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It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?
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Something else I've been getting over the last year/18 months is seeds of food we like to grow, so different types of tomatoes, beans, herbs ect.£71.93/ £180.006
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boultdj said:Something else I've been getting over the last year/18 months is seeds of food we like to grow, so different types of tomatoes, beans, herbs ect.If you grow non F1 plants, collecting your own seed is easy too. Unfortunately, my favourite tomatoes are both F1, but even with those I've experimented and found their children aren't very variable.There are plants to avoid for seed saving; squashes and courgettes, for example. They're too promiscuous to be worth risking. They take up too much room before you discover whether you have something nice, or tasteless and unproductive.Buying on-line is cheapest, unless you hit on Wilkos sales or similar. Non-pictorial packets from somewhere like Premier Seeds will be roughly half the price of those from garden centres.
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sarahj1986 said:CKhalvashi said:sarahj1986 said:I am very lucky to have studied A level history and WW1 and WW2 featured heavily but also the interwar years “the road to WW2” I think the unit was called. German hyperinflation , the Wall Street crash, the Great Depression and so forth.I shall watch the videos though as I always like to learn more
Youtube is actually quite a good place for free to learn something new. I've used it for learning quite technical stuff over the years, normally after baulking at the cost of something to get someone else to do this. Specifically thinking coding and other technical things that it's good to know.
Technical as you say it’s useful but if I’m cooking or baking something new I find it’s useful for that too.
I have everything in my 'watch later' from current news (that's now 2-3 days old) to half as interesting type of stuff, stretching right to Bald and Bankrupt/Itchy Boots (travel vloggers) and comedy.
My interests are quite varied (welcome to post-Soviet upbringing, many children today in my home country will have interests as varied as music/dance and science and my children definitely have this). This was one of the things that the USSR did very well, sadly compounded by the many more serious things it definitely didn't.💙💛 💔5 -
F1 type liked tomatoes here as well, but a few of the ones we like are the old 'proper' seed types, and yes it's the non-picture seed packets I've got.
I also book marked how to dry your own seeds from tomatoes on youtube[ I get lost for hours on there]£71.93/ £180.005 -
I've had lots of lovely heirloom seeds via the heritage seed library. And I can never seem to resist more tomato varieties 🙈😂 mortgage lifter tomatoes are a first for me this year, and they are coming on a treat!! So are my colleagues (I gave her a couple seeds). I can't wait to see them fully grown, and will be saving seed from them as well. Tonnes of cherry toms coming on as well.
I love YouTube for how to's. I use them mostly for sewing patterns, or techniques, or getting to know a new machine (for example). I'm getting better and more confident with clothes making and repairing now, even started to make underwear for DD (as am fed up of the commercial ones never fitting right). It's also a great way of scrap busting, so reducing wastage.
When stocking your medicine cupboard, don't forget children's paracetamol and ibuprofen (if you have kids). Nothing worse than getting caught short in the middle of the night with onset of sudden symptoms/fever.
The obvious toilet roll one. No need to go mad, but I like to have enough that if the household is hit with a stomach bug we don't have to go out for loo roll!February wins: Theatre tickets7 -
With regards to seeds, the Real Seed Company have a wide range of seeds, all of which can have their seeds saved (and there's how-to guides as well).2024 Fashion on the Ration - 10/66 coupons used
Crafting 2024 - 1/9 items finished7 -
As I have been away for more than 5 weeks I am still trawling through the 'back catalogue' - still more then 10 pages to go before I get to this page so I am going to add my two penn'th before I forget. (Ha, with inflation that's probably at least 5 pence!)
1976- yes it was hot and sunny here. The ladybirds were blown by prevailing winds from W to E and they ended up on the beaches of Mablethorpe and the like (only 12 miles from me) and I know folk who got bitten. Clouds of insects which presumably ended up in the sea!
Water bottles. I have several Sistema ones which have never leaked and I have had them for 3 or 4 years. I had to store kefir in one- not the best idea- but a soak in weak white vinegar got rid of the smell. When I am driving I keep one in the door pocket-it's a perfect fit.
Cheap activities with children
When my friend's GC were younger she had her bus pass, which in London means free underground/train travel too and I remember the youngest loved to have a trip on the bus sitting on the front seat upstairs, or a couple of stations on the train because they either walked or went by car: they didn't use public transport as there were 5 in the family and car was more economical/easier.
They used to have 'picnics' in the park. Essentially just a sandwich & bottle of water! none of your fancy stuff, but small children quite enjoy the novelty.
something to do with music.
Singing?
