say £10/£12 but if it will do 6 or 7 meals for the 4 of us it is well worth it. SDG's pulled pork recipe is a good one for this - it goes fab on pizza for one of the leftovers recipes.

2tonsils

Glad to have been of help re the soap Fuddle it really is good. I once went for a facial and the beauty therapist asked me what regime I have to keep my skin looking good and wrinkle free at 57, she was horrified when I told her I scrub it with olive oil soap twice a day lol.

Have decided to go sea fishing tomorrow if the weather holds...not that there is much in there but it will be nice out in the sun and fresh air. It's so over fished here you have to go miles out to catch anything. There is a Greek saying that you throw the little ones back and take the rest home in a matchbox.

Will take a picnic with us and go after we have trawled the car boot sales. With a bit of luck I might find some fishing hooks and floats as I am always losing mine to malicious rocks lol. I just hope the weather lasts ...

fuddle

I wash my face with pure olive oil on a night but soap on a morning so olive oil soap sounds great

I hope you catch something 2t. It's the same here really, once the North East coast was chocka with cod, now the lads really struggle to catch anything beach fishing and never a cod. I haven't been fishing since before girls were born.

:whistle::question:Stupid question alert! If I buy growing herbs from the supermarket will they continue to grow indefinitely on the window sill?

ginnyknit

Hi Fuddle some herbs will carry on growing, I re-pot them to give them a boost. Strangely some of them resist alla ttempts to grow on, I think its so you buy more :mad:

I use Mr S's baby bath for everything, shower gel, shampoo, bubble bath and wash anything that stands still long enough in it too It works in the washing machine for woolies and at the mo is 46p a bottle although I have a cupboard full bought when it was 5p.

What is the difference between Scottish porridge oats and economy oats? answer 25p :mad: Can you tell I have been to the supermarket, not feeling to good today, head cold and dizzy and mood not improved by the scheming and conning at Mr T. I read all the small print just to buy cornflakes. Got 6 tins of mushy peas at 8p a tin and I cleared the shelf but not feeling remotely guilty after I was ambushed at the ys veg section and had some lovely fruit reached for and won by a horrible woman. Its getting to be every man for himself (or woman) in there now.

MrsCD

SDG31000 wrote: »

One other thing....

I was clearing out my internet favourites and came across this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=player_embedded

Turn the volume way up and I hope it makes you feel as joyous as the people watching it/performing it.

xxx

Brilliant, SDG:T Thanks for that. It's really uplifting. I also looked at the do-re-mi one in Antwerp station.

Byatt wrote: »

Just want to say that La£eland customer service has been excellent. I emailed them about the mould spray not working because of the thin tube thingy, and they are sending me another can.

Yes I agree, they are really good at Customer Service. I had something similar a few years ago, and they sorted it out immediately when I rang up.

Fuddle - the house looks fantastic :T I hope you will be very happy there.

jem132

Fuddle house looks fab
Byete bet iv spelt that wrong your fire looks fab

Well I am one happy lady my dh bought me a present a kitchen Aid middle east OMG I am so lucky iv been nagging for years and it's in pink. :j:j

Iv just made home made pizzas, tom sauce for pasta dishes, lemon muffins.

Please can some tell me what a rubber chicken is please as they seam to stretch for miles.

Chipps

SDG31000 wrote: »

One other thing....

I was clearing out my internet favourites and came across this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=player_embedded

Turn the volume way up and I hope it makes you feel as joyous as the people watching it/performing it.

xxx

This is sooo lovely - thank you!

And thanks to everyone on this thread - I don't post much, but perhaps get the main support from knowing that I am "not the only one" when it comes to trying to make ends meet in these tough times.

I would like to share a little victory today. I need a winter coat, (that fits me - Primarni size 12 no longer does up ) So I have been looking in CSs - and today I bought my new coat. and yes, I do mean new. Age C0ncern CS - £6.99 - still with it's labels & spare buttons etc (even had to unsew the pockets)
I am so pleased with it:j

lisakay_2

Jem you really are a lucky lady, I love my kitchen aid. I bought one second hand a few years ago really cheap but then the motor went and would've been really expensive to fix. I was soooooo upset because it got used all the time.
My fab mum saved up and bought me a brand spanking new one in bright yellow. I called her phyllis, and she works very hard for me
she makes fabulous pizza dough. i really want a mincer/grater attachment for her but that's way down on the list of where my money needs to go!

fuddle

What does a kitchen aid do?

Rubber chicken is just what people call a whole chicken which has had all the meat prised off (maybe bones for stock too) and put into 2/3+ meals