Not Buying It- A Consumer Holiday 2016

Happytravelling

Sounds like your [STRIKE]hubby[/STRIKE] DS (edited to credit the correct plant rescuer- apols) did a good job of rescuing the plants Mila :j I know in our family, if it starts raining when the washing is on the line, everyone leaps up and is out there in their slippers pulling it in- you'd think it was raining acid. Then we all come back in and fake puff and pant like we're out of breath and sigh about how close it was. It only occurs to me now what a pantomime we make of it! Not sure if anyone has seen the film 'About time'; its the perfect reminder to cherish the small stuff IMO

[Deleted User]

I have a voucher for a Subway and I am taking two of my DGS there for lunch today ,as its in a large shopping precinct I will be clasping my purse tightly so I don't buy anything silly :):) (apart from lunch of course)Weather looks pretty awful at the moment, but at least we will be under cover there
Good on your OH Mila for saving the seedings
have a good day everyone

JackieO xx

Happytravelling

Mmmm Subway, their sandwiches are so good.

Had a go at making mango sorbet with a tin of mango puree I mistakenly bought some time ago (thought it was mango slices) so waiting for it to freeze. If it works, I'll make it more often as its a much cheaper way to enjoy a frozen treat on hot days (if we get any of those) than buying a tub.

Primrose

Happytravellimg , do please post your mango sorbet recipe if it turns out Ok. A lot of ethnic stores sell this tinned mango purree and it sounds a good way of using it.

nursemaggie

Yes agree I would like that too.

Hope you all had a good weekend.

milasavesmoney

I seriously considered sending DS for TA. But then, after a bit of talking myself out of it, I rooted around in the fridge and came up with pasta makings. I added mini frozen meatballs and, having no mozzarella, I used cheddar. I baked this concoction in the oven, served it over rigatoni and DS and OH (plus the Silky) devoured it. Go me! :A ******* TA averted!! :T

Happytravelling

The mango sorbet needs a bit of tinkering, I used the method from this website http://www.willcookforfriends.com/2013/08/two-ingredient-mango-sorbet-too-good-for-words.html with the ingredient proportions from this website http://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/recipes/desserts-cakes/mango-sorbet and its really, really sweet:

425g tin of mango purree
318g caster sugar
344ml water

In step 5, I left it to freeze for nearly 3 hours then blitzed in the food processor (can't remember where I read that), then just left it to freeze, and the texture is pretty good. Just need to find sour things to eat it with :rotfl:

I'm thinking next time, maybe 1/3 less sugar and maybe some lemon juice (although suggestions would be welcome!)

Aril

Evening. Very little spent here at GBT. Mr GBT has picked some elderflowers today and started off the next lot of wine and bottled the last lot which has cleared. Progress on the redesigning continues apace. We wanted to use peat free compost for our new raised beds but we don't produce enough of our own. Following a recommendation on a local FB group he's bought 3 bags from our local tip as all the garden waste is recycled and sold on in this form. A win win! I meanwhie have been busy helping out on a green eco stand at a local event this weekend and learning about hwo you can make waistcoats and all sorts of other goodies from men's ties. Arilx

Lynplatinum

Ahoy there

Well, for those that are following - am still without a home but am staying at my friend's and house and dog sitting for her while she is on holiday (result - its in Cornwall!)

Very NBI in that I am not paying for TV/Water/Electric/gas/ etc etc!!

milasavesmoney - yep it is amazing how quick one can get a meal together from what is arround and so NBI giving in to the temptation of a TA - what is worse is that they now deliver! Where I used to live , when folks came round for an evening treat of a TA I would walk round the corner and collect it - why they would ask - 'because I have jsut saved us 5% on the bill ' I would reply. 'But that's only a few pence' they would say. ' Nope' I would reply 'Its about £6 i.e. about 10% of my fuel bill for the month!!' :rotfl:

Lets remember what NBI started out as: Refusing to be tricked into spending what we do not want or need to spend.
This does not preclude little treats (which for each of us will be different - for me its beer and chocolate - for someone else it might be flowers and hair product!

How to resist temptation/bad habit though????
Ways I do it include:
1) thinking about how long it would take me to earn the money to buy X
2) thinking how I am not gonna be suckered in by an advertising campaign - and having some smarmy git laughing all the way to the bank at my expense (literally !!!!) :mad:
3) Counting my blessings (like the ladies earlier on the thread who were so enjoying the quiet of the mornings) and ways in which I am lucky so I realise that I dont need to comfort - buy goods! :cool:

What ways have you folks come up with??
Lets share ideas
Nite all

[Deleted User]

Definitely Lyn, especially seeing the good 'free' things in life as in cobwebs on a hedge in winter when frosty.On saturday I spent a good chunk of cash on a new TV it was needed as my old TV (16 years and a third-hand freebie ) was on its last legs and the colour was bright red, so every one looked drenched in blood. In my defense I did have a £110.00 rebate from EDF so it brought the price down a bit ,plus I had my smashing son-in-law along with me to help me choose the right size and one that would be the best value .We got one with all the bells and whistles on it and bless him he fitted it up for me and we disposed of the old one to the tip yesterday.I am very pleased with it and am looking forward to watching Wimbledon this year without the players looking like extras from a horror movie :):) So cash well spent I think.
But that's my only really big spend of the year Last year it was my all- singing-dancing MacAir lap-top which I love (even though I still have my old clunker of a desk-top upstairs in my study) which I am on at the moment So I suppose I only really have one big spend per year which isn't too bad I suppose
The rest of the time I am a frugal little mouse and streetch my resources until they squeak
I have my first shop of the month to do today and have been really good at using stuff up first in the cupboards, but have a small shopping list of fresh stuff I need to get ,but as I haven't shopped for almost a fortnight I'm sure what I buy will be what I need as I do stick to my list fairly rigoursly ( I did have a bit of luck on Saturday when I went to buy my diesel I nippd into morrisons to buy my smashing son-in-law a bottle of hooch as a thank you for all his help and they were reducing stuff and I spotted a chicken reduced to 35p from £3.50 so I bought it and chucked it into the slow cooker as soon as I got home and the resulting chicken was gorgeous after an overnight stay in the SC I took it to DDs yesterday morning and DD made a large pot of curry for us all for dinner last night it fed 3 adults and three hollow-legged boys with rice and naans for dinner Definitely my best buy-of-the-week :):)
I have roughly worked out what today's food shopping will be and I think around £30.00 as I have loo rolls , disinfectant, soap powder and bleaches etc to buy as I seem to be running out of stuff all at the same time.
I hope you are enjoying your pet sitting Lyn it sounds very nice and Cornwall is such a beautiful county. I used to know a couple that actually signed up for an agency to house-sit and they spent some great times all over the country as a house sitter is a great deterrent for burglars and it keeps the house aired as well. Great if you have not too many ties and can go at reasonably short notice as well.
Even nicer if its in a beautiful bit of countryside :):)
Right onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xx