What small DFW things will you do this week - w/c 11th September?

foxgloves

Morning Money Savers,
Busy day so far. Feeling very motivated on the frugal front. Here's today's list.
*Discussed heating with mr f over breakfast. He is even more adamant than me that it isn't being switched on until October. Only using the heated towel rail over overnight on cheap tariff at the moment as it isn't cold enough for heating, but it isn't warm enough for towels to dry, either.
*Cleaned whole of downstairs using minimal products & washable cloths. Will do upstairs in a minute when I sign out of here.
*Another 500g tomatoes had ripened on my tray so have put away in the fridge. It's going to get colder from today, so the remaining green ones (about 1.5k, at a guess) will be put in a paper bag to ripen instead.
*Did a couple of surveys & a prize draw.
*Changed towels & loaded washer for cheap overnight laundry - will check forecast for the best drying day as any outside drying now is a bonus & means not paying for the heated airer every single time.
*Check sweetcorn for ripeness. I unpiggled one the other day & tried the fingernail test & it did seem to be pretty much ripe. Will double-check & pick a couple to go with tonight's meal.
*Cut bowl of rocket leaves. These grow so well in large plastic troughs & will keep going if moved into the greenhouse. Frost was in the forecast this morning, but I was supervising cat & didn't notice what day.
*Start shopping list, having done a comprehensive meal plan yesterday. Check cupboards. ALL cupboards, including household cupboard. A few occasions in recent weeks where I have failed to do this or missed something lurking at the back & ended up buying something we already had in stock unopened.
*Delve into depths of linen cupboard for an Indian bedspread I'd forgotten about, just in case it is big enough/suitable to make my conservatory door curtain. I'd prefer something warmer but could always line it with something. It's going to be double-sided as it's to go in a doorway, rather than over an actual door, so the 'insides' of the curtain won't be visible. My kitchen door curtain (made from vintage 1980s furnishing fabric samples) has a warm throw sewn into the middle for an invisble warm extra layer. Anyway, am still thinking how to tackle this project without the £55 it would have cost me if I bought the fabric I saw earlier this week.
*mr f cooking tonight - he's cooking some of the aberdeen angus burgers we found in the YS fridge at Sainso's the other week. Will have those in home baked bread rolls with the aforementioned rocket, tomatoes & corn-on-the-cob.
*Knit, knit, knit. I am not going to get nearly as much done in time for these craft stalls as I'd have liked, but I have got all my handknitted stuff already made for Christmas presents, so that's something. Any extra cash from the stalls will be useful to replenish savings used for building work, new vacuum & new washing machine. They were our 'first line of defence' level of savings & I feel quite wobbly without them!
*Earned another £5 survey income, so have updated my signature. Will use for a Christmas present.
OK, must go & reunite myself with Mr Dyson (cat will be incandescent!) & get upstairs done, then I will treat myself to a hot bubble bath, hair pamper & maybe watch 'Cold Feet'.
Love to all,
F xx

carrielovesfanta

foxgloves wrote: »

CLF - Ripening green tomatoes isn't difficult. It's just that they sort of sit there looking so very green, you kind of can't imagine them ever turning red, but they usually do. Sometimes they will ripen if you just leave them on a tray in a sunny window sill. I have been doing this, but the temperature is set to drop over the next few days, so I'm going to step up my ripening today. I pop all the green tomatoes in a paper bag, fold over & peg the top closed & simply leave it sitting in my veg basket. It helps if you have a red tomato or even one which is turning red to put in there with them. I've never tried putting a banana in the bag with them, but I don't see why it wouldn't work if you don't have a ripe tomato. If you truly have tons of green ones, then green tomato chutney is nice, but I bet they will ripen fine with the paper bag method. One year I had so many green ones, I had to use a Body Shop brown paper carrier bag but they still all turned red in there, apart from one or two that were too tiny to pick in the first place.
F x
P.S Thanks for your good wishes. Difficult times, am doing lots of batch cooking for the stress! Soon be time for Freezer Tetris again!

Thanks for all the info

The last two years I have lost the whole crop to blight and this year they just didn't ripen, but the plants are on the way out. I have tonnes of them. I have made green tomato chutney before but we have lots left. I'm hoping to ripen them and then roast and blitz into tomato soup.

Just had a massive sort out of the shed and garden. All tomato planets cleared. Several brambles and other weeds removed. Cut back the oregano and had a good sweep round.
OH took everything out of the shed. Considering we already KonMari'd it last year (or possibly the year before?) there was a lot of carp... it has all left for the tip now barring 2 tins of paint that must be taken to a different tip.

