2014 is going to be the year for SUMMER

Scritti

Subscribed to diary. Glad to see you've started one, summer33. Now, I must get out in the garden to get some sun, it's a beautiful weekend. Lovely free sunshine, bring it on!

summer33

matttye wrote: »

Firstly I think I was a bit unreasonable and unhelpful in your other thread so I apologise for that.

Moving on...

Don't worry too much about moving the boys. It's the best thing to do, especially when they're going to a better school. If their friends are true friends then they'll probably find a way to keep in touch anyway. It's so easy these days with smartphones, Skype, Xbox Live etc.. Plus I'm sure they'll make new friends fairly quickly at their new school even if they don't seem keen on the idea at first!

Have a look at the MSE cheaper fuel guide to see if any of the tips there could benefit you. It's not just about finding cheap petrol but about making your car more fuel efficient and driving more efficiently.

You'll feel a bit of a boost on the money front once you've paid off your water rates as this will free up some money. I would maybe try to throw as much at that as possible as you should be able to clear it fairly quickly.

That's probably about the most selfless reason to get debt-free I've ever read so don't feel bad about making tough decisions to make it a reality.

Thanks for apologising matttye

I am hoping they will stay in touch with some of their old friends. I gave notes in to the boys to pass onto their friends and asked for their parents to exchange numbers, and they all have :T So said would arrange for them all to come for tea some time in the next few weeks. Plus they are in touch with some of them on xbox live already.

I agree with the money boost, once I have paid the water and council tax off from last year. That will free up some for either clearing debts, or paying more towards the mortgage arrears


Anyhow, had a very resourceful day today. Cooking roast chicken for sunday lunch, boiled the carcuss and put stock and veggies in slow cooker for soup, split the chicken and made a curry for me and hubbie and a separate one for the kids, for in the week.

I wasnt going to boil the carcuss, but decided to to make soup, so got an extra days meal, so can move all the meal plans on another day, so got more meat in freezer to roll over to next weeks meals :T

Lovely day today, got loads of washing dry to, so hopefully wont need the heaating on tonight and save a bit more there. Just got to iron it all now though Mind you I dont mind doing the ironing

xxx

LannieDuck

Hi Summer Best of luck on your debt-free journey.

asparagus1968

wow, the low mood seems to be improving! good on you, keep us posted

peaceandfreedom

summer33 wrote: »

Hi peaceandfreedom,

glad you have commented, I have just been reading your diary I like your idea of sowing your seeds etc. I would like to start growing some of my own things this year. Do not have a greenhouse or anything, but thinking of getting one of them plastic containers (cannot think of the name now) and growing chillies, peppers!!! Any ideas on other things I could grow in one of them.

Hi Summer. I'm not sure what you mean by plastic container - do you mean one of those little mini-greenhouses - like a set of shelves covered with a polythene cover?

If you mean one of those you can grow lots of things in it. If you put in a nice warm sheltered spot in your garden, you can certainly grow chillies in it. Personally, I wouldn't bother with ordinary sweet peppers (the big ones) because it's a lot of effort for very little return. I have never done well with them, even in a greenhouse. What does very well in my greenhouse are tomatoes and cucumbers, chillies and (sometimes) aubergines. I also keep lots of marigolds in the greenhouse to help stave off whitefly and other bugs. And usually some basil.

Bear in mind that growing-your-own does not necessarily save you money. By the time you've factored in the cost of equipment, seeds/plants, compost, pots etc. you might end up spending more than you save. I do it because I absolutely love it and because you cannot beat the taste of veggies that you have picked from your garden just moments before.

It is definitely worth growing lettuce and rocket. You can sow lettuce at two-week intervals throughout the summer to have a constant supply - just sow a few at a time otherwise you'll have far too much. You should leave sowing rocket until later in the summer but that's fairly hardy and will keep you supplied until late Autumn.

Tomatoes can be grown in your mini-greenhouse or you can grow them outside in hanging baskets (get a bush variety suitable for this).

If you have space to plant a courgette plant then do that - they produce constantly all summer long. If you don't have much space you can grow a courgette plant in one of those big supermarket bags-for-life - the Asda ones are ideal. And runner beans are fantastic - you need something to grow them up - you can build a wigwam out of bamboo or long hazel sticks. Strawberries are good as well.

