NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

Slowdown

I wonder if I'm the last one to slip into my hammock tonight? Probably not.

I am so pleased that we are all thinking before buying. I've seen so many posts where people have said they have wanted something, thought about this thread and their purse strings and walked away. And not one person has said they regret it!

Marvellous mates, the captain salutes you!

Snoozy regards
Slowdown:)

suki1964

Coulddobetter wrote: »

Took the dog to the vets, ouch .... nearly £30 for injections and a check up. Went to the butchers and Tesc Hell to get some needed supplies. Had a big declutter of paperwork ready for burning tomorrow, gas bills from 2000!!!!! Couldn't believe it.
Took 3 big bags of stuff to CS today including kitchenware that I don't really need and a stool that I found in the garage. Feeling very virtuous :j

DH and I have been talking about downsizing I can't decide if it is the right thing to do. When you think about the cost of selling, the stamp duty and then the small difference in bills I'm not sure it is worth it. We only use half of our house until the children return on high days and holidays. Any advice would be welcome.

Could do better xx

Ouch with the vet bills I have Alfie booked in for Tuesday and this vist is going to cost over a £100, eye drops, shampoo, anal glands, thyroxine tabs and a blood test wee love is really suffering now. I'm going to soon have to make a decision.......


As for downsizing. When the kids were young, and the olds getting on, we had a two up two down. We managed. We had twin beds a in the back room, and a sofa double bed in the living room. We put in a downstairs loo and we coped with now matter who visited. Now we have a huge house with more beds then enough, we still only get the high day visits and our fuel bills are more then enough to fuel a small country. Don't get me wrong, I love my home, but I'm also looking forward to downsizing


Anyway the bread rolls were a great hit. Didn't get time to cook them before work so been very naughty and just ate one fresh from the oven smothered in butter. Hubby done a grand job with the kneeding. Going to take a couple in to mum tomorrow. She HATES hospital food and I'm sure she will be close to starving time I get up to visit

notjustlaura

I did get an NSD yesterday as events conspired against me catching the train as planned. There are things I need today (like milk!) but I'll be watching myself.

Laura

Kerry_Woman

Daisy58 wrote: »

Evening,
Well I have had 3 NSD so far.

I received a large set of bamboo knitting needles for my birthday there is about 12 sets of all sizes. What thoughtful gift.
Some bed socks, chocs, DVD box set.

Also the OH cooked a lovely meal.
Been spoilt today:)

Sending a belated birthday wishes.

[Deleted User]

edwink wrote: »

This was one of only a few I found that could go in to a garage or a cold place. The make is Bek*

yes I bought a small beko chest freezer in 2011, after doing the research. It is fine in the back of a detached (cold) garage and I use it for allotment overflow. I aim to get it emptied by april with a view to start refilling in september. I gradually bring the frozen produce indoors to my big upright freezer

I have 3 big cabbages on my allotment, they grew too large this year so have decided to make more sauerkraut, two will fill the sauerkraut pot. My sauerkraut keeps for a long time if I store it cool and dark and only uses shredded cabbage and some salt. I love the fact that it makes probiotics as does my sourdough bread. I don`t always make sd bread but I always use shiptons flour from the mill and they have a new yeast that gives me the most wonderful bread results. It comes in a large pack or small packages. I get the large one but I keep it in lock n locks in the fridge
http://www.shipton-mill.com/flour-direct-shop/yeast-and-extras
I keep the flour in lock n lock boxes specifically bought for my flour storage and all in a rat proof cold shed. I have enough to last all winter

I sorted all the freezer drawers the other week and made labels with a garden labeller, I didn`t quite stick to the contents over christmas as I was shoe horning stuff in but it is working well now. I am having to make an effort to use items up eg I have things like basil whizzed in olive oil, easy now for making pasta and some soups, was also really nice with loads of courgettes in soup. I also have lots of garlic that I whizzed in olive oil but I stored that in containers that were too large and I have to chip the garlic/oil off but I am getting there. Next time I will do the same whizzing but will make flat packs that will break off

No spends again today although I have placed my riverford order for next week,

Sore thumbs last night from spinning all day, so I wore my thumb gloves in bed and they are fine this morning. They are my dessert island must haves
http://www.cottonpatch.co.uk/acatalog/Crafter-s-Thumb-Glove-CPWCC2.html#SID=626

Am going to have another gentle day, will watch the rest of middlemarch and do some plying to finally make my yarn. Middlemarch was one of the free dvds from newspapers. I was an avid collector when they were free and have dozens, all for the cost of a newspaper. That was in the days when I lived within cycling distance from a newsagents. I am sorry they stopped the dvds but there must have been a reason. I have also bought some in the past, how green was my valley, roots, gone with the wind. I would never get rid of them

Effyb4

I love my mum. She came round with a present yesterday: 2kg of chicken breasts and 36 sausages. She knows that money is tight at the moment and didn't want any money for it. That's enough meat for about 7 meals. There are 5 of us (2 adults and 3 hungry teenagers).