Time to relax for a bit before heading to town and playing badminton with brother in law and nephew.

La_escocesa

Hello there my lovely lot :wave:

Hope you are all doing ok today.

We went to the theatre last night - cost us £12 all in. :T SFF tickets :shhh: for the 2 x £2 booking fee, £2 parking and £6 for 2 drinks. :cool:

Off to the theatre again tonight - won't be so cheap!

Also booked the hall for job #2 - go me :dance: - so there's no turning back (for at least the next few months while I try to build it up...) Going to do a bit of advertising/emailing etc today... :think:

Need to:
Tidy round
Put washing away
Look for local hairdressers looking for models because I fancy a change and a free haircut
Going for a pre-theatre deal so cheaper than your average lunch out

I've got bananas that are looking past their best so going to make some banana pancakes. Maybe just freeze one for smoothies too. :think:

Probably lots more - catch up soon!

PurpleFairy26

La_escocesa wrote: »

Hello there my lovely lot :wave:

Hope you are all doing ok today.

We went to the theatre last night - cost us £12 all in. :T SFF tickets :shhh: for the 2 x £2 booking fee, £2 parking and £6 for 2 drinks. :cool:

Off to the theatre again tonight - won't be so cheap!

Also booked the hall for job #2 - go me :dance: - so there's no turning back (for at least the next few months while I try to build it up...) Going to do a bit of advertising/emailing etc today... :think:

Need to:
Tidy round
Put washing away
Look for local hairdressers looking for models because I fancy a change and a free haircut
Going for a pre-theatre deal so cheaper than your average lunch out

I've got bananas that are looking past their best so going to make some banana pancakes. Maybe just freeze one for smoothies too. :think:

Probably lots more - catch up soon!

La E just a thought about your biz, 'wellbeing' is the big 'buzz' word in lots of corporate organisations at the moment and we all know yoga is a really good part of that both for the body and mind, so could you e mail some big corporates in your area and ask if you can advertise your classes to support their 'wellbeing strategy' some may even consider paying for a taster for their employees. Just a thought.

Enjoy the theatre tonight x

determined_new_ms

Morning La E what's SFF tickets?

feeling groggy after not getting home and to bed until 1.30 - I've still got it - no alcohol involved as friend doesn't drink, I was at her house and had to drive 40 mins back in the dead of the night :eek: Tis true that we feel rough after a night out because of lack of sleep rather than alcohol! Was so nice to see this friend. wish she lived nearer as only get to see her a few times a year. Have planned we'll go away to Brighton for a night of dancing and frivolity in November near my birthday :j

Today we are off to Paws in the Park a dog show festival thingy. Madam is nuts about dogs so hope she loves it. Will take packed lunches, snacks and drinks to keep the cost down...

school uniform in machine now and will hang on line

hope to get to the allotment for an hour at some point. Time to start clearing things away. Cucumbers & broccoli have finished, as has salad area. Beans, courgettes (can't believe how late these are still producing!), leeks, chard, beetroot, turnips & raspberries productive/ready now. Parsnips, swedes and squashes not far from harvest awwwww it's soooooo rewarding, if a lot of work!

Might get oh to get a bottle of vino later but might just scratch around and throw a cocktail together so as not to spend Depends if we end up spending any money. Might be real tight and refuse to open my purse! :cool: ha ha maybe I'll just *accidentally* leave my purse at home :rotfl:

check meal plan and get something out of freezer

Think we'll have pancakes before heading out

need to pay for bed frame I'm collecting tomorrow £62 plus petrol, bottle of fizz and quick lunch - gotta be less than £40 right? - for a £320 bed :money:

Fix madam's chest of drawers

Ok really need to find some energy and get ready

carrielovesfanta

Morning folks

Early start for me in the gym after a slightly late night (I really need my sleep!) so feeling a tad groggy too. Not nearly as hardcore as you though DNMS!

Went to play badminton and table tennis last night and I've discovered that I find games really really boring. I always thought I hated games because I was rubbish at them and not fit enough, but nope... actually I just get bored really easily!

Got back far too late from badminton to cook so picked up tortellini from Tesco (better than a takeaway... I remember how that ended up last week). Also resisted OH asking if I wanted a beer or two (truth yes, but sense decrees no). He's not exactly helpful to me cutting down!

