2020 Frugal Living Challenge

willow_loulou

Deleted_User said:

Lots of offcuts of wood collected from a neighbour for the burner, NSD achieved. Payday tomorrow and I actually have £600 in savings, woop! 

Can’t remember if i posted this but I actually skip dived for 2 bag fulls of chopped up pallet ❤️ Free wood is just the best fire maker ❤️

Frugaldom

I love free pallets! One thing needing built at frugaldom is a wood store so I can save all the free bits of wood and broken pallets that come our way, as I have stoves out there plus log burner at home, but another thing I need is help to do all these things. My 'to do' list just keeps on growing. I've been planning on establishing a small hutting community at Frugaldom (hutting is more of a Scottish tradition, for anyone not familiar with the term) and after years and years of frugaling, I've finally got around to starting the planning process - except we now have extra hold-ups because of the Covid-19 lockdown.

willow_loulou

I’d like a hut or van in my garden, an extra room for family or my Mr when he moves in. A little workshop too. When the garden is cleared I’m hoping to find something suitable. 

cw18

I'm picking up 3 prescriptions on the way home from work tonight - all of which I'm taking to try and control my sciatica pain.  At £9.15 per item, that would come to £27.45.   I knew about annual pre-pay certificates, but I've no idea how long I'm likely to need all these prescriptions for which means it's hard to work out whether it's worth getting one of those.  But on checking it out last night I discovered they also do a 3 month one for £29.65, so I've got myself one of those starting today.   One more prescription before it expires and I'm quids in, as I've only paid £2.20 more for the certificate than I'd have had to pay for the prescriptions today.  Possibly another set of 3 in 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks - so potentially another 9 prescriptions whilst it's valid which is a serious saving (9 x £9.15 = £82.35)    If I need to carry on with them beyond then I won't kick the next pre-pay in until the following prescriptions are due (at week 16), but it would be nice to be cutting back on/out some of the meds by then.......

Frugaldom

Cw18, this is why I think we are so lucky having free prescriptions in Scotland. It must save dome people a fortune if they depend on regular meds for anything.

sashacat

cw, that’s a terrible price for prescriptions. Luckily I am over the age for free prescriptions.
Ah, free wood. I had a wood burner put in this house about 4 years ago and have yet to buy any wood. And it saves such a lot of money as I rarely use the central heating.
My neighbours give me all of their off cuts and I collect pallets. Lots of people in the village know I burn free wood so if there is a tree that is cut down they give me a ring. My friend is coming today with his chain saw to cut it all up. I reckon I have two winters’ worth. 
But, like Frugaldom, I need a wood store as it is in untidy piles in the garage, shed and garden. 
I have no plums unfortunately as I love plums, but I have a glut of runner beans. I made 9 jars of runner bean pickle last night from a recipe on the Internet and it looks to have set ok this morning.
I’m off to Scotland on Sunday to stay with my friend for a two week holiday. I will wave as I pass you Frugaldom. 

willow_loulou

@cw18 if one is Cocodamol 8/250 or 8/500 they are an over the counter drug and much cheaper than a script unless you get a decent amount given to you. I get sciatica - I’m hyper mobile and can get it just lifting a bag funny. Try sleeping with your knees drawn up to your chest and walk as much as possible avoiding stairs and steps. Walking it off is the best treatment, along with a heat pad. If you can use volterol gel get someone else to rub it in very firmly all round your hip and back. It hurts but manipulating it really helps me.  Hugs to you xxxxx 

cw18

willow_loulou said:

@cw18 if one is Cocodamol 8/250 or 8/500 they are an over the counter drug and much cheaper than a script unless you get a decent amount given to you. I get sciatica - I’m hyper mobile and can get it just lifting a bag funny. Try sleeping with your knees drawn up to your chest and walk as much as possible avoiding stairs and steps. Walking it off is the best treatment, along with a heat pad. If you can use volterol gel get someone else to rub it in very firmly all round your hip and back. It hurts but manipulating it really helps me.  Hugs to you xxxxx 

They're Codeine Phosphate.  My prescription is for two 30mg tablets 4 times a day - but I fall asleep if I take two at a time so I'm only taking 3 tablets a day.  My Naproxen prescription is for two 500mg tablets a day, but that dose gives me migraines so I'm taking 250mg three times a day.  The only one I take as prescribed is the Gabapentin (300mg three times a day).   They give me 4 weeks of the prescribed dose each time I get a refill.

The only sleeping position that's working for me is on my back - and to keep myself on my back I have to put a solid pillow under the upper half of my legs.  I naturally sleep in the fetal position on the side which has the sciatica, but sleeping on that side is impossible at the moment.   After a good day I can manage a couple of hours on my other side at best.

I have no choice but to walk through it, as my job entails being on my feet all day (postie).   The GP wanted me to take some time off whilst we sorted the meds, but I pointed out that sorting them for lazing around the house doesn't mean they'll work when I go back to work - so we're trying to sort them while I'm working.   The physio also said they normally recommend taking some time (a week or two) off your feet as part of the rehab, but is having to work on a plan that doesn't include that

The gel sounds interesting, but I'd only be able to use it at a weekend when my boyfriend comes over.   I'm a singleton from late Sunday evening to late Saturday afternoon.

cw18

Frugaldom said:

Cw18, this is why I think we are so lucky having free prescriptions in Scotland. It must save dome people a fortune if they depend on regular meds for anything.

sashacat said:

cw, that’s a terrible price for prescriptions. Luckily I am over the age for free prescriptions.

There have been times when I've not requested a refill as it was due purely because of the cost.  And it wasn't a choice of meds or food for me, which I'm sure it will be for some people     I only got two of the three tonight, so they must be stricter about how close to the end of the 4 weeks supply I have to be for the Gabapentin.  Means I'd 'only' have had to pay £18.30 tonight, and I need to get the Gabapentin requested on my way to work on Monday as I finish my current box on Thursday - and that would have been another £9.15 at that point.   £27.45 is more than 10% of my weekly pay cheque (if I've no overtime), and I can't afford that on a regular basis     If I put £2.30 to one side on a weekly basis I'll have enough for another 3 month pre-payment certificate when this one expires - and if I can pull the Gabapentin forward a couple of days I'll be able to take a 3 week break before I'm due my next prescriptions (unless the GP changes anything in the mean time)

willow_loulou

2 of the pips grew! These are Lemons 🍋 2 more that will hopefully be lovely trees or shrubs for my empty garden. ❤️