Living on $12,000 a year

anguk

I have an Epson printer and get my replacement cartridges off Ebay, I get the compatible catridges and think my last lot cost about £6 for the full set. I've never, ever bought the official branded inks.

If you just search for your printer ink brand/type on Ebay there'll be a long list of sellers.

meanmarie

Yategirl,

I would second any advice posted further up the thread re living on less and would just say that if I were asked to give one hint which would help reduce the money you spend it would be to keep exact records of what you spend...it helped me realise that I was 'just' spending a euro here or 50c there...I am amazed at how little I am managing to feed four of us on now, neither do I buy all those things that might come in handy...I think long and hard before I spend.

Ceredwin...your little yard and any window sills you have will supply you with fresh herbs and salad stuff for most of the year, including spring onions...once you start you will get ideas yourself and have a look at 'the square foot gardener' to inspire you more...good luck

Marie

ceridwen

Hi MoanyMoany

Just received latest edition of free email newsletter from Mother Earth News - with large article on chicken coops. Thought "Ah Moany would want to read this". Very quick comment - as on way to THAT AWFUL JOB of mine for day.

http://www.motherearthliving.com/issues/motherearthliving/livestock/easy-backyard-chicken.coops_596-1.html

was the first reference at the end of this article. I input this into search and, at a quick glance, there is at least a bit of the info on this there on clicking under the "Recent Tips" heading.

rachelleblondel_2

ceridwen wrote: »

One little thought on energy-saving lightbulbs - I DID use them where possible in the past - but I have gone right off them since reading that they have mercury in them and consequent difficulties in disposal of (just how many people - me included - are going to make a special effort to find out how to chuck their lightbulbs out safely? Nope - they are likely to get chucked in the bin, with all the other rubbish).

There was an interesting piece on RAdio 4 the other day about how these bulbs far exceed the sfae level of mercury but are really easy to recycle & the Germany recycles about 99. something % of them. Sounds like a Government issue to me considering Britain has no where to safely dispose or recycle these bulbs. TYPICAL!!

Rachelle

moanymoany

ceridwen wrote: »

Hi MoanyMoany

Just received latest edition of free email newsletter from Mother Earth News - with large article on chicken coops. Thought "Ah Moany would want to read this". Very quick comment - as on way to THAT AWFUL JOB of mine for day.

http://www.motherearthliving.com/issues/motherearthliving/livestock/easy-backyard-chicken.coops_596-1.html

was the first reference at the end of this article. I input this into search and, at a quick glance, there is at least a bit of the info on this there on clicking under the "Recent Tips" heading.

Thanks ceridwen, I've saved it. DH really wants to spend £50 on someone making a hut. I said to him - that's about 20 dozen eggs, a year's supply for us. So this weekend we are looking at what we have aroundd the place. This is a great bit of info.

Compost bins, your council may sell them cheap. All compost bins are, are plastic tubes with a lid. On old dustbin with the bottom cut off - anything. Buckets would work. Put all your veg waste and some paper in. It soon packs down.

A really strong plastic bag with the bottom cut off and shaken into a tube shape and the top tucked over to form a lid, that would work and would fit in a small space. Keep it as far from the house as you can! If you get lots of fruit flies, put a layer of paper on the top. This works, it cuts down the numbers hugely.

FBThree

Compost bins don't have to be just made of plastic. We've got one in the garden made of wood to a Geoff Hamilton design. It looks a bit like a bee-hive so doesn't stand out as looking ugly. You might find that someone is offering wood on your local freecycle so you can make one yourself. At the allotment we've got some made of old wooden pallets just screwed together.

If you mix up the contents occassionally, they rot down faster.

Yategirl

ceridwen wrote: »

Back to surfing - and one moneysaving idea a lot of people on this Board are already doing is growing own food. I only have this tiny backyard myself and anything I decide to put out there will have to go in pots. Anyway - if anyone has any useful websites to share with us re container food gardening - I'm sure that would be appreciated.

Kicking myself up backside I really must make more of a move on this than growing beansprouts and the odd tomato plant. Read a couple of books about vast amounts of food that can be produced by a determined person in even a tiny space. Still recall years ago watching a tv programme on permaculture - featuring people doing just that and was well impressed by a married couple managing to grow a large proportion of their fruit and veg on what was just a supersize balcony.

I know I really should get with it - particularly with companies like Monsanto busy trying to get terminator technology out there on the market (ie the genetic modification of plants to make them produce sterile seeds - so that farmers and ourselves have to rebuy seeds from them, rather than saving our own seeds). Obviously - the more of us have our own little supply going (and if we are feeling really virtuous - duly saving our own seeds) the better.

