2023 Frugal Living Challenge

RavenRover

@cw18 I'm sorry you are having a tough time just now.  Take care

-taff

@cw18 sounds very ropey. If you don't know when you're going to finish that suggests that someone has dropped a ball on what needs ot be done and when. I agree that you seem to have a bully boss, who is probably terrified they're losing their workforce and will fall foul of targets themselves, but i would say that I have never once thought, omg i miss work, since I stopped working [ for medical reasons] . Nor will I ever think I wish I worked more.  Just something to keep in the back of your mind...I also used counselling in one job, I expect the only people who know are those who will be paying the bill but it's definitely worth doing if you can.

joedenise

RavenRover said:

joedenise said:

RavenRover said:

I'm knitting some dishcloths using cheap cotton yarn sourced from charity shop.  Might do some as Christmas presents

What stitch are you using for the dishcloths?  It’s something I’ve been wanting to do but not sure which pattern would work best.

Sorry for the late reply, got a poorly 90+ year old raising hell between home and now hospital!🥴😆 

Basically I am boring and practical and just use a normal plain stich and knit up a square, but I have seen folks doing really pretty ones

I looked at the pattern on the Down to Earth blog which was recommended earlier but I think as I'm still a very inexperienced knitter (even though I'm an OAP!) I think I'll stick with just doing plain knitting.  At the end of the day it doesn't really matter what it looks like as long as it does the job!

Maybe I'll try more complicated ones once I'm a bit better knitter!!!

Soontobeoap

@cw18 i suffered with chronic sciatica for years. I worked in a reception class so had to retire early. I could only do standing jobs for 2 hours a day because of the constant pain. I walked with a stick and couldnt drive and it felt like my hisband had become my carer. After about 4 years of doctors appts, group physio, individual physio, private acupuncture and chyropracter i was referred to hospital for a diagnostic injection. (cant remember what it was called) if injection relieved pain it indicated that an op might help. I was so much better for 9 or 10 weeks. Shortly after I went for op and have been pain free ever since. Its been over 3 years and not a day goes by when I am not grateful to the Dr who did that op. There is hope that they can free the trapped nerve. I hope this helps when you hit a spell of dispair. . 

cw18

-taff said:

@cw18 sounds very ropey. If you don't know when you're going to finish that suggests that someone has dropped a ball on what needs ot be done and when.

Much, much higher up the chain than my boss though.   Reading posts on the FB page for the Union, it appears to be much the same in offices all over the country since the most senior management decided on changes to the way we operate.

And we've had yet more changes come into force yesterday - brought forward by a week, and long before the last few 'revisions' have had time to bed in !!!!

Amara

Encouraged by successfully mending bedsheet, I decided to repair hems at two of my blankets. I wasn't sure will it work, as blanket is thick, but it did. Hems are back on their places. Result is not perfect, but it looks much better. 
Panels in my dining room had their time. I washed old rug and put it over. Looks better.

Bluegreen143

@cw18 just to say I’ve used the free counselling line provided by my work and it is fully confidential and doesn’t go on your record. I have a friend who is a counsellor working on workplace lines too - they are usually outsourced and not run in any way by your work who just pay for the service. My sister got 18 sessions for free from her work as a one off, I think at mine you get up to 6 (I only used one as just needed someone to talk to about a family situation).

JIL

I have also used the works counselling service and my employers didnt know. I have also had staff who have used it and the only way I knew they had, is because they told me themselves.

I recommend counselling, it's one of those things that you dont know about until you try it. It's like a session, where you can just pour your heart out, without having to think about the  person you are speaking to. I didn't think it would work for me but got a lot out of it. It was a few years ago now, but I wouldn't hesitate to go again, should the need arise.

otb666

@cw18 i would agree its so good to talk and i find that hubby was a lot better after he had some sessions.  Its very stressful when people are putting pressure on you be it work or elderly relatives and we just seem to suck it up and it just plays on your mind over and over until you can offload to someone. I hope your situation improves for you. 

RavenRover

I've been a busy wee frugal bunny this past couple of weeks.  Been harvesting wild garlic so have about a kilo of garlic butter - if you hadn't guessed I love garlic butter- and a couple of freezer bags of wild garlic.  Will hopefully keep me going till my garlic grows in my garden.

Also been putting in more raised beds using all my water butts that burst during the winter and some trug tubs that are by their best for being moved around.  If everything grows it will save me buying out of the supermarket for a wee while.

My aunt and her pal had booked a "man in  a van" to collect their old planters and soil.  He didn't show and when she told mum, mum was able to say that I was looking for soil, so that saved lots of pennies on compost and got about 2 dozen planters!!