Live on a tenner a week ???

moneyistooshorttomention

I can understand the logic of getting people to remove their shoes when going into someones home - all the more so now I'm in farming country (mud, mud and more mud).

Many people these days have pale plain carpets (including me) and hate housework (including me). Trouble is I can never remember to remove my own footwear on coming indoors and so am not really in a position to ask other people too (unless I can see their footwear is obviously covered with mud etc). It's very rare for people to establish for themselves whether the host wants footwear removed - whereas I do remember (in other peoples homes) that I must look to see if there is any evidence that's what people are expected to do.

Astonishing just how many people go round with holes in their socks I can see....

Caterina

Ilona I would love to visit, the next time I am on my way to Yorkshire with DH to see his family I would love to pop in for a chat and to see your fantastic beach hut! Not that I am inviting myself mind you LOL but it would be a great honour for me to meet you! DH is also a fan, I always show him your vids and he agrees and approves (being a good old Yorkshire lad!).

Caterina

pollypenny wrote: »

I think I'm careful with money, but I wouldn't dream of making a guest feel uncomfortable.

OH always wants the heating turned down , but even he wouldn't have a guest feeling cold.


Yes, gods, we'll be making them take their shoes off next! :cool:

Living on £10 a week? Only if one was desperate.

I ask friends to bring their own milk and if anyone goes upstairs they are asked to remove their shoes. My home, my rules and my friends are all fine with them.

We don't need to live on £10 per week but if we had to we could, as a couple, with £20. However others have pointed out that as a single person it might be much harder and more limiting.

suki1964

I always ask if the house owner wishes me to take my shoes off before entering

Why would you want outside dirt traipsed through your house?

GreyQueen

I'm another Ilona fan and credit here with giving me the nerve to start cutting my own hair in January 2015. Twelve months on, that alone has saved me over £100 and I've never had so many compliments (I don't divulge that I am my own scissor-meister, so I guess they're genuine not two-faced compliments).

I don't drink coffee, and got tired of having even small jars set solid/ go to waste. So people know that I have black tea (caff and decaff) and a variety of herbal teas, but no coffee. Since my pals often seem to be herbal tea-types, it works well.

If I had a regular visitor who only drank coffee, I'd get some in for them (and aim to get their preferred brand). I think we need to strike a balance between being hospitable and thinking we should have the same run of options as a cafe. For us singletons on a low income, having everything any passing visitor might possibly want is a big ask, imo.

sairy2010

I met up with Ilona last summer. She was walking the north Norfolk coast and as I live in Hunstanton I arranged to meet her on the sunday afternoon. We had a nice chat and she doesn't strike you as odd or eccentric at all. (Perhaps it's me!) I love reading her blog which seems to have developed from simply having to watch the pennies. It has now become a way of life for her. I like her blog and always read it, I also like the way she will have a go at anything, need a summer house well build one.
She is very fond of her pets and the work she does with a cats charity seems to be overlooked. A lot of the things she makes raise money for this charity.
So lets stop knocking Ilona and appreciate that we are all different.
Hilary

HOWMUCH

sairy2010 wrote: »

I met up with Ilona last summer. She was walking the north Norfolk coast and as I live in Hunstanton I arranged to meet her on the sunday afternoon. We had a nice chat and she doesn't strike you as odd or eccentric at all. (Perhaps it's me!) I love reading her blog which seems to have developed from simply having to watch the pennies. It has now become a way of life for her. I like her blog and always read it, I also like the way she will have a go at anything, need a summer house well build one.
She is very fond of her pets and the work she does with a cats charity seems to be overlooked. A lot of the things she makes raise money for this charity.
So lets stop knocking Ilona and appreciate that we are all different.
Hilary

I am too a fan of Ilona and when reading her blog I too hoped she be there at the time we go to Sunny Hunny but alas it was not to be. We always go the first 2 weeks in October and she was there September. She has lived an amazing life and is still doing so, long may she enjoy her freedom because of her frugal ways.

monnagran

Meritan: Sorry, my tablet doesn't seem to do quotes.
Re:Sunday lunch. When my children were teenagers and I seemed to be running a youth hostel, the one rule we had was that we were all there for Sunday lunch and if any of their friends were there they were welcome to stay.
I used to come home from church and count the trainers at the bottom of the stairs to see approximately how many I was cooking for. And yes, I've counted 15 shoes before now!
I met a middle aged man the other days who I didn't recognise at all but who gave me a bear hug in the middle of the supermarket. "Mrs C," he cried, "that's for all the wonderful Sunday lunches you gave me." Well it was a long time coming but appreciated nonetheless.

x

meritaten

lol - happened when my kids were teens too! now its the grandkids who bring friends from Saturday night 'Sleepovers'! otherwise it would just be OH - I am not fond of roast dinners and although I love potatoes they don't love me and I cant eat the gravy because of the flour! so I would actually rather cook for the many than just the one.
To be fair the extra kids are usually VERY appreciative! I am gobsmacked at how many of them NEVER have a home cooked roast dinner!

pollypenny

I miss that having to stretch a meal because another teenage lad with hollow legs has turned up - just before rugby training !

My Welsh-American grandsons won't be able to do that!