Roundup

carrielovesfanta wrote: »

• Sort shed - done
• Sort garden - done
• Pick green tomatoes and try to ripen with banana
• List more bits on Facebook to sell - done
• Look at Christmas crochet patterns - nope
• Sew in more ends of doom (SO. MANY. ENDS. ) - some more done
• Meals from plan - swapped dinner out
• Pick up meat from work when it arrives - done
• Pick up tin of chickpeas for tagine - swapped dinner out
  

Today:

• Early gym session - done
• Charge phone in work - done
• Meals from plan - done
• Prep tomorrow's meals - done
• Put tomatoes in bag - done
• Tidy round - done
• Ends of doom - done
• List a couple of bits on Facebook (blimey people are chancers... listed an item at £40 and was offered £10!) - another thing sold for £10
  
• Sort washing - done

Wow... surely I must be doing something more exciting than that?

Have a good one all

clf x

La_escocesa

Morning ladies!

Purps, thank you, yes! I do need to do this, but I feel like I would only be able to give it a good go if I got out of the corporate world myself... It's kinda like if I want to really go for it and make it work then it's a whole full-time job in itself. I'm also in an awkward position because I know yoga teachers trying to make it full time who get upset by us part-timers 'stealing' their students for a little class here and there when we don't need the money/it's not our sole income. And if those students weren't coming to my class they'd go to theirs and those extra students could make all the difference for their small business. No joke, I have had this very conversation with a friend.

DNMS - Show Film First I'm pretty sure I used to only get cinema tickets but now it's always theatre ones.

Morning carrie :wave:

xxx

Happy_Kitties

Morning everyone
Well DD has now moved into her halls. It was a 8 1/2 hour round trip for me yesterday, woke really early this morning, my arms were killing me and joints sore. I def overdid it yesterday.
Looked in her bedroom, doesn't look like she has gone anywhere-its still a mess!!! Aiming to give it a clean and a tidy today.
DD is in catered halls, we worked out the cost of each meal for what she was getting, well worth paying the extra as DD suffers from chronic fatigue and she said the food is really good.
Also took a lot of food with her for snacks and lunches as DD has an extremely high metabolic rate.
DD is very astute with money, I can tell she will be keeping the money saving faith. It was funny to see lots of students like ducklings all along the road back to the halls all carrying shopping bags from a nearby Tesc@.
I have to pop out later to do a quick job but other than that it's a quiet day just doing some cleaning. No spends at all.
Hoping to try and crack Amaz@n aswell to put on DD old textbooks
foxgloves interested in what u said about the heating. I've got all the windows open, its not warm but cold either, just nice. I'm also hoping that the heating will stay off until Oct.
LaE really good spends with the theatre, I wish we had something like that nearby. Nearest theatre 3/4 hour away and not cheap.
DNMS Paws in the Park sounds great, I'm sure madam will enjoy.

Have a great day everyone x

FatVonD

Afternoon all!

My day has started well as a FB buyer has just picked up my old desk.

I'm considering printing out my Mr T vouchers to pay towards a big shop. The fridge is looking a little bare and I want to stock up on cheap cat litter. The expensive stuff IS better but not four or five times better!

I need to look up what herbs will make it through the winter and plant those somewhere more permanent. My herb window box doesn't look anything like as beautiful and orderly as I imagined, who knew fennel grew so tall?!

I've decided to get rid of my wild strawberries, they grow well but the fruits are tiny and the space could be put to better use. I'm going to take them out with a good clump of soil and throw them in the brambles out the back where they will hopefully take root.

The tomatoes are for the chop today, the last few can go on the windowsill to ripen and the salvia that is currently under the wall baskets and gets misshapen by the drips is getting promoted to being in the wall basket.

Actually, scotch all the above gardening stuff, we seem to have a sudden downpour!

HappyKitties, I am still leaving the windows and doors open during the day, it gets chilly at night but I like to air the house whenever possible (DS smokes, only in his room, but it still seeps out whenever he opens the door and it is foul.)

I have more tidying up to do, I'm gradually shifting the clutter (and making money from it!) but there's still a way to go so best get on with it!

carrielovesfanta

FatVonD wrote: »

I'm considering printing out my Mr T vouchers to pay towards a big shop. The fridge is looking a little bare and I want to stock up on cheap cat litter. The expensive stuff IS better but not four or five times better!

Would it be worth mixing say 2/3rd cheap litter to 1/3 expensive litter?