NOT BUYING IT! 2015 - A consumer holiday

vulpix

Ok Mr V tells me I have probably infected my computer with a virus! Trouble is i am expecting a tax rebate.GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Crafting wise have a look at pinterest it will give you masses of ideas.I can sew by hand and with machine and am a remedial knitter and crocheter.I just make stuff when I get an idea that will use what I have to hand,don't often buy supplies.Recently I have made candles from stubbs ,christmas stars from twiggs and a christmas tree embroidery to fit a frame I had.I love making something from nothing.
Vx

suki1964

vulpix wrote: »

Ok Mr V tells me I have probably infected my computer with a virus! Trouble is i am expecting a tax rebate.GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Crafting wise have a look at pinterest it will give you masses of ideas.I can sew by hand and with machine and am a remedial knitter and crocheter.I just make stuff when I get an idea that will use what I have to hand,don't often buy supplies.Recently I have made candles from stubbs ,christmas stars from twiggs and a christmas tree embroidery to fit a frame I had.I love making something from nothing.
Vx

I've about a hundred of those emails- all in my junk folder

boultdj

Not a great deal of help on the crafting front suki, Gran taught me to knit and garden form the age of 5, then I learnt crouquing of Mum when I was 11 and the DIY is something I just seemed to pick up, walking is also something I'v done from an early age, but a lot of people say you tube for ideas.

vodkawitch1

Hi Suki

I have started sewing recently, only been doing cushion covers, napkins etc and watching `How to` you tube vids. I only have a very basic machine but hoping to make some simple summer pjs over the weekend.
Otherwise it is comping or out walking with a camera (cost £40 three years ago).
NSD today apart from the postage on a small e@ay sale but can`t really count that.

Been getting my fabric from cs mostly tablecloths.

pm2326

I do cross stitch, it's easy to pick up and put down when life gets in the way. It can appear expensive if you buy a kit as these vary from £10 - £50 but it can take months to complete one so in the long term its relatively cheap.

I started off buying a magazine that had a small kit of a teddy bear to make and was hooked....I've been doing it for 5 years now and this was my 2014 xmas present to my mum

2014-10-18 13.35.59 by pm2326, on Flickr

I have a day off on Friday and plan to stitch for most of the weekend!

RicardaRacoon

Evening everyone

Already Wednesday... I had Monday off and it is so nice to have a short week. used Monday afternoon to go to my Mums knitting group with her. Mostly elderly ladies there, all very nice and it is always very interessting and inspiring to be there (I try to join every few months) and I really liked it and knitted half a kids hat.

Granny liked the placemats I made her for her bday and not even noticed the lopsided seam on one side...

Really need to have a very early night, was reading till almost midnight yesterday...

I'm not that good when it comes to the not buying front at the moment... Placed a huge book order last week, four books... Though two are second hand and came to a total of less than 4£. But not much planned for this month now besides a night out with a friend next week with cinema (we will go to see Shaun the Sheep...) and a meal out.

Edwink, how is little Langley going?

candygirl, your granddaughter sounds like a funny little girl!

Tink, I also think a certain amount of "pocket money" for you to do whatever you want with it would be good to keep you stitcking to the plan.

Had a good laugh about Jackie and her bubbles. I always have some bubble liquid around - or make it myself using dishwashing liquid and water - and when there is a thunderstorm I normally sit on the balcony, blowing bubbles into the rain.

vulpix, hope you'll feel better soon! My dad had gall stones a while ago and it must have been really painful as he saw his GP in no time. When he sees his GP without having to be dragged there it must be serious...

Suki, I do all sorts of crafts (cross stitch, knitting, sewing plus loads of papercraft) and started most of them out of coincident. You could just get some cheap supplies and try it out and see if you like it. YOu can also find loads of tutorials on youtube when you're not sure how to do something.
I get most of the ideas from pinterest, craftghawker, blogs or good old google search. For knitting patterns - also free ones - Ravelry is a good source as well.

Have a nice evening everyone!

weesmiler

pm2326 wrote: »

I do cross stitch, it's easy to pick up and put down when life gets in the way. It can appear expensive if you buy a kit as these vary from £10 - £50 but it can take months to complete one so in the long term its relatively cheap.

I started off buying a magazine that had a small kit of a teddy bear to make and was hooked....I've been doing it for 5 years now and this was my 2014 xmas present to my mum

2014-10-18 13.35.59 by pm2326, on Flickr

I have a day off on Friday and plan to stitch for most of the weekend!

This is just fabulous! I love it. I do a little cross stitching myself but smaller projects than this. Must dig out my half finished one to keep me busy...

Lynplatinum

Viv - hope you feel really well soon - th weather maybe getting more spring like and it is nice to get out into my small garden and do 'bits'

Re crafts: I do beading and Scrapbooking - both started when i went to craft fairs and saw the crafts being demonstrated. I did classes for a bit but do most of it on my own now - attending a Scrapbooking retreat once a year (although my local lady runs this 3 times a year and monthly workshops which I sometimes attend) Both of these are things that you can take up when you have the time and 'park' when you dont. Initial costs can be quite high but tbh then its up to you how much you choose to spend!

