2023 Frugal Living Challenge

2Scratters

@Frugaldom I am just wondering why you are after a business account? As a sole trader you can have the account in just your name, obviously if your income became a worry to your bank they would let you know and give/make you advise of what type of customers they are looking for. Have you tried Chase? it is an app based account and very easy to open. You get to have 10 pots for savings and pays a very good rate of 4.1% with instant access too. 
Good luck

2 Scratters xx

Frugaldom

2Scratters said:

@Frugaldom I am just wondering why you are after a business account? As a sole trader you can have the account in just your name, obviously if your income became a worry to your bank they would let you know and give/make you advise of what type of customers they are looking for. Have you tried Chase? it is an app based account and very easy to open. You get to have 10 pots for savings and pays a very good rate of 4.1% with instant access too. 
Good luck

2 Scratters xx

Yes, I have been self employed for well over 30 years but now want to develop the sanctuary to make it more accessible. We accept donations and some people don't use PayPal. I closed my business account as soon as BoS started charging a monthly fee. Seems I'm now stuck between a rock and a hard place as I am also registered as a social enterprise but no funding can be accessed without a named bank account but I don't want an account that charged me for having my money in there. I also don't qualify if I need to guarantee a minimum amount paid in each month as some months there could be nothing. 😆

KajiKita

Ref the rhubarb, aren’t you supposed to leave the leaves on to feed the crown for next season?
If it’s different type to mine, I don’t see why you couldn’t either chop and freeze (I have, into reusable self-sealable bags) or stew and freeze it. 😊

KK

Siebrie

I always leave the rhubarb leaves on, and only remove them when they are completely died down somewhere in October. Then I add a generous layer of compost around the plant.

Is it safe to eat rhubarb from the plant now? I thought oxal acid levels were dangerously high after 21 June?

Van_Girl

Siebrie said:

I always leave the rhubarb leaves on, and only remove them when they are completely died down somewhere in October. Then I add a generous layer of compost around the plant.

Is it safe to eat rhubarb from the plant now? I thought oxal acid levels were dangerously high after 21 June?

Apparently it's safe, but would be woody and flavourless after end of July ish

Topher

Siebrie said:

This spring my rhubarb wasn't growing properly, so I bought a very small new one to be planted somewhere in my garden in full sunshine. I then got busy with other things, it was raining all the time and i never got round to it. The little rhubarb died, and it was just a little pot with black earth. It was standing a bit hidden on my terrace, behind the mint bed, and I didn't really see it. Lo and behold: it has resprouted! I have now planted it at the bottom of my garden, in front of the grape, behind the cherry tree (2.5m from each).

That’s funny, rhubarb in my garden this year has been really feeble. It’s grown OK but the stems are pathetically thin. My daughter 15 miles away is having the same problem. (We both live just outside the rhubarb triangle). This problem applies to plants that just went in last year mainly, but also some established ones. I didn’t expect much from the new plants’ growth in their first year, but the disappointing results seem universal. 

mama67

Mine has done the same both newly moved crowns and established crowns. 

willow_loulou

I watch an Australian YouTube channel and he demonstrated the use of Olla watering in raised beds. It’s ceramic tubes attached by tubing to a big tub. So it self waters but doesn’t over water because if the soils wet it stays in the ceramic. The size of the plants in a comparison bed he watered was about half. 

He was saying that the irregular over or under watering of self watering is the cause of thin plants - definitely something to lol into if you can get big beds. 

Mind you I need the opposite with the amount of rain we’ve had this summer! My 4 measly tomatoes are huge though. 

2Scratters

@Van_Girl thanks for that note about the rhubarb and its taste. My last lot was an odd taste it tasted a bit soily to me but now you mention woody mine has definitely past its best now. Plenty of leaves left on will take them off and put into composter for next year. Will leave some on though. It's a shame I have been lazy with the plants as there were plenty on and I have plenty leftovers in the freezer from last year. Everyday is a school day.

@Frugaldom check out chase bank account see what their conditions are. (App based only account)

2 Scratters xx

willow_loulou

Did some decluttering today, I want the house somewhat tidied before I go away. 

Found almost £7 in change! It’s in my ‘fun’ pot. My monthly allowance for cinema and coffee treats. I always pop the change in I don’t use in case something comes up I want to do. Can now afford the opera live at the cinema week after next! Yay! 

Also if anyone likes chutneys Sainsbury’s are selling their best range for last Christmas (I assume - one was Xmas chutney) for 17p! They have also dropped their price on baked beans.