THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

thriftwizard

It's not "only pennies" MTSTM, it's rather more than that. They're trying to stop us using cheques so they really sting us to discourage it.

Re the (mobile) card machines, they are a big expense too; I rented one for a year and the flamin' thing only succeeded in getting one small transaction through. It never had a signal when I needed it, even though my phone did; a complete waste of hard-earned money, and when you're building a small business up, small expenses like that can be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I now use a gadget that "piggybacks" through my phone to take card payments & it's very effective as long as I have a signal; still costs me a percentage of every transaction, but they're doing me a service & I'd expect to have to pay a bit for that.

mumf

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Do you know how much?

I wasn't aware of that - but would imagine it's literally only pennies.

Between 48 and 80 pence a go as a rule.

Living_proof

fuddle wrote: »

I I try not to judge. A tablet may mean the difference between a family meal out together or a child having a melt down so...

I think if you could meet my older grandson and see the difference at a family meal between no ipad and blankie and ipad, there would be no criticism. I was gobsmacked at the behavioural improvement. In my own childhood we were never taken out to eat, indeed, the first meal I had out was aged 16 with friends at a steak house. It was also the first steak I ever ate in my life. So much has changed, but not always for the better.

silverwhistle

kboss2010 wrote: »

I have to confess that whenever i first came here, I thought this thread was a bit bonkers - now I think it’s fantastic & sadly possibly necessary!

Oh, I still think it's a bit bonkers, but occasionally dip in and contribute and even get thanked! Like everywhere you have to sort the wheat from the chaff.


Interesting point GreyQueen about slips in old people. I'm glad ancient mum has moved to a flat in my village: I can now integrate her into my routines (this weekend a portion of beef casserole) without it being a long trip or her feeling guilty. There won't be problems of bread and milk when it get icy, and at a push there is my wood burner (and well stocked scrounged wood stores). The stove has a flat top which can be very useful.


The 70/80 bottles of wine should last me a bit, although whether I'll be able to match wine and food appropriately is another matter!:D


I bought 3 large tubs of yeast the other day so should be ok for bread, and I've even got a sour dough starter beginning to work. Thanks to whoever commented about the Duchy Organics discount: I'll get a bit more. I've even got a wood-burning (pellet) pizza oven so I can see myself making myself rich or popular if things get really bad. I think block mozzarella freezes! Anchovy stocks are never an issue in my house..:-)


Incidentally, on the paying trades issue, my GF does accept cash or transfers, and she's often checking her account on her phone. I'm sure she wouldn't not accept cheques but it would be a right pain, and most of her clients prefer to do a simple bank transfer. The launderettes and kebab joints often prefer to pay in cash..

maryb

It was me Silverwhistle but I think that deal has finished now. But even at full price it’s the best price I can get for organic flour. We get free parking for three hours in Rose Waite’s in our town centre in return for spending £10 so I stock up on that when I need to meet the minimum spend

moneyistooshorttomention

mumf wrote: »

Between 48 and 80 pence a go as a rule.

Thanks for that.

So - hence a lot of the work done on my house has been paid for by cheque without them complaining/refusing then - as 48-80p on a job they've charged me hundreds (if not thousands) of £s for is negligible.

It would notice on something I was only paying a fiver for - but hundreds of £s upwards - then nowt to notice...

pineapple

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Have you notice how product labels are becoming Americanised?

I bought a set of spanners the other day, and they're labelled as "Wrenches".

Likewise, I saw a rubbish bin labelled as a "Trash Can".

I'm half expecting to see a shop selling Cell Phones.

Americanisation has been creeping in for years
Like the term 'cup cake' for example :mad:
Plus movies instead of films and American spelling as in the noun 'licence' spelt 'license' (does my head in)
American culture - such as proms, cheer leaders and the build up of Halloween.
One could go on......................

Karmacat

Lorries have become trucks

GreyQueen

Karmacat wrote: »

Lorries have become trucks

If you had lorry drivers/ truckers in your circle, you'd call HGVs 'units' and 'trailers' - these days, lorry is pretty much reserved for small rigid body things like Lutons.


My pal with the juntique shop steadfastly refuses to transact in anything other than cash or the occasional cheque. You want anything in his shop (and some purchases are north of £1k, sometimes well north) you put banknotes on the counter or no business is done. Or sometimes, there will be swopsies and partial cash exchanges.



Some under-30s making piddly little purchases are a bit discombobulated to find that there are times and places where cards are NOT accepted. They're signposted to the nearest ATM. Sometimes, they don't come back Pal isn't at all bovvered about losing a few sales as the regulars, the genuine high-rollers including the trade (who often look like tramps) like pulling out a roll of fifties and having their banks have no idea whatsoever what they've just bought.


He gets solicitations from companies who want to provide card services regularly. The % gets passed to Jo/e Consumer. If they ever succeed in killing cash, that % will increase. And we can kiss goodbye to any concept of privacy and automony we have now.


I'll use cash wherever and whenever possible, I totally refuse to allow my bank (and thus the State, if they choose to look) know where and when I shopped, what I own and how much I paid for it.

Karmacat

GreyQueen wrote: »

If you had lorry drivers/ truckers in your circle, you'd call HGVs 'units' and 'trailers'

Love that! Very specific, and it just sounds an accurate description.

I'll use cash wherever and whenever possible, I totally refuse to allow my bank (and thus the State, if they choose to look) know where and when I shopped, what I own and how much I paid for it.

I'd like to do that, in a lot of ways, for exactly those reasons, GQ, but the physical effort to move cash around and go to stores (from My Small Town) would mean I wouldn't get to do anything else, sadly Though I do take a wodge out at a time, and make it last as long as I can, but supermarket delivery and train fares, which are my two main expenditures, are paid on debit/credit cards as appropriate.