The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

monnagran

OK. So everyone's gone to bed or is out enjoying life. Or maybe out earning a crust.

Made a trip to the nearest D*n*lm. Not very near as it turned out. Still, we had to get new bedding for our spare room as we've ditched the double bed for two singles: much more practical. Managed to pick up some lovely bedding in their sale and also a pair of curtains for our dining room, bought on the basis of price only, but when we got them back and hung them up they turned out to be gorgeous. We couldn't have picked better.
A successful day all round. Glad we won't have to do that again, I nearly passed out at what it all cost, bargains or not. Still it had to be done as the first visitors arrive next week. Hell!!!!!

x

shanks77

Yes monna was in bed but as work nightshift don't feel guilty lol. Sounds like u had a productive day with lots of lovely things am sure ur guests will feel very welcome.

paidinchickens

We re homed another cat yesterday. :j:j

A lovely couple turned up who fell in love straight away so I hope he will be very happy. I love a happy ending

PiC x

nuttyp

ALDI VOUCHERS ARE OUT TODAY IN THE MIRROR PAPER.

That's another reminder in case anyone forgets!!


Morning all, just back from shopping, luckily the voucher has gone back to a £40 shop. The other vouchers have a few snack type things for lunch boxes, like raisens, cheese dippers and small cheese chunks. bread and iced fingers.


Yesterday I received a phone call from my are manager, after my exam last week I have been automatically made to store manger without my last exam taking place. It is still on the basis I pass the exam, and fingers crossed I will. The pay is more, and the hours will ne around 35 a week, any extra hours I do I take as time off. This is improvement for us as a family, after the bankruptcy I have only worked part time. But as you all know more recently I have helped out as much as I can.


Next week me and OH are going on our first holiday with no children, so our honeymoon some 22 years after we got married!!


Yesterday I think I managed to upset the cashier in whsmiths, a lady in front was getting the items from a school list, some £40 worth!! Well I offered her my discount voucher and she saved over £8. She was so grateful for the help. The assistant just looked at me strange, so I said that's my good deed for the day. Afterall it costs nothing to be helpful, and it made someone happy and to say thankyou again as I left felt wonderful!! One good act of kindness.


Must do some more washing, this is my only day off so lots to catch up with. take care all x

silvasava

Nutty - you're a star. I love random acts of kindness & the simple things can make such a difference to someone's day (including your own!)
PiC - Well done for rehoming a PC - our last three have all been 'preowned' & have ruled our house from day one - yes I'm a pushover for a purr

ginnyknit

Having a quiet day today, hubby is sleeping but have an ear out for his nightmares or him falling out of bed AGAIN! Woke me at 6 am with a huge bang as he fell.

Hugs to all having stress with government departments and real life. Bet you will all breathe a sigh of relief when the children are settled in schools and uni's.

Sq if we werent around landfill would be full of lovely furniture that had no new home to go to. My 'new' suite is comfy and Dgs approves once I had returned his favourite cushion to its rightful place

My maslin pan was £2 from a Cs a couple of years ago before all the pretensious people with money to waste wanted to join in our jam making. Its like when veggie growing became fashionable and you saw people in garden centres with trolleys full of fancy pots and pre grown veggie plants :rotfl:£30 to grow a lettuce ???

The whole point of our O/S lifestyle is to avoid spending ...grrrr especially throwing money at fancy places.

This is how I have grown a lot of stuff this year (dont know if I have already shown you all?

Cheapest gardening ever.

FairyPrincessk

Afternoon All,

We have bookshelves, wardrobes, a desk chair and a few lamps which were bought new. All of the rest of our furniture was either handed down or bought used, and honestly most of it is far nicer than anything we could ever have bought new. We're still in the process of doing up the dresser we dragged over from the neighbor's house. Just a few steps left. It has been a fair amount of work, but equivalent in the shops would be not just hundreds, but over £1000 and we couldn't pick the colour we want. I can think of dozens of ways I'd rather use that money, including the several months worth of groceries or the year's worth of energy bills it would pay!

Honestly, I have a lot of admiration for rescuing furniture.

Ginny, your gardening looks lovely. We happen to have acquired a number of nice pots (the same way we got our furniture) but we started out with old plastic boxes with holes drilled into the bottom. I had a few of the milk carton pots last year, although discovered hanging them in the spot with sun was going to be problematic.

Right, my break is almost up. I've struggled to focus for a few weeks now so I'm using a website that has a pomodoro timer and using MSE for my breaks. Seems to be working!

nuttyp

After the talk about pre loved items, ive just looked around my home. the only new items I have are the matresses on our beds and bedding, a shelf unit in the lounge and DD bedroom set (focus closing down bargain) and .........that's it. We will be the proud owners of a bargain priced sofa by the end of September when it is delivered, the one we have is being listed on face book over the weekend by DD to sell. I like buying bargain priced items, a quick wipe over with an antibac wipe and all sorted. My kitchen came from a skip along with the cooker - all brand new not used just the house buyer wanted different. My table and chairs from the local chazzer shop.


My last bargain buy was mr chesty freezer for £15, only 6 months old. someone was moving house and didn't want it. It amazes me what some people think is the normal way of life, like having a new car every 2 years, a new sofa or kitchen/bathroom just because the colour doesn't match. My daughter is always looking for cheap bargains, she got some curtain poles for her house she is moving into for £15, they were from someone who is moving and didn't need them there is enough to do 2 rooms. We love a bargain and our old style ways.


Take care everyone x

FairyPrincessk

We did buy our mattress new, I'd forgotten that one, although all of our small appliances were used with the exception of those given to us as gifts. Even with the mattress we slept on a really truly horridly uncomfortable hand-me-down for several months until we could afford to buy a better quality one without going into debt.

It probably helps that many of our friends are either students or similarly minded and most of our family went about things the same way. Its also nice when friends are happy to coo over a find instead of turning a sour face to something I'm proud of! I might not need their approval but it helps not to feel their disapproval either!

That said a relatively distant relative did say to me a year or so ago at a family gathering "oh, won't it be nice when you two can afford a car?" I must have given her a baffled look before I remembered to smile and nod politely. Two years ago we definitely couldn't stretch to a car, but when she said it we probably could afford one although it would mean very different priorities, probably priorities that didn't mind going into debt for it. I look at those who NEED cars and think it must be such a lot of work to manage, why on earth would I take on that burden if I didn't have to?

silvasava

When I first got married the only new things we could afford were our bed & two chairs - all the rest was hand me downs & I was so grateful. 10 years later, single mum & more hand me downs (lovely elderly bow fronted fridge that was eventually gifted to the scouts!) & again I was very grateful. Now we can afford new but I'm not impressed by the quality so our 'new' sitting room had the suite recovered and two new side tables from the CS. I see such beautiful furniture that is well made in our local BHF shop and with some TLC would be treasured by someone else.
Fairy Princess - your dresser sounds lovely (& so does your home, yours too NuttyP) I've been looking at a local shop that paints furniture in lovely shades of cream, slatey blue, green or grey & they look fabulous - giving me ideas for my kitchen re-vamp