Making rattle/ banging instruments
learning short poems, making up silly rhymes, word games like Mrs Brown's shopping
a playdate with Granny & Grandpa! Child can choose the activities - within reason
I remember going to school and not being able to read until was 6- I had no help at home whatsoever and I struggled. I was an avid reader by 10.
I was a primary teacher for many years and I was always grateful when I got children who had been taught to read especially when the class size was 39! however it was equally important that they knew colours, numbers etc. I also remember 8 & 9 year olds , in the main, enjoyed listening to stories even if they were capable of reading for themselves. Isn't that why adults like audio books??
and last but not least, yesterday I picked up a really really good book in Aldi reduced to 99 pence
"The big book of 100 little activities" large p/b
I think it was on sale there originally @£3.99. Still on sale at Hobbycraft @ £14.99!!!!
Has some great fun ideas that don't cost a lot- aimed at pre school children- I think- but I'm sure many primary aged children would enjoy some of the activities too.
Absolute bargain, so well worth looking if you have a local Aldi.
Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
-Stash bust:in 2022:337
Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24bags,43dogcoats, 2scrunchies, 10mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec cases, 2 A6notebooks, 59cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82
2024:Sewn:59Doggy ds,52pyramids,18 bags,6spec cases,6lav.bags.
Knits:6covers,4hats,10mitts,2 bootees.
Crotchet:61angels, 229cards=453 £158.55profit!!!
2025 3dduvets12 -
Katiehound said:I was a primary teacher for many years and I was always grateful when I got children who had been taught to read especially when the class size was 39! however it was equally important that they knew colours, numbers etc. I also remember 8 & 9 year olds , in the main, enjoyed listening to stories even if they were capable of reading for themselves. Isn't that why adults like audio books??Ex teacher here too. I used to regard reading to the class as an essential for the development of literary and personal skills, as opposed to simply fostering literacy. Where possible, books would be chosen to fit in with topics studied, but they had to stand on their own merits too. I found it was one of the best ways to help children become reflective; giving them something shared to focus on.The sausage-machine effect of a crammed National Curriculum reduced the amount of literary study, although I could still sneak-in excepts from good books for English lessons and some reading aloud. Many children find it hard to "hear the words inside their heads" if they are not used to having that regularly modelled by an adult, at home or at school. Sadly, by the time I left teaching, the class novel had disappeared from many classrooms.Now, 15 years on, imagine my surprise and joy when viewing my old school's web site to read the prominent statement that reading to the children via a class novel and the study of literature is regarded as a core activity. A number of my former colleagues are still there and the Head is one of them, so they must have reflected on what had been lost and decided to put things right.11
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Woolsery said:Many children find it hard to "hear the words inside their heads" if they are not used to having that regularly modelled by an adult, at home or at school. Sadly, by the time I left teaching, the class novel had disappeared from many classrooms.
Just googled SRA- it's still around!
just remembered the read aloud story was the listening element, otherwise there were sequenced work cards for comprehension etc which the children used idependently.Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
-Stash bust:in 2022:337
Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24bags,43dogcoats, 2scrunchies, 10mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec cases, 2 A6notebooks, 59cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82
2024:Sewn:59Doggy ds,52pyramids,18 bags,6spec cases,6lav.bags.
Knits:6covers,4hats,10mitts,2 bootees.
Crotchet:61angels, 229cards=453 £158.55profit!!!
2025 3dduvets6 -
JackieO's list
was concentrate tomato on there? Trying to speed read means things can get mis/unread!!
I tend to buy the tubes of concentrate but I know you can buy larger portions in a tin (not sure which is cheaper) and freeze in Table.spoonfuls.
dried fruit? thinking sultanas & possibly currants. I know they don't have a huge shelf life but last year used a sealed pack of mixed dried fruit, soaked for a cake, only.......6 years out of date. perfectly fine!
tinned fruit: the very cheap tins of sliced peaches in light syrup around 35 pence are a good standby to extend other fruit in fruit salads, crumbles etc if windfall apples are not available. Not sure if these (the peaches) are quite as easy to find nowadays. Bought in Aldi last week, seen on Asda webpage.Being polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
-Stash bust:in 2022:337
Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24bags,43dogcoats, 2scrunchies, 10mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec cases, 2 A6notebooks, 59cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82
2024:Sewn:59Doggy ds,52pyramids,18 bags,6spec cases,6lav.bags.
Knits:6covers,4hats,10mitts,2 bootees.
Crotchet:61angels, 229cards=453 £158.55profit!!!
2025 3dduvets5
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