Both hobbies are very useful for creating gifts and cards from your 'stock' of stuff - especially when skintness hits or a forgetful mind!

Today finally planted tomato and red pepper seeds - fingers crossed folks :-):)

Slowdown

117pauline wrote: »

Am I the only person who dreads all the "dress up" days for school where parents are forced into buying costumes as a special purchase and then discarded. I think this just shows how strong my NBI intentions are now - I really feel for these parents who may well not be able to afford a fancy costume or £10 charity donation etc etc. Charity - great however it now seems to have become a ridiculously big business and somewhere some companies are definitely rubbing their hands with glee.

Rant over - back to the calm of the garden
Pauline

Ahoy. Apologies for not inspecting the decks this week but i have had a ridiculously busy time at work and my DD has come home from uni for Easter with a bit of a broken heart that needed some TLC from me.
Anyway, I'd like to take up the subject of school dress up days. Being a teacher for 25 years I have seen many a dress up day. I don't exactly love them myself. The children get very hyped up and it makes for a difficult days teaching so it ends up being more of an activity day. The only one I truly support is the World Book Day. Too many children have too little exposure to books these days and it is a great way to stimulate and interest them. I realise many parents hate the idea but I had 3 children of mine go through these days and never once bought a thing for them. A bit of creativity was all that was needed. Old clothes, smudgy make up and a headscarf -hey presto, Cinderella! Red and white paper hat, cardboard cut out glasses and a stripy t shirt - hey presto, The Cat in The Hat! I must have made up 10 or more over the years and nary a penny spent.

As for the donation that they take to school, usually a pound, is generally for a charity our school council supports or for school funds to buy more books for the library etc. Most people can afford a pound, not all granted, but when parents complain about it when holding a packet of £7 cigarettes in their hand, I have to say my patience wears a little thin. I have every sympathy with parents and the cost of uniform, trips, etc etc but when we have a system that is divided by private and public education, now with money diverted to free schools and academies, your small, ordinary, for the local people, little, local school struggles with money on a daily basis and a dress up day can help with another necessary purchase.

I would like to see World Book Day celebrated big time in schools and then drop the rest of dress up days. One special day a year with a small contribution of the parent's choosing would be fun for the kids, easier for the teachers and less stressful for the parents.

Kind regards
Slowdown:)

Slowdown

JackieO wrote: »

What really annoys me is the 'Non-uniform ' days Why on earth should my DD have to fork out a £1 to send her son to school in his own clothes when she is told by the school that children have to adhere strictly to school uniform.??

It seems to be more of a junior and infant school policy rather than a senoir school one and I know when my DD had four of her children all at the same primary school it was sometimes a struggle to find all the different cash amounts that the school seemd to demand.To me its just highway robbery and a lot of parents must find it hard to keep up with 'teacher says we need to bring in this '
My youngest DGS has to pay a pound once a fortnight for swimming I wouldn't mind but the swimming pool is situated in the school so they don't have to go to a publc pool :mad: Roll on this September when he goes up to the senior school and Mum can relax a bit and not have to find these odd pounds ,especially usually as she's just about to go to work herself and often has to scrabble around to find change

Please don't take this the wrong way but I have to repond to this. No money brought into schools with the exception of school dinner money is a requirement. All money for non - uniform days, trips, book days etc is known as a voluntary contribution. If parents feel so strongly about a pound for a non uniform day, they do not have to pay it. It is voluntary. If a trip is put forward and a family is hard up they can approach the school for funding. If they are hard enough up they will fall into the 'pupil premium' category and money can be used to support this family for the good of the children.

I would like to put a little perspective on this. £1 donation = a bag and a bit of crisps, a bar and a bit of chocolate, one thirtieth or less of many computer games, less than two postage stamps, a seventh of a bottle of most wines, a couple of cigarettes, 15 minutes of a film at the pictures.

For many children, the school is the only way they will visit museums, watch theatre plays, explore historical places of interest or take a week away. Most of the time the school subsidises these trips as well as using contributions from parents.

We used to have a small pool at our school. It had to close because we couldn't afford to run it. Parents didn't want to contribute and said their children went to lessons anyway, but that's where the most disadvantaged lost out again. They could afford a pound every couple of weeks but not £60 for a set of lessons.

I would ask people to think about what their school is doing well for their children. Some of that is based on the fact that parental contributions assist in ways that enable schools to provide for all and not just the most well off families.

If you genuinely feel the school asks for too much money then you need to make your voice heard by putting your case forward to the senior leadership team or governors, not in a complaint type of way but from the perspective of a genuinely struggling parent. Schools are not money grabbing institutions out for every buck, but mostly hard working, creative bodies who have your child's best interests at heart. We struggle year on year with budgeting just as many families do. The funding problem is a central governement issue, not down to your local school.

Please don't be under any illusions that secondary schools will be any better, you will be in for a nasty shock if you are!

Kind regards
Slowdown:)