On the grow your own food theme - one of the things that is defeating me a bit on this having such a tiny little yard (rather than a "proper" garden) is that compost heaps are not possible with the sheer lack of space - so could do with being able to buy readymade bottles/packets of organic "food" for plants as easily as the conventional chemical ones I could just walk up the road and buy. Sort of defeats the object of virtuously not spraying chemicals everywhere on my tomatoes - but then having to use plantfood made of chemicals! So if anyone has any info. to share with us on where to buy this it would be appreciated.

Hi.. I can recommend 3 books to borrow from your library for container/small yard growing:

1. "The Edible Container Garden" by Michael Guerra - very inspiring and I read this regulary (?sp) to give myself a motivated boost - amazing how and what you can grow in a small space

2. "The Gardening WHICH? Guide to Growing Your Own Vegetables" WHICH? Books - basic guide to different veg, tells you if they can be grown in pots and what sizes you need etc (also good for those who grow in the garden/on allotment)

3. "All New Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew - worth reading to see how he suggests you grow food in small spaces and get max production.

I have been container gardening for several years now and am slowly altering my small garden as and when funds allow to give us raised beds for vegetable growing. For me this year has not been successful but in previous years I have had the freezer filled with vegetables for the winter AND lots of fresh food for the summer months.

I have had success with potatoes, beetroot, turnips, baby carrots, spring onions, lettuce/salad leaves, tomatoes, sweetcorn, climbing beans, courgettes in pots. I found that Chard and pumpkins do better in the ground (as they need more space, nutrients and water). I have grown peppers, tomatillos and aubergines in pots but find they are quite variable due to weather (like it hot). Am sure there is more but can't think at the mo. You may be able to make some raised beds to fit your space and fit pots in around them to maybe get maximum value from your little garden. Don't forget that pumpkins/squashes and even courgettes can climb trellis if "helped". Fruit can also be grown in pots - I have a pear tree minarette and 3 blueberries at the moment but as we have a hot backyard am going to train a couple of fruit trees (maybe peach and plum) against the fence/wall plus get some gooseberry bushes in pots. I have rhubarb in a pot atm but will be putting that in the ground as I feel it needs a bit more space. You can even get cranberry bushes which have a trailing habit so can go in hanging baskets - yep.. they are on my "to get" list!! I am planning a pergola by the dining room window/door - I want to get a grape vine growing over that and have got an arch (£5 from Wilkinsons!) by the backgate and want something to grow over that - maybe another grape vine. Michael Guerra's book helps you realise that vertical space is just as much usuable space as it horizontal space and with a small garden.... use it all!

hope this is of some use?

kethry

Yategirl wrote: »

dh bought me a printer a year and a half ago for about £20 (nothing expensive as I don't use it that often) and I have now run out of ink... I now have the difficulty of making the decision of what to do - the ink cartridges (having looked around) will cost me £34 to replace (and this works out the same as having them re-filled) BUT a new printer WITH ink is only £20!

one thing i have noticed: Aldi are doing ink cartridges quite cheaply - 2.99 each, compatible with epson and canon. You may be able to find them cheaper elsewhere - i know Tescos do their own brand ink cartridges, so it stands to reason that places like Asda, and possibly wilkos, might do their own.

HTH

keth
xx

the_cat

hi all

have read this thread with interest, but first post on it ......

I get ink cartridges from www.7dayshop.com for my Epsom printer, 99p each and I have used them for several years with no problems. I think they do ones compatible with many different makes.

HTH

Chipps

Growing veg

We have a small garden - about 30 ft square, but have a greenhouse which supplies us with tomatoes & cucumbers for a lot of the summer, and a raised bed about 6 ft x 3 ft which we are currently growing carrots, lettuce, french beans, leeks, radishes & beetroot - oh, and a further tomato plant too.
Also we have another similar sized bed with rhubarb & onions growing.
In the last couple of weeks we have just taken on an allotment, so hopefully we should be able to grow more, including potatoes which will be helpful. Then the main garden bed can be used to grow more salad stuff. Herbs are in pots around the garden too.
I love home grown veg, it tastes so much nicer than stuff thats been hanging around in a shop for ages.

Printer Ink

Tesco do ink cartridges for a number of makes (ours is a canon printer) which cost £2.79, but at the moment they are even cheaper on special offer.
Morrisons ones are £2.99.