Put away your purse & become debt-averse

savingmore

lantanna wrote: »

You could just buy a couple of pairs of cheap earrings and take the backs off them and use, that’s what I’ve done in the past. Bought a cheap pack from Primark

that is a brilliant idea, should have thought of that, one of those cards that has 10 pairs for a pound or something ridiculous....thanks for the saving idea!!!

oceandreamer

Can I just ask about growing watercress -do you grow it from seed or buy plants? Is it easy to grow? I love watercress but didn't realise you can grown it at home.

foxgloves

Hi Oceandreamer,
It's easy to grow from seed. I grow it every year. Its a myth that you need running water... just make sure you change the water every week. My method is this. You need an old plastic washing up bowl or similar container which has no holes in. Now find 2 or 3 plastic flowerpots which will fit into the bowl. Fill the pots with ordinary potting compost. Water, sow the seeds, cover with a thin layer of compost & gently water again. Stand the pots in the washing-up bowl & fill the bowl with water to at least halfway up the sides of the pots.
That's it! Snip watercress when it looks ready. It will keep growing back. Snip any flowers off before it can go to seed, but if it does, you can still rejuvenate it by giving it a big haircut.
Think the variety of seeds I usually grow is called 'Aqua'. I usually sow it around the beginning of April - outside.
Hope this helps,
F x

foxgloves

Good evening m'dears,
I've really noticed today how much food we seem to have in, as well as lots of jars of stuff open..... I think that's fairly normal post-Christmas. We still have a decent amount of grocery budget left for this month, as well as 2 lots of supermarket vouchers for £50 each. I think I need to base next week's meal plans very much on what we already have in, target a few more ends of jars & packets for using up & then think about the best use of those vouchers. One possibility would be stocking up the wine rack a bit with one voucher & stocking the freezer with meat with the other. I'm also quite tempted to do a big stock up of pantry essentials, such as tins of tomatoes, pulses, flour, pasta, etc, as that would last us a while & mean potentially being able to via some grocery budget to other pots.
Hmmmm, I can see that my trusty kitchen steps will be coming out this week, so I can get a real proper look into the darkest depths of the pantry. Knowledge is power! (even knowledge involving how many tubes of tomato puree may be lurking......)
And I could do with a new freezer list.
OK, that's sounding like a plan!
Cheers all,
F x

Kantankrus_Mare

Thanks for the watercress info Foxgloves.....something Ive been wanting to have a go at. I assume you would keep this outside and not in the greenhouse?

Not that Ill be sowing anything anytime soon. Come down with a full blown cold and feel shocking! There must be a couple of different viruses doing the rounds as I had the chesty cough a month ago and thought Id got off lightly as it went within a week. Now feel like someone has turned on a tap in my nasal passages. Supposed to be at work tomorrow but a colleague kindly offered to cover it for me.

Off to get myself a hot lemonade and whisky.

Chrystal

Hope you feel better soon KM... enjoy your hot toddy

oceandreamer

Thanks for the info on the watercress. I've added it to my planing list. I have a very very small veg patch so am trying to grow in pots/bags as much as possible so will definitely give this a go.

Blackcats

Hi Foxgloves. Gas and electricity suppliers seem to send a lot of communications in very close succession and the info in each is always different. I am in the middle of changing suppliers and my current supplier has sent 6 letters about the gas supply and 6 letters about electricity. I think they are asking for a meter reading
I once tried to use the formula provided in the bills - cubic capacity x something else divided by something to the power of ...... i valiantly worked through the formula and came up with a bill the size of the economic worth of Switzerland.

savingmore

oooh thanks for the info on watercress. i LOVE watercress and hate the price of it locally, so will have a go at doing this. thanks so much! and I know you woill be to give advice if something goes wrong. where do you buy yr seeds?

foxgloves

Kantankrus - Oh what a nuisance that you've got another lergy. Hope you feel better soon. And yes, my watercress bowl is both sown & kept outside.

Savingmore - I buy seeds from my little local garden centre unless they are unusual varieties I need to get from a seed cataligue/website.
F x