Slowdown

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30655616

Just came across this article on the BBC website. It speaks of our persuit of happiness particularly through the power of purchasing. Worth a read even if we are beginning to get the picture anyway.

I think William Morris may become another of my favourite quotees:

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful"

Here,here!

Kind regards
Slowdown:)

[Deleted User]

Effyb4 Mum's are special people aren't they My Mum sadly died when I was 16 but the things I learned from her have been so useful in the following decades. Growing up with a frugal Mum left me with a legacy that has helped me through some very lean periods. So if you have a Mum that you love, tell her when she is still around.

Well this morning I have my eldest DD coming for her weekly coffee,scrambled eggs and natter.Sunday mornings are our chinwag time, and she gets waited on for a change, and she loves being a little bit spoilt by her Mum :):) She is back to work tomorrow (she is a business manager of a special-needs school so has quite a stress filled job balancing the books etc. Her Sunday mornings are a special time for us both as I get to make a fuss of her, and she can revert to being just my DD again, instead of a frantically busy wife and Mum herself :):)

I have some ironing to do after she has gone, and will do it whilst listening to The Archers ( I record it to listen to later ) Then later this afternoon I go to my youngest DDs for dinner and some 'playtime' with my DGS. As opposed to 'normal time' when I look after them during the week.

Tomorrow is the last day of their holidays, and depending on the weather we will go out for the day.We take a picnic lunch with us and if its a castle I have my English Heritage card with them all listed on so its a bit of a freebie day out. If the weather is pants, then it will be a snuggle up on the sofa day and watch a movie I think.

DGS Ben is off back to Uni in just over a week,so I'll have to fatten him up a bit this week.

NSD at all hopefully this week so far not a penny spent this year :):).

I used up the spring greens I had by steaming them last night and have enough left for another meal along with some left over mashed potato.I'll dig a chop out of the freezer for tomorrow nights dinner

Lunch today will be a bit of bubble and squeak with a poached egg on top, and the rest (mash'n' greens) will be saved towards dinner tomorrow night as its stored in a couple of boxes in the fridge.

No cooking needed for Tuesday night as its quiz night, and I get something there for £2.00.
My expences so far this month will be £8.00 for 4 quiz nights and £20.00 for 4 history classes and £6.00 for the window cleaner = £34.00. Plus what ever I have to spend on fresh fruit,veg & milk. I am hoping not to have to buy any food at all this month as I have more than enough stuff in store already .Definitely a 'use it up' month

Well, time to toddle off and make some porridge for breakfast.
Have a good week chums I keep checking in daily as this thread moves so fast. It's great that we are all in the same boat so to speak
Cheers shipmates
JackieO xxx

115K

I was feeling shivery last night and I woke up early to get a hot drink and hot water bottle. I just went to pop the recycling out and it's murky and foggy still out there and really cold even though it's after 9am now so I wasn't imagining things.

I read a good spooky book last night called The Crowsmoor Curse by Jan MacDonald. I would recommend if you like that type of thing. It was free on the kindle a while ago and it might still be.

I found a "new" baking tray while I was rearranging my kitchen cupboards but just realised it was one my mother in law lent to us.:D She can have that back. One thing I do need to buy is some new storage containers for when I batch cook.

It's a strange meal to have on a cold day but I'm having leftover veggie pizza with salad for lunch. I'm having such a craving for iceberg lettuce.:p

I_want_a_baby

Jobs to do today include:

Sweeping the chimney with our drain rods and brush attachment.

Rotivate veg plot - apparently there are carrots and parsnips still in the ground, so will get some of these for the fridge as we have no veg in the fridge. We do still have the end of a sack of potatoes and some green beans and peas in the freezer.

Tea is leftover turkey in gravy, Yorkshire puds & stuffing from the freezer, leftover mash from the fridge, some frozen beans, the last three bendy parnsips from the fridge and some carrots from the garden.

Tonight I want to rework our financial plans for 2015 after reading Dave Ramseys baby steps!

Today will be a NSD. I might in fact try and make some bread rolls for hubby's lunch box - no time like the present!

IWAB x