Depends on what size garden you have and how much effort you want to put into it really. If you have a raised bed or can build one, you could try something called 'square-foot-gardening' which I plan to try out this year on one or two of my raised beds: http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=148

As MoneyMission has said, there's a Greenfingered forum on MSE where you'll find lots of very knowledgeable people - I lurk about on there and learn loads.

elfy1807

Hi Summer

I've been a bit of a loiterer and read your entire other post and now I'm over here to subscribe to your diary.

You've made such amazing progress so far. Keep up the good work.
I hope your boys have a good first day today.

Good luck with everything

Elfy1807

Verbatim

Hi Summer,
I read your other thread and thought you had an appalling time of it there. I'm so glad it hasn't put you off mse and even more glad to see how well you're doing. I hope the sunshine lifts your mood too and I'm sure you'll be posting loads of successes as you go along.
Hope the boys' first day goes well.
V

summer33

Well I am happy. Boys had a lovely day in school. So So happy and releived.

Walked to school and nursery and walked home, what a lovely day and saved fuel too :T ha ha

They both said they like it better than their old school, do more activities and no homework, just a home reader as they work them that hard in school. Sounds good to me.

Tomorrow eldest stays behind hour to do extra work on sats. :T

So I can firmly tick this off, as my first plan on saving money dealt with.

Next for water, council tax, mortgage arrears and debts next on the agenda.


xxxxx

summer33

peaceandfreedom wrote: »

Hi Summer. I'm not sure what you mean by plastic container - do you mean one of those little mini-greenhouses - like a set of shelves covered with a polythene cover?

If you mean one of those you can grow lots of things in it. If you put in a nice warm sheltered spot in your garden, you can certainly grow chillies in it. Personally, I wouldn't bother with ordinary sweet peppers (the big ones) because it's a lot of effort for very little return. I have never done well with them, even in a greenhouse. What does very well in my greenhouse are tomatoes and cucumbers, chillies and (sometimes) aubergines. I also keep lots of marigolds in the greenhouse to help stave off whitefly and other bugs. And usually some basil.

Bear in mind that growing-your-own does not necessarily save you money. By the time you've factored in the cost of equipment, seeds/plants, compost, pots etc. you might end up spending more than you save. I do it because I absolutely love it and because you cannot beat the taste of veggies that you have picked from your garden just moments before.

It is definitely worth growing lettuce and rocket. You can sow lettuce at two-week intervals throughout the summer to have a constant supply - just sow a few at a time otherwise you'll have far too much. You should leave sowing rocket until later in the summer but that's fairly hardy and will keep you supplied until late Autumn.

Tomatoes can be grown in your mini-greenhouse or you can grow them outside in hanging baskets (get a bush variety suitable for this).

If you have space to plant a courgette plant then do that - they produce constantly all summer long. If you don't have much space you can grow a courgette plant in one of those big supermarket bags-for-life - the Asda ones are ideal. And runner beans are fantastic - you need something to grow them up - you can build a wigwam out of bamboo or long hazel sticks. Strawberries are good as well.

Depends on what size garden you have and how much effort you want to put into it really. If you have a raised bed or can build one, you could try something called 'square-foot-gardening' which I plan to try out this year on one or two of my raised beds: http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=148

As MoneyMission has said, there's a Greenfingered forum on MSE where you'll find lots of very knowledgeable people - I lurk about on there and learn loads.

hi peaseandfreedom

Thanks for your advice.

Yes one of them polythene containters I meant. I may start off with chillies and tomatoes. I have grown strawberries before in hanging baskets, but in all honesty never got very many from it, so not sure if I was doing it right.

I will have a looked at the greenfingered forum and see for any other ideas.

I do have a big garden, but mainly decking and gravel, not a lot of borders, although I do enjoy gardening, and planting things.

Thanks again xx

Puzzcat

Hi Summer,
Glad the boys liked the new school... I've got my seeds sorted just need to do some indoor planting next weekend.. I've gone for runner beans in grow bags, and then will try in pots - chives, spring onions, carrots, chilli's, rocket and mixed lettuce plus tomatoes in hanging baskets. I bought my seeds bar the tomato one's as a friend is starting them off for about £5 in wilkinsons, 3 for 2.. if you have a wilkinsons where you live?